Oak Harbor

Oak Harbor - Klatoletsche

At Oak Harbor or Klatoletsche, Skʷdabš a low-status population of the Lower Skagit was geographically concentrated in this area. The tribe was suggested to have been a separate population arrived from some other location, but became integrated into Skagit social life by the 19th century. An oral history of the region suggests that the Skʷdabš may have originated from a separate population that arrived in Skagit territories due to some kind of demographic disruption and were partially absorbed into Skagit society by the time of European contact.

The Skʷdabš appear to have gathered natural resources from the less desirable areas, such as fishing stations. These fishing stations were associated with other, secondary resource gathering areas that were visited concurrently with the salmon harvest. Salmon was also obtained through barter with upriver tribes who had direct and regular access to salmon on the upper reaches of Skagit River.

Tribal identity in the somewhat unique social structure of the Lower Skagit villages, there is a sharp distinction between high-status 'true Skagit' lower status 'skʷdabš' and a range of other community members of a different status such as intermediate status hunters or low-status slaves. Of the Skʷdabš many suggest that they had separate leaders at contact, corroborating the notion that they originated as a distinct tribe; with no linguistic differences.

Despite their lowly status, Skʷdabš could marry into chiefly Skagit families, and their descendants could achieve a degree of social standing often not available to them. There are episodes mentioned in Skagit oral tradition of skwdabs rebelling against Skagit dominance and being ostracized from certain Skagit communities prompting them to create new settlements and establishing their own "chiefs" who represented the communities in dealings with other villages.