Last weekend Andy and I found ourselves live at one of the most historic Seahawks championship games ever. Andy at the end zone. VIP seats. One of those “how is this real life?” moments.

A ton of people were left wondering-- how did they get there…? Well, it had nothing to do with football.

Back in 2014, Andy was invited to the Burke Museum to dance a Kwakwaka’wakw mask that design was copied for the Seahawks logo. It made the news at the time (click the links FMI). It was a sort of pivotal cultural moment where the origins of a team logo were traced back to Northwest Coast art. 

What we didn’t know then was that someone watching that broadcast was deeply impacted.

Seeing culture alive on the screen… not in a museum case, not frozen in the past… but embodied, danced, powerful… mattered.

Wallace saw that dance during one of the hardest seasons of his life. He’s since spoken openly about his parents being residential school survivors and how intergenerational trauma shaped much of what he was navigating. That moment became part of a turning point — choosing to reconnect with culture and commit to healing. He’s now been active in recovery and AA for over a decade.

Over the years we’ve stayed connected, mostly online. So when he invited us to this game, it wasn’t about seats or status. It was about gratitude. About ripple effects. About moments we never even realize we’re creating.

Andy ended up sitting beside Wallace Watts also known as "Captain Seahawk", watching Wallace do what he’s now known for — turning fandom into fundraising. He’s raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through memorabilia raffles that go straight into charitable work. Giving back has become part of his purpose. {Watch more here}

Neither Andy or I had ever been to a live NFL game before this. Needless to say, it was quite the experience at Lumen Field that day. Afterwards, when trying to sum up the whole surreal event, Wallace reiterated the impact Andy's cultural work had on him. For someone not at all engaged in his culture before (he is Gitxsan, Nuu Chah Nulth and Kwakwaka'wakw) it wasn't just inspiring, it was life changing. From there he joined Tribal Journeys, and he got involved in his family potlatch ceremonies where he and his kids were initiated into dance societies, which we were present to witness.

This is why cultural visibility matters.

This goes far beyond "representation".

It matters because it reminds people who they are.
It reconnects people to something real.
It gives people something solid to stand on when life is falling apart.

When we show up for culture, we never know who’s watching.
We never know who needs to see culture alive and the need to re-connect to it.
We never know how far those ripples travel or the impact it may have.

This is why we keep showing up.
This is why we keep building Totem Design House the way we do.
This is why culture belongs in public spaces, not tucked away quietly.

Because sometimes one moment becomes a turning point.
And sometimes that turning point circles back in the most unexpected ways.