Over the past couple of weeks, some of our staffers have shown off their interior design and home improvement skills as they’ve transformed our office’s front lobby. The sounds of hammers and power drills have been commonplace, as have scenes of co-workers standing high on ladders to remove displays and patch holes in walls.

All of this has been done to take down one interesting exhibit and replace it with another that is sure to capture the attention and amazement of visitors for the next year.

The Washington State Heritage Center has just finished installing a powerful and compelling exhibit on the Native American tribes in Washington.

Entitled “We’re Still Here: The Survival of Washington Indians,” the free exhibit’s launch takes place during a special program April 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Capitol Rotunda, but visitors are welcome to take a peek at it now.

The privately funded exhibit features 12 panels, an assortment of artifacts and some rare video footage, acknowledging the early and continuing story of Native Americans in four major themes: the struggle over land, the conflict over Native identity, the battle for treaty fishing rights, and the cultural revival of Indian customs and language in the world today.

“We’re Still Here” will be on display until next April. It replaces the exhibit on Isaac Stevens, Washington’s first territorial governor, and the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.

The Heritage Center is part of the Office of Secretary of State.