[1. CONVENE]
[00:00:09]
>> WELL, HE'S GOT TO CHECK IF THE VIDEO IS RUNNING.
I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THIS APRIL 18TH STUDY SESSION.
I'M HAPPY TO WELCOME OUR GUESTS.
THEY'RE WITH US TONIGHT AND WE'LL DO INTRODUCTIONS HERE IN A MOMENT.
BUT AS WE GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED, I'D LIKE TO START OUT BY DOING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
>> NEXT, WE'LL HAVE THE RECITATION OF THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, AND THIS EVENING THAT'LL BE DONE BY MELINDA.
>> WE THE FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT ACKNOWLEDGE WE ARE RESIDING ON THE TRADITIONAL, ANCESTRAL, AND UNSEATED TERRITORY OF THE LUMMI PEOPLE.
THE LUMMI PEOPLE ARE THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF WASHINGTON'S NORTHERNMOST COAST AND SOUTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA.
THEY LIVED IN VILLAGES THROUGHOUT THIS TERRITORY AND CONTINUE TO HAVE AN ONGOING RELATIONSHIP WITH THESE AREAS.
SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL, THEY HAVE CELEBRATED LIFE ON THEIR WATERWAYS AND ON THE TRADITIONAL ANCESTRAL AND UNSEATED LANDS OF THEIR PEOPLE TO PERPETUATE THEIR WAY OF LIFE.
WE HONOR THEIR ANCESTORS AS WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE LUMMI PEOPLE AS THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF THIS LAND.
>> THANK YOU, MELINDA. AGAIN, WELCOME TO TONIGHT'S STUDY SESSION.
BOTH TO THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE AS WELL AS THOSE WHO MIGHT BE WATCHING ONLINE.
TONIGHT OUR TOPIC IS LOOK AT THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT,
[2. MATTERS FOR BOARD DISCUSSION]
AND THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT IS PRIMARILY INFORMATIONAL.WE WANTED JUST TO GET A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION AND A LITTLE MORE UNDERSTANDING OF THAT.
THERE'S BEEN SOME QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED IN THE PAST.
WE AREN'T GOING TO BE TAKING ANY VOTES OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE.
AGAIN, IT'S MORE JUST INFORMATIONAL.
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO KRISTI AND LET HER MAKE ANY INTERJECTIONS THAT SHE WOULD LIKE AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE CAN GO AROUND AND INTRODUCE EVERYONE SO EVERYONE'S FAMILIAR WITH WHO IS HERE.
>> THANK YOU, DR. ERICKSON, AND THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR COMING TODAY.
THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT'S STUDY SESSION REALLY CAME OUT OF AN EMAIL WHERE SOMEONE WAS ASKING ABOUT THE PROCESS WE USE TO ADOPT THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT BEING THAT THAT HAPPENED BEFORE I WAS HERE AND MANY OF OUR MEMBERS.
I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO CREATE A SPACE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A LEARNING SESSION.
WE ARE A TEACHING AND LEARNING ORGANIZATION.
WE COME TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER THROUGH EDUCATION AND SO THAT'S WHAT'S TONIGHT'S PURPOSE IS FOR.
THE PURPOSE OF A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AS I'M DEVELOPING MY OWN UNDERSTANDING IS TO CREATE SPACE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE TRUTH AND TO BE ABLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE DIFFERENCES IN THOSE AREAS WE'RE THE SAME AND CREATE SPACE FOR US TO BE OPEN TO LEARNING AND SO THAT IS THE INTENT OF TONIGHT'S SESSION.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO, JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS ONE ANOTHER AS WE BEGIN THIS STUDY SESSION TOGETHER IS TAKE TIME TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES.
I'M DR. KRISTI DOMINGUEZ, FERNDALE SUPERINTENDENT. DO YOU WANT TO GO TOO?
>> I'M MELINDA COOL, VICE CHAIR OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
>> I'M PEGGY UPPIANO, DIRECTOR OF DISTRICT 5.
>> AMY NILAND, SEVENTH-GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER AT VISTA MIDDLE SCHOOL AND A PARENT IN THE FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I'M A SEVENTH-GRADE TEACHER AT VISTA MIDDLE SCHOOL.
>> I'M JAKE LOCKER, A COMMUNITY MEMBER.
>> TONY HILLIARD. [INAUDIBLE] GOOD DAY.
I COME FROM LUMMI. THANKS FOR HAVING US.
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LAWRENCE SOLOMON.
[INAUDIBLE] AND I'M FROM THE LUMMI NATION AND ALSO A CLASS OF 2000 FROM HERE FERNDALE HIGH SCHOOL.
[INAUDIBLE] THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> [INAUDIBLE]. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JAY JULIUS, ENGLISH NAME. TRADITIONAL NAME, MATATLAM.
I'M A MEMBER OF LUMMI NATION AND GRADUATE 93 FERNDALE.
GOOD TO BE HERE. IT'S AN HONOR TO BE HERE. THANK YOU.
[00:05:02]
>> GOOD EVENING. MY TRADITIONAL NAME IS DOC WELIZA AND MY ENGLISH NAME IS LEXI TOM.
I'M A MEMBER OF THE LUMMI NATION.
I AM THE EDUCATION DIRECTOR FOR THE LUMMI NATION, OVERSEEING THE K-12 SCHOOL EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS AND JOHNSON O'MALLEY DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
I'M THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR BUSINESS AND SUPPORT SERVICES.
>> DOES THIS WORK? [LAUGHTER] I WANT TO YELL INTO IT.
MY NAME IS SALSUNAMET, THAT'S MY ANCESTRAL NAME.
IF YOU KNOW A LITTLE BIT OF OUR HISTORY, OUR NAMES TIE US TO WHO WE ARE AND WHERE WE COME FROM.
SO WHEN I INTRODUCE MYSELF AS SALSUNAMET, IT TELLS THE HISTORY OF MY FAMILY AND WHERE I COME FROM.
MY ENGLISH NAME IS HEATHER LEIGHTON AND I'M THE K12 PRINCIPAL AT VISTA MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I'M A K12 PRODUCT OF FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THIS USED TO BE MY CLASSROOM WITH MR. HOLMES AND MR. LARSON WHEN IT WAS SEPARATED INTO A GREAT BIG LEARNING CENTER.
IT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST YEARS THAT I HAD IN THIS BUILDING.
>> MY NAME IS CORBIN LEDBETTER.
I'M A JUNIOR AT FERNDALE HIGH SCHOOL AND I'M THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE.
>> MY NAME IS STEVE CHARLES AND I'M THE DISTRICT 4 REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER.
>> I'M KEVIN ERICSSON, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
I STARTED KINDERGARTEN OVER HERE IN MRS. HOLME'S GIRAFFE ROOM.
YEAH. WE HAD THE GIRAFFES OVER HERE.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE OTHER FOUR WERE BUT IT'S PRETTY COOL.
>> I LEFT THAT [LAUGHTER] AND NOW YOU'RE A VET. [LAUGHTER].
>> THAT'S WHERE IT ALL STARTED.
>> OH, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR GUESTS FOR COMING TONIGHT AND HELPING US LEARN AND GROW.
WHEN I WAS HIRED, ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS I ASKED THE VERY FIRST SATURDAY MORNING WHEN I HAD AN INTERVIEW WAS WHAT WAS THE BOARD'S HOPE FOR THE NEW LEADERSHIP? AND IT WAS TO UNIFY OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I SEE TONIGHT IS ONE OF THOSE TIMES IN WHICH WE GET TO COME TOGETHER AND LEARN ABOUT ONE ANOTHER, AND ALSO, I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE PEOPLE TAKING TIME OUT OF THEIR EVENING AWAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES TO COME AND HELP ME PERSONALLY UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND HOW WE ARE WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
THANK YOU AND HEATHER, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP.
I'VE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THIS.
>> DOMINGO. OKAY. SEE, I WANTED TO BE IN CHARGE, DR. ERICKSON, OTHERWISE SHOULDN'T BE IN CHARGE TONIGHT.
SPENT SOME TIME WITH DR. DOMINGUEZ OVER THESE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS TO COORDINATE AN AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING THAT COULD REALLY HELP US WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS OF HOW WE GOT HERE TONIGHT.
ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS IT'S REALLY JUST THAT BEING OPEN TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PLACE IN WHICH WE ARE DOING BUSINESS, THE PLACE IN WHICH WE LIVE, THE PLACE IN WHICH WE TAKE CARE OF OUR CHILDREN, THE PLACE IN WHICH WE DO OUR WORK.
NO MATTER HOW MANY WAYS WE LOOK AT IT, MOST PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE ARE IMMIGRANTS TO THIS NATION, IMMIGRANTS TO THIS AREA, AND ACKNOWLEDGING THE LAND IN WHICH WE RESIDE IS IN MY OPINION, THE PLACE WHERE WE START TO HEAL AND BRING TWO COMMUNITIES TOGETHER.
ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE ABOUT FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS THAT WE HAVE A VERY RICH COMMUNITY THAT'S RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO US.
IT'S A NATION WITHIN A NATION AND WE DON'T ALWAYS LOOK AT IT THAT WAY.
WE LOOK AT IT AS BEING SOMETHING SEPARATE AND UNFORTUNATELY, SOMETIMES WE LOOK AT IT AS A PLACE OF LESS THAN AND IT REALLY ISN'T.
I THINK THOSE PERCEPTIONS COME FROM JUST NOT TAKING THE TIME TO KNOW THE PEOPLE AND TO KNOW THE HISTORY.
WE'VE COORDINATED AN AGENDA THAT HAS SEVERAL OF THE LEAD MEMBERS FROM MY NATION WHO ARE EDUCATORS, INSTRUCTORS, LEADERS THAT GUIDE OUR WORK AT HOME WITH OUR CHILDREN, WITH OUR GOVERNMENT, WITH OUR POLICIES, WITH OUR PEOPLE, WITH OUR CULTURE, WITH OUR TRADITIONS.
I'D LIKE TO START WITH CHAIRMAN HILAIRE.
HE IS GOING TO TALK TO US ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND WELCOME.
IT EXPLAINS THAT IN THE VIDEO.
I HOPE EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO SEE.
DID EVERYBODY GET A CHANCE TO SEE THAT, MAYBE TAKE SOME NOTES ABOUT THAT? I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE CHAIRMAN HILAIRE WHO IS OUR NEW CHAIRMAN.
A FEW THINGS BEFORE I START, I WANT TO FIRST WELCOME EVERYONE HERE TO THE ORIGINAL TERRITORY OF LAMINATION.
[00:10:05]
I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE BOARD HERE FOR INVITING US TO BE WITH YOU TODAY FOR THE STEP FORWARD IN ACKNOWLEDGING AND UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER.SHE PROBABLY DIDN'T REALLY NEED US HERE TO HELP WITH THE DISCUSSION.
BUT THANK YOU FOR THINKING OF US IN THIS IDEA AND WHAT'S ON YOUR HEART TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD.
WE APPRECIATE THE INVITE TO BE HERE.
I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THESE TWO FORMER CHAIRMAN; LAWRENCE AND JAY.
I ACTUALLY SERVED AS THEIR CHIEF OF STAFF BEFORE I DECIDED TO RUN FOR COUNCIL AND I SERVED WITH LEXI ON COUNCIL LAST YEAR AND WORKED WITH HER UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF JAY.
THEY'RE ALSO ALL OF MY RELATIVES AS WELL.
REALLY BEING THE CHAIRMAN AT LAMINATION, IT'S REALLY A POSITION AND IT'S A JOB THAT WE DO THAT WALKS IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE PEOPLE THAT CAME BEFORE US.
THE WORK THAT I HAVE THE HONOR OF GIVING A HELPING HAND TO COMES FROM THEM, AS WELL AS OUR ELDERS AND ANCESTORS THAT WORKED BEFORE US.
I'M VERY HONORED TO SERVE AS THEIR CHAIRMAN, BUT ALSO VERY HONORED TO WALK IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS.
THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS JUST THAT, AND DR. DOMINGUEZ MENTIONED IT AS WELL.
IS THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF TELLING THE TRUTH AND REALLY AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT SHOULD BE EASY.
IT SHOULD BE VERY EASY FOR ALL OF US TO ACKNOWLEDGE ONE ANOTHER REGARDLESS OF OUR HISTORY AND OUR CULTURES AND OUR VALUES, WE SHOULD AT LEAST BE ABLE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER AND ACKNOWLEDGE ONE ANOTHER AS NEIGHBORS, AS PEOPLE THAT ARE WALKING THIS EARTH AT THE SAME TIME.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE START THERE.
THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS MORE THAN JUST THE STATEMENT THAT WE READ.
IT'S A COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER AND IT'S A COMMITMENT TO OURSELVES TO REALLY TAKE THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER.
ANYBODY THAT CALLS THIS PLACE HOME, THIS IS OUR SHARED HISTORY.
IT IS NOT JUST THE LAMINATION HISTORY.
WHEN SETTLERS FIRST CAME HERE, OUR ANCESTOR DID NOT CHOOSE WAR, THEY CHOSE PEACE, AND THEY CHOSE AN AGREEMENT.
THEY DID THAT BY WAY OF THE POINT ELLIOT TREATY OF 1855, WHICH WE LEFT OUR ORIGINAL TERRITORY AND MOVED ONTO RESERVATION IN EXCHANGE FOR CERTAIN RIGHTS.
A PROMISE THAT IT MUST BE UPHELD BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IN THE ARTICLE 6 OF THE CONSTITUTION, TREATIES ARE THE SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND.
IT IS THAT VISION AND THAT WAY THAT OUR ANCESTORS CHOSE THAT GOT US TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
THE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED NOT JUST BY US, BUT ALSO BY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
JUST LIKE WE STOOD UP AND DID THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, WE ALSO NEED TO STAND UP AND HONOR THE TREATIES, THE AGREEMENT THAT WAS SIGNED BETWEEN TWO SOVEREIGNS.
IN THAT, WE WORK HARD AND RELENTLESSLY IN CONTINUING THAT LEGACY TO UPHOLD THE TREATY RIGHTS, TO UPHOLD THE PROMISES THAT WERE GIVEN TO US.
