Adeline Smith
| Adeline Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 15, 1918 |
| Died | March 19, 2013 (aged 95) Puyallup, Washington |
| Resting place | Neah Bay Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Chemawa Indian School |
| Occupation | Lexicographer, conservationist, teacher, welder, waitress, salal picker |
| Employer | Boeing, Goodwill Industries |
| Known for | Tribal elder, lexicographer, activist. One of the last two native speakers of the Klallam language. |
| Spouse(s) | Roosevelt Suppah, Roy Smith |
| Children | Mark Suppah, Roy Smith Jr., Patricia Forbe |
Adeline Smith (March 15, 1918 – March 19, 2013) (Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe) was an American elder, lexicographer, activist, and cultural preservationist. She was a member of one of four indigenous Klallam communities of the Pacific Northwest.
Smith was one of the last two native speakers of the Klallam language who spoke it as her first language. Smith led efforts to revive the Klallam language. Adeline Smith created the first Klallam alphabet with Timothy Montler, a professor of linguistics at the University of North Texas. Smith and Montler also developed the first Klallam dictionary, which was published in December 2012. She was the largest contributor, offering 12,000 words and phrases to the dictionary. Her revitalization work has enabled the Klallam language to be taught to public and private students from preschool through high school.
Smith also championed the preservation of Tse-whit-zen, a historic Lower Elwha village which is approximately 2,700 years old, rediscovered during a construction project on the waterfront in Port Angeles, and the restoration of the Elwha River. The removal of the Elwha dams, beginning in September 2011, drained Lake Aldwell reservoir, which had been created before she was born. The destruction of the dams and drainage of the lake uncovered the Klallam ceremonial creation site.
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