LA PUSH — The Quileute tribe will honor the gray whales as they return to the Pacific Northwest during the 10th annual Welcoming of the Whales ceremony at 10 a.m. today.

The ceremony will be at First Beach, followed by a meal and festivities at 1 p.m. at the A-Ka-Lat Center.

The free event is open to the public and will include native song and dance.

Last April’s ceremony on the beach drew some 200 tribal members and guests, according to the Quileute Tribal Council.

Whale appearance

An estimated five whales made an appearance.

The Eastern North Pacific population of gray whales was listed as an endangered species in 1970 and was removed from the U.S. list of endangered and threatened wildlife in 1994 because their numbers had recovered, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service.

Historically, the Quileute people have relied on the bounty of the ocean to survive and thrive, looking forward each year to the return of whales migrating north for the summer.

No longer hunt

While the Quileute have not hunted whales since the early 20th century, subsequent generations have never forgotten the importance of the majestic animals who make their home in the ocean.

The gratitude felt by the tribe is expressed during the annual welcoming ceremony.

The gray whales currently are migrating 10,000 to 12,000 miles up the Pacific from winter calving lagoons in Baja Mexico to summer feeding grounds in the Bering Sea.

When the Quileute people still hunted whales, they celebrated their return much as they will during today’s ceremony.

When whaling stopped, the tradition fell out of vogue.

That all changed a decade ago, when the administrative staff at Quileute Tribal School decided to revive the welcoming ceremony.

Tradition revived

Former Tribal School Superintendent Leon Strom is credited with bringing the students to the beach with drums to honor the passing whales in a similar manner to what their ancestors had done, and the tradition was reborn.

For more information, visit www.quileutenation.org or call 360-374-6163.