SEATTLE, WASH. – Seattle Sounders FC and its charitable partner, RAVE Foundation, today announced the annual celebration of Native American Heritage Month – which is celebrated throughout November each year – in recognition of the contributions and influence of our nation’s first people to the United States history and culture. The club’s activities this month serve to continue the Rave Green’s season-long collaboration with the local Native American community and as part of its commitment to Fight Racism, one of the pillars of Sounders FC’s Social Justice Framework.
As part of Native American Heritage Month celebration, the Rave Green are partnering with the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture Heritage for the second-consecutive year to shine a light on the history, artistry, and cultures of modern-day tribes. Located on the University of Washington campus, the Burke Museum is the Washington state museum responsible for maintaining collections of natural history and cultural heritage. Through relationship-building, consultation, and collaboration with tribes, the museum strives to share exhibits that are accurate in their interpretation and storytelling, bringing to the forefront Native expertise and knowledge, as well as appropriately preserving and providing access to Indigenous artifacts.
“We’re excited to be partnering once again with Sounders FC so that more Washington residents have the opportunity to explore our collections, gain greater understanding of tribal cultures and, just as importantly, learn how tribes continue to be living, thriving cultures,” said Polly Olsen (Yakama), the Burke’s tribal liaison and director of DEAI & decolonization.
The Burke Museum joined the club during its annual Fan Appreciation Day match on October 9 at Lumen Field and ahead of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, celebrated on October 10, where fans had the opportunity to interact with Living Traditions: Native American Cultures of the Pacific Northwest, a free BurkeMobile exhibit from Burke Museum.
To provide the opportunity for all to access the Burke Museum to learn about the region’s Native American heritage as well as the dynamic cultures of the Pacific Northwest and around the world, the Rave Green and the Burke Museum are hosting Sounders FC Day on Sunday, November 13 by offering free admission to anyone wearing a Sounders FC gear. Additionally, the first 100 youth visitors will receive a free soccer ball, courtesy of RAVE Foundation.
When at The Burke Museum, Seattle Sounders FC and Intentionalist also encourage fans to visit Off the Rez Cafe, Seattle’s first Native food truck and café, owned by Mark McConnell and Cecilia Rikard. On November 13 fans can visit Off the Rez Café for a free order of Indian Tacos or Sweet Fry Bread, courtesy of Sounders FC x Intentionalist. Simply let the Off the Rez team know to put the item on the Sounders FC x Intentionalist tab!
The Burke Museum is located at 4303 Memorial Way NE, Seattle, Washington, 98195. Museum hours are 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PT Tuesday to Sunday. Parking at the Burke Museum is also free on Sundays.
After announcing a multi-year partnership with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians and its Emerald Queen casino earlier this year, Sounders FC launched a comprehensive career development partnership with the tribe’s Chief Leschi Schools. The club’s Social Justice Framework promises that we recruit, hire, train and develop diverse talent, representative of our community. This job shadow program, unveiled earlier this month, is part of Sounders FC’s long-term commitment to create opportunities for indigenous youth to visualize their future by providing real-life work experiences and insights into professional sports careers.
The club’s partnership with the tribe and EQC includes jersey sleeve logo placement that includes the salmon logo of the Puyallup Tribe, an original steward of land throughout what is now known as the Puget Sound. Fans can learn more about the significance of the salmon to the Puyallup Tribe here, from the tribe’s Historic Preservation Department.
For additional information on any of the mentioned Native American Heritage Month activities, media may contact Gisselle Pichardo of Sounders FC Communications ****[GisselleP@SoundersFC.com].
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