LAND FOR INDIGENOUS ARTISTS
HELP US LIFT THE SKY
HELP US LIFT THE SKY yəhaw̓ ii
yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective: TOGETHER WE LIFT THE SKY
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yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective now officially owns 1.5 acres of land! This acquisition of sacred space follows five years of organizing countless events to uplift over 400 Indigenous artists. Together with our partners across the Salish Sea, we’ve secured a permanent home for Indigenous arts and culture in South Seattle.
yəhaw̓ (pronounced ya-howt) means to proceed, to go forward, to do it, in Lushootseed language. In the late Vi taqʷšəblu Hilbert’s (Upper Skagit) telling, the earth beings used this expression to overcome their greatest challenges, and together they lifted the sky.
L A N D FO R I N D I G E N O U S A RT I STS
yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective was founded in 2017 to fill a crucial gap in our city’s cultural landscape. We formed an organization to offer services, support, and a rich network to intertribal Indigenous artists at every stage of their careers.
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Sowing Seeds for an Indigenous Future
In December 2022, yəhaw̓ purchased 1.5 acres of land in Rainier Beach. The undeveloped Seattle parcel holds more than 500 trees, bisects Mapes Creek, and is located near public transit in a diverse multigenerational neighborhood. Working alongside Coast Salish Nations in one of the largest urban Indigenous populations in the country, Seattle is ideal for maximizing our impact through Indigenous art. Through artmaking and ecological education, we’re creating a welcoming community hub where interdisciplinary Indigenous creatives can connect with each other and the earth. We see ourselves as a small seed in the broader land rematriation movement, and as the beneficiaries of a long legacy of Indigenous organizing that came before us. We will continue to collaborate closely with tribes, nonprofit partners, and our creative community to collectively nurture the land and one another for generations to come.
“Creative expression is at the center of Indigenous cultures, where seeds are planted and generations of stories are told. We need land and soil to grow roots.” Asia Tail (Cherokee) Board of Directors
Over 500 trees and safe soil. Next door to Kubota Garden. Part of a historic estate with a Victorian greenhouse. Bisected by Mapes Creek (a Chinook salmon waterway). Walking distance from the 7, 106, and 107 bus lines, and the Rainier Beach link station.
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Near Rainier Beach High School and Emerson Elementary, two of the only remaining public schools in the city with a minority majority student population.
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About the land:
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HELP US LIFT THE SKY
Making Space for Artists
By combining arts with access to green space, we have an opportunity to holistically improve well-being for Indigenous people and the land. One and one-half acres in Rainier Beach is yəhaw̓’s new home, but we need your support for the work ahead. Together, we can lift the sky.
We have raised $2.2 million and need a remaining $1.4 million to sustainably care for this land and our community.
~40% of Native people gain income from arts and culturebased practices. With your support we will:
According to First Peoples Fund
Caretake urban green space for intersectional BIPOC gathering.
Establish an artist residency designed by and for Indigenous creatives. Develop economic opportunities for Indigenous artists of all ages. Commission outdoor artworks and create a public sculpture park. Host workshops and work parties with traditional knowledge bearers.
Collaborate with nonprofit partners to cultivate an inclusive Native neighborhood. Consult with local tribes and restore Mapes Creek as salmon habitat.
We are our community. We are our ancestors.
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Create an Indigenous-designed community center with shared studio spaces.
Our work is guided by ancestral knowledge, contemporary best practices, and our collective lived experiences.
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Grow gardens with ancestral medicines and artmaking material.
Help Us Lift the Sky
By contributing to yəhaw̓, you are cultivating a future where Indigenous people are holistically supported with meaningful opportunities to harness sustainable technology and cultural knowledge for artmaking, plant growing, and community wellness.
Artwork by Paige Pettibon Bitterroot Salish, Black, White PaigePettibon.com @Paige_Pettibon
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Past supporters include: Visit yehawshow.com/land for more information on our 1.5 acre green space in Rainier Beach for Indigenous creatives.
City of Seattle King County Parks 4Culture Seeding Justice Potlatch Fund Na’ah Illahee Fund Vadon Foundation Native Arts & Cultures Foundation Roddenberry Foundation Seattle Foundation NDN Collective