Tillicum Longhouse Gift Shop
When guests join us on our 4-hour Tillicum Excursion on Blake Island State Park, they are treated to a Northwest Native American cultural experience like no other. After the 45-minute cruise from the Seattle waterfront, passengers disembark and are greeted by our Tillicum staff with mugs of steamed clams in broth. Upon entering the Longhouse, the fish for the event's buffet meal are just finishing cooking on cedar stakes around open alder wood fires. The Longhouse itself is filled with the carvings and artwork of Northwest Coastal Native Americans, and the stories, dances, and music of the stage performance itself are as powerful as they are beautiful.
As a part of such a cultural adventure, it is natural for our guests and visitors to the Longhouse to want to bring a piece of that experience home with them! It is in this spirit of sharing this Northwest Native American cultural experience with our visitors that we share our Tillicum Longhouse Gift Shop this #MeetUsMonday.
Perhaps most familiar to Tillicum visitors even before arrival is the traditional formline design seen on many Northwest Coast Native American paintings and carvings. This design, from the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian peoples, has both a modern and an ancient look, and can tell the stories of events in the clans' histories. Many pieces in our gift shop are adorned in these formline designs: from t-shirts and scarves to sunglasses and water bottles. Campers on Blake Island are especially fond of our warm hooded sweatshirt collection!
Some of the clans' stories themselves can be found in our bookstore area, including selections for children. Other items for kids include stuffed animals, toys for exploring the beaches and forest outside, patches for backpacks, and t-shirts with vibrant animal prints.
And for those more interested in the broader Pacific Northwest gift shop experience, we have you covered: Perhaps we can tempt you with a chocolate salmon, or a mug in the shape of bigfoot's leg?
As often as possible, our gift shop purchaser stocks items either created or designed by Native American artists themselves, like Marvin Oliver, Andy Everson, and our own Nancy Burgess. And occasionally other artists, like Sue Coleman, stop by during the regular Tillicum season.
Our Tillicum Longhouse is open during every regular season Tillicum Excursion at 11am (see schedule here) but closed for private events.
Want to find out when Tillicum Longhouse Gift Shop items are available online, or when special guests are visiting the island with us? Subscribe to our e-newsletter here!