Join Northwest Room and Hibulb Cultural Center staff for a special screening of a new documentary about the life of Tulalip elder Harriette Shelton Dover. A presentation by curatorial and research staff from the Hibulb Cultural Center will accompany the film. 

Overview from the filmmakers:

"Harriette Shelton Dover is a significant figure in Tulalip tribal history and therefore Snohomish County history. She was a member of the first inhabitants of the area and the county is named for her tribe, the Snohomish. At a time when the power of women is finally being acknowledged, it is vital that the power of native women is also shared and the story of the first woman chair of the Tulalip Tribes’ Board of Directors is an excellent place to start.

Harriette (1904-1991) was the daughter of William Shelton and Ruth Sehome Shelton. She was a community leader as well as a cultural leader and she helped preserve the culture and history of the Tulalip Tribes through songs, dances, and languages, to tribal members and to students in the Marysville School District. She helped revive the First Salmon Ceremony at Tulalip in 1976 and documented her life story with Everett Community College anthropology instructor Darleen Fitzpatrick (now retired) in a book entitled, “Tulalip From My Heart: An Autobiographical Account of a Reservation Community (University of Washington Press, 2014).” 

In 2018, the Snohomish County Historic Preservation Commission provided funding to the Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve (Tulalip’s tribal museum) for a biographical video of Harriette and her many contributions to the local community."


This event is part of the Hands on History series led by Northwest Room Staff. Hands on History meets on the second Tuesday of every month in the Main Library Auditorium.