Ethnographic resources include both natural and human-made landscapes, sites, objects, structures and natural resources in the environment. The field of cultural resource management relies heavily upon the methodology of cultural anthropology to record and interpret ethnographic resources. These resources provide valuable information about the culture of a people based on their long-term or traditional associations with that resource.

Ethnographic resources are usually significant to a culture's shared identity, religion or subsistence. Some ethnographic resources may be historic sites that tell a story about the past, while others may be landscapes or sites where cultural practices are still being enacted. Traditional cultural properties fall within this category. Thus, protection of ethnographic resources is not only important for understanding cultural heritage, but may be vital for the continuation of a peoples' ongoing expression of their cultural traditions.

Some ethnographic resources may be eligible for landmark status at the local level or qualify for listing on the National Register of Historic places. For example, traditional cultural properties are sites that qualify for inclusion in the National Register because of their associations with the cultural practices of a living community. Ethnographic landscapes are considered a type of cultural landscape and as such, those that meet the criteria for listing as a cultural landscape are eligible for the National Register.

In the Pacific Northwest, most recognized ethnographic resources are related to Native American heritage. The National Parks Service has conducted ethnographic resources surveys in the Olympic National Park in order to understand traditional and ongoing ties of native peoples to this vast landscape.

Such an understanding is vital to the appropriate management of the natural and cultural resources contained within the park. Almost a dozen different native tribes have significant connections to the park landscape and working closely with these tribes was essential to conducting the surveys to gather information for documentation and planning purposes.

Recently, NPS planners involved with the Minidoka Internment National Monument in Idaho, the location of a WW II Japanese internment camp, began the process of developing a General Management Plan. Because this site is significant in the history of Japanese Americans in the Pacific Northwest, public involvement with the Japanese American community is a key component of this process.

King County Ethnic Cultural Resources

In King County, sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places that are linked to ethnic cultural heritage include the Selleck Historic District. In the late 1980s, the district was listed for its significance as a "company town" related to the history of the region's logging industry in the early part of the 20th century. More recently, site surveys and research of Selleck have been directed toward understanding the site's cultural significance related to the various immigrant laborers who lived and worked there. Among these were a significant population of Japanese laborers who were housed in separate bunkhouses from the rest of the workers.

More recently, in 2000, the Black Diamond Cemetery was listed as a King County Landmark due to its ability to convey the significance of the diverse ethnic heritage of people that once populated the company town of this historic mining area. This is revealed in the surnames on headstones, religious and fraternal organizations represented and in the styles of the grave markers. These were mostly Euro-American immigrants, including Italians. The Luigi and Aurora Pagani House, a miner's cabin previously inhabited by an Italian laborer's family, was also recently listed.

Other King County landmark sites of ethnic or ethnographic significance include Native American archeological sites along Lake Washington and the Duwamish. The Fall City Hop Shed was designated in 1982 for its significance to the agricultural history of the region. Again, only recently has the significance of Native American labor history associated with the hops industry been linked to this cultural resource.

Following a similar pattern, a recent re-evaluation of an already-designated building in Auburn, the Neely Mansion (designated in 1996 for its ornate Classical Revival style), brought to light the significance of an attached Japanese bathouse that had been previously overlooked. An addendum was added to the original nomination form to recognize the significance of the Hori family "Furo" (bath) as a cultural resource related to the Japanese tenants that lived there and farmed the land from 1930-36. The Hori family was one of many Asian families who leased and farmed the land between 1900-1965.

Japanese farmers were also tending agricultural lands on Vashon Island during the early part of the century. An example of this trend, the Mukai Agricultural Complex, dating from 1923, was designated a King County landmark in 1993. The complex includes the Mukai residence, a packing plant where the family revolutionized strawberry processing and packing technology for worldwide marketing, and a unique garden. In creating her personal garden, Kuni Mukai blended Japanese garden design principles with modern American design influences.

Seattle Resources

Seattle's Central Area, a neighborhood with an ethnically diverse cultural history, is rich in cultural resources, many of which have not been officially recognized. However, in 1992, the Seattle City Council designated the home and studio of African-American sculptor James W. Washington (1911-2000) a Seattle Landmark because of its association with Washington and its role in the heritage of the community.

