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Sacred Breath Nov 2019 artists Tommy Pico and Lummi Island Blackhawk Singers -
Sacred Breath May 2019 artists Elissa Washuta and Sondra Segundo -
Sacred Breath Feb 2017 artists Raven Heavy Runner, Ernestine Hayes, and Elissa Washuta -
Sacred Breath Nov 2016 artists Roger Fernandes, Payton Bordley, Sasha LaPointe -
The Department of American Indian Studies at the University of Washington hosts an annual literary and storytelling series. Sacred Breath features Indigenous writers and storytellers at wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ - Intellectual House on the University of Washington Seattle campus. Storytelling offers a spiritual connection, a sharing of sacred breath. Literature, similarly, preserves human experience and ideals. Both forms are durable and transmit power that teaches us how to live. Both storytelling and reading aloud can impact audiences through the power of presence, allowing for the experience of the transfer of sacred breath as audiences are immersed in the experience of being inside stories and works of literature.
Save the Date - Next Sacred Breath event May 2020!
Our most recent event was held November 21, 2019 featuring writer Tommy Pico (Kumeyaay) and local talent Blackhawk Singers and Dancers (Lummi).
Tommy “Teebs” Pico is author of the books IRL, Nature Poem, Junk, Feed, and myriad keen tweets including “sittin on the cock of the gay.” Originally from the Viejas Indian reservation of the Kumeyaay nation, he now splits his time between Los Angeles and Brooklyn. He co-curates the reading series Poets with Attitude, co-hosts the podcast Food 4 Thot, and is a contributing editor at Literary Hub.
The Blackhawk Dancers and Singers are a group of talented artists who practice traditional songs and dances of the Lummi Nation, sharing their history, culture, and celebrations. The group’s members range from young to old, novice to professionals and brings amazing energy wherever they go.
Read about Sacred Breath in the A&S Perspectives newsletter.
These events are free and open to the public, but registration is required, as space is limited. wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House is located at 4249 Whitman Court, Seattle, WA.
Sacred Breath is sponsored by the Department of American Indian Studies, the Intellectual House Academic Programming Committee, the Center for American Indian and Indigenous Studies, the Banks Center for Educational Justice, and the Squaxin Island Tribe.