Holding the Moment: A Speaker Series
Rainier Arts Center
3515 S Alaska Street
Seattle, WA 98118
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In the face of rising censorship and cultural erasure, storytelling is resistance.

Mirror Stage, in collaboration with Humanities Washington, presents Holding The Moment: A Speaker Series—a bold new series for voices fighting to be heard, featuring artists, educators, journalists, and activists who challenge systems of silence and invisibility through the power of story.

These interactive events explore identity, memory, politics, and art—connecting personal truth to collective liberation. From confronting anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric to exposing cultural appropriation and reclaiming erased histories, each talk invites us to resist oppression and build belonging.

Free and open to all ages, each 90-minute talk includes time for Q&A. Come listen. Speak up. Take part.

At the age of 55, John Halliday became legally blind. As a Muckleshoot Tribal member of Duwamish ancestry, Halliday says his Native American world view, cultural traditions, and values, which have sustained Native tribes throughout history, long before colonization, have helped him overcome the challenges associated with losing his sight. 

Too often, our understanding of American history begins with foreign European powers “settling” the land—as though no thriving human communities existed here. Woven in with John’s personal story, audiences will learn Washington State history from a Native American perspective, and how that history can teach resilience. 

John Halliday (he/him) is a legally blind Native American artist of Muckleshoot, “Duwamish,” Yakama, and Warm Springs Indian descent. Halliday recently retired from the Bureau of Indian Affairs as Deputy Regional Director for the Navajo Region after serving as CEO for both the Muckleshoot and Snoqualmie tribes. Halliday has shown his art at Lakewold Gardens, ANT Gallery, and the Sacred Circle Galleries of American Indian Art under the artist name “Coyote”. Halliday lives in Steilacoom.