La Push, Washington

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La Push, Washington
La Push aerial.jpg
La Push and James Island
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La Push
Usa edcp location map.svg
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La Push
Coordinates: 47°54′19″N124°37′34″W / 47.90528°N 124.62611°W / 47.90528; -124.62611
Country United States
State Washington
County Clallam
Population
 (2000)
  Total371
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
  Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
98350

La Push is a small unincorporated community situated at the mouth of the Quillayute River in Clallam County, Washington, United States, in the western Olympic Peninsula. La Push is the largest community within the Quileute Indian Reservation, which is home to the federally recognized Quileute tribe. La Push is known for its whale-watching and natural environment.[ citation needed ] The community has historically been located on the coast; however, sea level rise led the community to begin managed retreat to higher grounds in 2017. [1]

Contents

History

Etymology

The name La Push is from French term, La Bouche, meaning "The Mouth" of the Quillayute River, adapted into Chinook Jargon. [2]

Quileute Tribe history

Sunset in La Push - July 2018 USA, Washington, La Push, sunset.jpg
Sunset in La Push - July 2018

La Push, 14 miles from Forks, is home to the Quileute Tribe. Tribal members traditionally built cedar canoes for a variety of uses; they ranged in size from two-man to ocean-going freight vessels capable of carrying three tons. The Quileute ranked second only to the Makah as whalers and first among all the tribes as seal hunters. They bred special woolly-haired dogs and spun and wove their hair into prized warm blankets. According to the stories, the Quileutes' only kin, the Chimakum, were separated from them by a great flood that swept them to the Quimper Peninsula on the other side of the North Olympic Peninsula. There they were attacked and destroyed in the 1860s by Chief Seattle and the Suquamish Tribe.

The first treaty with European Americans occurred in 1855, when the Quileutes signed a treaty with representatives of Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens. A treaty a year later would have moved them to a reservation in Taholah, but the Quileute territory was so remote that it was not enforced. In February 1889, an executive order by President Grover Cleveland established a one-mile square reservation at La Push. At the time the town had 252 inhabitants. Later in 1889, arsonists destroyed La Push while villagers were picking hops in Puyallup. [3]

La Push relocation

Work began in 2017 to relocate the village to higher ground. The plan was to reduce damage from tsunamis and flooding that might result from a higher sea level caused by climate change. [1] The plan required modification of the boundaries of the Olympic National Park. The first building that was moved was the elementary school. [4]

Geography

Two beaches are near La Push, Rialto Beach to the north of the river mouth and La Push Beach to the south.

La Push has the westernmost ZIP Code in the contiguous United States, 98350.

Climate

La Push has a very wet oceanic climate. [5] The climate is moderated and strongly influenced by the Pacific Ocean, which renders mild winters for a northerly latitude. Located to the west of the Olympic Mountains, La Push and the surrounding coastline absorb considerable rainfall dropped along the mountain front. The warmest month is August and the coolest month is December.

Climate data for La Push, Washington
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °F (°C)69
(21)
73
(23)
72
(22)
83
(28)
92
(33)
96
(36)
97
(36)
99
(37)
98
(37)
90
(32)
82
(28)
76
(24)
99
(37)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)47
(8)
50
(10)
51
(11)
55
(13)
60
(16)
64
(18)
68
(20)
69
(21)
67
(19)
59
(15)
51
(11)
46
(8)
57
(14)
Daily mean °F (°C)41
(5)
42
(6)
44
(7)
46
(8)
51
(11)
55
(13)
59
(15)
60
(16)
57
(14)
50
(10)
44
(7)
40
(4)
49
(10)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)35
(2)
35
(2)
36
(2)
38
(3)
42
(6)
47
(8)
50
(10)
50
(10)
47
(8)
41
(5)
38
(3)
35
(2)
41
(5)
Record low °F (°C)7
(−14)
11
(−12)
19
(−7)
23
(−5)
29
(−2)
33
(1)
38
(3)
36
(2)
28
(−2)
23
(−5)
5
(−15)
7
(−14)
5
(−15)
Average precipitation inches (mm)14.5
(370)
11.0
(280)
11.2
(280)
7.7
(200)
5.1
(130)
3.3
(84)
2.2
(56)
2.6
(66)
4.6
(120)
10.5
(270)
14.7
(370)
14.5
(370)
101.9
(2,596)
Source: [6]


Arts and culture

Cabin at Resort in La Push Quileute Oceanside Resort Cabin.JPG
Cabin at Resort in La Push
La Push, Second Beach at Dusk La Push by Gustavo Gerdel.jpg
La Push, Second Beach at Dusk
A view from one of La Push's cabins at the Quileute Oceanside Resort. View of Pacific Ocean from Resort.JPG
A view from one of La Push's cabins at the Quileute Oceanside Resort.

