A groundbreaking ceremony for the 91探花 Native American longhouse-style facility, will take place Friday, Oct. 25, 3-5:30 p.m.
The public event will be held at the facility鈥檚 construction site in the between Lewis and McMahon Halls on the 91探花campus in Seattle.
University leadership, as well as area tribal leaders, will offer remarks. Included in the program will be 91探花President Michael K. Young, 91探花Vice President for Minority Affairs and Vice Provost for Diversity Sheila Edwards Lange, and W菨色菨b蕯altx史 Committee Co-Chairs W. Ron Allen (Jamestown S鈥橩lallam tribal chairman and chief executive officer) and Charlotte Cote鈥� ( 91探花American Indian Studies associate professor). Duwamish Tribal Chairwoman Cecile Hansen and Suquamish Tribal Chairman Leonard Forsman will also participate.
W菨色菨b蕯altx史, pronounced 鈥渨补丑-蝉丑别产-补濒迟耻丑鈥� and known as the Lushootseed language name for 鈥淚ntellectual House,鈥� will serve as a learning and gathering place for Native American students, faculty and staff, as well as the 91探花and surrounding community. It will feature a 鈥渧illage concept鈥� that includes two primary buildings and a central outdoor gathering space.
The groundbreaking is for the project鈥檚 first phase, the 8,400-square foot Community Gathering Building and the outdoor space. Both are planned to be operational for winter quarter 2015.
Donations and pledges totaling almost $6 million are supporting the design and construction of phase one. Phase two of the project will include further fundraising for the second building, a teaching and learning space.
Read more about the project on the 91探花Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity .