Unrecognized: The Duwamish Tribe 2026

Histories live in the stories told about the past.

Directed by B.J. Bullert

On May 11, 2022, the Duwamish Tribe filed a renewed petition for federal recognition in Seattle. Under revised terms, the tribe is now permitted to submit new evidence—an opportunity that could reshape its long-standing case and the tribal landscape in Puget Sound. UNRECOGNIZED is about power, politics and culture. Drawing on historical records, lived experience, and behind-the-scenes decisions about public art, the half-hour film shows how the struggle for recognition is both political and cultural.