
Motion xxxx-xx – Subject Name Page 2 of 2
t
̓
ałt
̓
ałucid Park & Shoreline Habitat
(tathtathootseed, “t-ahth-t-ahth-oots-eed”:
Where there is something overhead, across
the path / A description of logs or branches
located above a path or trail)
STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION
Many of the public access sites that will be renamed in this motion were established resulting
from the Port’s 1985 Comprehensive Shoreline and Public Access Plan. The plan was created to
identify opportunities for the Port to design and construct shoreline habitat and public access
areas as mitigation for cargo facility development. These “hidden gems” along the Duwamish
River serve as vital environmental, cultural, and community assets. These shoreline river parks,
located as far north as Harbor Island to as far south as Tukwila, are currently named after previous
industrial or geographic markers like “Terminal 105 Park” or “8th Ave South-street end.” For
years, community members have encouraged the Port to consider re-naming its parks along the
Duwamish River to better reflect the cultural and environmental importance of each site.
The Incredible Parks Want Incredible Names project aims to empower community members most
engaged with the Port’s river shoreline parks to participate in the decision making to re-name
them. Through a unique partnership with the Seattle Parks Foundation, the Port of Seattle is re-
naming six Port-owned public parks along the Duwamish River. The project convened a Review
Committee consisting of eight stakeholders representing the backgrounds and expertise of a
broad range of Port-park users: environmental stewards, historians, workers, Tribal and cultural
heritage experts, youth, and neighboring community leaders.
By re-naming these Port-owned parks, we are collectively re-connecting to the Duwamish River,
critical habitat restoration efforts, and the community’s stories about the historical, cultural, and
environmental importance of each site. The project strives to strengthen existing and build new
relationships between the Port and the community through shared values of river stewardship
and community partnership in decision making.
The new names will be shared widely in public signage and Port outreach. In consultation with
tribal historians, the Port will ensure linguistic accuracy, pronunciation and legibility for all names.
A legend on how to read and pronounce the Lushootseed names is available below:
Lushootseed Name Formatting Guide:
Example: sbəq
̓
waʔ Park & Shoreline Habitat (sbaqwah, “s-bah-qwah,” "Great Blue Heron”)
1. Lushootseed in Lushootseed Character Style
2. Lushootseed in Romanized Character Style
3. “English Phonetic Pronunciation of Lushootseed”
4. English translation of Lushootseed