Rainy Day History

The city of Seattle, as it is now known, has been the home of the Duwamish people since time immemorial. The relationship between the city and the Duwamish is long and complicated—too long for a single episode. In this episode we explore a single artifact: the cane of Kikisoblu, the daughter of Chief Si’ahl, who refused to leave when the Duwamish were expelled from the city. It is a story of survival and competing legacies.

Additional show notes and transcript available on our website.

Welcome to Rainy Day History, a podcast by the MOHAI Youth Advisors!

Seattle is famous for its coffee beans and digital machines, but it hasn’t always been that way. We’re diving into history to uncover what it means to be a Seattleite both in the past and the present. This isn’t your everyday museum podcast—it’s completely teen-researched, written, and produced!

New episodes will be released every other week this fall.

It’s the final episode of the season! There’s no denying it: Seattle is a tech city. After Microsoft moved to the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle area became a hub for computer and internet tech start-ups in the 1990s. Some saw incredible success, while others just weren’t able to survive. We’ll be looking at the 90s-era and contemporary tech booms, and the effects that large companies like Amazon and Microsoft have had on Seattle.

Plus, hear from special guest Naud Frijlink, Principal Design Manager at Microsoft, about what it’s been like working in the sector across multiple decades and cities.

Show notes and transcript available on our website.

Since the 1970s, Capitol Hill has been a home for the LGBTQ+ community in Seattle. Over the decades, LGBTQ+ businesses and services have both contributed to gentrification and been at risk from it. Learn about what it took to grow and build a supportive district for Seattle’s LGBTQ+ residents, as we explore the relationship between place and community.

Hear from special guest Ken Shulman, Executive Director of Lambert House, about where queer youth fit into this history and the importance of the neighborhood to the organization.

Show notes and transcript available on our website.

The now gone but fondly remembered Kingdome stadium came into being in the 1970s as a result of a package of ballot initiatives called Forward Thrust. Although the proposal to build a new stadium did well at the polls, finding a place to put it proved more than difficult. When its location near King Street was decided, community activists in the Chinatown International District pushed back, sparking a larger neighborhood preservation movement whose work and legacy still continues today.

Hear from special guest Gary Iwamoto about this era of activism and the founding of InterIm CDA, an affordable housing and community development organization.

Show notes and transcripts available on our website.