Indigenous Engagement
Joseph Pierce, Cherokee Nation citizen, associate professor of Latin American and Indigenous Studies, State University of New York at Stonybrook
If you are joining the 2024 NASPA Annual Conference in person, your presence in this place, named for Chief Si’ahl of the Suquamish and Duwamish Tribes and now known as Seattle, should be coupled with the labor and context of how you came to occupy this place, and your relationship with and to this land. If you are joining the NASPA Virtual Experience, the same work can and should take place with regard to the place where you live and learn.
We encourage you to situate yourself in this labor, and to know that who you are, in relation to where you are, is a vital cognizance grounded in humility and empathy.
The language above has been developed by members of past Conference Leadership Committee Indigenous Engagement Work Groups.
Tribal Communities in the State of Washington
View a map of present‐day Native American tribal entities based in the state of Washington, whether or not they are currently recognized by the United States government.
Learn about the Indigenous Tribes of Seattle and Washington with this list of resources from the American Library Association.
Local Organizations
Chief Seattle Club is a Native-led housing and human services agency that provides sacred space to nurture, affirm, and strengthen the spirit of urban Native people.
The Seattle Indian Health Board provides health and human services rooted in Indigenous knowledge, advocacy, and data research focused specifically on the nationwide urban American Indian and Alaska Native population.
United Indians of All Tribes Foundation
The United Indians of All Tribes Foundation provides community services for Native Americans and Indigenous People, including homelessness prevention, youth shelter, native elder services, veteran programs, and more. The foundation is housed at the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, which also houses permanent and rotating collections of Native art, and hosts the annual Seattle Powwow and Indigenous Peoples Day celebrations.
Learn, Support, and Act
Support Inspired Natives™, not Native-Inspired
Eighth Generation is a Seattle-based art and lifestyle brand owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe, founded in 2008 by Louie Gong (Nooksack). Anchored by the tagline “Inspired Natives™, not Native-inspired,” Eighth Generation builds business capacity among cultural artists and addresses the economic impact of cultural appropriation.
Hibulb Cultural Center features exhibits, classrooms, a longhouse, research library, and a 50-acre natural history preserve dedicated to restoring, protecting, and enhancing the beliefs and values of the Tulalip Tribes.
Bring Attention to the MMIWGP Crisis
In 2020 Congress passed Savanna’s Act and the Not Invisible Act to coordinate data collection and response to address the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and people. Washington State rates second-highest in the nation for missing Indigenous women cases in urban centers, and Seattle rates first among cities nationwide in MMIWG cases. This violence transcends reservation and urban boundaries.
Additional Resources
Native Land Digital strives to create and foster conversations about the history of colonialism, Indigenous ways of knowing, and settler-Indigenous relations, through educational resources such as our map and Territory Acknowledgement Guide.
Learn about the NASPA Indigenous Peoples Knowledge Community and explore the resources members have gathered to increase understanding of, and institutional commitment toward, Indigenous peoples in higher education.