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La Push Washington to the right, 12 miles from Forks Washington is home to the Quileute Tribe. According to legend, the tribe was created from wolves by a supernatural transformer. The tribe's lineage stretches back thousands of years to the Ice Age, making them possibly the oldest inhabitants of the Pacific Northwest. Tribal members built cedar canoes that ranged in size from two-man to ocean-going freight vessels capable of carrying three tons. They ranked second only to the Makah as whalers, and first among all the tribes as sealers. Special woolly-hared dogs were bred, and their hair spun into prized blankets. According to the stories, the Quileutes only kin, the Chimacum, were separated from them by a great flood that swept them to the Quimper Peninsula on the other side of the North Olympic Peninsula, where they were wiped out by Chief Seattle and the Suquamish Tribe in the 1860s. Quileute Headquarters and a mini museum are on the old village site. The best time to visit La Push is off-season, when accommodations are readily available, the town is not crowded, and winter storms provide spectacular beachcombing and views. The Quileute Tribe has recreated its traditional skills and crafts, which are taught at school along with the unique language, which is unrelated to any root language in the world, and one of only five in the world without nasal sounds. Sitting perched above First Beach in La Push is the La Push Ocean Park and Shoreline Resort, which features motels, townhouses and cabins. Lonesome Creek, a new store, post office and RV park are open in La Push. |

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The Quileute Tribe is located in La Push, Washington, on
the shores of the Pacific Ocean. The Quileute Tribe has
lived and hunted in this area for thousands of years.
Although the village of La Push is only about one-square
mile, the tribe’s original territory stretched along the
shores of the Pacific from the glaciers of Mount Olympus
to the rivers of rain forests. Much has changed since
those times, but Quileute Elders remember “back in the
days” When the “old people” dared challenge kwalla, the
mighty whale, and recounted the story of how the bayak
or raven placed the sun in the sky. Because of the
remote location of La Push, the Quileute have built a
tourism industry that serves those seeking a relaxing
getaway or a rejuvenating adventure. The tribe’s
Oceanside
Resort along First Beach offers ocean-view
accommodations ranging from luxurious to rustic. Those
who visit La Push come for whale watching in the spring;
surfing, fishing, and hiking in the summer; and storm
watching in the fall and winter.
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