TAHOLAH, Wash. — The nation’s first Native American Secretary of the Interior said after years of letting down tribal communities, the federal government wants to help tribes on Washington's coast reach higher ground.
“It’s clear the federal government hasn’t lived up to its trust and treaty obligations, for decades,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland told leaders of several tribes Monday morning.
Haaland and U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer toured portions of the Quinault Indian Nation while meeting with members from the Quinault Tribe, Quileute Tribe, Hoh Tribe, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, Skokomish Tribe, Squaxin Island Tribe, and Chehalis Tribe.
Tsunami worries and a growing concern over rising sea levels has the Quinault tribe moving headquarter offices and homes out of what’s known as the “Lower Village” along the Pacific Ocean in Taholah.
But the tribe cannot afford to move the homes, community buildings, and all the infrastructure.
Haaland and Kilmer told members from several coastal tribes Monday there are moves to get the tribes additional funding.
Haaland said President Biden’s infrastructure package includes hundreds of millions of dollars for tribes to make their communities safer.
“For the sake of nature, but also because people have lived here for thousands of years. They deserve to have their homeland preserved,” Haaland said.
"You don't actually understand how important a place is to a community of people until you're actually there with them," she said.
Rep. Kilmer is trying to get grant funding made available for coastal tribes facing tsunami or sea level concerns.
The same effort died in Congress, but Kilmer said the bill has bipartisan support and he’s hopeful it will pass this year.
“That’s not going to happen overnight, much to our chagrin, because we have some communities that very desperately need this help as quickly as possible,” said Kilmer, D-Washington State.