For Immediate Release Contact: Ginger Vaughan ([email protected]) 206-842-8922 The Strong People: A History of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Now Available First book to focus on Port Gamble S’Klallam history showcases voices of elders, community members, and historians. The Strong People: A History of Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe is here! Hundreds of years of history, over four decades of interviews, and five years of curating have gone into composing this comprehensive story of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. The book features historical essays, personal accounts, and photos from primary sources and was written in collaboration with S’Klallam elders, community leaders and historians. The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe has been in the Puget Sound basin since 2400 B.C. Their history is rooted in the Pacific Northwest with evidence of an ancestral village at what is today the town of Port Gamble, Wash. Displaced from their home to make way for industry, the Port Gamble S’Klallam—through the strength, determination, and wisdom of their ancestors—have survived the challenges that have threatened their way of life. The Strong People is their story. As contributor and Tribal Elder Ron Charles wrote in the book’s introduction: “As we wrote this book, as we took time to examine our tribe’s history, it became crystal clear that today’s tribal members can look back with pride, knowing that the treaty rights we enjoy, the right to live on these beautiful lands on Port Gamble Bay, and our very right to exist as a tribe are all benefits that we possess today because of the actions taken years ago by our S’Klallam ancestors…” The Strong People covers the S’Klallam’s migration to Port Gamble Bay, their interactions with the first white settlers to the area, and how life changed after the construction of a lumber mill on their ancestral grounds. The book also looks at the values and culture of the Port Gamble S’Klallam people, including their unique connection to the natural world, devotion to family, commitment to education, and focus on maintaining the tribal way of life—the fabric of which includes a lot of tradition and more than a little baseball! To celebrate the release of The Strong People the tribe will host a celebration event on February 27, 2013 at 5:30 p.m. in the Longhouse at the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal Center. The event is open to the public and will feature readings by book contributors Ron Charles, Gina Stevens and Ted George. The Strong People: A History of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe is now available for just $16.99 through the tribe and will be making its way to local retailers soon. Those interested in purchasing copies of The Strong People are encouraged to contact Sharon Purser at 360-297- 6276 or via email at [email protected]. Wholesale pricing is available. Individual copies can also be ordered at http://www.pgst.nsn.us/tribal-entities/sklallam-foundation/the-strong-people. ABOUT THE PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBE The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, originally known as the Nux Sklai Yem or Strong People, are descendants of the Salish people who have been well-established in the Puget Sound basin and surrounding areas since 2400 B.C. In the late 1930s, the Port Gamble S’Klallam reservation, located on the northern tip of the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State, was established. Many of the Tribe’s members, who total about twelve hundred, still live there today. For more information about the S’Klallam Tribe, please visit www.pgst.nsn.us. .