Adeline Smith

Adeline Smith (March 15, 1918 – March 19, 2013) (Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe) was an American elder, lexicographer, activist, and cultural preservationist. She was a member of one of four indigenous Klallam communities of the Pacific Northwest.

Smith was one of the last two native speakers of the Klallam language who spoke it as her first language. Smith led efforts to revive the Klallam language. Adeline Smith created the first Klallam alphabet with Timothy Montler, a professor of linguistics at the University of North Texas. She was the largest contributor, offering 12,000 words and phrases to the dictionary.

Smith also championed the preservation of Tse-whit-zen, a historic Lower Elwha village which is approximately 2,700 years old, rediscovered during a construction project on the waterfront in Port Angeles, and the restoration of the Elwha River.

Smith worked a series of jobs, finding employment as a waitress and an employee of Goodwill Industries. The removal of one of the dams in 2012 drained Lake Aldwell, a man-made reservoir created in 1913, revealing the Klallam ceremonial creation site in July 2012. It had been submerged since the reservoir was filled.

She is featured in the film "Unconquering the Last Frontier" by Robert Lundahl, narrated by actor, Gary Farmer, and seen on Public Television. In the film, Adeline recalls her early years growing up along the Elwha River, and relates stories about the devastation of the fisheries there, and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe's efforts to remove two industrial power dams and restore the river ecosystem.

Preservation of Tse-whit-zen

Smith championed the preservation of Tse-whit-zen, a historic Lower Elwha village located at the base of Ediz Hook, which dates back to approximately 2,700 years. She was buried in Neah Bay Cemetery. She was predeceased by her first husband Roosevelt Suppah, their son Mark Suppah; and by her second husband Roy Smith, and their children Roy Smith Jr., and Patricia Smith Forbe.

With Smith's death, Hazel Sampson, 103 years old in March 2013, was left as the last living native speaker of the Klallam language. Smith was the last Klallam native speaker to teach her language on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Smith had planned to make audio recordings of additional Klallam stories in the Spring of 2013.

She left behind a legacy of which to be proud of. Including many grandchildren and great grandchildren. (Brian Williams, Wendy Sampson, Zoie Craver, Briana Anderson, and many more.)