 Carved sculpture by Lelooska in Denver, Colorado | |
 | |
| Established | 1977[1] |
|---|---|
| Location | 165 Merwin Village Road Ariel,Cowlitz County,Washington |
| Coordinates | 45°57′25″N122°34′19″W / 45.957°N 122.572°W /45.957; -122.572 |
| Type | Native American cultural |
| Founder | Lelooska, Don Morse Smith[2][3] |
| Director | Mariah Stoll-Smith Reese[1] |
| President | Tsungani Fearon M. Smith[4] |
| Owner | Lelooska Foundation |
| Website | lelooska |
'TheLelooska Foundation and Cultural Center' is a living history museum inAriel, Washington, highlightingKwakwaka'wakw and other Indigenous cultures and histories.[5] It is operated by the Lelooska Foundation that was established in 1977.[4][1]
The museum is anonprofit organization with nine employees.[4]
Collections include baskets,parfleches, corn husk bags, dolls, spoons, cradles, moccasins, tomahawks, pipes, pipe bags, dresses, a 15-foot birchbark canoe, and a replica fur trade store.
The foundation operating the museum also sponsors living history programs and performances, conducts classes in woodcarving and otherNative art forms, and demonstrations of dance andbasket weaving.[1][6]
Lelooska, Don Morse Smith, for whom the foundation is named, was a “non-Indian/Cherokee” artist[2] who carved sculptures andtotem poles, one of which is displayed at theChristchurch International Airport in New Zealand, and another at theOregon Zoo.[7] Smith was given the name Lelooska byNez Perce elders out of appreciation for a carving he made ofChief Joseph.[8]
