Chief Seattle Club

Résumé de l'étude de cas : The Chief Seattle Club (CSC) opened ʔálʔal (ALL-all), meaning “home” in the Lushootseed language of many Coast Salish nations, in January 2022, offering 80 affordable housing units in Seattle, Washington. It is situated on the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish nations, whose people still steward the land today. Currently, 98 percent of ʔálʔal residents are American Indian or Alaska Native. Ten studio units are designated for veterans through the VASH program.

Designed by Native architect Johnpaul Jones (Choctaw/Cherokee) of Jones & Jones, the building’s exterior features intricate brickwork reflecting iconic Coast Salish designs. The southern facade can be viewed throughout south downtown Seattle and features a four-story-high Matriarch figure representing Native people’s ability to care for each other and the community. The western facade incorporates patterns representing the four worlds, including rain (water that nourishes the spirit); a sacred geese pattern (part of Coast Salish life for hundreds of years); cedar (used for healing, clothing, prayer, and ceremony); and canoes (reflecting a tradition of journeys that experienced a renaissance in recent decades as Native people reclaimed this cultural mode of transportation as a healing and wellness response to addiction and other problems experienced by Native youth).

In King County, Washington, more than 15 percent of the unhoused community are American Indian or Alaska Native, representing the highest poverty rates among all racial groups. To combat this inequity, ʔálʔal provides crucial affordable housing opportunities within its 42,184 square feet. It offers a safe haven for low-income and Native individuals experiencing homelessness whose communities have endured displacement for centuries.