This May, the intertribal nonprofit Se'Si'Le has invited the faith community to show up in solidarity with Lummi tribal members, the House of Tears Carvers, and Native communities across the Pacific Northwest in support of a Totem Pole Journey uplifting the Indigenous-led movement to honor the spirit of a free-flowing Lower Snake River and restore the health of salmon and orca.

The Native leaders of this Totem Pole Journey have requested a strong faith community presence at the Spirit of the Waters events, asking us to participate as an act of solidarity. As people of faith, we are held to our faiths' moral standards and called to be leaders of integrity and conscience. We have an ethical responsibility to support this Indigenous-led movement to protect their salmon and orca relations at this critical time and to hold the US government accountable to our treaty promises with Native Nations. Solidarity from the faith community helps amplify the tribal leaders' message that the need to recover abundant salmon and orca is at its core a deeply spiritual, moral issue.

Earth Ministry/WAIPL is encouraging our community members to join us as these powerful ceremonies across the region. Please sign up below if you plan to attend any of the Totem Pole Journey events so that we can have a sense of faith community attendance. Thank you!

The Snake River to Salish Sea Spirit of the Waters Totem Pole Journey will be visiting cities across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho in May. You're invited to attend any of the following events. Visit our website for more information.

• May 3, 6 -7 PM - Bellingham, WA  at Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship Hall
• May 5-7 - Eugene, OR at University of Oregon
• May 9 - Astoria, OR on Chinook Land - more details to come
• May 10, 6-8pm - Portland, OR at Ecotrust - The Redd
• May 12-14 - Umatilla, OR - more details to come
• May 16, 8:30am-2:30pm - Nez Perce at Hells Canyon State Park
• May 18 - Shoshone Bannock - more details to come
• May 19, 6-8pm - Seattle, WA at University of Washington (wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ– Intellectual House)
• May 20, 6-8pm - Tacoma, WA at St. Leo's Parish

Earth Ministry/WAIPL is honored to be the point of contact providing support for the Tacoma stop of the journey, held at St. Leo's Parish on May 20, 6-8pm. Join us for a special evening and hear these great speakers: Jay Julius/Sequoyah Julius of Se'Si'Le; Annette Bryan, Puyallup Tribe; Willie Frank III, Chairman of the Nisqually Tribe; Gian Lawrence, The Black Stonefly; House of Tears Carvers Fiorella De La O and Jewell James; and Fr. Patrick Twohy, S.J.

JOURNEY PARTNERS
Se'Si'Le (saw-see-lah) is an intertribal 501c3 nonprofit founded by Lummi tribal member Jay Julius. The goal of Se'Si'Le is to reintroduce Indigenous spiritual law into the mainstream conversation about climate change and the environment. Se'Si'Le is the fiscal sponsor and lead entity of the upcoming Snake River to Salish Sea Spirit of the Waters Totem Pole Journey.

Additional partners include:
Lummi Nation House of Tears Carvers, Children of the Setting Sun Productions, Earth Ministry/WAIPL, Saint Leo Parish, Columbia Riverkeeper, Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment, Sierra Club, Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition, Salmon Nation, Ecotrust, The Natural History Museum, University of Oregon (Department of Philosophy and the Center for Environmental Futures), University of Washington (wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ– Intellectual House), Freebuilt Films