culture Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Captive Returns Home: The Story Of Wetxuuwíitin – ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 42 – With Chairman Samuel Penney

By Mindy Malone January 20, 2023

Sam Penney sits in a chair, hands in his lap, looking at Sueann Ramella, who sits out of view on the left side of the photograph.

Photo of Sam Penney recording Traverse Talks at the Nez Perce National Historic Park on March 10, 2022. Imagine a stranger took your family’s heirlooms and then offered you an… Continue Reading Captive Returns Home: The Story Of Wetxuuwíitin – ‘Traverse Read More

Captive Returns Home: The Story Of Wetxuuwíitin – With Chairman Sam Penney

By Ashley Beard January 20, 2023

Imagine a stranger took your family’s heirlooms and then offered you an opportunity to purchase them back before selling them at auction. In 1993, the Nez Perce tribe raised $608,100… Continue Reading Captive Returns Home: The Story Of Wetxuuwíitin – With Chairman Sam Read More

Using Her Bassoon To Elevate Indigenous Voices – ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 40 – With Composer Dr. Jacqueline Wilson (Yakama)

By Ashley Beard December 20, 2022

Bassoonist Dr. Jacqueline Wilson smiling with her instrument. Click here to hear the full story.

Dr. Jacqueline Wilson of Yakama Can an instrument suit your personality? Dr. Jacqueline Wilson of Yakama would say so. She believes her personality fits best with a large, low sounding,… Continue Reading Using Her Bassoon To Elevate Indigenous Voices – Read More

Seeing People As They Are, Not How They Look – With Inclusion & Disability Expert Sara Minkara

By Ashley Beard October 11, 2022

Sara Minkara lost her sight at the age of seven but gained a greater awareness of herself and the world around her. Because she can’t interact with labels from a… Continue Reading Seeing People As They Are, Not How Read More

Seeing People As They Are, Not How They Look ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 35 – With Inclusion & Disability Expert Sara Minkara

By Ashley Beard October 11, 2022

Photo of Sara Minkara. Sara Minkara lost her sight at the age of seven but gained a greater awareness of herself and the world around her. Because she can’t interact… Continue Reading Seeing People Read More

50 Years Of Flotsam: John’s Beachcombing Museum

By Mary Ellen Pitney August 18, 2022

John and Deb Anderson standing outside the beachcombing museum. Listen (Runtime 4:30) Read Deep, dark, and mysterious. Most people think that whatever falls into the ocean is lost forever, but… Continue Reading 50 Years Of Flotsam: John’s Read More

How Do We Experience The World Around Us? ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 32 – With Petra Kuppers

By Mindy Malone August 16, 2022

Petra Kuppers is seen through a screen. She is in front of a pink background. Sueann sits at the computer. A microphone is in view.

Photo of disability culture activist Petra Kuppers. Petra Kuppers holds many titles: disability culture activist, community performance artist, disabled woman, academic and writer, among more. She’s written several books, primarily… Continue Reading Read More

How Do We Experience The World Around Us? – With Disability Culture Activist Petra Kuppers

By NWPB August 16, 2022

Disability culture activist, community performance artist, and author of Eco Soma, Petra Kuppers, encourages listeners to contemplate the relationship they have with everyday objects in their life. In this episode… Continue Reading How Do We Experience The Read More

Tri Cities’ 2nd Annual Celebration Of Community, Diversity, And Culture This Weekend

By Dori Luzzo Gilmour August 4, 2022

Listen (Runtime 1:12) Read The 2nd Annual Celebration of Community, Diversity & Culture” will be held this weekend August 6th from 12 to 8 p.m. in Kennewick. The last few… Continue Reading Tri Cities’ 2nd Read More

Archaeologists On Surprising Trail Of Japanese Families Who Lived In Vanished Lumber Company Town

By Tom Banse August 2, 2022

Southern Oregon University's Keoni Diacamos at work on July 21 excavating the site of a home in the vanished company town that once surrounded the Baker White Pine Mill.

The classic black-and-white photos from early decades of the American West often fail to capture the diversity of the people who came here. Chinese migrants helped build the railroads and were big in gold mining. Basque people from Spain became known for sheep herding. The first Filipino cannery workers arrived around the turn of the last century. Now, Oregon Read More

How Does Art Connect Us? ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 31 – With Artist Jiemei Lin

By Mindy Malone August 2, 2022

Jiemei Lin wears a pair of headphones and a crocheted sweater on a tan loveseat.

Photo of Jiemei Lin recording Traverse Talks in the Pullman studios on November 17, 2021. Born in Hangzhou, China, Pullman-based artist Jiemei Lin has made a home and a name for… Continue Reading How Does Art Connect Us? ‘Traverse Talks’ Episode 31 Read More

Cultural Access Program In Tacoma Completes First Funding Year

By Lauren Gallup February 7, 2022

The pandemic is still churning, but as we round the corner on its second year, we can look back on how we’ve adapted, created and lived. One mark of this perseverance is the rollout of the Tacoma Creates program, the first program in Washington state under recent Cultural Access Legislation. Read More

Craft Brewing In The Pacific NW Dates So Far Back That Archaeologists Are On The Case

By Tom Banse October 18, 2021

The Eagle Saloon in the 1870s. This building still stands in Jacksonville, but the adjacent Wetterer home and the brewery behind it is gone.