A BIG PART OF THAT IS WE NEVER GAVE UP OUR RIGHT TO BE LET ME, WE NEVER GAVE UP OUR WAY OF BEING, WE NEVER GAVE UP OUR RIGHT TO OUR ORIGINAL TERRITORY, THE PLACE THAT WE CALL HOME, OUR RIGHT TO FISH AND HUNT IN OUR USUAL AND ACCUSTOMED AREAS, OUR RIGHT TO QUALITY HEALTH CARE FOR ALL OF OUR PEOPLE, OUR RIGHT TO EQUAL ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATION.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY THROUGH THE HARD WORK AND SHEER WILL AND LOVE FROM OUR ANCESTORS.
WE ARE NOW HERE TODAY AS A SELF-GOVERNED TRIBE, A SOVEREIGN NATION THAT TAKES CARE OF OURSELVES JUST AS WE DID THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO.
EVEN THOUGH WE STILL DEAL WITH THE ATROCITIES THAT HAVE HAPPENED TO US AND CONTINUED TO HAPPEN TO US, WE'RE STILL HERE FIGHTING FOR OUR WAY OF LIFE.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE, WHEN YOU HEAR GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT OR US BEING A SOVEREIGN NATION,
[00:15:03]
IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE CARRYING ON THAT TEACHING OF TAKING CARE OF OUR PEOPLE.WE HAVE A GOVERNMENT THAT DOES JUST THAT.
NATURAL RESOURCES ARE ON ENFORCEMENT AND EDUCATION.
OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, WE HAVE THE LARGEST FISHING FLEET ON THIS SIDE OF AMERICAN PROBABLY IN THE WORLD.
ALL BECAUSE OF THE HARD WORK THAT CAME BEFORE US.
THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS ONE THING.
BUT TO REALLY TAKE THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER IS EVER SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE ONE DAY, 100 YEARS FROM NOW, IT'LL BE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT GROUP SITTING HERE.
IF THERE'S A WAY THAT THE CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN AND THE GENERATIONS TO COME WITHIN THE FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT GROW UP LEARNING ABOUT OUR SHARED HISTORY OF THIS PLACE THAT WE CALL HOME, THEN ONE DAY THEY'LL SIT HERE LOOKING ACROSS THE TABLE AND AT LEAST NOT ONLY ACKNOWLEDGE EACH OTHER BUT UNDERSTAND EACH OTHER.
THAT WAY THEY CAN MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE NOT BASED ON MISUNDERSTANDING, ARE NOT BASED ON HATRED, OR RACISM, OR THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO WITHOUT THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE OTHER IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THAT'S THE VISION THAT WE CARRY AT LAMINATION.
WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE THERE, WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE HERE DOING AND CONTINUING THE LEGACY OF OUR ANCESTORS.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT FOR THE FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
TO TAKE THE TIME TO HAVE A STUDY SESSION, TO TAKE THE TIME TO LISTEN TO US, TO TAKE THE TIME TO BETTER UNDERSTAND US IS REALLY GOING TO GO A LONG WAY.
I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR READING THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT THIS EVENING.
I WAS ACTUALLY JUST LAST WEEK ASKED TO BE AT AN EVENT IN BELLINGHAM, AND THEY WANTED ME TO READ THEIR OWN LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
I HAD TO BE VERY HONEST WITH THEM THAT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT INSULTING BECAUSE WHY WOULD I GO SOMEWHERE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT I ALREADY KNOW? THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO REALLY HASH OUT WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
BUT TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS PLACE THAT WE ALL CALL HOME. I SHOULD GO.
>> MY NAME IS LAWRENCE SOLOMON AND I'M FROM LUMMI.
I WANTED TO THANK YOU ALSO TAKING THE TIME TODAY TO BE INFORMED TO LEARN.
IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUOUSLY DO.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUALLY SHARE WHO WE ARE AND WHERE WE COME FROM AND TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL TONIGHT.
I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE GET TO DO THIS AND SIT WITH EACH OTHER AND TO LISTEN.
THE SONG IS CALLED THE SURVIVOR SONG.
IT WAS COMPOSED IN 2007 FOR THE PADDLE TO LUMMI.
WE WELCOMED OTHER CANOES ASHORE WITH THE SONG AND THE COMPOSERS TO THE SONG, THE ONES THAT HELPED PUT THIS SONG TOGETHER, [INAUDIBLE], ANTONE GEORGE, [INAUDIBLE] THE LATE HEREDITARY CHIEF BILL JAMES, AND [INAUDIBLE] BUT THE WORDS IN THE SONG IT SAYS [FOREIGN].
THOSE WORDS THEY MEAN MY HIGHLY RESPECTED PEOPLE, WE COME FROM THE SURVIVORS OF THE GREAT FLOOD, COME TOGETHER MY INDIAN PEOPLE AND STAND STRONG.
I AM A SURVIVOR OF THE GREAT FLOOD.
I'M GOING TO SHARE THIS SONG AND ASK EACH AND EVERYONE TO STAND TOGETHER, TO STAND STRONG TOGETHER TODAY.
IF YOU CAN STAND, PLEASE STAND.
[00:22:21]
REALLY THANKFUL TODAY AND I'M REALLY GLAD, REALLY THANKFUL FOR THE SONGS THAT WE HAVE.WHEN WE SING THESE SONGS, WE'RE NOT JUST SINGING.
WHEN WE'RE DANCING AND WE'RE NOT JUST DANCING AND THAT WE HAVE A PRAYER IN OUR HEARTS.
WE HAVE A PRAYER IN OUR HEARTS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE A PRAYER IN OUR HEARTS FOR OUR ELDERS AND OUR YOUTH, OUR CHILDREN.
REALLY THANKFUL FOR THESE SONGS TODAY TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL TODAY.
I LEARNED THIS STORY A FEW YEARS BACK FROM OUR LATE UNCLE IS NO LONGER HERE WITH US AND KNOW TO CARRY ON THE BEST WE CAN.
I USED TO GO TO HIS HOUSE EVERY MORNING AT 6:00 IN THE MORNING AND SIT WITH HIM AND LISTEN.
SOMETIMES WE'D JUST SIT AND VISIT FOR A WHILE BEFORE WE'D HAVE A LESSON BUT JUST REALLY TAKING THAT TIME TO VISIT.
WE DID IT EARLY IN THE MORNING 6:00 AM BECAUSE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY HERE, WE'VE GOT PLACES TO BE.
IF YOU'RE UP AT 6:00 AND YOU WERE THERE AT 6:00, WE HAVE LOTS OF TIME BECAUSE USUALLY, WE DON'T HAVE TO BE AT WORK TILL 8:00 OR 9:00 FOR SOME OF US.
IT WAS A REALLY GOOD TIME TO BE ABLE TO SOAK THAT IN AS MUCH AS WE CAN BECAUSE THIS STORY WAS TOLD TO HIM FROM HIS TEACHER.
THESE STORIES GO WAY BACK INTO TIME.
A LONG TIME AGO, THE PEOPLE OF THE VILLAGE, THEY KNEW THERE WAS GOING TO BE A FLOOD COMING.
THE PEOPLE OF THE VILLAGE, THEY PREPARED THESE TWO GREAT, BIG, HUGE, GIANT TRAVELING CANOES.
THE PEOPLE OF THE VILLAGE THEY PUT THE THINGS INSIDE OF THE CANOES THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO SURVIVE.
THEY STARTED TO PREPARE THESE CANOES AND THE WATERS, THEY STARTED TO COME UP.
THE WATER STARTED TO RISE AND THE PEOPLE OF THE VILLAGE, THEY PUT THE CHILDREN INSIDE OF THE TWO CANOES.
THEY PUT THE CHILDREN IN THERE, AND THE WATERS WENT WAY UP.
THE WERE WAY UP ABOVE THE MOUNTAINS AND THEY WERE UP THERE FOR A LONG TIME.
BUT THE CHILDREN, THEY HAD WHAT THEY NEEDED IN THOSE CANOES, THE THINGS THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO HELP THEM SURVIVE.
THESE TWO CANOES THEY WERE TIED TOGETHER.
WHEN THE WATER STARTED TO COME DOWN, THE TWO CANOES THEY WENT APART, THEY CAME APART.
[00:25:04]
ONE CANOE YOU LANDED ON SAN JUAN, ONE CANOE LANDED ON ORCAS, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE CALLED TODAY.IN LUMMI LANGUAGE, WE CALL IT [FOREIGN] AND [FOREIGN].
WHEN THE TWO CANOES CAME DOWN, THAT'S WHERE THEY LANDED.
WHEN THOSE CHILDREN WHEN THEY CAME DOWN IN THE FLOOD, THEY WERE THE SURVIVORS.
THESE SURVIVORS, THEY STARTED TO GROW UP AND THEY STARTED TO PAIR OFF.
SOME MOVED OVER THERE, LOTS OF FISH OVER THERE, SO THAT'S WHAT THEY LIKE TO EAT, SO THEY MOVED OVER THERE.
LOTS OF SWAM OVER THERE, SO THE OTHER FAMILY, THEY MOVED OVER THERE AND THAT'S WHAT THEY LIKE TO EAT.
THE ELDEST SURVIVOR, HE NOTICED THAT THE PEOPLE, THE SURVIVORS, THEY WERE GROWING APART.
THE ELDEST SURVIVOR DECIDED TO CALL THEM ALL BACK TOGETHER TO SHARE A MEAL.
HE CALLED THEM ALL BACK TO SHARE A MEAL.
THEY SHARED A MEAL AND ALL THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF FOOD THEY COULD THINK OF, THAT'S WHAT THEY ATE.
WHILE THEY WERE EATING, THE ELDEST SURVIVOR, HE GOT UP AND HE SPOKE AND HE SAID WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN IN HOW WE IDENTIFY OURSELVES AS THE PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE, THEY CAME UP WITH THIS PLAN [NOISE] TO IDENTIFY OURSELVES.
[NOISE] TODAY WE HAVE THE [FOREIGN] THE [FOREIGN] THE [FOREIGN] THE [FOREIGN] ALL THE [FOREIGN] PEOPLE ARE THE ONES THAT THEY COME FROM THESE TWO CANOES THAT CAME DOWN IN THE FLOOD.
WHEN HE GOT UP AND HE SPOKE AND HE SAID WE ALSO NEED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN WHEN WE COME TO EACH OTHER'S TERRITORIES THIS IS WHAT WE'LL SAY, [FOREIGN] THOSE WORDS THEY MEAN, I COME FROM THE SURVIVORS OF THE GREAT FLOOD.
THAT'S WHO WE STILL ARE TODAY.
WE COME FROM THOSE PEOPLE THAT SURVIVED THE FLOOD.
A FEW THINGS I THINK OF WHEN I HEAR THIS STORY OR WHENEVER I TELL THIS STORY, I WAS SITTING WITH MY COUSIN HENRY.
MY COUSIN HENRY CAGEY HE'S A COUNCIL MEMBER.
HE SAID, "WHAT DO OUR KIDS NEED TODAY? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO PUT IN THEIR CANOES? WHAT DO OUR KIDS NEED TODAY?" THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
WHAT WE NEED TO PUT IN THEIR CANOES.
WHAT DO THEY NEED? EVEN THE STORY AND HOW OLD IT IS, AND IT TALKS ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THE CHILDREN ARE.
THE PEOPLE OF THE VILLAGE THEY PUT THE CHILDREN INSIDE THE TWO CANOES, AND THE CANOES WENT UP.
THEY WERE UP THERE FOR A LONG TIME.
BUT OUR CHILDREN, EVEN TODAY, THEY'RE VERY VALUABLE TO US.
SOMETHING THEY NEED TODAY IS I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT TODAY AND IT'S THE RELATIONSHIP.
YOU HEARD THE ONES THAT GRADUATED FROM HERE WERE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.
WE NEED THAT RELATIONSHIP THAT'S THE SCHOOL BOARD OR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
NOW EVEN MY RELATIONSHIP TO J, MY RELATIONSHIP WITH ANTHONY, MY RELATIONSHIP TO LEXI.
NOW, THAT RELATIONSHIP IS VERY IMPORTANT AND HOW WE TREAT EACH OTHER.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS I THOUGHT ABOUT TODAY AND HOW FAR WE'VE COME AND HOW FAR WE HAVEN'T MADE IT.
BUT SOME OF THE THINGS I THINK ABOUT, EVEN IN MY GRANDPA'S TIME, EVEN MY MOM'S TIME, THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH HERE IN FERNDALE, THEIR EXPERIENCE WITH, IT'S RACISM AND IT'S STILL HERE TODAY.
SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I THINK ABOUT, SOMETHING LIKE THIS, IT GIVES ME A LITTLE BIT HOPE WHERE WE CAN COME AND SHARE AND LEARN AND BE OPEN WITH EACH OTHER AND SHARE WITH ONE ANOTHER.
THEN I'M REALLY THANKFUL TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL TODAY AND THOSE ARE MY WORDS. THANK YOU.
[00:30:20]
>> YOU'RE THE ONE TO IN CHARGE? [OVERLAPPING] THIS IS VERY INTIMIDATING BUT ACTUALLY I HAVE TO WORK IT.
I JUST HAVE TO. I'VE BEEN ASKED, MARK WAS ASKED ALSO BUT I THINK HE'S DESIGNATED ME TO DO MOST OF THIS STUFF.
>> TO GO THROUGH THE TIMELINE OF HOW WE GOT HERE TODAY.
>> THIS IS THE SUMMARY OF WHAT FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAS BEEN UPDATED TODAY.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
IT'S JUST THAT IT'S A FORMAL WAY OF ACKNOWLEDGING THE PEOPLE THAT RESIDE HERE BEFORE YOU ALL RESIDED HERE.
IT'S A WAY TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE IS, THERE WAS ON THIS GROUND RIGHT HERE A RICH CULTURE HISTORY OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOREVER AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ACKNOWLEDGING.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? IT'S IMPORTANT, IT GIVES US A BASE TO TALK ABOUT IT AND IT'S A WAY TO HONOR THE HISTORY THAT ISN'T TAUGHT IN OUR TEXTBOOKS.
