PORT ANGELES — The Lower Elwha Klallam tribal chairman says $3.4 million in “mitigation” money paid to the tribe by the state will be used to help with reburial of human remains, preservation of Klallam artifacts and staffing and legal costs incurred during the negotiation process.
Department of Transportation officials will pay the amount as part of an agreement signed last month among state, federal and tribal officials which outlines how to restart construction at the state graving yard on the Port Angeles waterfront.
State and tribal officials at the time of the agreement referred to the funding only as “mitigation costs” and will not detail what the money would pay for.
State DOT officials remain mum on the details.
But on Friday, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal Chairman Dennis R. “Sully” Sullivan said about $3 million of the funds are intended to purchase land near the graving yard to rebury tribal ancestors and to construct a building to properly preserve and store artifacts.
The “curation facility” will be a temperature-controlled building that will allow for curing and storage.
But it won’t be a museum, Sullivan said.
The remaining $400,000 will be used to cover costs, including staff time, incurred by the tribe during the creation of site assessment and treatment plans for the graving yard, Sullivan said.