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Woven Wonders: Textile-based Coast Salish Art Unravels Local History

Indigenous weaving, past and present, on view at the Burke Museum.

By Seattle Mag April 1, 2026

A close-up of a knitted cream-colored garment with decorative patterned trim, fringes, and a button-and-loop closure.
Many Hands, overspun shawl, 2025. Haʔməkwitən Kelly Sullivan (Port Gamble S’Klallam). Mountain goat wool, alder cones, red cortinarius mushroom, deer bone, and antler.
Photo courtesy of Burke Museum

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2026 issue of Seattle magazine.

On display now at the University of Washington’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Woven in Wool: Resilience in Coast Salish Weaving examines the traditional art form and its importance to Coast Salish communities.

“This exhibition broadens the definition of American art by incorporating Indigenous voices and artistic practices historically marginalized due to biases against Native art and women’s work,” says Katie-Bunn Marcuse, Burke Museum’s curator of Northwest Native Art.

Working with artisans at the Coast Salish Wool Weaving Center, the Burke provides a platform for storytelling and cultural revival. The exhibition features both contemporary and historic items, including blankets, tunics, hoods, and skirts, and examines the seasonal cycle and intricate techniques behind the process.

Two traditional Coast Salish garments: one red and white with fringe on display; the other beige with fringe and a mask, resembling a human figure, featured in "Woven in Wool" at the Burke Museum against a black background.
LEFT: Chiefly Tunic, 2025, Skwetsimeltxw Willard “Buddy” Joseph (Squamish). RIGHT: Mountain Protector, 2025, SiSeeNaxAlt Gail White Eagle (Muckleshoot). Mask used at Dances, 2025, Tyson Simmons (Muckleshoot)
Photo by CHRIS SNYDER / BURKE MUSEUM

Woven in Wool: Resilience in Coast Salish Weaving runs through August 30. Tickets here

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