The archaeological evidence from deeper deposits below the slide layer confirms human occupation of the site for a period extending well back before the slide.

The slide represents a catastrophic interruption in what was otherwise a continuous residential history at Cape Alava.

Oral History and Archaeological Evidence: A Dialogue

The relationship between Makah oral history and the archaeological evidence from Ozette is one of the most instructive aspects of the entire project.

Before excavation, the oral history provided several specific pieces of information.

It recorded that a catastrophic slide had buried part of the village.

It preserved the memory of this as a significant event in community history, significant enough to be transmitted across generations.