The community to be served by this grant application is the lower elwha klallam tribe (lekt), a federally recognized indian tribe located in port angeles, washington

The lekt has existed since time immemorial. The tribe signed the point no point treaty with the united states in 1855, and thereafter grew from a traditional form to the present-day tribal government under a constitution approved in april 1968, by the voting membership of the tribe, and by the secretary of interior, under the authority of the indian reorganization act of 1934. The lekt original land base was approximately 450 adjoining acres (unaudited) at the mouth of the elwha river on the strait of juan DE fuca on the olympic peninsula in northwest washington state, acquired by the united states in trust for the tribe in 1936-37, also under the authority of the indian reorganization act. These trust lands were proclaimed as the lower elwha reservation by the interior secretary in 1968 at roughly the same time the constitution was approved. Since then, the tribe has acquired additional land, much of IT adjoining to the existing reservation, also held in trust by the united states. Today, the tribe has about 1,500 acres of trust land, including the reservation (unaudited), which IT governs in accordance with its constitution.