I (Sean here) had the great honor to attend the opening of the new Longhouse of the Duwamish Tribe (Dkhw’Duw’Absh or 'People of the Inside' in Lushootseed, the local Salish language). A longtime dream of Tribal Leader Cecile Hansen's, the Longhouse is an incredibly meaningful milestone and resource for the Tribe as they have faced many challenges over the last several decades. It comes as a surprise to many that the Duwamish are currently not a Federally recognized Tribe. Even though the Duwamish are acknowledged to be the first peoples of Seattle and Seattle is named after their Tribal Leader Chief Si’ahl, the Federal Government today does not recognize the Tribe. Although they did finally receive Federal recognition under President Clinton, this was taken away within 48 hours of President Bush taking office. For all these reasons and many more, the new Longhouse truly does represent a new era for the Tribe.
From the Duwamish Tribe website:
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