“Where’s the site—a village, you said?” All he saw was an open marshy meadow bordered by trees all around. The rush of flowing water carried across the flat, hinting at the presence of a large stream that poured down the rocky hillside above the meadow. The stream, he knew, cut a shallow swath across a corner of the meadow, then disappeared again into the rainforest, winding another half mile before it would reach the cliffs above the lake. The heavy flow cascaded from there, dropping forty feet into the large, glacier-carved lake bed, filling the basin with crisp, fresh water that flowed from high on the slopes of Mt. Olympus.

Kaxo Falls was one of the most photographed features of Lake Olympus, usually captured from boats on the lake in the summer, but there was a cliffside trail for the adventurous hiker eager to stand at the top of the falls. From reading up on the history and prehistory of the area in preparing the Environmental Assessment, he knew that “kaxo” meant dog in the local dialect of the Coast Salish language. But he didn’t know much beyond that.

His gaze returned to the immediate area. He knew prehistoric sites were in the ground, but still, he was disappointed there weren’t any structures that proclaimed “Prehistoric Native American Village Site.” No ancient longhouse. No totem pole. He figured totem poles must be in the Pacific Northwest because the lodge was decorated with a large one as part of the front façade.

Audrey spread her arms to indicate the wide meadow. “The site is all around us, with the most notable concentrations by the creek on the far edge. The area that’s been looted—where the burials are—is in the woods not far from here.” She nodded toward the forest they stood on the edge of, but then shifted her focus and pointed north to a footbridge that crossed Kaxo Creek. “The fastest route to George’s cabin is that way. It’s deep in the woods on the other side of the creek. After we check on the cameras, I’m going to check on him.”

“George isn’t here. All inholding landowners were paid to vacate during the trainings. They all signed the agreement and accepted payment.”

She shook her head. “Your scope of work only included the property owners with inholdings on the lakeshore. George’s cabin is nowhere near the lake thanks to the cliffs. It was outside your Area of Potential Effect and this meadow was expressly excluded from being operational territory because of the site, burials, and proximity to the falls. Because of this, George was left out of the environmental process and ignored. You’d know that if you read my rebuttal when you went around me to ACHP.”