The collaboration that emerged between the Makah Tribe and Washington State University was unusual for its time.

Tribal archaeology in the late 1960s and early 1970s often meant universities conducting research on tribal lands with minimal community involvement.

At Ozette, from the beginning, the arrangement was different.

The tribe maintained ownership of the collection.

Makah community members were employed as crew.

The interpretation of the finds was informed by tribal knowledge.

The destination of the artifacts was always the community, not a university or museum collection.

This structure had important practical consequences for the quality of the research.