Celebrating the First Anniversary of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ - Intellectual House

In March 2015, the great wooden doors of wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ - Intellectual House opened on the University of Washington Seattle campus and hundreds of students, faculty, staff, tribal leaders and community members stepped into a space that had been a dream for almost 40 years.

wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ is a tranquil building that features a gathering hall, community kitchen and conference room. It provides a multi-service learning and gathering space for American Indian and Alaska Native students, faculty and staff, and others of various cultures and communities to share their knowledge in a welcoming and supportive environment.

"As you walk into wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ, you can truly smell the cedar and you can feel the spirit," says UW Tribal Liaison and wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Director Iisaaksiichaa Ross Braine (Apsaalooke Nation).

Together with campus partners who work to support American Indian and Alaska Native programs across the UW, wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ represents the university's commitment to students and tribal communities, and honors the Duwamish land on which the campus sits.

"wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ is an intellectual and cultural space, and exemplifies the spirit of sharing indigenous knowledge in cooperation with and commitment to regional and national American Indian/Alaska Native and First Nations communities," says Associate Professor for American Indian Studies Charlotte Coté (Nuu-chah-nulth).

In its first year, wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ has hosted a multitude of events and become a significant space on campus.

Pride Points

• Over 10,000 individuals have attended 176 events at wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ. Of those events, 21 have been hosted by students, 146 by campus partners and nine by the greater community.
• 5,000 campus partners have attended events and meetings here.
• American Indian and Alaska Native students have been hired to work at wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ.
• Increased student programming at wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ has included job-skills training programs, discussions around the Race and Equity Initiative, and dance and hand-drum classes.
• Two custom-carved art panels designed by Ruth and Andy Peterson (Skokomish Tribe) and carved by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo (Squaxin Island Tribe) were installed in the gathering hall (pictured above).

Join Us to Support the Future - Phase II

wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ may be celebrating its one-year anniversary, but the journey is not over. A capital campaign is underway to raise funds for Phase II of the project, an 8,400-square foot teaching and learning building. 

This Teaching and Learning Center will be a welcoming place for American Indian and Alaska Native students to study, learn and immerse themselves in the richness of their culture, art and heritage while sharing the warm Intellectual House spirit with everyone in the community.

"In the year since it opened, wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ - Intellectual House has established itself as a special place at the center of campus that supports the academic and intellectual pursuits of American Indian and Alaska Native students, faculty and staff," says Gabriel Gallardo, interim vice president for minority affairs and interim vice provost for diversity. "We are committed to supporting the second phase of the project and look forward to engaging with our community partners in the years ahead."

With the support of generous friends and donors, wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ will continue to transform the educational experience of American Indian and Alaska Native students and inspire their boundless potential to create a world of good— for themselves, their families, their tribes and our society.

t̕igʷicid / Thank You