Cultural Center Update and Survey
Submitted by Marnie Atkins
Ha'wa'lou Reader,
My name is Marnie Atkins and I am the new Manager for our new Cultural Center. It is with great enthusiasm and excitement that I write to you now! I am happy to tell you that the purchase process for our new (to us) building that will house our new Cultural Center has finalized! This means, the work can begin to make important updates to the building’s infrastructure for safety, accessibility, and overall usability. Soon, I will begin meeting with vendors and contractors who will bid on the projects we need done in the building before it can open. Once they near completion, we will announce an opening date. Currently, we are projecting a late December/early January opening. However, this tentative timeframe could change based on the work that needs to be completed in the building. I will know more once I meet with the people who will be working on the projects for the building. Our building is located at 417 Second Street, Eureka. Watch our newsletter for updates!
In the meantime, I am beginning to plan and dream about the space and what it will hold for us when we are ready to open, and I need your help! I have ideas, but I would like to hear from you, our tribal citizens, about what you would like to see in our new Cultural Center.
The Cultural Center will be home to classes, lectures, and presentations, as well as displays of our cultural and historical items. I will have questions on the survey about these topics. For example, what information would you like to see presented at the Center sooner rather than later? What about classes - what types of traditional cultural practices would you like to learn? What sort of presentation and discussion topics would you like to hear and learn about? Are there any presenters you would like to see and what topic would you like them to discuss? For those tribal citizens who do not live locally, what would you like to see presented in an online format? We will be holding Soulatluk classes at the Center, too!
When you have some time, and if you have internet capability, please navigate to the website address below to fill out a brief survey about what you would like to see presented in our Cultural Center. Based on your input, I will prioritize displays, classes, and informative discussions that you want to see first. If you do not have internet capability, or just prefer writing your thoughts down, please see the “Cultural Center Survey” included in this month’s newsletter. It has the survey on one side and our mailing address on the other. Just fill out the page, put it in the enclosed envelope, and mail it back to me. And don’t worry! If you lose track of your survey and need a new one, the survey will be a PDF you can download from the Tribe’s website. Look for the link on our main page. Finally, I am happy to speak with you on the phone and jot down your ideas. Feel free to give me a call if you prefer to give me input about our Cultural Center this way.
Survey link here: https://forms.gle/vMfAjBeU8pQTERFP6
Download Survey here: Survey PDF
Here is a QR Code to the survey:
If you have any questions or would like to chat about the Cultural Center, the survey, or anything else, feel free to contact me. I can be reached at (707) 733-5055 or matkins@wiyot.us.
We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to our new Cultural Center!
Rra'dutwas,
Marnie