CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the City Light Department; authorizing the Mayor and the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of City Light to execute a memorandum of agreement between The City of Seattle, the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, and the National Park Service for the transfer and curation of certain precontact archeological artifacts recovered during the 2013 Newhalem Gorge Inn Restoration Project; and ratifying and confirming certain prior acts.
body
WHEREAS, certain historic and precontact archaeological artifacts were recovered from the excavation for the Gorge Inn Restoration Project in Newhalem, Washington at the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project site (the “Collection”); and
WHEREAS, the Collection is currently housed at the North Cascades National Park Complex Curation Facility, in Marblemount, Washington; and
WHEREAS, the City Light Department (“City Light”) wishes to transfer all of its ownership interest and control of the precontact assemblage of the Collection to the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe (“USIT”) related to USIT history, while retaining the historic assemblage related to Seattle history; and
WHEREAS, USIT is desirous of obtaining ownership of the precontact assemblage of the Collection because it holds historic and cultural significance for USIT related to its ancestral winter house, dawáylib.; and
WHEREAS, the Parties recognize the mutual benefits to be derived by having the Collection continue to be managed, housed, and maintained in the NOCA Curation Facility to ensure preservation and protection of the items consistent with federal law and USIT’s Cultural Resources Program to preserve and protect the USIT’s ancestral heritage; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Mayor and the General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of City Light are each authorized to execute, for and on behalf of The City of Seattle, a memorandum of agreement between The City of Seattle, the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, and the National Park Service, substantially in the form of Attachment 1 to this ordinance, for the transfer of ownership and curation of the precontact assemblage of the Collection as defined in Attachment 1.
Section 2. Any act consistent with the authority of this ordinance taken after its passage and prior to its effective date is ratified and confirmed.
Section 3. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days after its approval by the Mayor, but if not approved and returned by the Mayor within ten days after presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Section 1.04.020.
Passed by the City Council the ________ day of _________________________, 2022, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this _____ day of _________________________, 2022.
____________________________________
President ____________ of the City Council
Approved / returned unsigned / vetoed this _____ day of _________________, 2022.
____________________________________
Bruce A. Harrell, Mayor
Filed by me this ________ day of _________________________, 2022.
____________________________________
Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)
Attachments:
Attachment 1 - Collection Transfer and Curation Agreement Between Seattle City Light, the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe and the National Park Service