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Explore stories in Northwest history through highlights from MOHAI’s collections. Search by keyword below or browse the entire online collection by entering the asterisk symbol (*). Filter your search by type of materials.

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130 results for: Indigenous Peoples

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Image of Watercolor painting of

Watercolor painting of "A Camp on the Tide Flats," by Harriet Foster Beecher, 1897

Born in Indiana, Harriet Foster Beecher (1853-1918) traveled to the West Coast to attend the San Francisco School of Design. She moved to Seattle in 1880 and married Captain Herbert Foote Beecher. In 1881, Beecher opened what is thought to be Seattle’s first art studio. She painted Indigenous life in oils and watercolors, portraits of Seattle pioneers, and landscapes. Beecher…
ID Number:1924.709.1
Date:1897
Image of Rug made by

Rug made by "Salmon Bay Charlie," ca. 1900

Hwehlchtid and Chilohleet'sa, known to many as Salmon Bay Charlie, and his wife Madelline, refused to move to the Port Madison Reservation. This mat fragment was from the home they shared at Shilshole, downhill from what is now Discovery Park. The maker twined the mat from factory-made yarn using techniques more commonly associated with cedar bark basketry.
ID Number:1947.437.2
Date:Circa 1900
Image of Painting of Kikisoblu's (Princess Angeline) home, 1894

Painting of Kikisoblu's (Princess Angeline) home, 1894

Kikisoblu (Princess Angeline), also known in Lushootseed as Kikisoblu, Kick-is-om-lo, or Wewick, was the eldest daughter of Chief Si'ahl (Chief Seattle). She was born around 1820 and lived until she was in her mid-seventies. The artist, Jessie M. Elliott (1861-1950), was born in Merrimack, Wisconsin, and moved to Seattle in the late 1880s to open an art school. In addition…
ID Number:1947.437.8
Date:1894
Image of Kikisoblu's (Princess Angeline) cane, ca. 1890

Kikisoblu's (Princess Angeline) cane, ca. 1890

Kikisoblu (Princess Angeline), also known in Lushootseed as Kikisoblu, Kick-is-om-lo, or Wewick, was the eldest daughter of Chief Si'ahl (Chief Seattle). She was born around 1820 and lived until she was in her mid-seventies.She lived in a cabin on the waterfront, earning a living doing laundry and making baskets for sale. She had friends among Seattle’s founding families and Catherine…
ID Number:1949.49
Date:Circa 1890
Image of Portrait of Kikisoblu (Princess Angeline) by Jacob Elshin, 1940-1950

Portrait of Kikisoblu (Princess Angeline) by Jacob Elshin, 1940-1950

Jacob Elshin (1892 – 1976) was born in Russia but fled after the Bolsheviks took power in 1917 and settled in Seattle in 1923. He worked for the Public Works of Art Project in 1933 and his large-scale murals were prominently displayed in many local public buildings. Elshin also taught art at the Edison Technical School in Seattle. This portrait…
ID Number:1950.16
Date:Circa 1940-1950
Image of Painting of Denny Park before the Regrade by Julius Twohy, 1930-1940

Painting of Denny Park before the Regrade by Julius Twohy, 1930-1940

The artist, Julius Twohy (1902–1986), was born in White Rocks, Utah, and was a member of the Ute tribe. He was also known as Land Elk and Two-vy-nah-auche. During the Great Depression, Twohy joined the local Federal Art Project becoming one of the few Native American muralists in the country. A member of the Washington Artist’s Union, Twohy exhibited at…
ID Number:1950.499
Date:1930-1940
Image of Dentalium and bead necklace, ca. 1860

Dentalium and bead necklace, ca. 1860

Strings of beads and dentalium were often used for trade or sale between the Native community and the early European settlers.
ID Number:1951.9.E
Date:Circa 1850-1870
Image of Portrait,

Portrait, "Makah Indian Neah Bay" by Jeanie Walter Walkinshaw, 1937

Controversial oil portrait by Jeanie Walter Walkinshaw (1885-1976). The subject in the painting, possibly fellow artist Jacob Elshin, is dressed in ceremonial dance robe and headdress. If this is indeed Elshin, it is an example of redface and the appropriation of Native culture and dress by white settlers. This was one common example of discrimination and marginalization faced by Native…
ID Number:1951.50
Date:1937
Image of Makah basket with lid, 1900-1940

Makah basket with lid, 1900-1940

This small basket with a duck design was made by a member of the Makah community. It features multiple dyed colors in its weaving.
ID Number:1952.180.14
Date:1900-1940
Image of Salish basket, ca. 1920

Salish basket, ca. 1920

This basket features a repeated "S" shape imbricated into the weave. The donor, Elwha Krueger, lived in Seattle in the early 20th century and she most likely purchased it from a local Indigenous basketmaker.
ID Number:1952.180.17
Date:Circa 1920
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Land Acknowledgement

MOHAI stands on the historic and contemporary lands and shores of the Duwamish, Suquamish, Muckleshoot, and other Coast Salish Nations. We acknowledge the forced displacement of Native Communities from this land while honoring the endurance of the Duwamish people who still live here.
Address: 860 Terry Ave N, Seattle WA, 98109
Phone: 206 324 1126
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