Indigenous Walking Tour

Longhouse Welcome

Intellectual House — wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ

One of the largest longhouses in Coast Salish lands was in Suquamish territory, across the water from where the present day University of Washington stands. This longhouse was called ulman, which translates from Chinook Wawa (trade jargon) to Old Man House and was home to the Suquamish and Duwamish Chief Si’ahl, who is Seattle’s namesake. However, due to assimilation practices, Old Man House was burned down to the ground in 1870 after Chief Si’ahls death. Longhouses didn’t return to the Pacific Northwest until a century later. The consequences of these actions lie in the strained ties to culture and the washing of cedar walls from previous generations’ traditions.

In 2015, 145 years after the intentional destruction of Old Man House, the Intellectual House was ceremoniously opened on behalf of the generations that fought for this interjection of Indigenous knowledge systems into everyone’s consumption.

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A Changing Story

Miller Hall

After being in wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ, you should understand that the place and harmonies of the longhouse represent a dream coming to life and a continual story being written by students and mentors. Our next stop on the tour is the ‘Aye-Aye-Esh Girl’ Mural in Miller Hall. This will help us understand where these dreams and stories are rooted.

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Shoreline Connection

Union Bay Natural Area and Preserve

Sit and listen to the birds and plants that sway within the wind of the Union Bay Natural Area. Pristine and natural, isn’t it? The aromas of seasonal change are carried throughout the wetland. As a student, I felt myself drawn to the area, especially as a place for meditation, sinking my thoughts into the natural world instead of textbooks. Now close your eyes and imagine, you are placed back a couple hundred years…

…years before the Denny Party landed at present day Alki in 1851, years before Governor Isaac Stevens stained the land with Indian blood and the coercion of treaties, years before the 1854 treaty of Medicine Creek, years before the 1855 treaty of Point Elliot, years before the 1855 treaty of Point No Point, years before the 1855 treaty of Hellgate, years before the 1855 treaty of Walla Walla, years before the 1855 and 1856 treaties of Quinault, years before you followed the street named after him to get here, years before there were Western settlers and you feel like a guest on Indigenous land for the first time in your life.

What do you see now? Is it what you were expecting? I hope you’re a good swimmer.

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Rest and Relaxation

University of Washington Medicinal Garden

Before my first year of college, in freshmen orientation, I was told that there are sixteen libraries across the University of Washington. I was instantly hooked and have filled my time between all of them. As I’m graduating, it has come to my realization that one of the libraries I’ve found isn’t labeled as such.

The UW Medicinal Herb Garden is nestled between Bagley, Life Sciences, and pathways leading to Tahoma Vista and Anderson Hall. The garden’s size alone is worth mentioning. At 2.5 acres, the garden uses all the space available. While walking past, you may have missed its complex design. Originally planted by the School of Pharmacy in 1911, this garden has been meticulously manicured for over a hundred years to showcase a library of trees, berries, leafy greens, and all the plants that may complement your studies.

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Building Coalitions, Inspiring others

Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center

The Samuel E. Kelly Ethnic Cultural Center (ECC) is the second to last stop on the tour and manifests its purpose in a different way than all of the previous stops. Its connection to nature isn’t profound nor is it centered on art. Its purpose stands on the foundation of its predecessors and leaves students empowered to lead their communities. The ECC is about extending a home to students of color at the University of Washington campus and creating lifelong relationships in any way that the students may deem fit. In addition to being a site of many opportunities, it’s somewhere on campus that students may finally see someone that looks just like them.

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Onward

Husky Union Building

As a child growing up in Seattle, I spent a lot of time in the Husky Union Building (HUB). More often than not, classmates of mine would have their birthday parties in the game room downstairs and I would be lying if I said it hadn’t steadily increased my bowling skills. Additionally, I spent a lot of time at the HUB because of my father. My father, Marvin E. Oliver, was an Emeritus Professor in American Indian Studies for over 30 years. I was occasionally brought along to his classes. He would then take me to the HUB to get a meal. I like to think that it was his way to get me to attend the University of Washington, as I got to pretend to be the student I am now at such a young age.

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