Blake Island, Cultural Representation, and the Legacy of Tillicum Village
Blake Island is one of Puget Sound’s most storied landscapes—a place where hikers wander quiet salal forests, boaters tie up at a rustic marina patrolled by bold raccoons, and historians trace the island’s ties to Chief Seattle and to the 1993 APEC summit hosted by President Bill Clinton inside the Tillicum Village longhouse.
Blake Island is a short distance from the city of Seattle in Puget Sound. It is part of Kitsap County and is managed by Washington State Parks.
Puget Sound is cupped by two dominant mountain ranges. In the depiction below, to the left, the rugged Olympics give way to the densely wooded Kitsap Peninsula and Bainbridge Island. To the right, the Cascades frame your view of Seattle’s ever-evolving skyline. These mountains drain immense volumes of fresh water into the Puget Sound basin through thousands of rivers, streams, and creeks.
Blake Island lies near the center of this vital body of water. Thousands of species-including humans-depend on Puget Sound for food and sustenance. Ihese waters are among the most productive habitats for salmon and shellfish on the Pacific Coast, though pollution, urban development and overharvesting are growing threats.
Campsites range from $12 to $71.53 per night, depending on site type and season. This includes standard sites, marine trail sites, and group sites
For decades, the Blake Island’s most visible attraction was Tillicum Village, a privately operated cultural‑tourism site offering salmon‑bake dinners and Native‑inspired performances. Its closure in 2021 marked not only the end of a beloved Seattle excursion but also a turning point in how Coast Salish nations expect their cultures to be represented—and how the public understands cultural appropriation.
Cultural Appropriation and Tillicum Village
Tillicum Village was founded in 1962 by a non‑Native restaurateur. Its longhouse architecture, carvings, masks, and performances drew heavily from Northern Northwest Coast art traditions (Haida, Tlingit, Kwakwaka’wakw), even though Blake Island sits in the homelands of Coast Salish peoples such as the Suquamish and Duwamish.
The Coast Salish and Northern Northwest Coast mismatch is the core of the cultural‑appropriation critique:
- The attraction used Indigenous imagery without tribal governance.
- It blended multiple tribal traditions into a pan‑Indigenous aesthetic, erasing cultural specificity.
- It presented Native culture through a commercial tourism lens, not a sovereign tribal one.
- It shaped public understanding of “Northwest Native culture” in ways that were visually compelling but not culturally accurate.
Was the State guilty of cultural appropriation?
The answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no.
- Tillicum Village itself was a private concession, not a state‑run cultural program.
- Washington State Parks leased the land but did not design the art or performances.
- The state’s role was primarily regulatory and logistical, not interpretive.
However, by hosting a non‑tribal cultural attraction on tribal homelands for decades, the state participated indirectly in a system that allowed cultural appropriation to flourish.
But Coast Salish artistic exchange is real
It is also true that Coast Salish nations have long exchanged artistic ideas with neighboring tribes. Canoe journeys, trade networks, intermarriage, and shared ceremonial spaces created a fluid artistic landscape. Even today, Coast Salish artists draw inspiration from other Northwest Coast traditions.
The difference is agency:
- Tribal artists choose how and when to incorporate outside influences.
- Tillicum Village imposed a blended style without tribal authority.
This distinction—sovereign artistic exchange vs. commercial appropriation—is central to understanding why Tillicum Village became controversial.
The village founder was Bill Hewitt, a Seattle restaurateur and entrepreneur. Hewitt owned restaurants and food‑service businesses in Seattle in the early 1960s. He saw an opportunity during the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair to create a “Northwest Native cultural experience” for tourists. He leased land on Blake Island from Washington State Parks and built the Tillicum Village longhouse, salmon‑bake pits, and performance hall.
Hewitt’s vision was well‑intentioned but not tribally governed, which is why the attraction later drew criticism for cultural appropriation and pan‑Indigenous blending.
Tribal governance has its own set of issues. Chief Seattle (Si’ahl) was a leader of both the Suquamish and Duwamish peoples, reflecting his Suquamish father and Duwamish mother. The Suquamish Tribe is federally recognized, with sovereignty affirmed since the Treaty of Point Elliott (1855). The Duwamish Tribe is not federally recognized, though their petition is under federal reconsideration. The Suquamish casino is one of the major tribal economic engines in the central Puget Sound region and is fully compliant with the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), which requires federal recognition. The Suquamish Tribe owns and operates the Clearwater Casino Resort in Suquamish, Washington. The not recognized Duwamish do not have a casino.
What Art and Totem Poles Remain on Blake Island?
Several carved elements from the Tillicum Village era remain on the island, though the longhouse is closed:
- Totem poles near the longhouse exterior
- Carved house posts and decorative panels
- Masks and interior carvings (not publicly accessible)
- Northern‑style formline artwork on the longhouse façade
These state-owned pieces are preserved but not interpreted, pending decisions in the ongoing Blake Island Master Plan.
Is There Still a Store or Ice Cream?
No. The Tillicum Village gift shop and snack bar are closed, and there is no operating store on Blake Island today. Visitors must bring their own food—or arrive by private boat with supplies.
Where Cruise‑Ship Passengers Go Now
With Tillicum Village closed and no ferry service to Blake Island, cruise passengers seeking an Indigenous cultural experience now visit tribally owned and operated cultural centers, including:
- Suquamish Museum
The closest cultural successor to what Tillicum Village should have been. Authentic Coast Salish art, history, and interpretation.
- Duwamish Longhouse & Cultural Center
A modern Coast Salish longhouse offering exhibits, markets, and guided interpretation.
- Hibulb Cultural Center (Tulalip Tribes)
A major museum with galleries, gardens, and educational programs.
- Tribal art galleries and studios
Carvers, weavers, and printmakers across the Salish Sea welcome visitors.
- Canoe Journey hospitality sites
Rotating tribal hosts welcome thousands of paddlers and visitors during the annual Tribal Canoe Journey—one of the most authentic cultural experiences in the region.
These destinations provide what Tillicum Village could not: tribal authority, cultural specificity, and living tradition.
The Future of Blake Island
Washington State Parks is evaluating four master‑plan alternatives, including a tribal partnership model that could revive cultural programming on the island. Whether the longhouse is restored, repurposed, or removed, any future cultural experience must be tribally led, tribally designed, and tribally governed.
Blake Island remains open for hiking, boating, camping, birding, and beachcombing—but its cultural future will depend on how Washington State Parks and Coast Salish nations choose to reinterpret the island’s past.
