The Pacific Northwest is made up of a rich mix of heritage and traditions, and the traditional arts of these cultures. Please explore this website to find...
Traditional Arts – a searchable data base of traditional artists from Washington state and a useful educational tool for learning about Washington cultural traditions,
Heritage Tours – audio tours with Guidebooks for exploring regions of Washington state,
Heritage Events – a calendar listing of heritage events in the Northwest,
Resources for Teachers – lesson plans and traditional artist listings.
NEW! Native American Stories of Washington – a project designed to document and preserve stories and legends as told by some of Washington state’s important Native American tradition bearers. Learn more about this project...
NEW: Expanding Audiences for Traditional Arts events
New lesson plans for teachers to use with our Cultural Heritage Tour Guides.
Educational Curriculum Unit:
King County and Western Washington Cultural Geography, Communities, Their History and Traditions – Designed for use by 7th and 8th grade Social Studies teachers for Washington State Culture and History curriculum. Classroom-Based Assessment Unit for ENDURING CULTURES.
Voices of the First People:
Audio and Video Recordings from the Vi Hilbert Collection
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| Vi Hilbert |
Northwest Heritage Resources has partnered with the University of Washington Ethnomusicology Archives for a project to create website access to selected audio and video recordings that are from the Vi Hilbert Collection. Hilbert was an elder of the Upper Skagit tribe and scholar of the Lushootseed language. Village Media Works is building an on-line application that will allow for the selection and playing of specific recordings and documentary materials from the Ethnomusicology Archives, University of Washington School of Music website. Lushootseed Research has been a consultant for this project. Voices of the First People can be seen here.
This project was supported in part by a grant from Humanities Washington, a statewide organization dedicated to providing and supporting cultural education programs in local communities.
What is Northwest Heritage Resources?
Northwest Heritage Resources is a non-profit organization first established in Washington state in 1995. Its’ mission is to conserve cultural heritage and to present, promote, preserve and document the diverse cultural traditions of the Pacific Northwest.
What is folklife?
“When Congress created the American Folklife Center in 1976, it had to define folklife in order to write the law. Here is what the law says:
American folklife is the traditional, expressive, shared culture of various groups in the United States: familial, ethnic, occupational, religious, and regional. Expressive culture includes a wide range of creative and symbolic forms, such as custom, belief, technical skill, language, drama, ritual, architecture, music, play, dance, drama, ritual, pageantry, and handicraft. Generally these expressions are learned orally, by imitation, or in performance, and are maintained or perpetuated without formal instruction or institutional direction.”
- from, Folklife and Fieldwork: A Layman’s Introduction to Field Techniques. by Peter Bartis; Revised 2002. Publications of the American Folklife Center, no. 3
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New!
Native American Legend Recordings
New tours!
Whidbey Island
Heritage Tour
Learn more...
Cascade Loop North
Heritage Tour
Learn more...
Support NW Heritage Resources by Shopping at PCC
It’s very easy. By simply shopping at PCC Natural Markets with a Scrip card, 5% of your purchase amount will go to support the projects of NW Heritage Resources. To get your Scrip card, contact us by email or by phone at 207-677-3703.
To learn how this PCC program works, visit the PCC website.