Another landmark associated with the heritage of the African-American community is the First African Methodist Episcopal Church. The First African Methodist Church is the oldest black church in Seattle and was designated a Seattle landmark in 1984. Churches such as this and other organizations associated with religious groups often have a strong ethnic association. Many cultural resources such as these may not be officially recognized or documented.

The International Special Review District was established by the City of Seattle in 1973 to preserve the District's unique Asian American character. The Seattle Chinatown National Register Historic District is located within the International Special Review District. Within this district are numerous buildings that are protected under the District Ordinance, but may individually represent a variety of Asian heritage resources.

Rarely does a non-building structure besides bridges achieve landmark status, but the Chinese Community Bulletin Board was designated a Seattle City Landmark in 1976, for its significance to the Chinese community.

Other significant sites in the District include, the Japanese Language School (Nihon Machi) and the Nippon Kan Theater. In its early years, the Nippon Kan was the cultural focal point for Japanese Americans in Seattle. It was closed in 1942 on the eve of the Japanese internment and didn't re-open until 1981. It is now a National Historic Landmark.

Fraternal Organizations and Community Social Halls

The Chinese Benevolent Association building in the International District is also recognized under the International Special Review District Ordinance. The Chong Wa Benevolent Association was established around 1915 to provide a unified voice for Chinese Americans in Washington state and mediate disputes between family associations and tongs, or secret societies. It operates a Chinese language school and offers citizenship classes and Chinese cultural activities.

Ethnic community halls such as the Chong Wa, the Nippon Kan and Old Norway Hall, a former fraternal organization associated with the Nordic heritage of Seattle, are good examples of resources that have significance for their associations with the social history of an ethnic community. Washington Hall, in the Central Area, has been an African-American hub since the 1910s. Built in 1908 as a settlement house by the Danish Brotherhood Society, the hall was the site of Seattle's first documented jazz performance, a Grand Benefit Ball for the NAACP on June 10, 1918. It has also served as a community hall for Filipinos and Haitians and continues to function as a theater performance space. Although designed by a well-known architect, it is not a designated landmark.

Such community resources are often recognized for their architectural significance related to style or association with a famous architect, but not for their function as a community gathering place. Vernacular buildings significant for their ethnic-community associations tell a lot about our area's diverse history and are worth preserving. Because their significance generally lies under the surface, however, ethnic resources are commonly overlooked.

Gathering Data on King County Ethnographic Resources

The lack of funding tends to impede pro-active identification of subtle (in this case ethnic) histories. As noted by Julie Koler, Historic Preservation Officer with the King County Landmarks Commission, cultural resource managers usually focus their limited resources towards conducting just enough research to uncover evidence that may save a building or site from negative impacts (or wholesale removal) when faced with pending development. "You can't afford to do a lot of research that should be done for a full academic understanding," says Koler.

A recent project funded by a grant from the Transportation Enhancement Act for the Twenty-first Century (TEA-21) is being conducted by the King County Cultural Development Authority and the King County Road Services Division (RSD). As part of Phase I of this project, the King County Executive's Tribal Liaison will work with area tribes to identify culturally sensitive resources for the compilation of data that will become part of a county-wide overview of archaeological resources (an archaeological context statement identifying significant time periods, resource types, resource management issues, and a bibliography).

This data will establish a matrix to assess the significance of sites and will be available in a digital format, including GIS mapping information. While Phase I of this project is directed toward gathering information about archeological and other ethnographic sites, Phase II will encompass a wider set of data, including other ethnic heritage sites.

Such data will enable King County preservation officials to identify and/or predict the location of culturally sensitive areas. Thus in the future it may be possible for preservationists to take a more proactive role in protecting cultural resources, rather than simply trying to mitigate damage.

While the resources discussed here represent a majority of the ethnic and ethnographic resources in Seattle and King County that have been recognized as either local and/or national landmarks, it is not an all inclusive listing. For more information see sources below:

Department of Neighborhoods Landmarks website.

King County Landmarks on Historylink. Visit their virtual visitor's center.

People and Places:The Ethnographic Connection , CRM, Volume 24, Issue No. 5.

View last month's Preservation & Environment article

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