Makah Clout

Okay.... Imagine this. Contentious, hairs-up library/funds meeting. County councilmen, leaders of Friends of Library and Library System and pissed-off citizens. Nearly over when --
Makah tribal representative introduced from the back of the room.

Medium-tall thin guy with iron-grey hair slicked back, in a brand new black/white/red Makah Whaling Commission t-shirt.

Total double-takes. Hair on end. Mouths fall open. Shock and awe.

You can practically hear it.... "The TRIBE!!! is here!"

Everybody is -- well, not scared of the TRIBE -- but the TRIBE might as well be our Mother. "What will the TRIBE say?" "Can we get the TRIBE in on that?" "What does the TRIBE want?"

When the spokesman said that the TRIBE sided with what the citizens and the FOL wanted, it was like -- well the Navy had hit the beach. In cedar conoes.

In the course of siding with us, he said, "I will take your words back to my council."

Twice.

So we are all doing this little white-eye war-dance, cuz the TRIBE is on OUR side. With alder-smoked salmon. "Here come the Indians!" is the line up here.

Everybody else can just take their nasty dried fish and go home.