GRANT FUNDERS TAKEN ON TOURS AT LAPUSH

Forks Forum staff

LA PUSH – The economic needs of a rural Northwest Pacific Coast tribe competing in a global economy was the topic of discussion for the Quileute Tribe last week.

The Quileute Tribal Council hosted representatives of public and private sources of economic development funds.
Organizations represented included the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington Mutual Inc. and other groups. All together, 30 organizations were invited to take the tour.

The two-day event, held Wednesday and Thurday was titled the “Funders Tour.”

The premise of the event was how to better make tourism the main source of dollars in the Quileute Tribe’s local economy. Traditionally, the tribe has relied on commercial fishing out of the Quileute Marina and logging sale income.

Unlike many other Native American tribes across the nation, Quileute Tribe executive director is aiming to forego gambling. Instead, the Quileute are banking on the scenic wonders of LaPush and the area’s oceanfront location as a lure for visitors.
The Quileute Tribe is “looking for full-time, family-wage jobs,” Jaime said in a prepared statement.

He tallied the unemployment rate at LaPush at 70 percent.

During the tour Peninsula College’s new House of Learning longhouse was unveiled. The River’s Edge Restaurant and the tribe’s Oceanside Resort were presented as successful examples of local tourism development.

Mary McBride representing U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Andrea Alexander of Chinook Wind Enterprises Inc. led a forum related to the tourism theme.

On the Web: www.quileute tribe.org.