About Us

yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective is a community of intertribal Indigenous artists rematriating 1.5 acres of land in South Seattle, on Coast Salish territories. Our mission is to help improve Indigenous well-being through art-making, community building, and equitable creative opportunities for personal and professional growth.

We achieve this mission by offering radically inclusive, trust-based arts opportunities for creatives at every stage of their careers, always paying well above industry standards. These opportunities include exhibitions, installations, performances, residencies, markets, publications, grants, and other community-led projects. In all our work, we center the voices of women, Two Spirit, and young people. Our practices are accompanied by relationship-building and mentorship opportunities to support continued creative development in our communities, with the intent that all participants will gain experience, exposure, and grow sustaining connections.

Our Story

A long time ago, the sky was too low. Tall people kept bumping their heads. Many different communities gathered to do something about it. They spoke different languages, but realized they only needed to know one word in common to understand each other. That word was yəhaw̓ - that means to proceed, to go forward, to do it. The people made long poles out of saplings and lifted them against the sky. They heaved upwards as they called out yəhaw̓ in unison to synchronize their efforts. After a few tries, they succeeded - changing the world as we know it. Together, we can lift the sky.

Since our founding in 2017, this Lushootseed traditional narrative has inspired the values and practices of yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective. yəhaw̓ was initiated as a yearlong arts pop-up project series culminating in an exhibition at Seattle’s King Street Station in 2019. In the spirit of Lifting the Sky, we used a decolonized curatorial process, inviting all Indigenous individuals living in the region to participate. As a result, the gallery featured hundreds of artworks from over 200 exhibitors. Nearly 8,000 visitors came to the King Street Station show in its 6 month run, with many more attending and participating in our satellite programs. Our exhibiting artists represented urban and reservation communities, used many types of media, and ranged from expert artisans and Elders to youth and emerging creatives exhibiting their work publicly for the first time. In response to continued community desire for our arts-centered social justice initiatives, yəhaw̓ has grown consistently since that first year. As of 2021, we have entered a new phase as our own 501(c)3 nonprofit. 

Watch the video below to hear Lifting the Sky as shared by tsi siʔab taqʷšəblu using the Northern Lushootseed dialect, referenced with permission from Jill tsi sqʷux̌ʷaʔł La Pointe, of Lushootseed Research, and the Vi Hilbert Archive at University of Washington.

Learning Lushootseed

The foundation of our collective is based on a Lushootseed traditional narrative. We feature Lushootseed in our name and in many of our programs, with the goal of honoring the territories where we work and sharing the language with new audiences. There are 13 different tribes in the Puget Sound region in Washington state that speak Lushootseed — however there are dialectal differences. The yəhaw̓ collective works across tribal territories, and attempts to use both Northern and Southern dialects when possible. You can learn more about the Lushootseed language, and proper protocols for sharing traditional narratives, through resources provided by local tribes like the Puyallup Tribal Language Program, and the Tulalip Lushootseed Language Department.

Play the audio clip below to hear how to pronounce the Lushootseed word yәhaw̓ that means to proceed, go forward, do the work.

Protocols for Community Care

yəhaw̓ Indigenous Creatives Collective is a community of Indigenous artists guided by ancestral teachings shared across Turtle Island. We believe communal and individual wellbeing are interconnected. Right relationship with the land depends on respect for Indigenous bodies. It is our shared responsibility to protect the personal sovereignty of women, youth, Elders, Two Spirit people, and all our relatives.

We ask that our community members hold each other with care. yəhaw̓ cares for all Native people while recognizing that all Native people are capable of harm, and healing. Together, we hope to create sacred spaces where we can reconnect with each other, our ancestors, and the land.

If you were hurt, or felt unsafe at one of our programs, please let us know how we can best support you. If you cause harm in community, please remove yourself from yəhaw̓ programming. Our staff and board can be reached at info@yehawshow.com, 253-336-6477, or through the contact form on yehawshow.com.