IT REALLY IS UNFORTUNATELY, A SILENT HISTORY.
WE OFTEN DON'T TALK ABOUT THEM, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY IT.
I'M A BLANK PERSON, WE DON'T ALWAYS WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR OWN DIRTY LAUNDRY.
THIS CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH A COLLEAGUE AT SCHOOL LAST WEEK WAS EVERYTHING THAT THIS PARTICULAR PERSON WAS TEACHING ABOUT HOLOCAUST AND EVERYTHING THAT WE KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT TIME PERIOD.
BUT IF WE REALLY THINK ABOUT WHAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT HER OWN ACTS OF GENOCIDE, WE DON'T ALWAYS TALK ABOUT IT.
ACKNOWLEDGING IS JUST THAT, IT'S TAKING THE BEGINNING STEPS TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, WHERE ARE WE GOING, AND THAT IS INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY BEFORE YOU.
IT'S ALSO TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPORTANCE OF CREATING AND SUSTAINING A LONG-STANDING RELATIONSHIP.
THAT'S THE WHOLE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT MISSES THE TIMELINE.
WE START HERE. DR. BRITT WENT THROUGH ALL FOUR DOCUMENTS.
SHE TOOK THE IMPORTANT DATES OUT OF FOUR DOCS FOR ANYTHING THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND THE PROCESS ITSELF.
IT STARTED IN MARCH OF 2020, WHERE AT ONE OF THE BOARD MEETINGS, I HAD MORE IN DEPTH SUMMARY OF THIS THAT I COULD EMAIL EACH ONE TO BOARD MEMBERS.
BUT I LITERALLY TOOK PHASE-DOT TOTAL NOTES AND JUST SUMMARY INTO A COUPLE OF SENTENCES.
I WILL GET THAT TO [INAUDIBLE] THAT SHE CAN GET IT TO YOU FOR MORE INFORMATION.
REALLY STARTED IN MARCH OF 2020 AND THEN IN JULY PRESIDENT MCCOLINE, SORRY, AND THE DR. CLINTON HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT WANTING TO DEVELOP A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT STATEMENT FOR THE FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT WAS AT THAT TIME WHERE WE HAD DIRECTOR [INAUDIBLE] WHO WAS ON HER BOARD AND SO SHE ADVISED DR. QUINN TO WORK WITH ELIMINATION TO DEVELOP [INAUDIBLE].
I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE BELIEVE THAT MY PEOPLE BELIEVE IS LIKE A CHAIRMAN HALL, SAID, IT REALLY ISN'T ART HISTORY TO ACKNOWLEDGE.
BUT THERE IS, NO MATTER HOW MANY WAYS WE LOOK AT IT, WE FOREVER HAVE ATTEMPTED TO BUILD THIS BRIDGE BETWEEN FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE NATION.
WE HAVE HISTORICALLY TAKEN 20 STEPS FORWARD AND 50 STEPS BACK, FIVE STEPS FORWARD AND TWO STEPS BACK.
WE'VE NEVER REALLY BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH A BRIDGE THAT'S BEEN SUSTAINABLE SO THAT WE CAN GO ACROSS THIS BRIDGE BACK AND FORTH TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND ASK CANDID QUESTIONS.
WE GET REALLY FEARFUL FOR WHATEVER REASON THAT IS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE TO COME ACROSS AND BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP AND SUSTAIN THAT RELATIONSHIP.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT DR. QUINN AND DIRECTOR [INAUDIBLE] INTENT INCLUDING THE NATION ON THIS WORK, WAS IT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO CREATE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE WENT 10 STEPS BACK.
NOT KNOWING WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR,
[00:35:02]
WE FERNDALE AFTER THE NATION AND SAID, CAN YOU HELP US DO THIS.IN MOST CASES, PEOPLE WILL DO THE OPPOSITE.
THEY'LL DO THEIR OWN LEARNING AND THEY WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THE LAND OWNERS, SO GET A LITTLE BIT BACKWARDS WITH GOOD INTENTIONS BECAUSE IT A LITTLE BIT BACKWARDS.
FROM THERE, DR. FENTON, AUGUST 2020, SHE WENT TO MEET WITH ELIMINATION, TO ASK ADVICE ABOUT HOW FAR YOU HAVE TO PROCEED WITH THIS WORK.
THEN IN MARCH, THE WORK OF THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT WAS MET MENTIONED.
SORRY, MARCH 2021, SHE CREATED A STI REPORT.
THAT REPORT ON WORKED ON, IT TALKS ABOUT WHERE WE WERE GOING TO DO THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT PROCESS AND HOW THAT WORK COULD BE EMBEDDED WITHIN AN STI AND HOW IT SUPPORTS THE TWO STI MANDATE IS THAT WE PARTNER WITH THE NEIGHBORING TRIBE TO TAKE STI CURRICULUM AND ADAPT IT TO THE PLACE IN WHICH WE'RE DOING THE TEACHING AND LEARNING.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE DOING AN INTERNSHIP, YOU GET TO ASK TO DO A LOT OF FUNDINGS.
I WAS DOING MY INTERNSHIP THAT YEAR.
MR. MARTIN INTERNSHIP AND DR. QUINN HAD ASKED ME IF I WOULD WANT TO PARTNER WITH HER AND HELP HER BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE NOMINATION, AND WHO CAN SHE GO TO AND WHO ARE THE ADVISORS.
AGAIN, WANTED TO DO THE WORK WITH GOOD INTENTIONS AND AN OPEN HEART.
BUT DIRECTOR ALSO WANTED TO STATEMENT THAT WAS TRUE AND ACCURATE TO THE HISTORY OF THIS PLACE.
INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING SOMETHING, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE BOARD AT THAT TIME WAS REALLY LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS MORE MEANINGFUL THAN JUST WORDS, BUT ACTUALLY DESCRIBED THE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LAMINATION HAS WITH THE LAND AND THIS PLACE AND WAS ACCURATE TO THE HISTORY.
THAT'S THE PATHWAY THAT WE WENT. FROM THERE.
THE AD HOC COMMITTEE FOR ELIMINATION SIDE WERE OUR CULTURE DIRECTOR ARLENE WITH DIRECTOR STUART OR MYSELF, DR. TOM.
WE HAD A COUPLE OF TRIBAL REPRESENTATIVES ON THAT COMMITTEE AND SO FROM THAT COMMITTEE, THE WORST ON THAT MANDATE MANAGEMENT WERE.
FROM THERE, THE DRAFT YOU'VE CREATED DRAFT NINE ACKNOWLEDGMENT STATEMENT AND THEN INSIDE LLC, WE HAD OUR OWN INTERNAL PROCESS.
BEFORE WE EVER APPROVAL ON ANYTHING THAT GOES THROUGH THIS WHOLE AND INTENSITY OF INTERNAL REVIEW.
IT GOES THROUGH OUR CULTURE COMMUNITY, IT GOES TO ELDERS COMMITTEE, IT GOES TO LEGAL OFFICE, AND END OF THAT IT GETS TO TONY'S TABLE, WHICH IS PROVE FOR RESOLUTION.
THE REASON AT THAT TIME, THE NATION DECIDED THAT WAS RATHER THEY WANTED TO GO FOR THE AD HOC COMMITTEE WAS WE A NATION, WE WERE RECEIVING A LOT OF REQUESTS FOR GET INPUT AND HELP ONLINE.
AN ORGANIZATION WOULD COME TO SEE [INAUDIBLE].
I THEY SAY THIS IS OKAY TO USE SOMEBODY ELSE WHO COMES TO THE NATION AND THEY SAY, IS THIS OKAY TO USE, AND IS THIS ACCURATE? THE STANCE WAS, OR DIRECTION FROM THE AD HOC AT THAT TIME WAS TO DEVELOP A STATEMENT THAT ANYBODY INSIDE [INAUDIBLE] OUR ORIGINAL TERRITORIES CAN TAKE THAT STATEMENT AND TAKE OFF FROM YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND INSERT SCHOOL DISTRICT, TAKE OUT THE AFFIRMATIVE, AND ADD IN WHATEVER THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, IT WAS UNIVERSAL IN THAT WAY.
FROM THERE, WE WENT THROUGH THAT WHOLE PROCESS [INAUDIBLE] DR. QUINN HAD ASKED ME TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE WERE AT THE PROCESS.
THAT WAS THE EVENING THAT WE INVITED YOU TO JOE AND SOME STUDENTS FROM OUR SCHOOL, THEY SANG THE SONG.
THAT'S JUST SAYING, TOLD THE HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN STORY AND THEN I WENT INTO THIS TIME I GOT WERE ASKED TO GIVE AN UPDATE.
FROM THERE I WAS TASKED WITH CREATING AN EDUCATIONAL VIDEO OF THE CHILDREN OF THE SAME SIGN BECAUSE THE FERNDALE HAD A COMMITMENT THAT NEEDED IF YOU WANT TO ADOPT AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT STATEMENT, BUT WE WANTED TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN AND OUR STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF IT AND THE CONTENT OF IT.
[00:40:01]
FROM MAY UNTIL THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, WE WORKED WITH CHILDREN AT THE SAME TIME TO [INAUDIBLE].THEN IT WAS IN JUNE 15TH THAT LUMMI NATION TOOK ACTION, AND THEY PASSED A RESOLUTION.
THERE'S A RESOLUTION THAT ACTUALLY ADOPTS THAT LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
I ALSO UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT MAYBE CHANGING THE WORDS TO THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT IN WHICH IT'S WRITTEN RIGHT NOW.
THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT WE HAD IS WRITTEN IN FERNDALE LUMMI NATION.
BECAUSE THE FERNDALE LUMMI NATION TO CREATE AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT STATEMENT THAT NATION CHOSE TO TAKE A STEP FURTHER AND TAKE THAT ACKNOWLEDGMENT [INAUDIBLE] RESOLUTION SO THEREFORE IT BECOMES A PART OF LAW.
NOBODY CAN CHANGE THE WORDS OF THAT STATEMENT. IT BELONGS TO THE NATION.
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO DO THAT OR NOT.
OTHER PEOPLE GET TO CHOOSE TO USE IT OR NOT, BUT WE DON'T GET TO EDIT IT.
IT DOESN'T BELONG TO US [INAUDIBLE] PEOPLE ARE USING IT, RIGHT? FROM THERE, WE DID AN EDUCATIONAL VIDEO, WORKING, TEACHING, AND LEARNING.
WE WORKED WITH KELLY AND DR. BRITT AND SARAH, AND CREATED SOME LESSONS THAT WOULD BE PUSHED INTO THE CLASSROOM.
WE DID THAT K-12 AND THEN KNOCKED OVER. MARK, YOU WANT TO TAKE OVER?
>> THE SCHOOL BOARD VOTED TO ADOPT THAT ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
>> [LAUGHTER] THEN AFTER IT WAS PASSED BY RESOLUTION, MARK, WAS OUR ACTING SUPERINTENDENT AT THAT TIME, SO IT WAS BROUGHT TO THE BOARD'S TABLE, SO IT WAS BEFORE OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND AWARDED AT THAT TIME TO ACTION AND ADOPTED THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT FULL USE IN THE FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
FROM THERE AT THE END OF [INAUDIBLE] NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH WE [INAUDIBLE] THE LESSONS AND THEN WE SHARED WITH THE STAFF AND COMMUNITY, DID ALL THE TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOMS. THE ONLY ONE THING THAT HASN'T HAPPENED THAT WAS ON THAT PLAN TO DO AND IT WAS PART OF THE WORK WITH DR. GLENN, THAT THERE WAS A PLAN TO RAISE THE FLAG UNDERNEATH OUR FLAGS DISTRICT OFFICE AS A WAY TO SYMBOLIZE THE LAND THAT WE ARE ON.
JUST LIKE THE UNITED STATES, JUST LIKE WE'RE IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON [INAUDIBLE] LUMMI NATION.
BUT IT WAS PART OF THE WORK, IT WAS PART OF THE PLAN.
WHY IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER FOR THAT.
BUT IT WASN'T THE ORIGINAL PLAN TO RAISE THE FLAG AND I THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
SO IN TERMS OF TIMELINE, THIS IS DR. [INAUDIBLE].
I DIDN'T WRITE A DISSERTATION, BUT I WILL EMAIL YOU ALL THE DETAILS, NOTES THAT'S KIND OF PIECED TOGETHER.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? YEAH.
SINCE THE ELIMINATED COUNCIL APPROVED [INAUDIBLE] RESOLUTION, DO YOU HAVE A GUESSTIMATE ABOUT HOW MANY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE STARTED USING THIS LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT WALKER COUNTY [INAUDIBLE] AREA?
>> I DON'T KNOW IF WE KEEP THAT DATA BUT IT IS [INAUDIBLE] FOUNDATION FOR THE RESOLUTION AND I THINK IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE.
SO FOR PUBLIC USE THERE STATEMENTS ON THERE BUT I DON'T KNOW IF WE KEEP DATA ON HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE ASKED FOR IT. THAT MIGHT BE [INAUDIBLE].
>> WE COULD PROBABLY FIND OUT BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE.
>> [INAUDIBLE] WHEN I HAVE BEEN OUT AND ABOUT.
I KNOW IT NOW. I HEAR IT OFTEN SO IT'S [INAUDIBLE].
>> HOW MANY OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES HAVE YOU WORKED WITH TO ADOPT THIS PARTICULAR LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT?
>> BECAUSE I WAS SPECIFICALLY ASKED TO DO THIS FOR THE FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IT'S THE ONLY ORGANIZATION THAT I WORK FOR AND SO I ONLY WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS ONCE.
>> HAS ANYBODY ELSE WORKED WITH THE LUMMI NATION TO ADOPT THIS LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AS WELL?
>> IS THAT THE SAME QUESTION THAT SHE'S ASKING? I HAVE THAT DATA READY FOR YOU.
BUT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME IS, HOW MANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS USE THIS PARTICULAR LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ME? I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THAT.
I CAN FIND OUT BUT I DON'T KNOW.
