One of the largest longhouses in Coast Salish lands was in Suquamish territory, across the water from where the present-day University of Washington stands. Called ulman, or Old Man House, the longhouse was burned down to the ground in 1870 due to assimilation practices. Longhouses didn’t return to the Pacific Northwest until a century later. The consequences of these actions lie in the strained ties to culture and the washing of cedar walls from previous generations’ traditions. 

There was a dream in the Native community at the University of Washington for a space dedicated to the original caretakers of the land, promoting Native student wellness and fostering the continued education of Native people. It took years to reach agreements and fight upon fights to reserve a space for Native people to be on campus. Finally, in 2015, the longhouse was ceremoniously opened on behalf of the generations that fought for this interjection of Indigenous knowledge systems into everyone’s consumption. 

Wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ (pronounced “wah-sheb-altuh”), or Intellectual House, is a stationary place of indigeneity on the University of Washington campus. A place to remember Indigenous success, a place to forget colonial harms, and a place to meet one another. Summed up, it’s a place of education. 

While using this place, remember who it was built for and why. Yet, don’t stray away from using it yourself if you are non-Native. Continue to learn more about Indigenous people in your community. 

Text Adapted from Owen Oliver’s Indigenous Walking Tour 2021.

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