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Hours:
  Wed - Sun
  Noon - 4:00 pm

Location:
  918 H Street SE
  Auburn Comm Campus
  Auburn, WA 98002
  (253) 288-7433

Copyright © 2002
White River
Valley Museum

Ahl Tee-ah*: Art from Salish Roots

Galleries, souvenir shops and public art in parks leads us to believe that totem poles, masks and designs like the Seahawk’s logo are the hallmarks of Native American art traditions in our area. In reality, most of what we think of as “Northwest Coast Indian Art” comes from traditions based hundreds of miles away in coastal British Columbia and SE Alaska.

Art from the ancient cultures of Puget Sound and Western Washington is harder to find, although a growing number of contemporary artists are exploring local creative roots and bringing them to contemporary expression.

“Ahl Tee-ah: Art from Salish Roots” is an exhibit opening November 13 in the White River Valley Museum’s Key Bank Gallery. Its purpose is to introduce these little-known art forms from to a contemporary audience. Ahl Tee-ah is the Puget Sound Salish* word for “right here.”

Salish art in Washington includes strong fiber traditions in basketry, wool, and cedar bark regalia. In part, this is due to the prominence of the talented contemporary women artists exploring these media. 

Graphic traditions are based on ancient carvings found on wooden tools, horn bracelets, and rock drawings or on the bold painting of ritual objects never seen in public. First time observers may be surprised at the boldness and otherworldly feel of Salish work, in wood, glass and prints.

Artists who have been able to work against the tide of public expectation and successfully make art true to Puget Sound traditions are strong individuals. They have often not received the market rewards more commonly experienced by those who bend to the expectations of contemporary art buyers and produce northern-style art. 

Shaun Peterson’s etched glass piece included in Ahl Tee-ah is a beautiful modern interpretation of a spindle whorl enriched by Georgia Straight Salish formline designs. Shaun is a young man of Puyallup and Tulalip ancestry whose painting of a man and his canoe is featured on the exhibit poster.

Roger Fernandes is a Lower Elwha Klallam Indian who is perhaps best known for his storytelling and educational programs where he widens and informs the audience of those who appreciate Salish art.

Peggy Deam, from the Suquamish tribe is a multi-media artist, who has mastered working in the traditional fiber arts (cedar bark, wool, cattails, grasses) and combines them with emblems of the modern world. As with many of the artists featured in Ahl Tee-ah, she is a teacher of cultural arts 

Bruce Miller (Subiyay), Skokomish, is a leader in his community and in the revival of traditions from weaving baskets to medicine and foods. He is a founder of the Pacific Northwest Native Basket Weavers’ Association.

Mr. Harold Moses is an elder of the Muckleshoot tribe. We are honored to have Mr. Moses represented in this exhibit as his drums and decorated equipment for Shahal (“bone game” or “stick game”) are made for use and eagerly sought within the Native community.

All together, ten artists from the Puget Sound region will be featured in Ahl Tee-ah. 

Ahl Tee-ah will be on display until February 16, and has been generously supported by the Ferguson Foundation. 

*Ahl Tee-ah is the Puget Sound Salish word for “right here.” Most Native American cultures in Western Washington traditionally spoke languages of the Salish family, including Whulshootseed or Lushootseed, also known as Puget Sound Salish. This is the native language of the area from present day Olympia to Arlington.


The White River Valley Museum is located in the Auburn Community Campus at Les Gove Park, at 918 H Street SE. Hours are 12:00 Noon, to 4:00 PM, Wednesdays through Sundays, and by appointment for group tours and research. Admission is $2.00 for adults, $1.00 for children and seniors. Wednesdays are free for everyone. The Museum will be closed for the holidays from December 23 to January 14, with the exception of January 2 and 3 when family activities are scheduled during regular open hours. 

For more information call (253) 288-7433 or look us up on the web at www.wrvmuseum.org.


 

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