The Tribe purchased land beyond Eagle Hill using gaming funds and constructed a multipurpose building 55 feet above sea level that doubles as an evacuation center in case of a tsunami, earthquake or flood. With the threat of flooding and tsunami hazards, the Shoalwater Bay tribal members voted to relocate their community. The community promotes healthy behavior and active living invests in the lives and well-being of its youth and tends to all residents’ medical, dental and mental health needs with its wellness center. Although small in size, the Tribe has big goals to improve and maintain the physical, social, emotional and spiritual health of its people.
Flooding and extreme erosion are constant threats. Formed 150 years ago, the 1/2 square mile reservation is located in a crook of coastline where tribes from the Pacific Northwest used to gather to trade. The Shoalwater Bay Tribe is a federally recognized tribe with 373 members, of whom 84 live on the remote reservation in Pacific County, Washington, 150 miles southwest of Seattle.
