yəhaw̓
In the fall of 2018, we partnered with yəhaw̓ (pronunciation: yahowt), an Indigenous-led arts project, to celebrate Indigenous creativity and environmental equity.
About the Exhibit
This Is Our Home, Where We Belong: Coast Salish Female Artists on Identity, Spirituality, and Environment
This Is Our Home, Where We Belong featured the original artwork of five Coast Salish women exploring environmental justice, identity, and place. The project’s curator Denise Emerson is also Coast Salish, of the Twana people, and this was her first curatorial project. The exhibit was on view at Central Library from October 4 to December 9, 2018.
Featured Artists
- Caroline Edwards (Swinomish)
- Denise Emerson (Diné/Twana)
- Karen Engel (Shoalwater Bay)
- Kimberly Miller (Skokomish)
- Abbey Pierson (Cowlitz)
- Curated by Denise Emerson (Diné/Twana)
Curator-in-Residence
“My parents gave me knowledge and wisdom growing up and I’m sharing it with people now. I never talked about my Native life before. But I have learned people want to know about what my parents and aunts and uncles have taught me. I knew I was different moving about in the city. Going home to the Diné and Skokomish Reservations where my families live gives me strength knowing we’ve been here for thousands of years. I have learned that everywhere I walk, in the city and on reservations, is where I belong.”
- Denise Emerson
Artists in Residence Videos
Watch a video of a panel discussion with the artists in residence on the Seattle Channel to learn more about the program.
View short video interviews with each of the artists in residence:
About yәhaw̓
From October 4 to December 9, 2018, the Central Library celebrated the kick off of yәhaw̓, a year-long, Indigenous-led arts project that culminated in a major exhibition at Seattle Office of Arts & Culture’s ARTS at King Street Station in 2019.
Thank You
We are grateful for the expertise from executive project producers Tracy Rector (Choctaw/Seminole), Asia Tail (Cherokee), and Satpreet Kahlon, along with the guidance from our Native Advisory Council.