THE OTHER THING TOO BECAUSE IT'S PUBLIC INFORMATION [INAUDIBLE] WEBSITE,
[00:45:01]
AND IT'S PUBLIC INFORMATION ON LUMMI NATION.INFORMATION WEBSITES, CAN JUST DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH AND THEY CAN CHOOSE TO USE IT OR NOT.
WE MIGHT NOT HAVE DATA FOR HOW MANY PEOPLE BECAUSE WE MADE IT PUBLIC, PEOPLE COULD EASILY JUST GO DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH AND USE IT FOR THEMSELVES.
>> AND TO ADD ON TO THAT. REALLY NO OTHER AGENCY OR GOVERNMENT ENTITY [INAUDIBLE] NOW THAT IT'S ADOPTED BY LAW.
IT'S AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC USE, WHICH MEANS PEOPLE CAN USE IT OR NOT.
BUT IT ALSO IN A WAY TAKES AWAY THAT SAME PROCESS THAT FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT USED TO REALLY TAKE THE TIME TO FILTER THROUGH IT AND THINKING ABOUT THIS AS WELL.
>> ON A RELATED NOTE, THERE ARE ENTITIES THAT HAVE DIFFERENT LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND [INAUDIBLE] JUST SIMPLY NOT OBSERVE THOSE, ENDORSE THOSE.
JUST CURIOUS. [INAUDIBLE] FOR EXAMPLE.
>> I CAN TELL YOU THAT I DO KNOW ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN OUR COUNTY THAT ARE USING LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS THAT ARE NOT [INAUDIBLE].
I DON'T KNOW WHICH FIRMS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
MAYBE THEY HAD CHOSEN TO WRITE THEIR OWN AND THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
BUT IT COMES BACK TO THAT PLACE, WHAT THE CHAIRMAN SAID EARLIER.
IT'S SIMPLY ACKNOWLEDGING WHERE YOU'RE AT, YOU'RE ON THE LAND, THE ORIGINAL TERRITORY OF THE [INAUDIBLE] PEOPLE.
THAT CAN BE SAID IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, IT COULD BE SAID WITH MANY DIFFERENT WORDS AND STILL BE TRUE AND ACCURATE.
FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT CHOSE TO DIG DEEPER AND ENTER INTO A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LUMMI NATION WHEN THEY WENT THROUGH A PROCESS TO ADOPT THIS PARTICULAR LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
>> ONE OTHER QUESTION THAT'S BEEN ASKED THOUGH, IS BECAUSE OF THE SPECIFIC WORDING, DOES THIS CREATE ESSENTIALLY A PARTNERSHIP THAT COULD HAVE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS FOR ANYBODY WHO ADOPTS IT?.
SPECIFICALLY IT'S BEEN ASKED THAT BECAUSE THERE'S ADJUDICATION GOING ON RIGHT NOW WITH WATER RIGHTS AND SUCH THINGS.
DOES THAT HAVE ANY BEARING ON THE PEOPLE WHO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT? I GUESS THAT WAS JUST A CONCERN THAT I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE AND SO IT'S A QUESTION THAT'S OUT THERE AND I THINK SHOULD BE ASKED.
>> SO I'M GOING TO PASS THIS OVER TO JAY JULIUS BECAUSE HE'S GOING TO TELL YOU THE HISTORY OF THE PLACE, SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT.
THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENTS, THIS IS A STATEMENT THAT'S TRUE AND ACCURATE TO THE HISTORY OF THIS PLACE.
IT'S NOT A POLITICAL STATEMENT.
>> IF I COULD JUST JUMP ON THE ONE.
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HASN'T ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT FOR ANYTHING.
ALL WE'VE DONE IS SAID THAT AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE'RE GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF THE LAND THAT WE RESIDE ON.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS JUST AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE HISTORY OF THE LAND AND SO WE HAVE NOT ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT, LEGALLY BINDING OR OTHERWISE.
>> THANK YOU TO EVERYONE HERE, EVERYONE WATCHING THE VIDEO.
[NOISE] FIRST, I WANT TO SAY IN LEADERSHIP FOR NEARLY A DECADE, ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR MYSELF WAS BUILDING THIS RELATIONSHIP.
I BUILT RELATIONSHIPS GROWING UP, GOING TO SCHOOL WHICH WASN'T ALWAYS EASY, BUT I HAVE PEOPLE WHO I CALL FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND THAT'S WHAT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME AND STILL IS IMPORTANT FOR ME TODAY AS WE COME TOGETHER.
THANK YOU TO THE LEADERSHIP HERE.
ANYTHING I SAY IT IS NOT MY INTENTION TO OFFEND, IT'S NOT MY INTENTION TO HURT ANYONE.
I'M ASKED TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ON HISTORY AND THERE'S NO WAY I CAN DO WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING FOR FOUR YEARS FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON OUR HISTORY.
JAKE AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION AS A HISTORY MAJOR ON THE SURPRISE TO THE LACK OF
[00:50:04]
TRUE HISTORY HERE IN THIS PLACE THAT WE SHARE AND WE CALL HOME.FOR MYSELF, I USUALLY SPENT A LOT OF TIME AT COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS AND WITH GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS DOING JUST THIS; SHARING A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY AND BUILDING THAT BRIDGE AND RELATIONSHIP.
ALLOW ME TO START AT THE BEGINNING.
ONE THING THAT I NOTICED MY WHOLE LIFE IS MANY NEW CITIZENS, NEWCOMERS, SHARE SOMETHING IN COMMON WITH MY PEOPLE AND THAT'S FAITH, THAT'S PRAYER, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE ALWAYS HAD SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME.
WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CREATOR.
GOING BACK TO 1855 WHEN THE TRUE SERVANTS OF THIS LAND CAME TOGETHER TO NEGOTIATE, WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE DIDN'T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THE SAME PHILOSOPHIES.
WE WENT ABOUT BUILDING GREAT CITIES THAT DEVELOPED RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING BACK TO CREATION, GOING BACK TO GENESIS WHEN GOD MADE THE EARTH MORE OF YOUR FAITH.
WE KNOW OUR CREATION STORY OR IF YOU KNOW THE OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S CREATION STORY.
YOU WOULDN'T HAVE FIRST, NEVER EVER WE FIRST.
EVERYTHING THAT IS, WAS FIRST, AND THEN WE CAME LAST AS HUMANS, THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT IT IS.
WHEN WE CAME TOGETHER IN 1855, IT WAS JUST US.
IT WASN'T JUST MY ANCESTORS IN THE TWO WAYS.
WHEN THE FIRST SHIP ARRIVED HERE IN 1792 THERE WAS PHILOSOPHIES ON THAT SHIP, AND TO NEGOTIATING [INAUDIBLE], THAT WE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND.
THIS IS ONLY 16-AND-A-HALF DECADES AGO.
SO THIS ISN'T SOME SO WHOLE LIKE THE EAST COAST.
WE'RE FORTUNATE THAT WE WANT TO BLOW AND DON'T EXIST ANYMORE.
WE ALMOST SHRUNK TO EXTINCTION AS PEOPLE, BUT WE ENTERED INTO A PEACE TREATY.
BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS PROCESS OF TEACHING HISTORY, THERE IS A PROCESSIONAL RATES OF CONQUEST.
BUT IF THERE WERE SIMPLE TEACHINGS AND UNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP ONLY SIX GENERATIONS AGO.
MY FAMILY HAD, WITH THE NEW CONQUEST IN HELPING US WITH SURVIVAL.
BEFORE ANY LAND IN NEGOTIATIONS TOOK PLACE IN 1792 THERE WAS A RELATIONSHIP.
OUR RELATIONSHIP AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS AND ALLIANCES WASN'T WHAT WE KNOW NOW, IT WAS MARRIAGE.
THE NEWCOMERS, THEY DIDN'T COME HERE AND TAKE MOST BEAUTIFUL MEN, NO, THE OTHER WAY ROUND.
THE NEWCOMERS CAME AND MARRIED INTO MY FAMILIES.
I'M SCOTTISH TOO IF I RECLAIM, FORMER IN CHARGE HERE, [INAUDIBLE], THEY MARRIED ONLY WOMEN.
MANY FAMILIES WHO ARE ARE IN FRONT OF YOU ALL, HALF [INAUDIBLE].
I THINK THAT HISTORY, IS SO IMPORTANT AS WE GET HUNG UP ON ONE WORD DOING A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT FOR ME MAY CONTRADICT PURPOSE OF A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, BUT WHAT ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE THAT CAME FIRST? WHAT ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE THAT IF IT DISAPPEARS, WE CEASE TO EXIST THAT RELATIONSHIP.
FOR ME, THIS IS IMPORTANT TO HELP OTHERS UNDERSTAND THAT WE STILL HOLD ON TO THAT RELATIONSHIP.
WE STILL FIGHT FOR THE EXISTENCE OF THE SPIRIT OF THE RIVER THAT IS IMPORTANT TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, EVERY ONE OF US AND THE FUTURE GENERATIONS.
WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHO CAN TAKE THE MOST WATER AND CONSUME THE MOST AND WHATEVER, BUT REALLY IN THE END THAT RELATIONSHIP AND OUR UNDERSTANDING AND OUR PHILOSOPHIES, CONTRADICT A LITTLE BIT.
BUT I THINK IT'S FOR US TO COME TOGETHER BECAUSE FEW GENERATIONS FROM NOW THE TRAJECTORY WE'RE ON, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RE-EVALUATE WHERE WE'RE AT.
I THINK EAST COAST, SOUTH CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA, IT'S ALL SHOWING US EXACTLY THE INEVITABLE FUTURE IF WE CONTINUE WITH
[00:55:01]
THE PHILOSOPHIES AND STRUCTURE OF POST-MAKING AND HOW WE GROW.FOR ME, I THINK IS REALLY INTO THIS AND I'LL ASK TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ON HISTORY.
FOR ME THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH EVERYTHING THAT IS, AND THEN OUR RELATIONSHIP, AGAIN, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE WEREN'T IN BATTLE WITH EACH OTHER, HISTORICALLY, EVERY SINGLE DAY FIGHTING AMONGST ONE ANOTHER, WE WERE FRIENDS.
AS YOU MAY RELY ON MY PEOPLE AND MY FAMILY IN THE TRAINING PROCESS TO HUNT, TO TRACK, TO FISH, TO FEED THE HUDSON BAY HUNTERS WHO CAME FROM KENTUCKY.
[INAUDIBLE]. THAT HISTORY IS IMPORTANT, AND IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT THAT IT'S NOT TAUGHT.
IT'S OUR SYSTEM, IT'S THE STRUCTURE OF A SYSTEM THAT FAILS TO TEACH TRUE HISTORY AND MAYBE ON THAT ONE WORK AND THE LEGALITIES OF IT.
BUT I APPRECIATE THIS TEAM AND THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE IT'S OUR LEGALISTIC APPROACH TO BUILDING RELATIONSHIP, NOW LEGALISTIC APPROACH TO TOTAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
FOR ME, WHAT'S MISSING IS SOMETHING THAT IS SO IMPORTANT TO US AND THAT'S EVERYTHING THAT THE CREATOR CREATED, AND WE WERE THEN LAST.
IN MY OPINION, THAT NEEDS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED TOO, LAND NEEDS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED, WATER NEEDS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED, FISH.
EVERYTHING THAT WAS HERE BEFORE US AND THAT BELONGS AND DOESN'T NEED THE SEA TO BE REPLANTED WHEN THE LAND DOES.
IT'S ALL GOING EXTINCT AND THAT'S A CONCERN.
LEADING INTO THIS CONVERSATION OF HISTORY, FOR ME THAT'S CRITICAL, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT LANGUAGE.
WHEN WE COME TO THE TABLE IN 1855, AGAIN, TWO SERVANTS, ONE IN THE [INAUDIBLE], AND WE ENTERED INTO THIS MARRIAGE, OUR PHILOSOPHIES WERE DIFFERENT, THEY CLASH.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE SIX GENERATIONS AGO TO WITNESS WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN OUR WORLD, COMPLETELY TURNED UPSIDE DOWN AND ALL WE KNEW SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME IS CHANGING BEFORE OUR EYES.
WE'RE HERE RIGHT NOW, 60 DECADES LATER, AT THE TABLE HAVING A CONVERSATION, SO I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
IT GIVES ME HOPE THAT MY GRANDFATHER WHO SERVED FOR 30 YEARS FOR THE LAND THIS IS A GREAT [INAUDIBLE], BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION AS FRIENDS, AS FAMILY.
I CONSIDER A LOT OF YOU FAMILY, MANY OF YOU NON-TRIBALS, FAMILY, FRIENDS AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
THE TREATY WAS NEGOTIATED IN [INAUDIBLE], AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS USED AS A TRADING LANGUAGE.
YES WE CAN SPEAK MULTIPLE LANGUAGES BECAUSE WE TRAVELED MANY PLACES AND SPOKE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
BUT THAT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE COMING TOGETHER WITH THE SERVANTS WHO'S COMING IN TO DEVELOP AND MOVING WEST.
WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR COURT CASES STARTED IN 1895 FINALIZED, I BELIEVE, 1905 WITH THE LAST ONE I HEARD IS THE LONGEST BEEN TO SUPREME COURT EIGHT TIMES FIGHTING FOR EVERYTHING THAT IS NOT JUST US, BUT THE FUTURE GENERATION, IS TYPICALLY WHERE A COURT CASE IS POINTING TO.
STARTING IN COURT CASES BACK THEN AND THEN LATER, THE LAND CLAIMS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE LAND, AND THE REASON WE'RE HERE TODAY, I THINK ONE MUST INVESTIGATE HISTORY AND THAT'S NOT MY JOB, AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S LANI'S JOB.
BUT LAND IS HISTORY THERE WILL BE UNITED STATES, IS THERE.
IT'S ON THE RECORD AND IT'S NOT MY OR THE CHAIRMAN'S OR ANY OF OUR CITIZENS WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION TO CONVINCE ANYBODY OF THE TRUE HISTORY AND THAT'S NOT WHY I'M HERE.
BUT YOU CAN RESEARCH CHAPTER 110.
