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Explore Legacies

Culture Class

By Angela Cabotaje

Suquamish Museum
— Photo by Carolyn Petersen

Discover the rich art, history, and heritage of Washington’s indigenous peoples at museums and interpretive centers throughout the state.

Located in Seattle’s Discovery Park, Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center showcases collections by and about Native Americans. The stunning facility boasts a vibrant wildlife mural on the exterior.

In spring and summer, Argosy Cruises boats depart from Pier 55 for Tillicum Village on Blake Island, just eight miles from Seattle. Take a self-guided totem tour or fill up at a traditional salmon bake.

At Suquamish Museum on the Kitsap Peninsula, thousands of baskets, carvings, and artifacts are on display. Immerse yourself in exhibits labeled in both English and Lushootseed, the language of Coast Salish tribes.

The Yakama Nation Museum and Cultural Center in Toppenish features life-size dwellings of the Plateau People. Drop by the center’s Heritage Inn Restaurant afterward to enjoy traditional foods such as buffalo stew, salmon, and huckleberries.

In Tulalip the Hibulb Cultural Center has a 50-acre natural history preserve, interactive cultural exhibits, and a realistic longhouse inhabited by Tulalip storytellers.

The Makah Cultural and Research Museum, on the northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula, contains 500-year-old artifacts recovered from Ozette Village, an archaeological site where six longhouses were perfectly preserved after a landslide. Learn how to make your own cedar mat or oliveshell necklace.

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