Exhibit Opening Day: Elwha: A River Reborn

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Burke Museum
Sat., Nov. 23, 2013 | 10:30 am – 2:30 pm
Included with museum admission; FREE for Burke members or with UW ID

Celebrate the opening of the Elwha: A River Reborn exhibit and the remarkable ecological and cultural restoration unfolding right now in the Olympic Peninsula’s Elwha River Valley. Listen to stories, talks, and attend music and dance performances from members of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. Also attend talks and book signings from Seattle Times reporter Lynda Mapes, whose book inspired the exhibit.

Schedule of Activities:

10:30-11:30 am: Roger Fernandes, storyteller and member of Lower Elwha of the Klallam Tribe, shares a  welcoming song and stories of the Lower Elwha.

11:30 am – 12:30 pm: Lynda Mapes, journalist, author of Elwha: A River Reborn, and close observer of the natural world will tell of writing her articles for the Seattle Times, which then lead  to the book and the exhibit. Lynda will also be available to sign copies of her book.

12:30-1:30 pm: The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe’s river restoration director Robert Elofson offers his perspective on the history of the Elwha Dams and the ongoing restoration.

1:30-2:30 pm: The Elwha Drum Group,  made up of young and adult members of the Lower Elwha Tribe, will share songs and drumming in the Burke Room.

Elwha: A River Reborn

Nov. 23, 2013 – Mar. 9, 2014 at the Burke Museum

Photo by Steve Ringman/The Seattle Times
Photo by Steve Ringman/The Seattle Times

Elwha: A River Reborn, a new exhibit from the Burke Museum, takes you into the Northwest’s legendary Elwha River Valley to discover the people, places, and history behind the world’s largest dam removal project, an unprecedented bet on the power of nature. Once legendary for its pre-dam wild salmon runs and Chinook weighing as much as 100 pounds, today the Elwha is being dramatically rethought as its two massive dams are torn down. With the start of the first dam blasts in September 2011 comes a chance for unprecedented environmental restoration and community renewal.

Based on the book by Seattle Times reporter Lynda Mapes and photographer Steve Ringman, Elwha: A River Reborn exhibit sheds light on this essential part of Washington State’s history through compelling stories, stunning photographs, and Burke collections, from fish to cultural objects from the Elwha region.

Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture

Open daily 10 am – 5 pm | Phone: 206-543-5590
Located on the UW Campus at 17th Ave NE and NE 45th Street