Suquamish Indian Tribe of the Port Madison Reservation

The Suquamish Indian Tribe will update an oral history project conducted from 1981-83 that has guided the development of the Suquamish Museum for over 30 years. The project will engage the 78 Suquamish elders who are 70 years of age and older to document their biographical, cultural, and personal knowledge for use in more contemporary programming and museum exhibits. Although the tribe recognized the need to gather oral histories during a retreat in 2018, the COVID-19 pandemic not only increased the sense of urgency but provided time to consider a plan for the project. Collecting oral histories of experiences in the more recent past will guide long-range planning and help the museum focus its collections acquisitions for the next foreseeable decades.