We the Indigenous: A Storytelling Celebration | Seattle, WA

Seattle is the only major city in the United States named after a native chief. It has grown from a tribal center and logging town into an international engine of economic and cultural innovation. And since 2017, a City of Literature.

Storytellers have always shaped how the world sees Seattle. The Coast Salish peoples have lived here for 10,000 years, and there is a clear line from carvings and oral stories to the modern work of Klallam poet Duane Niatum and James Welch’s novels. Our writing heritage is guided by a sense of place, especially with respect to the natural world and how it shapes our existence.

Native storytelling traditions set our region on a narrative path that has coalesced into our identity as a center of creativity. It is time to celebrate the ingenious work of award winning and acclaimed Indigenous writers and storytellers in one spectacular night. Their creativity, ingenuity and talent has played an integral part into why UNESCO has designated Seattle as a City of Literature.

Featured writers and storytellers include:

• Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest (Lhaq'temish Nation)
• Queer poet and folk artist Arianne True (Choctaw, Chickasaw)
• American Book Award winner Laura Da' (Eastern Shawnee)
• Memorious co-founder and poet Rob Arnold (Chamoru)
• Pacific Review editor and poet Scott Bentley
• Truman Capote Literary fellow Sara Marie Ortiz (Acoma Pueblo)
• Pacific Northwest Book Award winner Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe (Upper Skagit, Nooksack Indian Tribe)
• And more!

This event, a collaboration between We the Indigenous founder D.A. Navoti (Hopi, Zuni, Akimel O’otham, Yavapai-Apache) and Seattle City of Literature, will be hosted by Brandi Douglas (Puyallup Tribe), with a welcoming and land acknowledgement from Ken Workman (Duwamish Tribe).

Doors open at 5:30 PM and small snacks will be provided by Native Soul Cuisine until supplies run out. The House bar will be open to serve alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for purchase.

Sponsored by Seattle City of Literature, We the Indigenous, and Hugo House.

Admission is offered on a sliding scale, from $0-$25. Revenue from ticket sales directly supports Hugo House's mission to provide space for all to read words, hear words, and make their own words better. We encourage you to pick a ticket price that is right for you.