A total of $3.7 million from state funding and an anonymous gift have been received to support the building of the Intellectual House at the University of Washington.
The longhouse-style facility will be built on the UW Seattle campus in parking lot N6 near McMahon Hall. Scheduled to open in 2014, the 19,000-square-foot facility will provide a multi-service learning and gathering space for Native American students, faculty, staff and others from various cultures and communities.
The budget for the Intellectual House is $10.6 million. The UW has committed to matching $5 million in gift funds, and the project also received a Coast Salish name gifted by the late Vi Hilbert, an esteemed elder of the Upper Skagit Tribe. Previously, the state provided $300,000 in pre-design funding and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation will donate lumber worth an estimated $91,000.
On Sept. 10, the UW will host the fifth annual UW Tribal Summit at Mary Gates Hall Commons. The event is a gathering of leaders from the UW and regional tribal governments who meet in the spirit of the centennial accord to promote partnerships, advance mutual goals, and address issues facing tribal communities.