More than 20 years ago before she died, S’Klallam Elder Martha John made sketches of a Port Gamble S’Klallam longhouse she remembered from her childhood. While she was unable to share her wisdom and memories from within the shelter of a longhouse during her lifetime, she knew how vital such a place was to the life of her people. She hoped that eventually the longhouse tradition could be restored.
In 1999, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal Council initiated a $4.5 million capital campaign to raise funds for Xcntax, the House of Knowledge. The project – a four-building complex – features an Elder’s Center, Career and Education Center, a new branch of the Kitsap Regional Library, and the Longhouse – the first to be built on S’Klallam land in more than 100 years.
The Tribal Council hired Don Chalmers of Sparrowhawk Consulting to oversee its fund-raising process, and in collaboration with Sparrowhawk, invited neighbors from the surrounding communities of Cliffside, Eglon and Hansville to help with the process. Many did. Over time, through donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations, as well as government grants and the proceeds from several Native American art auctions, the tribe raised the money to build.
On April 16, 2003, a groundbreaking ceremony for the complex took place, and as funds for each building became available, construction was completed, first on the Longhouse, followed by the Career and Education Center and the Elder’s Center. In early 2007, construction of the new branch of the Kitsap Regional Library began; when it is finished – tentatively slated for Fall 2007 – the House of Knowledge project will be complete.
What lessons were learned during the process? According to Laurie Mattson, House of Knowledge project manager, “the most positive effect was the increased understanding of the Tribe and our culture in our neighboring community. That’s a really good outcome. People are interested in what’s going on here. It’s nice when they drop by and visit. And it’s nice to think about what we’re going to do next. That’s always a good place to be.”
New Little Boston library under construction
Currently under construction, the House of Knowledge library, tentatively open in late 2007 or early 2008. At 2,787 square feet, the new facility will feature an expanded reading room, children’s area, improved staff and storage facilities, and a meeting room. For more information about the library, contact Sue Jones, Little Boston branch manager, at (360) 297-2670.
A (very) brief history of
Northwest longhouses
Prior to the arrival of Europeans, the lush forestlands of the Pacific Northwest provided the materials for one of the most dramatic forms of indigenous North American architecture: the Northwest longhouse. Constructed of massive timbers and sided with wood planking (usually cedar), longhouses functioned as communal spaces for more than one family (though residents were typically related through blood or marriage).
While some exceeded a thousand feet in length, the average size range of a Northwest longhouse was between 40 and 120 feet in length, and 14 to 75 feet in width. Usually built through the collective efforts of an entire village, a longhouse consisted of one large room subdivided into individual living areas.
Depending on the tribe, interior subdivisions were created by constructing interior walls, hanging woven mats from the ceiling rafters, or drawing lines from sleeping areas along the walls across the interior space; high-ranking families would often occupy the prime spot far from the door, with additional screening. In some longhouses, a central fire was shared, while in others, each family had their own fire.
While longhouses were communal dwellings, they were owned individually, often by a tribal chief or clan-head. When an owner died, the family either vacated the longhouse or burned it down to avoid potential haunting by, or disturbance of, the departed family member. Due to U.S. government policies enacted during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Northwest longhouses have not survived.
Today, longhouses are reappearing on tribal lands across the Northwest, and playing a vital role in the renewal of Northwest Native American culture. For more information about Northwest longhouses, visit: www.alaskanative.net/38.asp, http://arcastiii.westside.com/CaseStudies/details.view?rowid=157 or check out “Native American Architecture” (1990) by Peter Nabokov and Robert Easton.
Like to learn more?
Visit the House of Knowledge
If you haven’t seen the S’Klallam House of Knowledge yet, consider getting your neighbors together and taking a tour: it’s a striking architectural landmark. Designed by Ray Johnston of Johnston Architects, and James Cutler and Bruce Anderson of Cutler/Anderson Architects, the complex reflects modern and traditional Northwest longhouse architecture in its design and materials, with an exposed structure that tells the story of the assembly of the buildings.
Panels, Longhouse doors and totem poles, designed and carved by tribal members, reflect tribal culture and history: be sure to ask how Martha John has been represented in the complex. The Career and Education Center has a number of noteworthy sustainable features, including the use of day lighting, efficient lighting and dimming systems, and natural ventilation.
The House of Knowledge complex currently provides direct social, cultural and educational services to tribal members; it is also a resource for the broader North Kitsap community, hosting community forums, school-related activities, and open-to-the-public cultural events.
In case you’re wondering how to say Xcnatx – the S’Klallam word for House of Knowledge – it’s pronounced Haaa-Chi-nought. For more information about arranging a tour, Longhouse rentals, or upcoming events, contact Marie Hebert, Cultural Resources Director, at (360) 297-4582 or e-mail to info@pgst.nsn.us.
