Though these lands that were forcefully ceded still bear the echoes of our ancestors, we are still here and here we shall remain.

To coincide with the run of Sovereignty, a variety of pieces from the Squaxin Island Museum Library and Research Center will be on display in the State Theater lobby throughout the month of May.

The people of the Squaxin Island Tribe, the People of the Water, have a direct lineal birthright to the ancestors who prospered along the marine waters and the aquifers which were abundant in the Olympia area.

Some of the art on display reflects tribal sovereignty and the Squaxin Island Tribe’s historical fight to restore their rights guaranteed by the Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854. Some showcase the Squaxin Island Tribe’s resiliency through the continuation of traditional arts and the revitalization of its oldest ancestral practices. Many of the pieces represent the Tribe’s stamp on the future of indigenous identity, as their tribal artists and culture bearers utilize new mediums to tell their story.

We hope you leave the show with a deeper understanding of the Squaxin Island Tribe as a people, and their history on this land.

Please learn more about the Squaxin Island people by visiting the Squaxin Island Museum Library and Research Center.