September 17th, 2011 marked the beginning of a three-year river restoration project on the Elwha River in Washington State. The main component of the restoration project is the removal of both the Glines Canyon and Elwha dams. The dams, erected almost one hundred years ago, flooded Lower Elwha Klallam tribal sites and depleted the Tribe’s sacred salmon stock. The Strong People chronicles the largest dam removal in U.S. history and its affects and effects on the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe of Washington State. The intricate histories of the Tribe and the Elwha River weave together a story of ecological restoration and cultural integrity.