The Pacific Northwest is rightfully proud of its thriving microbrewery scene. Most beer lovers probably consider the rise of craft brewing a phenomenon of the past few decades. But the first brewpubs in the Northwest date so far back that archaeologists were called in to excavate the remnants of one in Jacksonville, Oregon. Read More

A Moment Or A Movement? Black Bookstore Owners On Business One Year Later

By NPR News May 28, 2021

Derrick Young, co-owner of Mahogany Books in Washington, D.C., says his store has seen new customers in the last year who seem to be "willing to do the work" to educate themselves on issues of race in America. Bonnie Jo Mount/Getty Images

With the sale of print books rising just over 8% and all unit sales of books surpassing 750 million, Black bookstores would play an integral role in feeding the nation's "sudden" appetite in the plight of Black people. Continue Reading Read More

Yes, There Are Mermaids In The Pacific Northwest. And They Now Have Their Own Museum

By Tom Banse April 7, 2021

From left, Mermaid Siren Ophelia of Seattle, Mermaid Asherah and Mermaid Merina both of Portland, at the opening of the new International Mermaid Museum near Aberdeen, Washington.

The Pacific Northwest might seem like an unlikely place for mermaids and mermaid culture to catch on given the cold water here. Yet, putting on an eye-catching tail and pretending to be a mythical sea being is a thing across the Northwest. There's even a brand new mermaid museum near Aberdeen, Washington. Read More

In New Song, Black Violin Focuses On The Light As They’re ‘Not Supposed To’ Play Violin

By NPR News February 17, 2021

The Fort Lauderdale duo Black Violin wrote "Time to Shine" after reflecting on what happened last year and ringing in the new one. Mark Clennon/Courtesy of the artist

Race and challenging assumptions about race is central to what Black Violin does: Outside of playing for fun or for creative expression, Marcus finds it particularly satisfying to disarm people who don't expect him to be a violin scholar. "The number-one reason I play violin," he says, "is because I'm not 'supposed to.' " Read More

Korean American TikTok Chefs Share Quarantine Recipes For Lunar New Year

By NPR News February 16, 2021

Mandus (top), imitation crab jeon (center right), tteokguk (bottom left) Courtesy of Jessica Woo

Lunar New Year hits differently this year. It's an annual holiday celebrated on a bedrock of bringing families, across the country and overseas, together for home-cooked meals and lots of catching up. Continue Reading Korean American Read More

From ‘SNL’ To Workout Videos, How RBG Became A Pop Culture Icon

By NPR News September 22, 2020

A cardboard cutout of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The late Supreme Court justice was also a pop culture phenomenon. CREDIT: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Outside the Supreme Court, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had another life in pop culture as a symbol of dissent and feminism. The Notorious RBG was celebrated in memes, movies, T-shirts and tote bags Continue Reading From ‘SNL’ To Workout Read More

Netflix’s ‘Indian Matchmaking’ Is The Talk Of India — And Not In A Good Way

By NPR News July 26, 2020

Sima Taparia (right) is a jet-setting matchmaker from Mumbai. Here she confers with astrologer Pundit Sushil ji, who helps her come up with prospective mates for her clients. Netflix

The TV series, which debuted on the streaming service this month, has sparked debates about colorism, classism and caste-ism. Continue Reading Netflix’s ‘Indian Matchmaking’ Is The Talk Of India — And Not In A Good Read More

One-Third Of U.S. Museums May Not Survive The Year, Survey Finds

By NPR News July 22, 2020

The Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City, Calif., closed permanently in June. "For now, given the unprecedented health crisis we face, the Annenberg Foundation will continue to place its primary focus on helping to support those affected by COVID-19," founder Wallis Annenberg wrote at the time. Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Annenberg Space for Photography

In a survey of more than 750 museum directors, 33% of them said there was either a "significant risk" of closing permanently by next fall or that they didn't know if their institutions would survive. Continue Reading One-Third Of U.S. Museums May Read More

For One Immigrant Community, George Floyd’s Death Isn’t Just About Black And White

By NPR News June 4, 2020

Gaosong Heu talks about reactions in the Hmong community to the killing of George Floyd. Former police officer Tou Thao, a Hmong American, is seen on video of the killing running interference with the crowd and standing watch. His involvement has stirred a racial debate among Asian Americans.

