Ozette: Excavating a Makah Whaling Village

This was a great work on the history of the Makah village Ozette and how it's rediscovery by archaeologists after having been completely buried by mudslides has helped the Makah strengthen their claims to the land and their heritage. Great work written so that everyone can easily understand (no specialized jargon) about a fascinating site and how it is reaffirming the Makah's heritage.

Ozette is certainlly the most important anthropological dig in the Pacific Northwest. 55,000 recovered artifacts, most wood and fiber, 500 years old, before Euroamerican contact. This site returned their lost culture to the Makah nation that has lived on the remote northwestern tip of Washington state for over 4,000 years. Each object found there is more than evidence. They are like treasured family photos in a scrapbook that reconnects the viewer to emotions and a sense of place. Ruth Kirk saw it all and reports it enviably.

I'm making plans to go out to this "right at the end of America mainland" museum to see for myself this amazing world of the Makah people. We have an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the distant (for us Americans) past...a few hundred years but a life that is amazing and suddenly gone with a huge mudslide. A beautiful and and well-done book. Go for it!

This is a worthy book about a fascinating subject. The writing could have portrayed the excavation and discoveries in a much more personal, adventuresome way, but major archeological processes were adequately described. I wished there had been many more pictures, including larger ones, because the artifacts and surrounding local are intrinsically photogenic, but until a more comprehensive account is available, this one serves for an introduction.

Excellent in every way for anyone interested in the Makah and the village of Ozette. It is a great companion for a visit to the Makah Museum in Neah Bay where the artifacts are housed and displayed very well.

Beautiful photos!

Excellent Book!

Well written story of a fascinating archaeological program