The longhouse is a community center traditional to many Native American peoples in the Pacific Northwest and around the country. It is a place for celebrating the milestones of life, for passing stories from one generation to the next, for welcoming tribal members and visitors from other nations, for discussing community issues. It is a place for the ordinary conversations of daily life and the sacred cerimonies that preserve a culture. It is a place of safety and belonging. It both symbolizes and embodies the spirit of a people.