YOU CAN LOOK AT THE TESTIMONY OR THE OLD ONES, LAND CLAIMS, I BELIEVE IT WAS FINALIZED IN 1971 AND THE TESTIMONY OF THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE RESERVATION WAS AT THE TIME OF THE SIGNING OF A TREATY IN 1855, AND THEN RATIFIED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1859 AND THEN THE SHRINKING OF THAT RESERVATION, STARTING AT THE PLACE OF BEGINNING.
THE PLACE OF OUR BEGINNING [INAUDIBLE] TO WHAT IS NOW KNOWN AS THE CITY OF FERNDALE,
[01:00:03]
NORTHWEST ROAD IN MAIN STREET WHEN THE CEMETERY IS GOING TO LARSON'S MIDDLE AT LAKE WALKER AND THEN GOING FROM LAKE WALKER, LARSON'S MIDDLE TO A PLACE CALLED CHUCKING A ROCK.THEN FROM CHUCKING A ROCK TO A PLACE CALLED COTTAGE ISLAND ON THE ISLAND.
THEN BACK UP TO THE PLACES IT BEGUN.
THIS TAKES LOOKING AT PROGRAM.
IF IT'S A BIG LEGAL CONCERN, I GET IT.
I GET LOOKING, BUT FOR ME, THIS IS A LOT TO GET HANG UP ON WHEN ACKNOWLEDGING SOMETHING GOOD, SOMETHING THAT BRINGS US TOGETHER, SOMETHING GROWS THE RELATIONSHIP FOR THE FUTURE.
THERE'S SO MUCH SHARE IN HISTORY IN LEGAL DOCUMENTS AND FOR LONG USE, THE VERY FIRST RESOLUTION WE ASKED THE GOVERNMENT EVERY SINGLE YEAR REJECTING MONEY FROM THE LATIN QUEENS COMMISSION ACKNOWLEDGING EXACTLY WHAT WAS TO SHARE.
WE DID NOT TAKE THE MONEY AND IN THAT COURT CLAIM SENATE, IT IDENTIFIES SO MUCH.
IT'S WORTH TAKING A LOOK AT AND IF THERE IS A HANGING UP ON THE WORK.
BUT THIS CONVERSATION ISN'T NECESSARILY SURPRISING AND I THINK IT'S GOOD.
I THINK IT OPENS THE DOOR TO MORE CONVERSATION AND THIS IS GOOD.
BEING HUNG UP ON AN ENGLISH WORD IS GOOD, BECAUSE IT ALLOWS US TO OPEN THAT DOOR GROW, IN MY OPINION, THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT.
WE FACE STILL TODAY MANY CHALLENGES.
THE CHAIRMAN'S VISITING, AND I WANT TO CORRECT HIM FOR WHAT HE STATED EARLIER ABOUT CHAIRMAN RICE, MYSELF AND LEXIS, WE'RE ACTUALLY RECOVERING COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE FORMER CHAIR.
[LAUGHTER] THAT'S WHY THERE SO BLACK RIGHT NOW, THEIR CHANGING ANOTHER FIVE YEARS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH MORE IN LEADERSHIP IN A NATION AND SO MUCH RESPONSIBILITY FROM ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPMENT TO GOVERNMENT AND REGIONAL, STATE AND NATIONAL.
I'M HONORED TO BE HERE IN PRESENT AND PART OF THIS CONVERSATION, IF I OFFER A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT ON OUR HISTORY, BUT I JUST WANTED TO STRESS THAT WHAT WE HEAR HERE, WHAT WE SHARE HERE, AND AS IT RELATES TO THE HISTORY, 10/15 MINUTES DOES NOT DO HISTORY JUSTICE HERE.
OUR HISTORY IS AWESOME ACTUALLY.
WE MAY HAVE A SMALL WINDOW WHERE COURT CASES STIRRED UP SOME RACISM AND ANGER AMONGST TWO, BUT WE ARE REALLY NEIGHBORS; REALLY WE'RE FAMILY OR FRIENDS, WE'RE AT WORK.
ONE THING I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, GROWING UP, UNDERSTANDING NOW IS HOW CAN ONE LEAVE THEIR PLACE OF BEGINNING? HOW CAN ONE ABANDON; THAT'S NOT A FAIR WORD BUT LEAVE THEIR ANCESTORS AND LEAVE THEIR HOMELANDS AND COME TO MY OLD WORLD AND REPLACE IT WITH A NEW WORLD.
I UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BETTER NOW, BUT WE ARE A PEOPLE WHO ARE ONLY SIX GENERATIONS REMOVED FROM A WORLD OF PROFESSION; A WORLD OF A LIE.
EVERYTHING HAS A SPIRIT AND A SONG AND JUST RICH CONNECTION.
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW AND OUR GRANDFATHERS AND LEADERSHIP WERE.
WE WANT TO HOLD ON TO THAT RELATIONSHIP AND ACKNOWLEDGE EACH OTHERS PHILOSOPHY AND BUILD A RELATIONSHIP GOING INTO THE FUTURE.
THAT IS MY HOPE AND I'M NOT GOING TO GIVE ADVICE ON WHETHER THE PEOPLE WORK OUT OR REWRITE THE WHOLE THING BECAUSE OF ONE WORD, THAT'S REALLY CLEAR.
I'M PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE'RE HERE TODAY HAVING THIS CONVERSATION, SITTING AMONGST ONE ANOTHER, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE NATION AND FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT GIVES ME HOPE AND OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS HOPE THAT WE'RE GOING TO GROW TOGETHER, GROW STRONGER TOGETHER, BUILD A RELATIONSHIP TOGETHER.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE LANDING ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND PROTOCOLS FOR USING IT.
[01:05:04]
I DON'T SEE ANY RULES WRITTEN ANYWHERE OR WHO'S SUPPOSED TO SAY IT OR WHERE ITS SUPPOSED TO BE SAID.I KNOW, IT'S AT THE OPENINGS AND PUBLIC KEYS, BUT YOU FOR EXAMPLE MENTIONED THAT IT'S INSULTING FOR YOU TO READ IT.
BUT WHO IS MEANT TO BE ANYWHERE WHEN THE PURPOSE OF CHOOSING A SPECIFIC PERSON TO DELIVER AS OPPOSED SOMEBODY ELSE? WHO'S ALLOWED TO SAY IT AND WHO ISN'T? LET ME EXPLAIN.
COLLIN HERE USUALLY READS LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS MOST OF OUR MEETINGS AND WHEN SHE WAS GONE, IT WAS LATE, I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN I SAID, YOU KNOW, THEY DIDN'T REALLY READ IT AND JESSE OFFERED TO DO IT.
BUT I WAS TOLD SHE COULDN'T BECAUSE APPARENTLY HER ANCESTRY INTERFERED WITH HER ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO REED.
THIS PUZZLES ME, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE REASONING IS.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ANYBODY WOULD BE INSULTED READING IT, AND HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS.
>> A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS FOR A NON-INDIGENOUS PERSON TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LAND IN WHICH WE'RE DOING BUSINESS.
FOR ME, TO READ THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO THE NAIL ACKNOWLEDGE THIS LAND I'M ON.
I DON'T NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT.
I'M FROM IT, WE'RE FROM THIS PLACE.
WHAT WE DO AS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, WE WILL WELCOME YOU TO OUR LAND AND THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT WHERE NON-INDIGENOUS PERSON ACKNOWLEDGES THE LAND IN WHICH YOU'RE SEEING ANY WHICH ARE RESIDING IN WHICH YOU DO BUSINESS.
AN INDIGENOUS PERSON, LATINS PERSON OR PERSON OF THIS PLACE, WE WELCOME PEOPLE.
ACKNOWLEDGE, SO JAZZY, AN INDIGENOUS PERSON HAS ANCESTRAL TIES TO THIS PLACE.
SHE WOULDN'T ACKNOWLEDGED THE LAND BECAUSE SHE ALREADY OWNS.
SOMEBODY THAT IS VISITING THIS PLACE IS GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE FOR HER.
SHE WOULD WELCOME YOU TO THIS PLACE.
>> I JUST SAID, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A REALLY A QUESTION FOR ME.
THAT'S PROBABLY A QUESTION FOR ALL.
>> I THINK THAT'S BEEN THE GROWTH AND THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE AS A DISTRICT HAVE COME AND WE WRESTLED IT, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY MADE MISTAKES WHERE WE PUT EITHER AN INDIGENOUS STUDENTS OR A TEACHER OR A COMMUNITY MEMBER, IN A SPACE WHERE WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO IT AND THEN IT'S OUR JOB TO CORRECT ONE ANOTHER.
WE HAD IT HAPPENED THIS YEAR AT AN ASSEMBLY AND IT WAS A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT STAFF TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE INSTRUCTOR REALLY SHOULDN'T DENY READING IT.
IT COULD HAVE WELCOMED AS TO THAT TIME AND JAZZY ACTUALLY, SHE AND I PROCESS THAT AFTERWARDS AND SHE'S NOT HERE, SO I'LL PARAPHRASE THAT AND PAUL AND I WAS ENGAGED IN THAT.
THEY HAVE LEARNED THAT ALONG THE WAY AND SO ON AND ON WAS THAT HE WOULD READ.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WE HAD ASKED PAUL NOT TO KNOW.
HE JUST KNOWS AND JAZZY AND NOTICE THAT SHE COULD SAY, WELCOME, THAT SHE WOULDN'T ACTUALLY RADIATE AUGMENTED.
TONIGHT I ASKED LINDA TO READ IT.
THAT'S PART OF THE TEACHING, SO WHEN I LOOK TOWARDS YOUR TEACHERS THAT ARE HERE AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING IN THE CLASSROOMS.
>> AS FAR AS GOING FORWARD, THERE'S NO PARTICULAR REASON THAT IS OUR STUDENTS SCHOOL OR WHENEVER THAT READS IT.
>> IT'S JUST THAT WAS WHAT ESTABLISHED.
>> THEN IN REFERENCE TO WHEN AND WHERE, THAT'S REALLY YOUR PROTOCOL DECIDED WHEN AND WHERE.
DOES THE DISTRICT DECIDED SOMETHING THAT YOU USE AT EVERY ASSEMBLY? ONCE A YEAR, AT EVERY BOARD MEETING, AT EVERY TIME YOU DO THE FLAGSTONE, YOU ALSO DO LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
THOSE ARE THE PROTOCOLS THAT THE DISTRICT HAS TO DECIDE, WHEN IS IT ALL OKAY TO USE THEM.
WHENEVER YOU WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LAND THAT YOU'RE ON.
>> I THINK SHE'S SPEAKING AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER OUTSIDE OF MY SCHOOLWORK ROOM.
I HAVE USED IT AS A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE LEVY NATION FOR PUTTING
[01:10:02]
TOGETHER THE WORDS THAT ARE TRUTHFUL FOR THE COMMUNITY TO USE.BECAUSE I WENT TO USE ONE ANOTHER EVENT THAT I POSTED, I HAD A LOT OF APPREHENSION ABOUT WHAT DO I SAY; I DON'T WANT TO OFFEND.
AT THE TIME CANES WILSON WAS ON THE BOARD, SO I WAS ASKING HER QUESTIONS ON IT AND SHE GAVE ME SOME GUIDANCE AND CALLS ME A LITTLE BIT UNDERSTAND OR FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER ABOUT DOING IT THAT HAVING A LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED BY ELIMINATION THAT IS TRUTHFUL, GIVE ME SO MUCH MORE CONFIDENT, WHEN I SAY THAT I DID NOT SPREADING MORE AND THE TRUTH UNINTENTIONALLY THANK YOU.
>> NEXT ONE I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE DR. LISA, IT'S IRONIC THAT HER SCHOOL NAME IS DR.
TOMLIN AND THEN HER ANCESTRAL NAME IS DR. THOMAS NOT DR. LISA.
SHE'S MY BIG SISTER. SHE'S GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING ELEVATING THE SCHOOL AND HOW WE MIGHT CONSIDER SOME WAY TO LEARN.
>> I WANT TO THANK THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR INVITING US HERE TODAY, AND I WANT TO THANK MY SISTER FOR THE INVITATION AS WELL AND FOR ORGANIZING THIS AGENDA SO THAT WE CAN ALL BE HERE TOGETHER.
THOSE THREE OR FOUR PRESENTATIONS ARE GOING TO BE REALLY HARD TO FOLLOW, BUT I'M GOING TO TRY MY BEST.
AGAIN MY TRADITIONAL NAME IS DR. LISA AND I WAS GIVEN THAT NAME WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD BY MY MOTHER.
IT CONNECTS ME TO MY LINEAGE [INAUDIBLE] AND IT CONNECTS ME TO OUR BELIEFS, LINEAGE THAT YOU SAW A PICTURE OF ON OUR AUNT WHO PASSED AWAY A FEW YEARS AGO AND HE WAS OUR HEREDITARY CHIEF.
THAT NAME IS ABOUT 10 GENERATIONS BACK IN OUR HISTORY AND IT IS TIED TO A LOT OF FAMILIES.
WHEN I WAS GIVEN THAT NAME WHEN I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD, MY MOTHER DECIDED THAT WE WERE OLD ENOUGH TO LEARN THAT HISTORY BEFORE THEY STOOD US OUT ON THE FLOOR TO REPRESENT US, AS ART WITH THESE NEW IDENTITIES.
FOR US THE GENEALOGY AND THE FAMILY HISTORY ISN'T JUST A CHART AND NAMES, BUT IT'S REAL CONNECTIONS TO PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, SOME OF THEM THAT WE KNOW AND SOME OF THEM WE HAVE KNOWN THEM IN OUR LIFETIME, BUT THERE'S STILL A PART OF US THAT THEY STILL MAKE UP WHO YOU ARE TODAY.
I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD LEARNING ALL OF THAT REALLY LONG HISTORY OF WHO I AM AS A LOVELY PERSON.
THAT REALLY SHAPED MY IDENTITY AND COMING TO MEET WITH MY PEOPLE AND MY PLACE.
I WENT ON TO EARN A DOCTORATE IN 2018 FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS IN THE EDUCATION DIVISION AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES PROGRAM.