The video shows a white police killings seen nationwide — but there's a third identifiable person: an Asian American officer seen running interference with the crowd and standing watch. He's now-former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao, a Hmong American — which is how you know this isn't "any" city. It's Minneapolis. Read More

‘If The Trees Can Keep Dancing, So Can I’: A Community Poem To Cope In Crisis

By NPR News April 30, 2020

Kwame Alexander, NPR's poet in residence, reads the latest crowdsourced poem, this one focused on how you've been affected by and coping during the global coronavirus pandemic. Continue Reading ‘If The Trees Can Keep Dancing, So Read More

Books To Devour This New Year Include The Cultural Feast That Is ‘Fry Bread’

By NPR News January 1, 2020

Fry Bread A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard and Juana Martinez-Neal

Our kids' books columnist, Juanita Giles, gave her daughter Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story for Christmas; she says the book's depiction of food and history mirrors her family's experiences. Continue Reading Books Read More

Two Grand Coulee-Area Men Are Finalists For National Native American Music Award

By Doug Nadvornick November 2, 2019

Tim Brooks, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville, provided flute music for a song that's a finalist for a Native American Music Award. CREDIT: Doug Nadvornick/SPR

This week, two Native American men, Faran Sohappy and Tim Brooks, who live in the Grand Coulee area, are going back east to complete what has been a surprising adventure. They are finalists, along with Chicago singer/songwriter Joan Hammel (who is not Native), for a Native American Music Award. Read More

The Many Requirements Of Hold Music, A Genre For No One

By NPR News September 5, 2019

Hold music has a paradoxical purpose: Keep folks on the line, but don't draw their attention. DigiPub/Getty Images

Hold music is camouflaged sound — it needs to obviously exist, while also barely doing so. Small wonder, then, that its biggest "hit" does none of that. Continue Reading The Many Requirements Of Hold Music, A Genre For No OneRead More

Pick Your Manners: Huckleberry Etiquette 101

By Hannah Snyder July 5, 2019

If you’re a seasoned purple-stained Huckleberry Head, or if you’re just starting to forage the forests of the Northwest, here are some tips about huckleberries you should know. Continue Reading Pick Your Manners: Huckleberry Etiquette 101Read More

iTunes’ Death Is All About How We Listen To Music Today

By NPR News June 4, 2019

Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers the keynote address at the 2019 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, Calif., on Monday. The company announced that it's breaking up the iTunes application into three apps handling music, podcasts and TV. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

After 18 years, Apple is killing iTunes — sort of. The software is being broken into separate pieces for separate uses on Mac computers: Music, podcasts and TV will soon have their own apps. Continue Reading iTunes’ Death Is All About How We Listen Read More

These Wicked Dia De Los Muertos Poems Don’t Spare Anyone

By PBS Newshour November 3, 2018

For the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, writing rhyming poems called calaveras literarias — mocking epitaphs for the dead or satire targeting the living — has become a proud tradition. Continue Reading These Wicked Dia De Los Read More

Cow Dung Soap Is Cleaning Up In India

By NPR News October 3, 2018

Susheela Kumari, an attendant at a cow shelter, collects urine to be processed in Bulandshahar, Uttar Pradesh, India. CREDIT: BLOOMBERG

The shelves in Umesh Soni's little store in downtown Mumbai are neatly stacked with soaps. There are handmade translucent bars, brightly colored circular soaps in tropical variants and square black bathing bars. It looks like any other soap shop. Except all the soaps include cow dung and cow urine as ingredients. Why make soap from this stuff? Read More

Winter Chamber Music Guide

By Jessie Jacobs June 7, 2016

Hear Walla Walla Chamber Music Festival Artistic Director Timothy Christie perform Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in A minor, Op. 13 on January 16 as part of the Winter Festival. Walla… Continue Reading Winter Chamber Music GuideRead More

February 2: A Noteworthy Day In Music History

By Gigi Yellen February 2, 2016

Antonin Dvorak’s 8th Symphony (1890) is one of several significant works which premiered on February 2. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Music history refreshes itself every time you enjoy a favorite piece,… Continue Reading February 2: A Noteworthy Day In Read More

The Hispanic World’s Contributions To Classical Music

By Jessie Jacobs August 6, 2015

Frank Dominguez is your guide to music from Spain, Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and the Latin world Concierto, WDAV Classical Public Radio Gigi Yellen and Concierto host Frank Dominguez… Continue Reading The Hispanic World’s Read More

Memorial Day Music: Commemorate & Celebrate

By Gigi Yellen May 22, 2015

The Arlington National Cemetery showing the tradition of honoring grave stones of veterans with the American flag on Memorial Day. CREDIT WIKIMEDIA COMMONS Music for Memorial Day serves two… Continue Reading Memorial Day Music: Commemorate & Read More

The Push To Revive Classical Music In Pakistan

By Gigi Yellen April 25, 2015

Asad Ali, 63, was unemployed for four years when Pakistan clamped down on live music in 1977. He now plays the guitar for Sachal Studios Orchestra around the globe… Continue Reading The Push To Revive Classical Music In PakistanRead More