Snoqualmie Tribe Opens Harvest Kitchen and Greenhouse to Strengthen Food Sovereignty

The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe celebrated a milestone in cultural preservation and community health with the ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Harvest Kitchen and Greenhouse Classroom on the Tribal Administration Campus.

The facilities represent the second phase of the tribe’s childcare expansion project, following the 2023 opening of the Snoqualmie Child Development Center. Together, they will serve 54 Native and non-Native children while advancing the tribe’s commitment to food sovereignty and intergenerational connection.

“This project will help sustain Snoqualmie lifeways and cultural practices for generations,” said Treasurer Joshua Gabel during the ceremony. “We’re grateful to Congresswoman Schrier and the full Washington delegation for securing federal funding, and to the many Tribal departments, past and present Councils, and community members who brought this vision to life.”

More than 50 elected officials, partners, and community leaders attended the ceremony, including representatives from Congressional offices, the Governor’s Office, and regional municipalities. Tribal Vice Chair Jim Sweet, Chief Nathaniel Barker, and Treasurer Gabel offered remarks thanking the project’s many contributors.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell praised the tribe’s achievement in her remarks at the ceremony. “The Harvest Kitchen and Greenhouse will serve as a hub for nutrition, cultural learning, and community gathering,” Cantwell said. “I congratulate the Snoqualmie Tribe for creating this space that honors culture, strengthens community, and promotes health.”

U.S. Representative Kim Schrier, who helped secure federal funding for the project, emphasized its importance for local families. “The expansion of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe’s childcare center underscores its role as an essential resource for local families,” said Schrier. “This center not only gives parents access to dependable childcare and the flexibility to go back to work, but it also provides children with early education that sets the foundation for success in school and beyond. I am proud to have secured federal funding for this center and will keep fighting for kids and parents across our District.”

King County Councilmember Sarah Perry highlighted the facilities’ broader community impact. “This beautiful space supports the health and cultural development of Snoqualmie Tribal Members and the broader community—from babies to Elders—while building respectful relationships with native plants and wildlife,” Perry said.

The new spaces will offer hands-on learning opportunities in plant care, harvesting, weaving, traditional cooking, and nutrition, taught by the tribe’s Native Plant and Food Sovereignty Specialists. The programming extends beyond childcare to serve the broader community through monthly Elder gatherings, cultural meals, community food sovereignty classes, and seasonal events.

The facilities include a processing room that will support tribal hunters during hunting season, and the tribe plans to host a Fall Harvest Open House as one of its upcoming seasonal events.

The project received over $2 million in grant support, with $1.5 million coming from federal sources. Funding came from multiple sources including the U.S. Treasury Capital Projects Fund, Washington Commerce Building Communities Fund, HUD Community Project Funding, Enterprise Child Development, Washington Arts Commission, Newman’s Own Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative, Child Care and Development Fund, and Na’ah Illahee Fund.

The ceremony drew participation from across the region’s political leadership, including state representatives Osman Salahuddin, Brian Burnett, and Zach Hall, King County Councilmembers Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay, and mayors from Sammamish, North Bend, Issaquah, and Carnation. Staff from the Governor’s Office, Department of Commerce, and local city councils also attended.

The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, known as the People of the Moon, is a federally recognized tribe in the Puget Sound region that was a signatory to the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855. The new facilities represent a significant step in the tribe’s ongoing efforts to preserve traditional practices while meeting contemporary community needs.