Culture

La Push is a village of the Quileute Tribe that displays a slower, more relaxed way of life.[ citation needed ] All of the businesses are owned by the tribe. The Quileute Tribe has revived many of its traditional skills and crafts, which are taught at school along with the unique language. It is an isolate language, unrelated to any root language in the world, and one of only five in the world without nasal sounds.

Festivals and events

The popular Quileute Days take place July 17–19 in La Push. The tribal celebration of cultural heritage and modern lifestyle includes a fireworks display, a traditional salmon bake, dancing and songs, a softball tournament, and other field sports, a slow-pitch tournament, a horseshoe tournament, arts and craft display, and food concessions.

Tourism and recreation

In the 21st century, La Push has oceanfront resorts, a seafood company, fish hatchery, and a revamped marina. Since the early 21st century, the tribe has grown more interested in tourism.[ citation needed ]

The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail passes through La Push on the way to its western terminus at Cape Alava.

Education

La Push is the location of the Quileute Tribal School.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forks, Washington</span> City in Washington, United States

Forks, also previously known as the unincorporated town of Quillayute, is a city in southwest Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 3,335 at the 2020 census. It is named after the forks in the nearby Bogachiel, Calawah, and Sol Duc rivers which join to form the Quillayute River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neah Bay, Washington</span> CDP in Washington, United States

Neah Bay is a census-designated place (CDP) on the Makah Reservation in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 935 at the 2020 census. It is across the Canada–US border from British Columbia. Europeans originally called it "Scarborough Harbour" in honor of Captain James Scarborough of the Hudson's Bay Company. It was changed to Neah in 1847 by Captain Henry Kellett. Kellett spelled it "Neeah Bay". The name "Neah" refers to the Makah Chief Dee-ah, pronounced Neah in the Klallam language. During the summer months, Neah Bay is a popular fishing area for sports fishermen. Another attraction is the Makah Museum, which houses artifacts from a Makah village partly buried by a mudslide around 1750. Many people also visit to hike the Cape Trail or camp at Hobuck Beach. An emergency response tug is stationed at Neah Bay which has saved 41 vessels since its introduction in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Makah</span> Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast

The Makah are an Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast living in Washington, in the northwestern part of the continental United States. They are enrolled in the federally recognized Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Indian Reservation, commonly known as the Makah Tribe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quileute</span> Federally-recognized Native American tribe in the northwestern United States

The Quileute are a Native American people in western Washington state in the United States, currently numbering approximately 2,000. They are a federally recognized tribe: the Quileute Tribe of the Quileute Reservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quinault people</span> Native American peoples

The Quinault are a group of Native American peoples from western Washington in the United States. They are a Southwestern Coast Salish people and are enrolled in the federally recognized Quinault Tribe of the Quinault Reservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoh people</span> Indian tribe of the Pacific Northwest

The Hoh or Chalá·at are a Native American tribe in western Washington state in the United States. The tribe lives on the Pacific Coast of Washington on the Olympic Peninsula. The Hoh moved onto the Hoh Indian Reservation, 47°44′31″N124°25′17″W at the mouth of the Hoh River, on the Pacific Coast of Jefferson County, after the signing of the Quinault Treaty on July 1, 1855. The reservation has a land area of 1.929 square kilometres and a 2000 census resident population of 102 persons, 81 of whom were Native Americans. It lies about halfway between its nearest outside communities of Forks, to its north, and Queets, to its south. The river is central to their culture. The main resources they used included cedar trees, salmon, and the nearby vegetation. They also traded and bartered with other tribes closer to Eastern Washington, near the Plateaus and Great Plains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bogachiel River</span> River in Washington, United States

The Bogachiel River is a river of the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. It originates near Bogachiel Peak, and flows westward through the mountains of Olympic National Park. After emerging from the park it joins the Sol Duc River, forming the Quillayute River, which empties into the Pacific Ocean near La Push, Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quillayute River</span> River on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington

