People, Place, and Time lecture series at the River Center
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, May 20, 2026
The Dungeness River Nature Center invites the community to attend the new “People, Place, and Time” lecture series, presented by local historian David Brownell. The series begins Friday, May 22 and continues through Aug. 14 in the Rainbow Room at the River Center, located at 1943 W. Hendrickson Road in Sequim. All of the lectures are Friday evening and begin at 6 p.m.
The lectures explore the history of the North Olympic Peninsula, highlighting the people, places, and stories that have shaped its landscape for thousands of years. Brownell currently works as a cultural resource specialist for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe.
A $5 suggested donation is encouraged per lecture, and attendees are asked to RSVP ahead of time if possible.
Here is the lecture schedule:
May 22
“Since Time Immemorial: A Revised History of the Northeast Olympic Peninsula”: A high-level overview of the cultural history of the NOP, presented through the broader framework of human presence in North America. The “Clovis first” theory has fallen out of favor as an increasing mountain of evidence shows that humans have been in North America for at least 20,000-30,000 years. This presentation examines some of the new evidence, and how these findings change (or don’t) our understanding of human history on the NOP.
June 19
“Archaeological History of the Sequim Prairie”
Aug. 14
“Outside the Cedar Hat Classroom”: A Glimpse of Sxwčkwíyəŋ, a S’Klallam village at Washington Harbor
About the presenter: David Brownell earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Hanover College in Indiana and a master’s degree in public history, with a specialization in archiving and records management from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio in 2011. He worked for the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Tribal Historic Preservation officer as research coordinator from 2011-2015.
Brownell began working for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe as a cultural resources specialist in 2015 and was designated as Jamestown S’Klallam tribal historic preservation officer in 2018. In 2021 he was hired as executive director of the North Olympic History Center, formerly the Clallam County Historical Society, and also serves on the board of the Jefferson County Historical Society.
For more information and to register, visit dungenessrivercenter.org/programs.
