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Well, for a lot of Native Americans,
it's a beacon of hope.

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When a lot of Native Americans came here,
even like I said, in the early fifties,

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there was a lot of needs
that were very much needed, but they just

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didn't know where to look.

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This beacon of hope is Daybreak
Star Cultural Center.

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It's soaring design and construction
from natural Northwest materials

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make it stand out, yet fit in among the
evergreens at Seattle's Discovery Park.

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Mike Tulee is executive director of
United Indians of All Tribes Foundation,

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the group created by indigenous activist
Bernie Whitebear more than 50 years ago.

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Well, it's an organization
that was founded on

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social values back in 1970.

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At some point there was a gentleman
named Bernie Whitebear, who's seen

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a lot of powerful social needs for natives
within the urban sector of Seattle,

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and so he took it upon himself to gather
others of like minded philosophies,

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and one day they decided
that we're going to fight for our rights.

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As the 1960s were drawing to a close.

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Hundreds of acres of the old army base
at Fort Lawton were being surplused.

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Bernie Whitebear was born in the 1930s
and grew up in northeastern

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Washington on the Colville Reservation,

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living in a tent with his brother
Lawney and his sister Luana.

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In 1970, after moving to Seattle,

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Bernie saw an opportunity to reclaim land
for indigenous people.

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Took this place over for a set of time

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beginning March 8th, 1970,
lasted for about a month.

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There was a great deal of kerfuffle
about it

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between the
the Urban Indians of this city.

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Washington's powerful U.S.

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senators got involved to help
find a solution.

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So Henry Scoop Jackson and Warren
Magnuson, they brokered that deal

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between a Bernie Whitebear
and the city of Seattle.

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That deal was for 20 acres of land
and construction of Daybreak

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Star, which was completed in 1977.

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Along with an art gallery
and a Head Start program,

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the beacon of hope is home base
for the United Indians of All Tribes

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Foundation
and their work serving Indigenous people.

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We try to find these folks, find out
what is that need.

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How can we help you?

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We have 12 different programs that we can

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we can deploy
and see if we can make something happen.

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Depending on specific needs, program staff
connect people with support

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such as nutrition for elders, foster
care, homelessness

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prevention and other resources from within
and from other organizations.

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Bear room this is Nick. Do you copy? Bear room.

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This is Nick.

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We're pretty much strongly outfitted
to provide

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these kind of services
towards their needs.

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Though Bernie Whitebear
passed away in 2000.

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His legacy at Daybreak

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Star clearly lives on.

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Well, he was very highly intelligent,
very charming.

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He could really bring a smile
on your face.

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He just knew how to really engage
with folks.

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He just had a very powerful personality
that influenced a lot of people

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in a great way.

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I was fortunate because I also had
an older brother and sister that

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contributed a great deal to

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my childhood.

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Bernie's big brother is artist
Lawney Reyes.

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One of his most famous works, Blue
Jay, is on display at Daybreak Star.

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To his brother, Bernie was family

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just a regular guy.

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More than 50 years

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after Bernie Whitebear led the effort
to create Daybreak Star, it's a good bet

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that the house that Bernie built
will always be a beacon of hope.