More than 100 Canoes coming from British Columbia, Oregon, Washington and as far away as Alaska arrived on Alki Beach, Seattle on Sunday, July 30. Present to cheer on the arrival of the Canoe families were hundreds of allies, volunteers and curious observers among whom were at least nine East Shore members and Rev. María Cristina. The Muckleshoot tribe hosted the intertribal event, welcoming the canoes to shore and subsequently hosting the visiting canoe families and guests for a week-long celebration of song, dance, and prayer at the Muckleshoot reservation near Auburn. East Shore volunteers and financial donations supported the Duwamish Canoe and the Lummi Canoe for this year’s event.
This is the first year the annual Canoe Journey resumed since the Paddle to Lummi in 2019 after which Covid canceled plans for 2020, 2021 and 2022. The theme this year was “Honoring Our Warriors Past and Present.” Indigenous communities continue to fight for their survival, rights, and communities. Reverence for the natural world inspires their fight to protect Mother Earth. Canoe journeys revitalize tribal traditions and connections among tribes and between tribes and the wider, non-indigenous community. In the spirit of celebration, we raise our hands to all the paddlers, volunteers and supporters who came out to honor the spirit of this year’s Paddle to Muckleshoot Canoe Journey.
The MMIWP display was created earlier this year under the auspices of Carolyn DeFord, Puyallup tribal member and East Shore’s Women’s Perspective (WP) and Campus Aesthetics Team (CAT). “Invisible No More” is now being shared in the wider community. In April, shortly after the display at East Shore came down, CAT arranged to take the display to Mercer Island library where it was exhibited for more than a month.
Librarians assembled books related to indigenous women and other issues for children and adults to accompany the display. In June, the exhibit was moved to Issaquah public library where it was on display for the month. Librarians at both sites have indicated that the display has been well received and has generated curiosity and interest among library visitors. CAT members hope to bring the display to other sites in the community over the coming months. We are glad to have been able to extend the message Carolyn brought to us with the larger community, and she has expressed her thanks for our doing so. Congratulations, Carolyn!
This past March during the visit of Lummi Nation’s House of Tears Carvers to East Shore, Freddie Lane invited our church members to come to the 3rd annual Gathering of the Eagles (GOTE), May 21 – 29. In response, five ESUC members volunteered to help out at this special gathering.
In addition to East Shore members, the UU community was well represented including attendees from Bellingham, Woodinville, Spokane, Port Townsend, Whidbey Island and Olympia congregations. Tribal representatives came from Washington state, British Columbia, Hawaii, Guam, New Mexico, North Carolina and Arizona.
This year’s GOTE included a mini-canoe journey to the San Juan islands, culminating in a day-long sacred ceremony honoring three native women at the Lummi Nation Wexliem Community Building. The women were Amy George, a matriarch from the Tsleil-Waututh in British Columbia, who launched the movement to protect the Salish Sea from oil pipeline construction by Kinder Morgan; Fawn Sharp, an attorney and former President of the Quinault Indian Nation, who is current President of the National Congress of American Indians; and, Deborah Parker, former Vice Chair of the Tulalip tribe, who is a long-time activist fighting violence against women and currently documenting the impact of boarding schools on native families as well as speaking to Congress on their behalf.
As East Shore members who attended GOTE, we want to convey our profound thanks to Freddie Lane for his key role in organizing and then for inviting us to this gathering. We were deeply honored to be at this ceremony and to bear witness to these women warriors. And to East Shore members, we want to convey something we each individually took away from the experience. We hope that you will consider joining us this summer to attend or volunteer at other events organized by our indigenous neighbors.
Carrie Bowman: I was struck by calls for leadership led by questions from Esther Lewis (Dine): “who is following you? Who are you leading?” We heard many personal stories that invoked both ancestors we may not have known and future relatives we do not know yet—and our responsibilities as fellow paddlers in a canoe with all of these unknown people. I am inspired by the challenge from all of the whomen to stand up (“Warrior up!”) rather than and watch our earth, sky, water and ourselves become degraded and disappear.
Arthur Knapp: Jewell James, the lead Lummi totem pole carver and Kimokeo Kapahulehua of Hawaii were inspiring in showing their commitment to protect the air, land and waters. Their delivery honoring the three women was powerful. Most of the time we energetically assisted Lummi tribal chefs preparing and distributing food along with other UU volunteers.
Marilyn Mayers: I found the hours-long honoring ceremony simply riveting. The testimonials, prayers, stories and songs voiced by a whole succession of indigenous leaders expressed acute pain, compassion and great beauty. I am so grateful to have been present, to witness and to listen to such powerful words from the likes of Jewell James, Rueben George, Jim Thomas, Amy George, Fawn Sharp, Deborah Parker, Esther Lewis and others. I came away deeply moved, encouraged and renewed.
