Culture

Photo: Cathy Morris/Burke Museum
Photo: Cathy Morris/Burke Museum
net weights in the archaeology collection

Archaeology

The Archaeology Collections reflect how people live through the objects they leave behind.

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close up of a cowlitz basket

Bill Holm Center

The Bill Holm Center is the premier center for the study of Native arts of the Pacific Northwest.

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baskets on a shelf

Contemporary Culture

The Contemporary Cultural Collections reflect living and dynamic cultures. 

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News & Stories

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a man holds a completed glass buffalo horn spoon Blog

Catching up with Shawn Brigman: From canoes to buffalo horn spoons

The many mediums of Spokane Tribal artist Shawn Brigman—from Salishan Shovelnose Canoes to glass buffalo horn spoons.

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a crowd of people line the stairs while watching an art dedication ceremony Video

Indigenous Peoples' Day at the Burke Museum

Monday, October 14, was Indigenous Peoples' Day in the City of Seattle and at the new Burke Museum!

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a young woman lays cedar branches in a cedar canoe in the water Blog

Launching the Coast Salish s.dexiA canoe

On a hot day in early July, a replica Coast Salish s.dexiA dugout hunting canoe launched in the Green River.

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Featured Projects

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close up of wild onions and garlic in a basket Project

Salish Bounty

While there have been enormous changes in Coast Salish Native diet and culture over the centuries, a core value of food has survived.

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excerpt from a map showing historic waterways in the Seattle region Project

The Waterlines Project

Explore the dramatic changes to Seattle's landscapes and shorelines through The Waterlines Project.

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a family touches an interactive depicting salmon cooking over a fire pit Exhibit

Our Material World

From the food we put in our bodies to the furniture we put in our homes, human life is shaped by “stuff” all around us—and our stuff reveals surprising truths about our lives.

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Land Acknowledgement

The Burke Museum stands on the lands of the Coast Salish Peoples, whose ancestors resided here since time immemorial. Many Indigenous peoples thrive in this place—alive and strong.