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Canoe Journey. Photo: Steve Zugschwerdt

Support for Seattle'sIndigenous Community

Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that we live and work on the unceded, traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples, whose ancestors have lived here and cared for these lands and waters since time immemorial. This acknowledgement does not take the place of authentic relationships with Indigenous communities, but serves as a first step in honoring the land we are on. These communities are still here, and many indigenous people are strong and thriving. We honor the people past and present who belong to this place.

Support Native-Owned Businesses

Logo of Intentionalist featuring a circular design made of multicolored curved lines in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, next to the word "Intentionalist" in dark blue text.

Discover Native-owned businesses with Intentionalist.

Intentionalist makes it easy to find and support local small businesses and the diverse people behind them through everyday decisions about where we eat, drink, and shop.

Get to Know the Region's Native Community

Tri-fold brochure titled

Visit Seattle's Native American Heritage Guide

Download the this guide for information about local native history, special events, heritage sites, museums and arts.

Read More
A man holds a large, translucent glass sculpture of a fish in a glassblowing studio. The fish is detailed and intricately designed, with a grid pattern. The background is softly blurred, showing studio equipment and another person.
Dan Friday | Visit Seattle

Dan Friday

Glass artist Dan Friday (Lummi Nation) is deeply connected to his Native American roots, with art inspired by both the teachings of his tribe and his Seattle surroundings.

Watch Now
A person in a forest, wearing a colorful garment, stands between two trees. They wield a large, glowing orb of fire above them, casting light in the dim, wooded surroundings.

Dreamcatcher

This film is a kaleidoscope of textures and experiences that have shaped one Native woman’s life and memories in the Emerald City.

Watch Now
A person sits at a desk in an art studio with colorful Indigenous artwork on the walls. The room has large windows with a view of a stadium outside. Art supplies are scattered on the table, including paints and brushes.

Creative City: Louie Gong

Louie Gong (Nooksack) merges traditional Coast Salish art with influences from his mixed heritage and urban environment to create work that resonates widely across communities and cultures.

Read On
An elderly man with long gray hair and a beard, wearing glasses and a black bandana, smiles gently. The background is blurred, featuring greenery.

Touch of Seattle

In this short, we move from the raw beauty of towering trees to the myriad ways Seattle dwellers and visitors alike can experience the transformed forest with their own hands.

Watch Now
A person in a dark coat stands in front of a large body of water with snow-capped mountains in the background on a clear day.

Creative City: Marvin Oliver

In Memoriam | Marvin Oliver (Quinault) was a renowned Seattle-based artist, master carver, sculptor, and printmaker. His legacy lives on in his artworks and all those he taught.

Read On

<< Previous

Next >>
Tri-fold brochure titled

Visit Seattle's Native American Heritage Guide

Download the this guide for information about local native history, special events, heritage sites, museums and arts.

Read More
A man holds a large, translucent glass sculpture of a fish in a glassblowing studio. The fish is detailed and intricately designed, with a grid pattern. The background is softly blurred, showing studio equipment and another person.
Dan Friday | Visit Seattle

Dan Friday

Glass artist Dan Friday (Lummi Nation) is deeply connected to his Native American roots, with art inspired by both the teachings of his tribe and his Seattle surroundings.

Watch Now
A person in a forest, wearing a colorful garment, stands between two trees. They wield a large, glowing orb of fire above them, casting light in the dim, wooded surroundings.

Dreamcatcher

This film is a kaleidoscope of textures and experiences that have shaped one Native woman’s life and memories in the Emerald City.

Watch Now
A person sits at a desk in an art studio with colorful Indigenous artwork on the walls. The room has large windows with a view of a stadium outside. Art supplies are scattered on the table, including paints and brushes.

Creative City: Louie Gong

Louie Gong (Nooksack) merges traditional Coast Salish art with influences from his mixed heritage and urban environment to create work that resonates widely across communities and cultures.

Read On
An elderly man with long gray hair and a beard, wearing glasses and a black bandana, smiles gently. The background is blurred, featuring greenery.

Touch of Seattle

In this short, we move from the raw beauty of towering trees to the myriad ways Seattle dwellers and visitors alike can experience the transformed forest with their own hands.

Watch Now
A person in a dark coat stands in front of a large body of water with snow-capped mountains in the background on a clear day.

Creative City: Marvin Oliver

In Memoriam | Marvin Oliver (Quinault) was a renowned Seattle-based artist, master carver, sculptor, and printmaker. His legacy lives on in his artworks and all those he taught.

Read On

<< Previous

Next >>

Explore Cultural Organizations, Exhibits & Festivals

Discover Work by Native American Artists

Burke Museum/Bill Holm Center

Eighth Generation

Matika Wilbur/Project 562

Seattle Art Museum

Nia Tero PNW Arts Fellowships

Stonington Gallery

Steinbrueck Native Gallery

Find Public Art by Native American Artists

This map highlights some of the incredible public artwork you can find in and around King County.



Delve into Regional History

Seattle is named for a hereditary chief of the Suquamish and Duwamish people, and many of our communities and landscape features have Indian names from the Lushootseed, or Puget Sound Salish, language. Learn more about Chief Seattle:

 

Learn More and Lean In

To learn more, take action and donate, these are just some of the organizations doing important work that you can support:

Chief Seattle Club & ʔálʔal Café

Potlatch Fund 

Real Rent Duwamish

Seattle Indian Health Board

United Indians of All Tribes Foundation

Washington State Tribal Directory

wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ
Intellectual House

yəhaw̓
Indigenous Creatives Collective
Illustration of a vibrant waterfront park. People stroll near a modern pavilion and statue, while others paddle in boats on the river. A bridge connects the banks, and tall buildings rise in the background. Architectural illustration of the Canoe Center United Indians of All Tribes Foundation / Jones & Jones; Stephanie Bower

Canoe Center

“For thousands of years, the Coast Salish people were stewards of the land and water. The waterways were the highways between all. This led to a vibrant and extensive canoe culture for the first peoples of this land. It is our dream to once again see canoes on the shores of a city that takes its name from the Chief of not just one, but two, tribes.” — United Indians of All Tribes Foundation

The Canoe Center will be located on the shores of Lake Union and include the Canoe Carving House and the Welcome House, where educational displays, a gift shop, a catering kitchen and a multi-use space for cultural events will be located. Construction is slated to begin in early 2024.

Learn More >>

Tune In and Listen

A black and white tribal-style illustration featuring two mirrored bird figures facing each other within a circular frame, with a stylized sun or star shape positioned at the top center.

Daybreak Star Radio Network

A home for Indigenous music, Daybreak Star Radio Network plays everything from traditional drums, Pow Wow, Native flute, and rattles to R&B, Hip Hop, Rock & Roll, Metal, Funk, and more. This radio station is for all the Nations and all the music the people produce, write, create, and play.

Related Reading

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Sherman Alexie

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Chief Seattle and the Town That Took His Name: The Change of Worlds for the Native People and Settlers on Puget Sound
David Buerge

Chief Seattle and the Town that Took his Name
Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis
Timothy Eagan

Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis
My Body Is A Book of Rules
Elissa Washuta

My Body is a Book of Rules
Shapes of Native Nonfiction: Collected Essays by Contemporary Writers
Elissa Washuta, Theresa Warburton

Shapes of Native Nonfiction: Collected Essays by Contemporary Writers
In the Spirit of the Ancestors
Robin K. Wright, Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse

In the Spirit of the Ancestors: Contemporary Northwest Coast Salish Art at the Burke Museum

Banner Image: Canoe Journey | Steve Zugschwerdt

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