I DON'T NECESSARILY SAY THIS A LOT, ESPECIALLY OUT IN PUBLIC, BUT I DROPPED OUT OF FOR NO SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I DID NOT GRADUATE WITH MY CLASS.
I WAS SUPPOSED TO GRADUATE IN 2002.
THERE WERE SEVERAL REASONS FOR THAT.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS THAT I'VE RE-ENGAGED IN SCHOOL AND DECIDED THAT I WAS GOING TO PURSUE THIS AND BECAME PASSIONATE ABOUT EDUCATION AND REALLY LEARNED THE TECHNICAL SKILLS THAT I NEEDED TO IN ORDER TO SUCCEED AT SCHOOL, WAS BECAUSE OF THE PLACE-BASED CURRICULUM THAT I WAS LEARNING NORTHWEST UNION COLLEGE.
THAT IS WHERE MY PASSION FOR INDIGENOUS EDUCATION CAME FROM.
REPAINTING MY ORIGINAL IDENTITY;
[01:15:03]
THE ONE THAT I WAS INTRODUCED TO WHEN I WAS SO YOUNG, WAS HARD TO RETAIN WHILE I WAS IN THESE ROOMS HERE.THAT'S THE HARD THING TO SAY FOR ME, BUT IT IS TRUE.
I WOULD SIT IN CLASSES DURING NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY AND IT'S WAITING FOR A CONNECTION, WAITING FOR A MOMENT THAT CURRICULUM CONNECTED ME TO SOMETHING WITHIN MY OWN COMMUNITY; SOMETHING THAT I WAS ALSO LEARNING OUTSIDE OF THAT ROOM AND THAT CONNECTION NEVER HAPPENED WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL.
LET ME MENTION TODAY, I'M IN A POSITION WHERE I CAN PROVIDE THE NECESSARY SKILLS THAT OUR STUDENTS NEED.
THE SKILLS THAT WASHINGTON STATE HAS DEFINED AS THE STANDARD FOR SUCCESSFUL STUDENTS.
BUT ALSO I CAN BRING IN CURRICULUM THAT'S RELEVANT TO THEM.
THEY GO TO AMMUNITION SCHOOL AND IT'S RIGHT DOWN THE HILL FROM WHERE THEY'RE SPENDING THEIR ENTIRE SUMMERS OUT CLUBBING AND FISHING.
IT'S RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD FROM WHERE THEY SPEND THEIR ENTIRE SUMMER ALONG THE WATER VIEW PLANE.
THAT'S THEIR CONNECTION, THAT'S THEIR HOME.
OUR GOAL IN THE LUMMI EDUCATION DIVISION IS TO BRING FORWARD THE SKILLS THAT STUDENTS NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN WHATEVER PATHWAY THEY GO, BUT ALSO TO RETAIN THEIR ORIGINAL IDENTITY, WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT TO US.
I BELIEVE THIS TIME THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD IS ALLOWING US TO TAKE HERE TONIGHT IS A REALLY GOOD FIRST STEP IN THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IN THE FUTURE.
EVEN THOUGH DR. QUINN ISN'T HERE I REALLY WANT TO THANK HER FOR THE WORK THAT SHE PUT FORWARD.
I WAS PART OF THE CONSULTATION PROCESS AND SAW THE AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT WERE PUT IN TO CREATING A GOOD PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LUMMI NATION.
AT THE TIME THE SCHOOL BOARD ACKNOWLEDGED THE HISTORY BETWEEN THE LUMMI NATION AND THE FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN THAT GREAT, AND THERE ARE STILL UNDERLYING TENTIONS IN THAT RELATIONSHIP.
WHEN THIS INITIATIVE WAS BROUGHT FORWARD, THAT PARTNERSHIP AND THAT RELATIONSHIP STARTED TO REBUILD AGAIN.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR AGAIN, LISTENING TO US, FOR CREATING THE TIME ON THE AGENDA, AND YES I THINK THAT'S IT. THANK YOU.
>> SURE. NEXT ON OUR AGENDA IS LAKE WALKER, WHO'S ALSO A FERNDALE RESIDENT.
WE INVITED HIM TO TELL HIS STORY ABOUT, I BELIEVE ABOUT THE FERNDALE.
HE SAID HIM AND JAKE HAVE BECOME GREAT BUDDIES AND THROUGH HIS TIME OF GROWING AT FERNDALE, HE DID A HISTORY MAJOR, I THINK, FOR THIS CONNECTION WITH JAKE AND LEARNING A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT HIMSELF AND OUR FAMILIES AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY DO HAVE IN COMMON.
WE'VE LOTS OF DIFFERENCES, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF SIMILARITIES, AND SO JAKE.
>> YES, THANKS. [NOISE] THE SAME WAY, I HAVE TO SHARE THIS POINT I GUESS I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE VALUE IS IN TOTAL.
BUT TO BE HONEST, TO ME, THE DISCUSSION OF OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, I JUST RATHER BE AN HONEST PERSON, I THINK IT'S POINTLESS.
[01:20:02]
IF THAT CAN CREATE THAT MUCH OF A DIFFICULTY, THEN WE'RE FURTHER AWAY FROM THE REAL CONVERSATION THAT WE SHOULD BE HAVING IN MY OPINION.WITH ALL DUE RESPECT AS IT RELATES TO THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S WHY I WAS ASKED TO BE HERE TODAY.
[LAUGHTER] IT DOESN'T MATTER A TON TO ME, WHAT THE FINAL OUTCOME OF THAT IS.
I'M SORRY IF THAT OFFENDS ANYBODY BUT THAT'S JUST HOW I FEEL.
I FIGURED HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY.
BUT I GREW UP HERE, BORN AND RAISED HERE, THANKFUL TO GROW UP HERE.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT I EXPERIENCED FROM A YOUNG AGE BECAUSE I PLAYED SPORTS PROBABLY.
BUT I GOT INVITED TO GO OUT, I GOT INVITED TO PLAYING ON THE BASKETBALL TURNS, ME AND JOEL, TWO WHITE GUY FRIENDS PLAYING IN THE GAMES AND THOSE ARE FUN EXPERIENCES.
I WAS SCARED FOR I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I GOT INVITED OUT THERE TO BE ONLINE, AND I THINK ABOUT MY DAD AND, SOME OF THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT HE HAD AND HE HELPED ME TO WALK INTO.
WAS REALLY THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW UP IN A SPACE I WAS NAIVE TO.
IF I'M BEING HONEST, I HAD NO IDEA.
I THINK WHEN YOU'RE A KID YOU DON'T SEE ALL THE THINGS WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UNLESS YOU TELL IT, UNLESS YOU'RE SHOWN IT.
AS A KID, THOSE THINGS DON'T MATTER AS MUCH.
YOU GET TO FUNCTION FOR THE PEOPLE, AND YOU SEE THEM, I THINK PROBABLY A LOT MORE TRUER SENSE THAN WHEN WE SEE EACH OTHER AS WE GROW UP.
I THINK THERE'S A BEAUTY IN THAT, SO THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM OUR CHILDREN.
WATCH OUR CHILDREN INTERACT, WATCH OUR CHILDREN PLAY, AND HOW NORMAL THAT CAN BE FOR THEM, AND HOW NORMAL IT FEELS FOR US AT TIMES.
I'M JUST THANKFUL FOR THAT, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE ONCE TAKEN FOR GRANTED.
JUST BEING ABLE TO GROW UP IN THE COMMUNITY THAT OFFERED THAT.
I'M GOING TO COLLEGE, NOT BECAUSE I WANTED TO GO TO SCHOOL, BUT BECAUSE I WANTED TO PLAY FOOTBALL.
I WOULD NOT HAVE GONE TO COLLEGE IF I WASN'T PLAYING FOOTBALL, AND THAT'S THE TRUTH.
I GOT TO MY SOPHOMORE YEAR, THEY SAID JAKE YOU GOT TO DECLARE [INAUDIBLE] WANT TO DO DIFFERENT MAJORS.
I SAID, WELL, WHAT DO I GET THE MOST CREDITS IN? I SAID A LOT IN HISTORY.
I STARTED TAKING GRADUATE CLASSES IN HISTORY MAJOR AND THEY SAID YOU SURE CANNOT SIT ALONE JUST ON THE HISTORY MAJOR.
I DID ACTUALLY ENJOY HISTORY, SO I HAD THE MOST CREDITS IN IT AT THAT POINT, BUT I DID ENJOY READING AND WRITING, AND THAT'S BASICALLY ALL WE DID IN HISTORY.
ANYWAY, I BEGAN HISTORY MAJOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON.
I WANT TO SAY I PAID A LOT OF ATTENTION IN MY CLASSES, I DID WHAT I HAD TO DO TO SAY ON THE PLAY.
BUT I THINK THAT AS I GOT OLDER, ESPECIALLY AS I TRANSITIONED OUT OF COLLEGE, I GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO BE IN TENNESSEE.
I GOT TO PLAY PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS, AND ONE THING UNIQUE ABOUT PROFESSIONAL ATHLETICS, IS IT CREATES WHAT WE WOULD CALL TODAY, A VERY DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE THAT YOU WORK TOWARDS A COMMON GOAL ALONGSIDE.
I WAS SHARING A LOCKER ROOM, BECAME REALLY GOOD FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE THAT I NEVER WOULD'VE HUNG OUT WITH.
PEOPLE THAT I NEVER WOULD HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH, PEOPLE FROM FAR DIFFERENT PLACES, AND FAR DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES THAN ME, THAN I HAVE GROWING UP HERE.
I THINK THAT ALLOWED ME ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND JUST HOW LITTLE I KNEW.
HOW SINGULAR MY EXPERIENCE WAS, AND MAYBE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULDN'T TAKE FOR GRANTED HAD I NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT I LOVED, THAT I CARED ABOUT.
THAT I GOT TO KNOW, THAT WHEN THEY TOLD ME THINGS, I LISTENED, BECAUSE THEY HAD NO REASON TO LIE, THEY HAD NO REASON TO TELL ME SOMETHING THAT WASN'T TRUE, AND SO THAT WAS A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE.
A COUPLE OF THE ASPECTS OF BEING A HISTORY MAJOR, I THINK DURING MY TIME IN COLLEGE,
[01:25:02]
THE SUBJECT OF AFRICAN SLAVERY CAME INTO CONTEXT, I GUESS IN SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.WHAT YOU'RE LEARNING, HOW YOU'RE LEARNING AND HOW IT'S BEING TAUGHT.
THEN JUST UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WAS NOT THE FULL PICTURE.
HONESTLY, IT FELT LIKE YOU WERE BEING PROTECTED, LIKE PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO PROTECT ME OR THE OTHER STUDENTS IN THE CLASS.
NO MATTER WHAT COLOR THEY WERE, WHAT RACE THEY WERE.
IT FELT LIKE YOU WERE TRYING TO BE PROTECTED AS A STUDENT.
I THINK RIGHT NOW AND SAY, I JUST WONDER HOW CONFUSING THAT MAKES IT WHEN YOU'RE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, YOU'RE HAVING THESE INTERACTIONS AND YOU'RE LEARNING, YOU'RE BEING TAUGHT THIS AND HOW YOU WORK THOSE THINGS OUT.
MAYOR I THINK FOR ME THE REASON THAT I'M THANKFUL TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ASKED TO SHARE THE RELATIONSHIPS.
I'M AN EMOTIONAL PERSON TOO SO, SO SORRY ABOUT THAT.
THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE GET TO SHARE WITH PEOPLE, THOSE ARE THE ONLY THINGS WE HOLD ONTO, ONLY THINGS THAT REALLY HAVE ANY VALUE IN LIFE.
[INAUDIBLE], PIECE OF PAPER, [NOISE] THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WE HAVEN'T SOLVED.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT WE GOT LEFT.
AS WE THINK ABOUT THIS TODAY AND I THINK AS WE THINK ABOUT IT BEING THE BEGINNING OF MANY MORE CONVERSATIONS, IT NEEDS TO BE UNDERSTOOD WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF A RELATIONSHIP, NOT WITHIN LEGAL TERMS. LEGAL TERMS ARE ALWAYS ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET OUT OF IT AND UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU GET OUT OF IT.
I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT A LOT OF MY CURIOSITY TOWARDS THE HISTORY OF THE COLOMBIAN PEOPLE AND A LOT OF THE CONVERSATIONS I'VE GOT TO HAVE WITH JAKE IS STEMMED FROM MY FAITH AS A BELIEVER IN WHO JESUS CHRIST.
IT WAS HARD FOR ME TO START TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE REALITIES IN BOARDING SCHOOLS AND WHAT THEY WERE DONE IN THE NAME OF.
I HAVE A HARD TIME WITH THAT. THAT'S HARD BECAUSE THAT'S NOT THE GUY THAT I KNOW.
THAT HURTS ME, AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY OR HOW SOMEBODY COULD GET TO THAT PLACE OR JUSTIFY THAT.
NOT TO SAY THAT I'M INCAPABLE OF THAT, OR I'M LESS CAPABLE OF ANYBODY, [INAUDIBLE] SO I'M NOT TRYING TO EXALT MYSELF FROM THAT LAW, BUT THOSE ARE HARD THINGS TO RECTIFY AS I LOOK TO MY OWN FAITH.
WHAT WAS THE INTEREST IN LEARNING? IT WAS A CURIOSITY ABOUT WHY WERE THESE THINGS DONE IN THE NAME OF SOMETHING THAT WAS SUCH A MIS-REPRESENTATION OF SOMETHING, THAT MEANS A TON TO ME.
I'LL BE TOTALLY HONEST, MY INITIAL ENGAGEMENT WAS SELFISH ENGAGEMENT.
I SAW THAT I CARE A LOT ABOUT IT, AND I WANTED TO KNOW WHY.
I WANTED TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND FROM A BETTER PERSPECTIVE, HOW COULD YOU GET SO FAR FROM WHO THIS PERSON IS? IT LED TO A WONDERFUL RELATIONSHIP.
YES, I THINK ONE THAT I'M STILL THANKFUL TO BEING AND THANKFUL TO LEARN ANYTHING.
