The last person to have spoken the Klallam language from birth and the eldest member among the Klallam tribes of the Pacific Northwest has died in Washington state at the age of 103, family and tribal members said.
Hazel M. Sampson was the last person who first learned Klallam, then learned English as a second language, said Lower Elwha Klallam tribal member Jamie Valadez, who teaches the Klallam language and culture at Port Angeles High School.
Her death on Tuesday changes the dynamics of the culture, Valadez told the Peninsula Daily News in a story Thursday.
“In the U.S., this is happening all over Indian Country,” Valadez said. “They carry so much knowledge of our culture and traditions. Then it’s gone.”
via Last native tribal speaker dies in U.S. state | News , International | THE DAILY STAR.





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