Money being raised to rebuild historic longhouse

Members of the Colville Confederated Tribes are raising money to rebuild a historic longhouse in Nespelem, Washington.

Womer & Associates of Spokane has designed a $3 million longhouse to replace the structure that was destroyed during a 2012 electrical fire. The new longhouse will be 13,000-square feet. Longhouses are gathering places, used for naming ceremonies, funerals and other community and cultural events.

The longhouse that burned was owned by the tribe’s Chief Joseph Nez Perce Band. Negotiations with the insurance company are still underway, but the band has also reached out to the Affiliated Tribes of the Northwest Indians for support, according to a news release.