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130 results for: Indigenous Peoples

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Image of Canoe Journeys paddle made by Keith Stevenson, Muckleshoot, ca. 2020

Canoe Journeys paddle made by Keith Stevenson, Muckleshoot, ca. 2020

Tribal Canoe Journeys is a celebrated event for the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Participants travel and visit neighboring Nations in ocean-going canoes, usually made of traditional cedar material, but other materials and more modern techniques may be applied as well. Justice Bill (Muckleshoot/Tlingit) stated: “Canoe Journeys have revitalized our nations through travel by oceangoing canoes and the…
ID Number:2021.76.1
Date:Circa 2020
Image of Clear glass paperweight made by artist Preston Singletary, 2012

Clear glass paperweight made by artist Preston Singletary, 2012

Preston Singletary (Tlingit American, b. 1963) is a well-known and respected glass artist in Seattle. He uses European glass blowing techniques to create Northwest Native art and features themes of transformation, animal spirits and shamanism. Singletary's glass art, like most art, is often sold at a high price. According to the donor, Singletary understood that his glass work had become…
ID Number:2022.8.1
Date:2012
Image of Navajo vase by artist Mary Saxon that was in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, apartment shared by the individuals who started Microsoft in the 1970s

Navajo vase by artist Mary Saxon that was in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, apartment shared by the individuals who started Microsoft in the 1970s

Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in a garage in Albuquerque in 1975. They shared an apartment with early Microsoft employee Ric Weiland and this vase was part of the decor. This vase was made by Mary "Ah-so-bah" Saxon, who was an accomplished Navajo potter in the Southwest.
ID Number:2023.33.1
Date:Circa 1970-1979
Image of Glass bottle for hand sanitizer from Heritage Distilling Company, 2020

Glass bottle for hand sanitizer from Heritage Distilling Company, 2020

Heritage Distilling Company began operations in 2012 and then went into partnership with the Chehalis Tribe in 2016 to build a distillery with brewery, and a restaurant--Talking Cedar--on tribal land in Rochester, Washington. Before proceeding with the build, the tribe had to campaign and advocate to overturn federal legislation that prevented distilleries on tribal land. Unfortunately, the distillery and restaurant…
ID Number:2024.31.1
Date:2020
Image of Plastic bottle for hand sanitizer from Heritage Distilling Company, 2020

Plastic bottle for hand sanitizer from Heritage Distilling Company, 2020

Heritage Distilling Company began operations in 2012 and then went into partnership with the Chehalis Tribe in 2016 to build a distillery with brewery, and a restaurant--Talking Cedar--on tribal land in Rochester, Washington. Before proceeding with the build, the tribe had to campaign and advocate to overturn federal legislation that prevented distilleries on tribal land. Unfortunately, the distillery and restaurant…
ID Number:2024.31.2
Date:2020
Image of Canoe paddle carved by Emmett Oliver (Swinomish), 1934

Canoe paddle carved by Emmett Oliver (Swinomish), 1934

This canoe paddle was carved by Emmett Oliver of the Swinomish Tribe. He raced in the Lone Eagle dugout canoe during the annual Canoe Race of 1934. The Lone Eagle would be the same boat that raced against the UW crew in the 1941 Great Race. Long before white settlers introduced rowing to this region, Coast Salish tribes paddled the…
ID Number:2024.55.1
Date:1934
Image of Miniature totem pole carving by John T. Williams, ca. 1990-2010

Miniature totem pole carving by John T. Williams, ca. 1990-2010

John T. Williams (1960-2010) was a seventh-generation woodcarver carver from the Nuu-chah-nulth, a First Nations tribe indigenous to the Northwest Coast of Canada. He grew up moving between Vancouver, Victoria, and Seattle. His grandfather Sam Williams came to Seattle around 1900, when the city had an interest in totem poles and Northwest Coast art (a pole stolen from the Tlingit…
ID Number:2025.38.1
Date:Circa 1990-2010
Image of Miniature totem pole carving by John T. Williams, ca. 1990-2010

Miniature totem pole carving by John T. Williams, ca. 1990-2010

John T. Williams (1960-2010) was a seventh-generation woodcarver carver from the Nuu-chah-nulth, a First Nations tribe indigenous to the Northwest Coast of Canada. He grew up moving between Vancouver, Victoria, and Seattle. His grandfather Sam Williams came to Seattle around 1900, when the city had an interest in totem poles and Northwest Coast art (a pole stolen from the Tlingit…
ID Number:2025.38.2
Date:Circa 1990-2010
Image of Portrait Mask, Northwest Coast hand-carved alderwood by Michael Halady (Duwamish), ca. 2024

Portrait Mask, Northwest Coast hand-carved alderwood by Michael Halady (Duwamish), ca. 2024

The artist, Michael Halady (Duwamish), is a fifth generation descendant of Chief Si'ahl (Chief Seattle). Halady is a widely-recognized carver whose work has taken many forms, including scuptures and poles.
ID Number:2026.14.1
Date:Circa 2024
Image of Poster for Golden Potlatch celebration, 1911

Poster for Golden Potlatch celebration, 1911

The Seattle Potlatch was an annual event to celebrate Seattle's prosperity after the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition held in 1909. The name "Golden Potlatch" appropriates a Chinook Jargon word describing a Native ceremony celebration and gift giving. It also reflects the importance of the Klondike Gold Rush to Seattle's growth. Many organizers and participants in the Golden Potlatch dressed in stereotyped imitations…
ID Number:Lib.SHS.18157
Date:1911
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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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