Stillaguamish Valley Learning Center (SVLC) first graders visited the Hibulb Cultural Center in Tulalip on March 3 to learn the history of local tribes.
“In class, we’ve been learning about local Native American tribes and their culture,” said SVLC Teacher, Erin Green. “Taking this field trip to the Hibulb Cultural Center really brings the history alive for the students.”
The students watched a video of the history of the Tulalip Tribes inside a replica longhouse that included four story poles from the original Tulalip longhouse that burnt down nearly 100 years ago. They then took a self-guided tour of the center and looked at different interactive exhibits that focused on the history of the tribe. One of the displays was a mock-up of a canoe that students could climb into to experience what it was like to travel in a canoe.
“It was fun seeing all the displays,” said first grader Anthony Evans. “Getting inside the canoe was really cool!”
Courtnie Reyes, Group Tours Specialist with the Hibulb Cultural Center, said that due to COVID-19, there haven’t been many class tours of the facility.
“The purpose of the center is to preserve the tradition and history of the Tulalip Tribe and educate everyone around us who may not know about the tribe’s culture,” said Reyes. “It helps visitors to have a better understanding of the tribe.”
The Hibulb Cultural Center is approximately 23,000 square feet with a 50-acre natural history preserve.