EATTLE, March 2 — Angry mountains and devastating
floods have long been central to the folklore of the Nisqually
Indians of Puget Sound and the Mount Rainier area.
In Wednesday's earthquake the tribe witnessed another
devastating demonstration of nature's power. The small Nisqually
Indian Reservation, which is close to the earthquake's epicenter
near the mouth of the Nisqually River, suffered extensive
damage.
Nestled between Tacoma and Olympia, the reservation is home
to 500 Indians.
Richard A. Wells, the tribal administrator, said that while
there were no injuries, preliminary damage estimates run into
the millions of dollars. The tribe's casino, one its most
significant sources of income, was closed for a time but
reopened today.
"The casino had some of the most severe damage, as well as
our health center, and our two chinook salmon hatcheries have
cracked ponds," Mr. Wells said. The Tribal Center building alone
sustained over a million dollars in damage.
The tribe has been contacted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
which is helping it receive assistance directly from the Federal
Emergency Management Agency instead of going through a state
government agency.
"We checked out our elders first, thinking that if they were
scared, some might have a heart attack," Mr. Wells said. "But
they were pretty calm about it."
