This podcast takes listeners on an exploration of Seattle’s people, land, and waterways. It follows the Burke Gilman trail from Gas Works Park to the Fremont Bridge’s entrance to the Ship Canal. Using Indigenous Coast Salish voices and language as the focus of Saltwater Soundwalk, artists Jenny Asarnow and Rachel Lam (enrolled in Cherokee Nation) explore our responsibilities and relationships to the Salish Sea and connecting waters.
In addition to a 50-minute walk, 12 shorts of one to three minutes can be listened to on-site or anywhere in the world as part of the audio experience. Ken Workman (Duwamish), Warren King George (Muckleshoot), Michelle Myles (Tulalip), Archie Cantrell (Puyallup), LaDean Johnson (Skokomish), Owen Oliver (Quinault / Isleta Pueblo), Lydia Sigo (Suquamish), Randi Purser (Suquamish), and Ryan! The podcast features Eric Autry (Seattle Public Utilities) and James Feddersen (FLOW artist, Confederated Tribes of the Colville – Okanogan / Arrow Lakes).
It is a rhythmic audio experience that combines English with Coast Salish languages to connect streams of stories as they ebb and flow. Besides learning about the traditional Tulalip names for local places, the podcast also explores the colonial history of Seattle as well as the construction of the Ship Canal. Listeners can learn where the traditional fishing ground, “Hit the Water,” is located in Seattle. Indigenous rights, responsibilities, and cultural preservation are also emphasized during the audio narrative. These rights are essential to healing these waters, our relationship with them, and our relationship with each other.
A Seattle Public Utilities manager and public artists speak on the podcast about how we all affect our living waterways. By participating in this program, we can experience how we are all connected to this changing ecosystem and how we can create healthier relationships with it.