While it is not clear when the building was first constructed, the site where it stood had acted as the Suquamish tribe's "mother village" for at least 2,000 years.

[2] In 1870, possibly in an attempt to force the tribe's dispersal and accelerate assimilation, the building was burnt to the ground by the local Indian agent.

[4] Also in 2004, the Suquamish Tribal Council began exploring the possibility of building a community center for the tribe to host traditional events.

A total of 13,169 square feet (1,223 m2), the house is primarily constructed out of red cedar and other woods native to the Kitsap Peninsula.

"[14]: 110  Rieke noted that unlike more traditional longhouses, the House of Awakened Culture has large double doors and horizontal siding rather than vertical.