We are Setting Sun Circle: New Name. New Journey. Same Spirit.
After a decade of sharing Indigenous values through film, podcasts, gatherings and research, CSSP is embarking on a bold new journey. We are delighted to share that we are building a home for Indigenous stories and innovation in downtown Bellingham.
This is a continuation of our mission to amplify Native voices and inspire collective action to protect Mother Earth. Our future home will give us the opportunity to build stronger relationships rooted in community, gatherings and bold ideas for building a better future.
Our organization and this new space will carry our mission forward under the name Setting Sun Circle. This new name embraces the work you will see and experience, and what you can look forward to when Setting Sun Circle opens in 2027. Most of all, Setting Sun Circle represents an open invitation to all people to learn from Indigenous values and lifeways.
A Return Home
The vision for Setting Sun Circle unfolded from an act of generosity in 2024, when a supporter gifted us the Mindport Exhibits building. The building's location holds special significance for Executive Director Darrell Hillaire. His family on his mother’s side traces their lineage back to a village site along the waters of Whatcom Creek. The building not only represents a reclamation of Indigenous space, but a reunion of place, culture and story. It’s a return home.
Setting Sun
The core of our name, Setting Sun, remains grounded in Coast Salish values and teachings. In the 1930s, Executive Director Darrell Hillaire’s great grandfather Frank Hillaire formed Children of the Setting Sun, a Lummi song and dance troupe, to share culture and stories despite the outlawing of native dance, song and regalia by the U.S. Government. Since our founding as Children of the Setting Sun Productions a decade ago, our storytelling work has built on Frank Hillaire’s instructions and legacy. While our name is changing, the spirit of creating, sharing and educating only grows stronger.
The name Setting Sun also celebrates canoe culture and togetherness. In the 1970s, Darrell Hillaire was a puller for the Setting Sun Canoe Club, a group recognized across Coast Salish territories by its orange paddles and setting sun emblem designed by the late Joe Oriero. Coast Salish art, lifeways and culture inform the vision of Setting Sun Circle moving forward.
Why a Circle?
The circle carries profound cultural and spiritual meaning across Indian Country. A circle has no sharp corners. It has no beginning and no end — symbolizing the cyclical nature of life, unity and interconnectedness. We see circles in medicine wheels, spindle whorls and drums; in the growth of trees, in salmon eggs, and in the sun and moon. From within a circle we can look to our past and our future simultaneously.
Before gatherings and meals, we form a circle to offer gratitude, always making room to grow our circle bigger. We welcome people in.
When we look out across our community and our country, we see people left behind, cast aside and drifting away. The goal of Setting Sun Circle is to extend an open invitation to learn and grow together. We see Indigenous values of gratitude, generosity, respect and responsibility as a path into community. By being in relation with each other and with Mother Earth, we build strength, solidarity and resilience in the face of our most daunting challenges.
Setting Sun Circle is a space in which everyone is seen and everyone has gifts to contribute. We’re excited for you to join us.
The Journey Begins June 5th. Join us.
Want to learn more about the space coming to downtown Bellingham? We hope you and your family will join us for an evening of culture and community as we introduce Setting Sun Circle during Bellingham’s Indigenous Art Walk on June 5th. Through powerful voices, Indigenous art, music, and dance, we will share the vision for this transformative gathering place — and the journey we are beginning together.
What: The Journey Begins: A Community Introduction to Setting Sun Circle, in collaboration with Allied Arts First Friday — Annual Indigenous Art Walk
When: Friday, June 5 | 6:00 pm
Where: Beginning at Maritime Heritage Park, with an option to visit Setting Sun Circle
Who: All are welcome to attend this free community event
Setting Sun Circle will belong to all of us. What Setting Sun Circle accomplishes will be a reflection of you — our community — and how we can foster more unity and belonging for everyone. We are ready, and the time is now.
Together, with your help, we can build more than a building. We can uplift Indigenous knowledge and values of generosity, gratitude and respect. These teachings offer a way forward, not only for Native people, but for all people. By centering Native voices, sharing Indigenous knowledge, and strengthening our relationships with Mother Earth, we can heal together. We can make the circle bigger.
Please join us on June 5th and bring your friends and relatives. RSVPs are not required, but they help us in planning.
Hy’shqe
Can't make it on June 5th?
If you can't join us for our community introduction event, don't worry. We'll have more chances to learn and connect. You can also make a gift in support of this journey. If you feel inspired, please make a donation to Setting Sun Circle. Hy'shqe!