A groundbreaking ceremony for the 91探花 Native American longhouse-style facility, , will take place on the 91探花campus in Seattle, Fri., Oct. 25, from 3-5:30 p.m.
The ceremony will be held at the facility鈥檚 construction site currently located in the between Lewis and McMahon Halls. The event is open to the public.
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 be among the participants as well.
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 be a symbol that honors the region鈥檚 tribes and serve as a resource that contributes to a sense of unity for the entire campus.
W菨色菨b蕯altx史 will feature a 鈥渧illage concept鈥� that includes two primary buildings and a central outdoor gathering space. The Oct. 25 ceremony will feature the groundbreaking for the project鈥檚 first phase which is the 8,400-square foot Community Gathering Building and the outdoor space. Both are planned to be operational for winter quarter 2015.
The design for W菨色菨b蕯altx史 was created by the Seattle architectural firm of . It will showcase the Pacific Northwest coastal-longhouse style and include elements that speak to Native people from all regions of the country.
The planning process to build W菨色菨b蕯altx史 received input and guidance from 91探花community members, an elders committee and regional tribes. A site blessing was performed on April 10, 2009, and the W菨色菨b蕯altx史 name was gifted to the project by the late Vi Hilbert, a Lushootseed linguist and elder in the Upper Skagit Tribe.
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.
For more information, contact Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity Tribal Relations Liaison Ross Braine at UWTribalLiaison@uw.edu.