Seattle: Hidden Histories

1991-95, 12:12 min, color, sound

Rosler writes, "The city of Seattle is not much more than 125 years old. It was named after a prominent chief of the Duwamish tribe, which was dispossessed along with other local tribes in the settlement of the town. In 1991 I conducted video interviews with some native American residents of Seattle, on questions of history and heritage."

From the recorded interviews, Rosler produced one-minute Public Service Announcements, or PSAs, under the auspices of the Seattle Arts Commission. This selection of eleven PSAs, compiled in 1995, includes the following segments:

1. Chief Seattle (Vi Hilbert, Lushootseed linguist; storyteller; Upper Skagit elder)
2. The Duwamish (Cecile Maxwell, Head of Duwamish Tribal Council)
3. Duwamish — Fort Dent (Al Rasmussen, member of Duwamish Tribal Council)
4. Urban Indians — latte (Roger Fernandes, Alcohol and Drug Prevention Coordinator, Seattle Indian Health Board; Lower Elwha Clallam)
5. Lady Louse (V. Hilbert)
6. Schooling (Winifred Bracero, Thompson tribal elder, Leschi House, Seattle)
7. Sleeping languages — Lushootseed (V. Hilbert)
8. Urban Indians — postcards (R. Fernandes)
9. Religion (V. Hilbert)
10. Drug program for kids (R. Fernandes)
11. Big Rock-Skagit origin story (V. Hilbert)

Camera: Martha Rosler, Malory Graham. Post Production: Dekart Video, 911, Dieter Froese, Alan Pruzan, Franz Vila. Sponsored by The Seattle Arts Commission.