The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe is being urged to resolve its dispute with the state over a burial ground and tribal village.

The tribe filed suit on August 12 to protect the Tse-whit-zen Village. More than 220 ancestors and thousands of artifacts have been uncovered from the site, where a state construction project was taking place.

The tribe and the state are now at odds over the future of the site and the handling of the remains. Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Washington) held a meeting in hopes of resolving the dispute and the parties will meet again next week.

Meanwhile, a local lawmaker said the state law the tribe is citing in the lawsuit doesn't apply to Native Americans.

Get the Story:
Buck says tribe, state should return to March land swap offer (The Peninsula Daily News 8/19)
Resolution may be forthcoming in graving yard controversy (The Peninsula Daily News 8/18)

Relevant Links:
Tse-Whit-Zen Village News - http://tse-whit-zen.elwha.nsn.us
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe - http://www.elwha.org
Washington State Department of Transportation - http://www.wsdot.wa.gov

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