Mike Radow: One honoree, Amy George, recounted her experience of being removed from family and placed in a residential school. “Culturecide” it was called. Siam’elwit proclaimed a day of victory in surviving such horrors. Rueben George, of Tsleil Waututh and son of Amy George, uplifted the day of “healing, hope, honor, happiness, hospitality.” A day of humility, for me, as well.
Lynn Roesch: At Saturday’s Gathering, I was privileged to witness a day of ceremony and celebration, listening to speakers share their respect and gratitude honoring the three women warriors. How powerful. Being with people who freely call on their ancestors and share their wisdom. How inspiring. Sharing hours of conversation and laughter with people from many different tribes. How joyful.
East Shore Unitarian Church hosted a Prayer Journey visit on Thursday, March 2 for members of the House of Tears Carvers. They are traveling to Oak Flat, Arizona in support of the San Carlos Apache tribe who are fighting to protect their sacred ceremonial grounds at Oak Flat. Cecile Hansen, chairwoman of the Duwamish Tribal Council, attended and along with Duwamish Council member Ken Workman who welcomed East Shore community members and House of Tears Carvers guests Freddie Lane, Doug and, Siamel’wit James and their two children. The Lummi shared prayers and explained the purpose of the Totem Pole journey to Oak Flat. Coming with a sacred Eagle Staff carved by Lummi Carver Richard Solomon, they gathered prayers and hands-on blessings from our community. Approximately 40 people attended including Bellevue City Mayor Lynne Robinson and City Council member Janice Zahn.
House of Tears Carvers will continue their journey south to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California. On March 21 when a judicial decision will be made about the fate of the Oak Flat sacred site. A copper mining company owned by Rio Tinto, a foreign mining company aims to build an enormous copper mine in Apache sacred lands that would destroy much of the land and water resources in the drought-stricken area.
While awaiting the judicial decision, House Natural Resources Committee member, Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz) announced the introduction of the Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act. This act is designed to permanently protect Tonto National Forest’s Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District, also known as Oak Flat, from foreign mining operations that will permanently desecrate the area and destroy its tribal cultural and religious heritage sites.
For more information on the legislative action proposed by Raul Grijalva, click here.
If you enter the Sanctuary in the next couple of months, be sure to take a look at the MMIWP profiles and faceless felt dolls on the walls of the foyer. The “Invisible No More” exhibition generates a visual representation of the many indigenous people who have become “faceless” victims of violence.
Did you know that Washington State has one of the highest MMIW cases compared to other states? Of 71 cities surveyed in 2018 and since by the Indian Urban Indian Health Institute, Seattle has had the largest number of such cases. Nationwide, 84% of American Indians and Alaskan Natives report experiencing violence during their lifetimes, and 56% experience sexual violence specifically. In some counties, the murder rates of American Indians/Alaskan Natives are ten times the national average.
East Shore’s Women’s Perspective and Indigenous Connections Team collaborated to host a workshop. “Culture, Trauma and Resilience” on January 21. At the workshop, members and guests learned about causes of, and solutions to, the crisis.
Carolyn DeFord, a member of the Puyallup tribe, led the workshop that was attended by nearly 40 women in person and 10 via zoom. Carolyn explained how Federal Indian policy, historical and intergenerational trauma, sex trafficking, jurisdictional issues and media invisibility all contribute to the current MMIWP crisis. Each attendee then created their own doll based on the profiles of actual women, girls, boys and men that Carolyn provided. We invite you to come to East Shore to view “Invisible No More: Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women and People” and bear witness to the lives of these people cut short by violence.
Many indigenous organizations are working to address the MMIWP crisis. They include:
We R Native, Urban Indian Health Institute, Data for Indigenous Justice, National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, StrongHearts Native Helpline (strongheartshelpline.org), Rising Hearts, Alaska Native Women’s Resource Center, Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative (innovationshtc.org), Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women (csvanw.org).
A bill to create a new unit in the State Attorney General’s Office to help solve cold cases of MMIWP is now before the Washington State legislature in the current session. If you support such a measure, contact your State Representatives to support House Bill 1177 (Companion Senate Bill 5137).
East Shore is blessed to receive and display the “E Ala E” Mural in the Sanctuary. It is the culmination of a collaborative process between Guatemalan Social Artist, Melanie Schambach, and hundreds of contributors across the country. East Shore members and friends painted parts of the Mural as it accompanied the Red Road to DC Totem Pole journey over the summer, 2021.
We invite you to view the Mural accompanied by photographs and explanatory materials in the Sanctuary. The mural will be on display at East Shore through October, 2022. Don’t miss it!
For those who would like to try their hand at coloring some of the images, please note that Melanie has generously offered a free coloring book and coloring sheets available at her website: melanieschambach.com/ealaedownloads.