BUT I GUESS I STILL I HAVE TO SAY THAT THAT'S WHERE THE OPPORTUNITY IS, PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN ELECTED, HAD BEEN HIRED, HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED, HAVE DONE CERTAINLY IN OTHER CAPACITIES THAT YOU MAY HAVE RESPECT OR HONOR OR YOU MAY CARRY A VOICE WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
MY EMPLOYMENT WITH JUST TO BE, WHAT WE'RE FIGHTING FOR IS A RELATIONSHIP, WE'RE NOT FIGHTING FOR ANYTHING ELSE AS FAR AS I SEE IT.
FIGHTING FOR A RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEBODY WHO'S AN EQUAL TO YOU, WHO WAS CREATED WITH THE SAME INTENT THAT YOU WERE CREATED WITH AND WITH THE SAME HOPE,
[01:30:06]
WITH THE SAME DESIRE FOR RELATIONSHIP.THEY'RE BEING THE SAME DESIRE FOR RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU ARE.
THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING OF THAT.
HONESTLY FOR, WHATEVER A LOT OF WOMEN WOULD BE PAYING ATTENTION TO ME IN THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
I DON'T KNOW, I FEEL LIKE IT IS A EASY BRIDGE TO START A CONVERSATION, BUT IT'S RARELY THAT, IT DOESN'T FORCE YOU INTO A RELATIONSHIP.
IT DOESN'T TAKE ANYTHING FROM YOU.
I PERCEIVED AS A THREAT, I GUESS TO SOME PEOPLE AND IT'S ONLY A THREAT TO YOU IF YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE A THREAT TO YOU, AND I'LL MAKE THEM THE ONLY WAY YOU EVER CAN OVERCOME UNDERSTAND SOMETHING DIFFERENT IS TO ENGAGE IN THOSE SPACES.
LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I'M NOT PERFECT AT THIS.
I'M STILL LEARNING HOW TO USE MYSELF TO SAY THAT, AND THIS WOULD BE A LIE, TO SAY THAT I HAVEN'T HAD FEARS AS IT RELATES TO COMMUNICATION WITH PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT TOPICS THAT HAVE CULTURALLY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS THAT I KNEW, THAT I'LL BE IN MY TEAM COMPLETELY.
DEFINITELY, THERE'S, APPREHENSION, AND HESITATION IN MY HEART AS I DO AS WELL.
I'M STILL LEARNING WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
MY ENCOURAGEMENT WOULD BE FOLLOWING WHATEVER THAT IS IN YOUR LIFE THAT ALLOWS YOU THE COURAGE TO STEP INTO THOSE SPACES.
THAT'S WHERE PERFORMANCE OF LIFE CAN BE EXPRESSED. THANK YOU.
>> NEXT ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE MS. LINCOLN SIMON WHO TEACH 7TH GRADE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND WE'RE HERE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR [INAUDIBLE].
>> THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
>> WE START THE YEAR ALWAYS DURING THE DANGER OF THE SINGLE STORY, AND IF WE TEACH HISTORY FROM ONE PERSPECTIVE, WHICH IS YOU DON'T GIVE THE FULL PICTURE AND I THINK THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS IMPORTANT.
I DON'T THINK HONESTLY THAT WE SHOULD ASK TO BE CHANGED.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT OPENS THE DOOR.
SPI REQUIRES, AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR THAT IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT CHILDREN IN WASHINGTON STATE HAVE INDIGENOUS STUDIES AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH LOGAN AND FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL DISTRICT GIVES CHILDREN AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE.
I'M LEARNING SO MUCH ABOUT ANCIENT HISTORY, BUT I DO KNOW THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT I DON'T SHARE, I THINK THAT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE SHARE THEIR HISTORY FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW IMPORTANT I THINK IS TO KEEP THAT RELATIONSHIP AND WE HONOR AS EDUCATORS.
WHAT OUR UNDERSTANDING IS SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL AS DIRECTED IS THAT IT IS DIRECTING US TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, THAT CURRICULUM IT'S APPROVED BY ALL 29 FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED TRIBES IN WASHINGTON STATE, AND IT FEELS LIKE, AGAIN, THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS JUST LIKE THE VERY BASEMENT LEVEL OF WHAT YOU CAN DO TO OPEN UP THE SPACE TO START BUILDING THAT RELATIONSHIP, AND I WOULD LIKE TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT JAKE SAID, I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE TELLING ANYONE PLEASE LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS KIDS, RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE REALLY ARE GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME FOLLOWING ALL THIS FROM THE HEART, TRULY WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING JAKE WITH A SPACE WHERE YOU HAVE KIDS COMING FROM ALL DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR CLASSROOMS, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR CLASSROOMS CONTAINS KIDS FROM ALL OVER THE HILL, AND SO WE'RE ALL LEARNING TOGETHER.
WE'RE ALL IN THAT SPACE TOGETHER, ALL OF US.
BUT I THINK IT'S DISINGENUOUS TO PRETEND LIKE OUR LEARNING STUDENTS ARE INDIGENOUS STUDENTS DON'T COME WITH IT, WITH A LOT OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE HISTORIC DIFFICULTIES IN LEARNING IN VIRTUAL SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO CALL THAT OUT AND TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT,
[01:35:05]
AND I THINK THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS SOMETHING THAT OUR SYSTEM CAN SAY TO THE KIDS THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS RELATIONSHIP IS IMPORTANT AND WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR LEARNING STUDENTS HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE, A DIFFERENT PLACE IN THIS SYSTEM, AND WE WILL TREASURE YOU.I THINK IT JUST NEEDS TO BE SAID A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
WHEN I STARTED TEACHING MY FIRST-YEAR IN FERNDALE, JAKE AND I ARE JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT BEFORE WE GOT STARTED MY FIRST YEAR TEACHING IN FERNDALE JAKE WAS A 7TH GRADER HORIZON AND WE WERE ALL VISITING HORIZON WE WERE ALL PACKED INTO THE VISITOR BUILDING NEAR HORIZON THAT GOT BUILT, SO HORIZON MOVED PARTWAY THROUGH THE SCHOOL YEAR, SO IF YOU CAN IMAGINE IT'S BEEN HORIZON ON THAT SAME BUILDING TOGETHER.
IT WAS PACKED. I WASN'T TEACHING IN WASHINGTON STATE DISTRICT THAT YEAR.
I THINK I STARTED TEACHING AFTER THE 2005 LEGISLATION THAT MANDATED, SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL CURRICULUM.
I LOOKED INTO THE HISTORY JUST FROM WHAT I HAD BEEN THERE, HOW WE'VE CHANGED THE WAY WE TEACH.
WE'VE CHANGED FROM THAT CHAPTER 2 APPROACH WHERE, HERE'S OUR CHAPTER ON COASTAL IN PLATEAU TRIBES, AD NOW THAT'S IT, AND NOW WE MOVE ON TO CLINICAL HISTORY ESSENTIALLY.
WE'VE REALLY CHANGED THAT APPROACH OVER MY YEARS, AND WE'RE STILL LEARNING.
WE'VE LEARNED TIME AND I HAVE TO BE HONEST THAT HEATHER HAS BEEN A HUGE PART IN HELPING US BUILD THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD TO ALLOW, I'M LOOKING AT OUR FORMER CHAIRMAN, YOU WERE CHAIRMAN, JULIUS.
YOU CAME AND TALKED TO US WITH HEREDITARY CHIEF AND HE TALKED TO US ABOUT TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY, AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL AND ADVANCE FOR OUR STUDENTS TO LEARN ABOUT TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY FROM A NATIONAL LEADER WHO LIVED IT.
WHEN JOHN SOLOMON WAS CHAIRMAN, HE TALKED TO OUR STUDENTS ABOUT TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY.
THEY LEARNED FROM NATIONAL LEADERS.
I'M HOPING THAT YOU CAN SCHEDULE A MEETING [LAUGHTER] TO COME TALK TO OUR STUDENTS ABOUT SOVEREIGNTY, BECAUSE EVERY YEAR WE HAVE A NEW GROUP OF STUDENTS.
I REALLY HAVE TO BRING IT BACK TO OUR STUDENTS WHO HELPED US LEARN, AND I THINK THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THOSE WORDS BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THOSE KIDS LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU NEED TO LEARN.
BUT WITHOUT MAKING THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE TO DO THE LABOR.
THESE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO LEARN, IF YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE ONE OF MY STUDENTS, BUT I DON'T WANT TO BURDEN TO BE ON THEM TO HAVE TO TEACH ME, BUT THAT'S LEARNING TOGETHER, BUT I'VE GOT TO DO SOME WORK.
ALL THIS SAYS, LOOKING AT CHAPTER 2, WHOSE WE? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT B IN THIS TEXTBOOK, IT REALLY IS B.
I ASKED ALL OF MY STUDENTS WHAT THEY THOUGHT, THEY'RE ALL IN ONE YOUTH COUNCIL RATE, RIGHT NOW IS CERTAINLY AND I ASKED THEM WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION, WHAT I NEEDED TO SAY, AND ONE OF THEM, I CAN'T CALL HER BY NAME BUT I CAN SHARE HER WORDS.
SHE SAID, ''WHEN I HEAR YOU TELL THE TRUTH.
IT HELPS ME TELL THE TRUTH." I NEED YOU TO BE ABLE TO TELL THE TRUTH FIRST AND THEN I CAN DO IT, AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE POWER OF THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS WHEN WE START AS ADULTS AND WHEN I SAY WE, I MEAN ADULTS IN THE FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHEN WE TELL THE TRUTH, OUR KIDS WILL DO THAT TOO. THAT'S FINAL.
>> AS LONG AS POSSIBLE [LAUGHTER].I REMEMBER BEFORE I GET TO SIT AT THE TABLE, I MADE A STATEMENT ABOUT EDUCATION AND THE FACT THAT YOU CAN'T CHANGE CONTENT WITHOUT THE FAVOR AREA BECAUSE THE IDEA OF CHANGING CONTENT IMPLIES THAT THERE'S SOMETHING IN THERE THAT YOU DON'T WANT.
AND I THINK THAT WAS THE BIGGEST THING FOR ME, IS THAT I WAS TRYING TO PROCESS WHAT THIS CONVERSATIONS WAS GOING TO BE ABOUT. TIME AGO.
AND SOME OF INFORMATION THAT REALLY STUCK OUT TO ME THAT MS. [INAUDIBLE]
[01:40:04]
SAID THAT ALTHOUGH WE PARTNER THOUGH WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE DIFFERENCE TO THEIRS, IS DISINGENUOUS TO WANT TO CHANGE SOMETHING BECAUSE IT MAKES PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE AND THAT'S JUST PART OF THE PROCESS AS A PART OF BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, BE UNCOMFORTABLE.BUT I THINK FROM A STUDENT'S PERSPECTIVE, I AM A MENTOR FOR AN ISSUE IN CLASS.
AND I SEE A MARK WHERE I CANNOT SEE FOR THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE WAS I THERE IS A CLEAR DISCONNECT BETWEEN HOW A LOT OF THE YOUNGER KIDS ACCOMMODATE, HOW SOMETHING ABOUT HOW SOMEBODY IS CLEAR AS DAY TO ME AND AGREE.
AND I THINK IT'D BE REALLY HANDY CLASS, WE'LL BE DOING ASSIGNMENTS.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE NICE THINGS FOR YOU, THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DIAGNOSTIC AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I HEARD.
APPLYING THIS FINAL SAY TOO, IS THAT THIS IS THE BEAR. WE CAN DO.
AND I THINK AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING MORE THAT I HAPPEN TO KNOW, I SUPPOSE FOR ME HAVE MOURNING DIARY AND THIS IS BASICALLY A TIME-SPACE.
ARE ALIVE THE LUNGS STUDENTS TO PERFORM.
AND JUST, JUST TO, JUST TO HAVE FUN DOING THIS.
AND INITIALLY CELEBRATION WAS HIM.
AND THEN AFTER THE FIRST THING HAPPENED, IT HAD GOTTEN REMOVED.
AND THAT MAYBE IT MADE ME HE DID.
AND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, ALSO IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT THOSE DESERVES, NO CASES OF SPACE AND, AND EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT WAS NEVER BUILT FOR THEM.
AND THEN EDUCATION SYSTEM HAS HISTORICALLY DONE.
AND I WANTED TO HAVE A SPACE FOR 10 MIN, THAT WAS THEIRS.
AND THEN IT JUST WASN'T THERE ANYMORE.
THAT'S JUST SOME OF THE THINGS I'VE SEEN WHERE WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE ACCURACY, MAKING SURE YOU TROUBLE ACCEPTING THE DIVERSITY.
DESERVES SPACE. AT THE BEGINNING.
ZOMBIES, IMPORTANT PLACE FOR THEM TO FEEL HEARD.
AND I THINK IT COMES FROM THE LAB.
>> AND TURN IT OVER TO DR. [INAUDIBLE] PER QUESTION TO YOU?
>> YEAH. BEFORE WE DO QUESTION AND ANSWERS.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH AND EAT TONIGHT.
THE PURPOSE OF TONIGHT IS TO CREATE A SPACE, TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WITNESSED AND EXPERIENCED.
I WAS INCREDIBLY MOVED FIVE DAYS STEROIDS.
BUT ONE THING I KEEP THINKING ABOUT TOMORROW, I'M GOING TO SHARE OUT THE RESULTS OF MY ENTRY PLAN, WHAT I'VE LEARNED SINCE JOINING THE DISTRICT JUST FROM THE SCENE, LEARNING NOT NOT MY WORDS, BUT THE DOORS FOR OUR STUDENTS.
WHAT THE NUMBERS AND OUR DATA SAYS, THE WORDS OF OUR STAFF AND FAMILIES, COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
[01:45:06]
AND LAURA'S TALKS ABOUT THE STORY, THE GREAT FLOOD.AND HE SAID IT BETTER THAN ANYTHING.
I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIGURE OUT THE QUESTION EVERY SINGLE PERSON HAS ASKED IS, WHAT DO OUR KIDS NEED TODAY? AND WHAT WILL WE PUT IN OUR SHOULDERS CANOES? AND THEN ASK THE QUESTION WE ALL NEED TO BE ASKING.
