Long before the northwest corner of Washington state was settled, it was inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian and Kwakwaka’wakw tribes, who roamed as far up as Alaska, and whose impact upon the design aesthetic of the Pacific Northwest (thanks to their masks and totem poles) has continued to this day.
The Seahawks name was the result of a popular vote. In 1975, Seattleites submitted 1,741 different suggestions for the name of their new NFL team, including the "Cool Dudes," the "Bumber Shoots," and the "Space Needlers." But when the Seahawks found their name, the NFL looked to the design heritage of the Pacific Northwest for inspiration for a logo, as reported by the Northwest Indian News in September 1975: