Diversity Representation in Art Paid for with Government Funding

WHEREAS the Suquamish people have inhabited much of Kitsap County, and particularly the lands currently incorporated as the City of Poulsbo, since time immemorial; 

WHEREAS the City of Poulsbo initially unveiled designs for art for a roundabout at the intersection of Johnson Rd. and SR 305 that involved three large figures representing Vikings on a wall adjacent to the roundabout without reaching out to the Suquamish Tribe (https://cityofpoulsbo.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/SR305-Johnson-Parkway-Art-Plan_WSDOT-Approved.pdf) (https://omwbe.wa.gov/bid-opportunities/call-artists-poulsbo-roundabout-centerpiece);

WHEREAS in response to public outcry, a committee of the Poulsbo City Council proposed a design for the center of the roundabout that was intended to give representation to the Suquamish people without any involvement of said people (https://vimeo.com/498032787);

WHEREAS the second design contained no indigenous art, focusing instead on representing the vine maples which gave rise to the Lushootseed name for the waterfront area (a fact not widely known to non natives) and a boat of some sort in the background that could, though not necessarily would, be interpreted as a tribal canoe;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the 23^rd Legislative District Democratic Central Committee, call upon the City of Poulsbo to work with representatives of the Suquamish Tribe to propose a design that would truly represent the tribe in a manner substantially equal to the Norwegian representation;

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we, the 23^rd Legislative District Democratic Central Committee, call upon our legislative representatives to investigate the manner in which designs for art funded by government funds are approved and what, if any, assurances exist that such funds are not expended on designs that focus solely on the dominant ethnic group in an area while ignoring marginalized groups;

THEREFORE BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that that we, the 23^rd Legislative District Democratic Central Committee, call upon our legislative representatives to ensure that measures are put in place to make clear that in the future government funds may not be spent for art projects that represent only the dominant ethnic group in an area while ignoring marginalized groups.