The Cultural Wellbeing Vital Sign addresses the extent to which people feel able to maintain their cultural traditions. The Puget Sound region is home to human populations from diverse cultures, some with long-held connections to place and others who have more recently arrived.  Cultural practices and knowledge systems are shaped by ecosystems and are critical to human wellbeing because they provide a sense of belonging, create the foundation for moral development, and define rules for social interaction. There is no question that many of the cultural traditions held by Puget Sound residents are dependent on the health of Puget Sound ecosystems.