The Duwamish Longhouse is open!
The Duwamish Longhouse now proudly sits near the mouth of the Duwamish River overlooking the Duwamish River Valley, not far from the landing site of early immigrants. It is also near the ancient Duwamish village hah-AH-poos, on the National Register of Historic Places. For millennia before there was a city called Seattle, thousands of indigenous people - the Duwamish Tribe - lived in harmony with the natural surroundings that sustained them. The native animals and plants were a part of their culture and heritage as well as a source of their food and shelter.
The Duwamish Longhouse is a traditional cedar post and beam structure designed in the Puget Salish Longhouse style as collaboration between the Duwamish Tribe and project architect Byron Barnes, a member of the Montana based Blackfeet Tribe. The Longhouse - as in ancient times - is the site where tribal business is conducted and cultural and educational events are held. In addition, the Duwamish Tribe wants to share its Longhouse with the public to reinforce its cultural and social traditions. Monthly special events as well as ongoing workshops, demonstrations and lectures will be available to the public. School tours will provide children with an introduction to the Duwamish Tribe and Salish People.
The Duwamish Longhouse is also an important regional resource for tribal members, researchers, teachers and students interested in Duwamish history and culture. Historic photographs and associated material collected by historians and researchers will also be available. Lushootseed language materials on CDs, tapes, and videos have been researched and compiled by tribal elder, Vi Hilbert. Select pieces from the adjacent ancient villages, on loan from the Burke Museum, MOHAI, and the Port of Seattle are also displayed in secure, humidity controlled display cases with bilingual signage and interpretation. We hope you will come and visit us soon so we can share with you our Longhouse, and the culture and traditions of Seattle's first people - the Duwamish Tribe.