About the film

On May 11, 2022, the Duwamish Tribe filed a new lawsuit in federal district court in Seattle challenging the denial of recognition by the federal government.

On Jan. 30, 2025, the court ordered the Department of the Interior to allow for a fresh review of the tribe's case. For first time in decades, the Duwamish Tribe can now submit new evidence to support its federal recognition - 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.

Despite organized opposition from recognized tribes and ongoing federal barriers, UNRECOGNIZED shows how the Duwamish Tribe refuses to be erased.