Note included with interview:
Tiffani and Pete Reyes attended the Hilltop Story Fest and came in on a later date to record their oral history.

A group of Puyallup Indians with their longboats (canoes) on the Puget Sound around 1886. Behind them can be seen the Northern Pacific Railroad bridge. The Puyallups were primarily fishermen, hunters and gatherers. The local salmon provided their primary food source, but was also a symbol of reverence to the tribe. In the Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854, they ceded many of their territories but retained their fishing rights. Their village at this time was believed to be at the foot of North 15th. KING-014, TPL 2895.

Oral history interview with Tacoma residents Alicia Rodriguez and Maria Presiado conducted by dindria barrow on March 11, 2023. In this interview, Alicia and Maria, members of the Lantinx Unidos of the South Sound (LUSS) Promotoras, share their lives, purposes, and dreams in Spanish. They explain how they came to the United States, how they became LUSS Promotoras in the work that they do, and what they hope for their family’s and community’s futures.

Oral history interview conducted by dindria barrow at the Tacoma Public Library Main Branch's Digital Media Lab on June 1, 2022. Reverend Robert T. Penton was born on December 11, 1947 in Bogalusa, Louisiana. He was born in a segregated town with a large Ku Klux Klan chapter in a shotgun (one-room) house. Bob felt he had no voice in this town and grew disenchanted with his life there. He believed he could make a difference by joining the VISTA program. He was sent to South Central Los Angeles in 1967 to be a community organizer, two years after the riots in Watts. Bob joined the Black Panther Party and became a Minister of Information. He found his voice in Los Angeles. His second year in the VISTA program brought him to Tacoma, WA and the largest public housing complex west of the Mississippi river, Salishan. Bob worked in the anti-poverty program and helped to organize a community center, a family food coop, and youth programs. In the 80’s, Reverend Bob ran campaigns against fear and gang violence by fasting. One of his guiding quotes is: “Poverty of purpose is worse than poverty of purse.” When addressing trauma and divisive politics “it takes something bigger than all of us to break down those walls to bring that common purpose.” Overall, he reminds us that “people need to know how much you care, not how much you know.” Listen to Rev. Bob’s personal purpose and his insights into how to navigate life.

Interview with Pastor Gregory Christopher filmed in 2022 for the documentary project "The Evolution of Collective Wisdom."

Oral history interview of Juanita Olivas, an unhoused neighbor living in Tacoma, conducted by dindria barrow on April 9, 2022. Juanita shares how she became homeless, how her faith has carried her through life, and why she does volunteer work. Juanita is 60 years young and plans on completing high school so that she can get a job as a medical insurance billing and coder. Juanita dreams of being “somebody that can help out with the community, always. I would love to have a really big apartment building that I could just take in all the homeless…just pour my heart out to ‘em, because people out there, you never know their story until you actually talk to them and I’ve met a lot of people that is so talented out there and so educated, but their story just breaks my heart.”

Oral history interview of Cathy Oden conducted by dindria barrow on April 8th, 2023, as part of the Archiving Northeast Communities event located at the Mottet library branch.

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Norwegian Festival

Tacoma Community House Spring 2022 English Language student from Vietnam. Interviewed by dindria barrow on April 27, 2022.

"Staff member Kevin Coley hugged a drop-in at Nativity House, a Commerce Street haven for the homeless." The Liberty Project revitalizing downtown Tacoma's Lower Pacific will most likely scatter the homeless population. However, according to people and organizations who work with rehabilitating people, it will not end the homelessness issue. It was suggested that the plan involve housing and training for the disadvantaged.

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Nativity House Worker & "Drop-In"
Larson

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Serving food in this photo: On left are patrons of the free lunch. On right is Anna Maria Garcia. Next to her is Arturo Garcia, holding another plate of food. Men at the table are not identified.
A Mexican style lunch was served at the Nativity House in downtown Tacoma Wednesday. The rice, beans and meat for large burritos were supplied by Arturo Garcia, owner of Moctezuma restaurant. The meal was the idea of Anna Maria Garcia, a social worker with the Health Department's AIDs Outreach program. She asked Mr. Garcia, (who is no relation) to provide the food. Father Gary Smith, S. J., is director of the Nativity House. His establishment provided the setting. Anna Maria Garcia said that a table with literature used in the fight against AIDS was placed where the guests would have access to the information. She said many of the people she meets in her work are Latinos. The idea was to give them a Latino meal during Christmas week.
Note: McDonald's on 6th Avenue provided the orange drinks.
Bruce Kellman/Photo

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Peter Garcia enjoys a bowl of turkey noodle soup Friday during the lunch time meal at the Nativity House at 1517 Commerce in Tacoma. Two meals a day are served free of charge to the needy. City officials are concerned with possible drug activity in the neighborhood.
Bruce Kellman with Mike Gilbert/story

Back of Photo States: Nakashima's 3 children 1/27

Tacoma Community House Spring 2022 English Language student from Yemen. Interviewed by dindria barrow on May 11, 2022.

Oral history interview of Ronald D. Morrison conducted by dindria barrow on April 8th, 2023, as part of the Archiving Northeast Communities event located at the Mottet library branch.

Tacoma Community House Spring 2022 English Language student from Colombia. Interviewed by dindria barrow on April 27, 2022.

Oral history interview with Tacoma resident Bernice Morehead conducted by dindria barrow on August 16, 2022. In this interview, Bernice tells us that she was a born into a family of sharecroppers who descended from slaves forcibly brought to Mississippi. Bernice lived on a farm until she was 16 years of age who spoke the language of animals until she moved to Iowa and worked with her mother as a Domestic Engineer. Bernice describes how she enjoys a challenge such as running four marathons, learning to swim at 50 years of age, finishing a triathlon, driving from Iowa to Washington state with two children and a grandchild, then earning two college degrees. She has worked for the state, run her own business, been a substitute teacher, is a certified Life Coach and is now helping others at the Bethlehem Baptist Church Shelter. Bernice reminds us to dream of new challenges and to take pride in whatever you do.

Oral history interview of Alfredo Montoya conducted by dindria barrow on April 8th, 2023, as part of the Archiving Northeast Communities event located at the Mottet library branch.