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Press Release

For Immediate Release

*Contact Information*
Karissa Braxton
Karissa.Braxton2@seattle.gov 



City of Seattle and Tribal Nations Convene for Biennial Summit to Strengthen Partnerships and Shape Shared Priorities 

"Mayor Harrell previews more than $9 million in new investments in housing, cultural space, and health services in his proposed 2026 budget, reflecting priorities identified by Tribal and urban Native partners "

*SEATTLE*, (September 17, 2025) — Yesterday, Mayor Harrell joined Tribal leaders, City officials, and community partners at the second biennial City of Seattle | Tribal Nations Summit — a gathering where Tribal leaders engage directly with City officials to uphold sovereignty and treaty rights, strengthen government-to-government relationships, and set shared priorities for the future. 

The Summit convened leaders from federally recognized Tribes alongside urban Indian organizational leaders, the Indigenous Advisory Council and City officials representing 24 departments and the legislative branch. The day’s agenda included a listening session with Mayor Harrell and City leadership, as well as moderated discussions shaped by priorities identified by Tribal leaders focused on practical actions to strengthen collaboration across governments and improve outcomes for the more than 46,000 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian residents who call Seattle home. 

“This Summit is about building trust and strengthening our relationships with Tribal governments. It’s a chance to hear directly from our partners about priorities that impact federally recognized Tribes in our region and our urban Native community here in Seattle to make sure the City is responding in real, concrete ways,” *said Mayor Bruce Harrell. *“The investments in my proposed budget reflect what we’ve heard — support for housing, cultural space, and health care — and reflect our commitment to supporting Tribal Nations and Native communities in ways that strengthen families, culture, and community.” 

*Building on these discussions, Mayor Harrell previewed more than $9 million in new investments in his proposed 2026 budget*—supporting affordable housing, cultural preservation, and behavioral health care. 

Mayor Harrell’s 2026 proposed budget includes key projects reflecting the priorities of Native partners: 


* *Thunderbird Treatment Center Renovation – $1.8 million: *supports the reopening of the Seattle Indian Health Board’s Thunderbird Treatment Center, a 92-bed residential treatment facility offering expanded behavioral health services rooted in cultural traditions. The Center will provide treatment for substance use disorders, including dedicated beds for pregnant and parenting adults. 

* *Waterfront Operations and Tribal Interpretive Center – $7 million: *provides resources to upgrade the Bakun Building, ensuring it can house both Seattle Center’s waterfront operations and a permanent Tribal Interpretive Center on the Seattle Waterfront, making progress towards fulfilling commitments made through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe during the Elliott Bay Seawall construction. 

* *Pearl Warren Building Redevelopment – $500,000:* creates a one-time reserve for the demolition of the Seattle Indian Services Commission’s Pearl Warren Building as part of a new transit-oriented development in the Little Saigon neighborhood with affordable housing and commercial space. 

These commitments reflect priorities identified by Tribal and urban Native partners and continue the City’s broader work and ongoing investments that support Tribal Nations and Seattle’s urban Native community across all City departments. 

 

Attendees of the 2025 Tribal Summit

*What People are Saying* 

*Hon. Donny Stevenson, Muckleshoot Tribal Council and Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC) Board Member* 

“The vital importance of the tangible investment of real resources in Tribal and Native priorities with the City of Seattle’s budget, helps to directly serve Indigenous people by honoring legal obligations, addressing historical injustices, and fostering mutually beneficial economic growth between the City of Seattle, Indigenous people, and Tribal Nations. The policy of investing in self-determination, rather than relying on systems of external control, has always led to demonstrable positive outcomes for Native populations, Tribal communities, and surrounding regions.  The legitimate commitment to Native priorities within the budget, should be applauded. 

The City of Seattle’s Tribal Nations Summit is becoming a meaningful, legitimate forum where federally recognized Tribes, City and urban Native leadership can regularly come together in a spirit of collaboration to strengthen our regional community and better achieve mutual goals through authentic, collaborative government-to-government engagement with federally recognized Tribes and effective dialogue with urban Native leadership. 

This is especially powerful and important given some of the challenges which history bears witness to in our region. The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe is proud to help host this Tribal Nations Summit in our homelands and supports the important step forward of keeping the lines of communication open for finding innovative solutions together in the present and for future generations.” 

*Esther Lucero (Diné), President and CEO of the Seattle Indian Health Board and member of Seattle’s Indigenous Advisory Council.* 

"""We are grateful to Mayor Harrell, Seattle City Council, and the City of Seattle for working with our tribal nations and urban Indian programs to find solutions for our community. The opioid and fentanyl crisis is impacting Native families at alarming rates. The City's commitment to addressing this crisis puts us closer to reopening the Thunderbird Treatment Center and increasing the number of inpatient beds in the area by 51%.” 

*Colleen Echohawk (**Pawnee Nation and Upper Ahtna Athabascan**), Interim **Executive Director** of the Seattle** Indian Services Commission**.* 

“Receiving these funds to demolish our current building paves the way for the Seattle Indian Services Commission to develop new affordable housing that will serve Native families and strengthen our community.” 

*Debora Juarez, Seattle City Councilmember, District 5* 

“We thank Mayor Harrell for his leadership in Indian Country through investments such as this. Economic vitality is significant to Tribal communities as we continue to strengthen government-to-government relationships. We will keep building on our successes from the inaugural Tribal Nations Summit in 2023, which included the support of Mayor Harrell and the Office of Intergovernmental Relations (OIR). 

At the Summit, 11 Tribal Nations were represented, along with 6 urban Indigenous-led organizations, 16 City departments and legislative and judicial representatives.  Compared to the growth shown through yesterday's attendance, we celebrate the collective work that has been done to date.  But the work is not done. With the announcement of these investments, we will continue to build on the City’s four areas of commitment in, 1) Effective Tribal relations and Indigenous engagement, 2) Cultural visibility and vitality, 3) Collaborative cultural resource stewardship and 4) Culturally attuned systems of care.  

Thank you to the Tribal leaders who have collaborated throughout the process, providing valuable wisdom, direction and insight." 

*Sara Nelson, Seattle City Council President, Position 9* 

“Yesterday's Tribal Summit reminds us that no policy impacting tribal nations should be made without their partnership or, in other words, ‘No representation about us without us'. This is especially important regarding the fentanyl epidemic and addiction which have ravaged tribal communities. That’s why funding the Thunderbird Treatment Center has been and remains one of my highest priorities. I’m pleased to report that this year, it’ll get done.”  

*Dan Strauss, Seattle City Councilmember, District 6 and Chair of the Finance, Native Communities, and Tribal Governments Committee.  * 

“We have been working hard, as a city, to create stronger government-to-government relationships with federally recognized tribes. As we met yesterday, for the City of Seattle’s second-ever Tribal Nations Summit, we demonstrated our commitment with more than words – we are putting our money where our mouth is by making real investments in important programs. These investments will not only strengthen our collaboration, they will make our city a better, more vibrant place to live for everyone.”   

 

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