The Shoalwater Bay Tribe

The Shoalwater Bay Tribe is located on the Washington’s southwest coast at Willapa Bay. The tribe has 237 enrolled members and a resident service population of 1,148.

The Shoalwater Bay Tribal Center serves not only the tribe, but the surrounding community too.

Tribal History

The original Shoalwater Reservation, consisting of 334.5 acres, was established by executive order on September 22, 1866.

The non-treaty Indians of Shoalwater Bay made their living by fishing, crabbing and oystering, selling their surplus to canneries much the same as non-Indians.

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Shoalwater Bay Tribe

The Pacific -- a powerful backdrop at Shoalwater Bay.

Shoalwater Bay was originally the wintering place of both the Chinook and Lower Chehalis people. Many of their descendants, by accepting 80 acre allotments on the much larger Quinault Reservation, attained the privilege of Quinault treaty rights.

Tribal Government

Others that remained rejected the Indian reorganization Act in 1934. Their descendants gained federal recognition on March 10, 1971. Shortly thereafter, the tribe adopted a constitution and elected a tribal council.

Shoalwater Bay Tribal Administrator Carol Johnson says the past two years have been busy. In December 2002 an 11,200 sq. ft. gymnasium was completed.

In 2003 the 3,300 sq. ft. Learning Resources Center was finished. The Center houses a library, the education administrative offices, a lab with 10 computers, and an activity room.

The new "Wellness Center" had a May, 2005, grand opening with more than 200 people attending to help celebrate. The "Wellness Center" houses the tribal health clinic and programs that deal with a variety of health issues including mental health issues as well as drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs. The center also houses dental services, massage therapy, and provide office space for a doctor and a nurse.

 

Information provided courtesy of the Shoalwater Bay Tribe.