The Quillayute River is a river situated on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington. It empties to the Pacific Ocean at La Push, Washington. The Quillayute River is formed by the confluence of the Bogachiel River, Calawah River and the Sol Duc River near the town of Forks, WA. The Dickey River joins the Quillayute from the north, just above the river's mouth at the Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chimakum</span> Near-extinct ethnic group of Washington state, US

The Chimakum, also spelled Chemakum and Chimacum Native American people, were a group of Native Americans who lived in the northeastern portion of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, between Hood Canal and Discovery Bay until their virtual extinction in 1902. Their primary settlements were on Port Townsend Bay, on the Quimper Peninsula, and Port Ludlow Bay to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary</span>

The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is one of 15 marine sanctuaries administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Declared in 1994, the sanctuary encompasses 3,189 square miles (8,260 km2) of the Pacific Ocean along the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state, from Cape Flattery in the north, to the mouth of the Copalis River, a distance of about 162.5 miles (261.5 km). Extending 25 to 40 miles from the shore, it includes most of the continental shelf, as well as parts of three important submarine canyons, the Nitinat Canyon, the Quinault Canyon and the Juan de Fuca Canyon. For 64 miles (103 km) along the coast, the sanctuary shares stewardship with the Olympic National Park. Sanctuary stewardship is also shared with the Hoh, Quileute, and Makah Tribes, as well as the Quinault Indian Nation. The sanctuary overlays the Flattery Rocks, Quillayute Needles, and Copalis Rock National Wildlife Refuges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Makah Reservation</span> Indian reservation in United States, Makah Tribe

Makah Reservation is an Indian reservation of the Makah Native Americans located on the northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The northern boundary of the reservation is the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The western boundary is the Pacific Ocean. It has a land area of 121.451 square kilometres (46.892 sq mi) and a 2000 census resident population of 1,356 persons. Its largest community is Neah Bay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Island (La Push, Washington)</span>

James Island is at the mouth of the Quillayute River near La Push, Washington. Local historians say it is named for Francis Wilcox James, a lighthouse keeper and friend of the Quileute Indians there, though the Origin of Washington Geographic Names attributes the name to Jimmie Howeshatta, a Quileute chief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quileute Tribal School</span> K-12 school in La Push, Washington

Quileute Tribal School (QTS) is a Quileute, Native American school located in La Push, Washington. It is a K-12 school, serving students in grades kindergarten – 12. QTS is affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). It has a compact with the state of Washington and receives a grant from the BIE.

The Quinault Treaty was a treaty agreement between the United States and the Native American Quinault and Quileute tribes located in the western Olympic Peninsula north of Grays Harbor, in the recently formed Washington Territory. The treaty was signed on 1 July 1855, at the Quinault River, and on 25 January 1856 at Olympia, the territorial capital. It was ratified by Congress on 8 March 1859, and proclaimed law on April 11, 1859.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dickey River</span> River in Washington, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quileute Indian Reservation</span> Indian reservation in United States, Quileute

The Quileute Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation for the Quileute people located on the northwestern Olympic Peninsula in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The reservation is at the mouth of the Quillayute River on the Pacific coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">La Push Beach</span> Place in Washington, United States of America

La Push Beach is a series of three beaches near the community of La Push, Washington, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The beach's most prominent natural vegetation the Sitka, spruce, and evergreen trees that populate the shore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quinault Indian Nation</span> Ethnic group

The Quinault Indian Nation, formerly known as the Quinault Tribe of the Quinault Reservation, is a federally recognized tribe of Quinault, Queets, Quileute, Hoh, Chehalis, Chinook, and Cowlitz peoples. They are a Southwestern Coast Salish people of indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Their tribe is located in Washington state on the Pacific coast of the Olympic Peninsula. These peoples are also represented in other tribes in Washington and Oregon.

Quileute Canyon is a submarine canyon, off of Washington state, United States.

Washington Maritime National Wildlife Refuge Complex is an administrative grouping of six National Wildlife Refuges in Washington, managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. It includes:

References

  1. 1 2 Ollikainen, Rob (November 5, 2017). "Quileute Tribe gaining ground on facilities' move to higher elevation". Peninsula Daily News. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  2. Meany, Edmond S. (1923). Origin of Washington geographic names. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 142.
  3. "History". Quileute Nation. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  4. Banse, Tom (November 10, 2017). "Coastal Village Moving To Higher Ground To Escape Tsunami, Flooding Threat". KUOW. KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  5. "La Push, Washington climate summary". Weatherbase. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  6. "La Push, Washington". Weatherbase.