AND I SAT RELEASE TODAY WHERE STAFF IS TIRED.
THEY'RE HOLDING THE PAIN OF STUDENTS FOR MANY REASONS.
AND I THINK HE'S SHOWING HOW TO ASK THAT QUESTION.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT US BEING UNITED WHEN I READ DATA THAT ONLY 32% OF OUR STUDENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR FELT SENSE OF CONNECTION.
THE QUESTION REALLY ASKING IT WHAT MORE YOU NEED TO DO TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS.
AND SO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT AND BEGINNING THE CONVERSATION OF WHICH I HOPE DOES NOT STOP HERE BECAUSE IT'S HAPPENING EVERY SINGLE DAY IN OUR SCHOOL.
SO THAT IS JUST REALLY GREATLY APPRECIATE THIS EVENING AND I DO WANT TO BE SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO ASK QUESTIONS, BUT IT WAS A REFLECTION AS HAVING EDEMA OF REPRESSION.
>> QUESTIONS FROM ANY OF OUR GUESTS OR THOSE HERE?
I JUST TURNED 50, 70 YEARS OLD.
THIS GOES OUT TO ALL ENERGY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOLS WHERE I'M IN CALIFORNIA.
WHEN I THINK BACK TO LEARNING ABOUT INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THAT WERE IN CALIFORNIA BEFORE MY FAMILY WAS THERE, BEFORE MY FAMILIES GRANDPARENTS AND SUCH WHERE I HONESTLY CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING.
I CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING THAT WAS DONE.
LAST NOVEMBER [INAUDIBLE] WAS THE CONFERENCE.
ONE OF THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS WAS A GENTLEMAN FROM A TRIBE IN CALIFORNIA.
IT'D BEGAN THE M. I KNOW HE TOLD US THAT DURING THE HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA IN HIS TRIBE GOT DOWN TO 26 PEOPLE.
TWELVE YEAR [INAUDIBLE] THAT HADN'T BEEN CALIFORNIA. IT WAS BORING.
THEY WERE LESS HORRIBLE THINGS DONE TO THE PEOPLE THERE.
I LEARNED THAT WHEN I WAS 49, LAST FALL.
I'M SURE I COULD GOOGLE IT AND FIGURE OUT AND IN FREE LEARNING, SUCH BUT I HEARD THAT STORY ONCE.
EVEN WITH THIS, SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL OR DOING THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT OR OPENING UP THOSE CONVERSATIONS FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN THINGS.
THEY NEED TO BE PRESENTED THE INFORMATION OVER AND OVER AGAIN, NOT ONCE WITHIN 49.
WELL, WHEN A COMMENT AS FAR AS THE LIGHTING TOMORROW ACKNOWLEDGMENT IS A GREAT WAY TO OPEN UP THAT STORY SO THAT WE CAN LEARN ABOUT PLACE THAT WE ALL CALL HOME FROM BEFORE WE ARE HERE FOR WHEN YOUR ANCESTORS WERE HERE, AND FROM EVEN BEFORE THAT.
AS AN ADULT THOUGH, WHO'S NOT IN THE FORM OF SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND MAYBE FOR ADULTS WHO DON'T COME FOR A VERY LONG, BUT JUST OUR COMMUNITY.
WHAT CAN OUR COMMUNITY AS ADULTS LEARN? HOW CAN WE LEARN ABOUT THIS SPACE?
>> I THINK, RELATIONSHIP IS ONE THING.
YOU MENTIONED IN CALIFORNIA AND AS YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT, I FEEL THE PAIN FOR PEOPLE AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WHO, IS NOT FAIR TO MY FAMILY TO SAY HEADED ROUGHER THAN WE DID, BUT THE RELATIONSHIP WE HAVE FOR EXAMPLE WITH HUDSON BAY TO TRADING AND THE CHALLENGE TO SURVIVE HERE CREATED A NEW RELATIONSHIP, BUT I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA FOR SOME TIME AND ESTABLISH TRADE RELATIONSHIPS.
[01:50:05]
ONE THING THAT SINKS WITH ME IS ARE YOU READY FOR THE TRUTH.ARE YOU REALLY, ARE WE PREPARED BECAUSE WE'VE SKIRTED AROUND IT? OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM FAILS TO TEACH TRUE HISTORY.
WHEN WE GO BACK TO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, STATE THAT ALLOCATED $1.5 BILLION FOR BODY PARTS TRYING TO EARN A GIRL CALLED RUSHING ON IT.
ARE YOU READY TO LEARN SOME HISTORY THAT IS NOT TAUGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE THAT COMES TO MIND FOR FRIENDS WHO GREW UP WITH THAT AND OUR SURVIVORS IN CALIFORNIA WHO I'M STILL VERY CLOSE TO IT, CONSIDER THE FAN.
I THINK FOR ALL OF US, IT'S NOT TO POINT THE FINGER.
NONE OF YOU CAN TAKE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT TOOK PLACE ON THE PAST.
NONE OF YOU, AND I'M NOT HERE TO POINT THE FINGER OR JUDGE BASED ON PAST, BUT AS WE LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, HOW CAN WE DO THAT IN GOOD WAY? THE TRUTH IS IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T TELL THE TRUTH, IF YOU HAVE A NATIONALITY OR RACE OF PEOPLE WHO STILL STRUGGLE WITH THE PAINS AND DEALING WITH THINGS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WHAT WOULD THE TRUTH SHED LIGHT ON? HOW WOULD IT CHANGE THE WAY WE FEEL AS WE WALK TO THE SCHOOLS AT FERNDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IF AND HOW IT HAS SHAPED THE FUTURE RELATIONSHIPS AND OF ALL OF US.
BUT I THINK, RELATIONSHIP, IT IS IMPORTANT AND THIS IS A START.
HOW DO WE COME TOGETHER AND WORK ON ESTABLISHING, STRENGTHENING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER? BECAUSE AS YOU GET TO KNOW US, I'M NOT SURE IF RECESSION HAS BEEN [LAUGHTER] KNOWN FOR 50 YEARS.
I'M KIDDING [LAUGHTER]. IN CASE PLAYED SPORTS TOGETHER. I THINK SPORTS.
WE HAD A LOT IN COMMON, AND SPORTS TYPICALLY, GO TO PAGE PRINTING SYSTEM.
>> I DIDN'T HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING DIFFERENT IN THE SPORTS BECAUSE [INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER].
>> [BACKGROUND] YOU DO A LOT OF TALKING..
>> I THINK WHEN THE COMMUNITY IS READY, WHEN THEY ANSWER THAT QUESTION OF OURSELVES LIVING IN WHERE WE'RE READY TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, IT IS BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
I MENTIONED IT AT THE BEGINNING, ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND IT SHOULD BE EASY.
ACKNOWLEDGING EACH OTHER AS HUMAN BEINGS THAT ARE WALKING THIS TOGETHER.
THEN WHEN WE ARE READY TO LEARN THE TRUE HISTORY, JUST COMING ALONG ANYTIME.
I THINK MOST PEOPLE LEARN IS THAT WE'RE VERY HOSPITABLE AND ALLOWING PEOPLE.
WE JUST ASKED FOR A GOOD HEART.
I THINK THAT'S WHY SOME RELATIONSHIPS ARE VERY SUCCESSFUL, BECAUSE WHEN WE FOLLOW OUR CREATOR, WHEN WE FOLLOW THE GOD, IT'S ALWAYS WITH THE GOOD HEART.
THAT'S THE PROBABLY THE BEST WAY WE HAVE EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AT ELIMINATION.
WE'D LOVE TO HAVE THE DISTRICT AND ANYBODY WHO'S INTERESTED, ANYBODY THAT SHARES IN WHAT YOU'RE THINKING WHEN TO COME AND BE WITH US.
COME AND SEE WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
I DO THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT WE ARE MORE ALIKE THAN WE ARE DIFFERENT.
>> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
BEING BUT I DON'T HAVE TO SPORTS RELATIONSHIPS.
IN FACT, I THINK THIS LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND TALKING TO THESE CONVERSATIONS, MAYBE THE WAY EVERYTHING IS HARD, DELEGATE RELATIONSHIPS THAT [INAUDIBLE].
>> I WOULD ENCOURAGE TO TURN, TO INVITE ALL OF YOU TO THE FIRST SENTENCE AND SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE SINCE FOR A LONG TIME, LONG BEFORE WE KNEW COMMUNISTS ARRIVED.
BUT THE BEST PLACE FOR THEM TO COME TOGETHER AND YOU GET AN UNDERSTANDING, RESPECT OR RELATIONSHIP WAS CENTERED AND HONOR.
PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE STATE TO JOIN US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON.
HER TEACHER LEAVES, AND ON BEHALF OF THE ELIMINATION, CONNECTED TO INVITE ALL AT THE FIRST [INAUDIBLE]. [LAUGHTER]
>> WE UNDERSTAND PEOPLE AND THE HEALTH AND
[01:55:06]
WELL-BEING OF THE SALMON IS ANATOMY DOWN TO THEIR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING US AND YOU HEARD A CRAZY STORY, BOARDING STORY ABOUT THE GREAT FLOOD OF THE GORGEOUS STORIES AS WELL.EVERY YEAR TAKE TIME TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATE ALL THAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US AND SAYING BEING AT THE VERY CENTER OR HOW WE APPLY IT, WE ALWAYS TAKE TIME TO SAY THANK YOU.
INSTEAD, CONNECTION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY TO NOT JUST EACH OTHER, BUT TO THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING THAT TAKES CARE OF US AT THE END OF THE DAY.
AS IT'S MAY 18TH, [INAUDIBLE] MISSION SCHOOL.
WE ARE ALL WELCOMED TO BE THERE.
BLEND THAT OUT WITH A PACK OR YOUR SPORTS ISSUES BECAUSE THAT'S NOT MY PART.
I'M PROBABLY GOING TO BE THE ONLY PERSON IN THE ROOM, YOU KNOW, MENTIONED THIS.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT MAY HAVE NOT DESIRED EFFECT.
AND SOME PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, UM, BECAUSE IT'S A CONTROVERSIAL WORD.
AND THAT'S MY CONCERN IS THAT I THINK HE DRIVES AWAY WHEN LIKE THAT.
THE FACT THAT YOU SAID THAT YOU DON'T HAVE LOSSES REVIEW LAST VARIATIONS, YOU HAVE YOUR LEGAL TEAM LOOK AT IT.
THAT SAYS THAT THERE IS SOMETHING FUNDAMENTAL ABOUT IT.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE THE DISTRICTS LOOK AT IT THROUGH THIS THING.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY EVER EVER GO TO.
THAT MEDIATION AND A LADY LOVE TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH A LOBBYIST? I MENTIONED BEFORE.
WE HAVE THE TRIBAL MEMBERS IS NOT MOMMY.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US BE HERE.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US PRESENT.
THAT ACTUALLY HURTS ME BECAUSE GIVEN THAT YOU JUST SHOW UP, YOU GO ALONG.
I MEAN, THIS IS A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN IT.
IT WANTS ALL OF US, YOU KNOW, SEARCHES AND ACHY FOR LAY HERE.
AND I DON'T EVEN NEED THIS CONVERSATION AWKWARD.
BUT THE IDEA IS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO OPEN AND AWKWARD CONVERSATIONS.
AND SORT OF JUST BEING HONEST ABOUT WHAT I SEE AS THE DRAWBACKS TO THE PROCESS.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IF SOMEONE'S REALLY PROBABLY HAVE DEEPER MEANING, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENTLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT? SOMEONE SOMEBODY ELSE MAY PROCEED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
BUT I FEEL LIKE JUST COMING AT IT FROM AS A NEW BOARD MEMBER IMMEDIATELY AFTER IT WAS ADOPTED AND WATCHING THE WAY AND INITIATE THIS APPROVED, FELT LIKE IT WASN'T THE MOST CAREFULLY CONSIDERED.
ANYBODY HAD TAKEN A LITTLE BIT LONGER TIMELINE, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE ACCEPTANCE OF IT.
SO I JUST SEE MORE SAY ON THIS, THE FUTURE.
SO I GUESS I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE HERE BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY HOW I FEEL.
I WANT TO ASK YOU TO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF WHAT YOU'RE JUST SAYING.
THE EXPECTATION IS YOU SHOULD JUST FEEL LIKE WE BELONG HERE.
AND BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD, THE DISPLACEMENT TO COMMUNITIES, YOU'RE SAYING THAT WITH GOOD INTENT AND NOT UNDERSTANDING OR NOT.
AND I THINK THAT A BASS, WHAT IT DOES IS IT GIVES US THE SPACE TO TALK ABOUT FINISHING RIGHT NOW.
IT GIVES US THE SPACE TO SAY, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE HERE.
BECAUSE THAT IS THAT IS HOW YOU FEEL IT MOST TIME HOW OFTEN?
[02:00:03]
OUR SHOULDER, BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF TRUE HISTORY IN THIS PLACE.YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE THAT COMES FROM.
IT'S NOT COMING FROM HE HURTFUL OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, RIGHT.
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND.
A DIFFERENT CONNECTION TO THIS.
AND WHEN A B, INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT MEETING WE HAVEN'T DEALT ESSENCE IS COMING TO A PLACE WHERE WE DON'T HAVE CONNECTION IN THE SENSE THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE CONNECTION WITH IT.
I HAVE A DARKER TO BE THIS AND MR. PARAGRAPH WHEN WE WERE GOING OVER OVER CAMPAIGN AND YOU'VE ALONG HERE.
MY ANSWER IS, I DON'T BELONG HERE.
I DON'T WANT IT HOME. CULTURE.
AND MY FAMILY. I EARNED MY WAY HERE.
I WENT TO SCHOOL AND OR CAR ALONG HERE AND ASK SENSE.
BUT WHEN YOU ASKED ME TO SAY I BELONG HERE, ERGO, MY CULTURE AND MY NAME, WHICH IS THROUGH A WHOLE DIFFERENT LENS AND SENDS IT ALONG YOUR EYE, ALONG TO THIS PLACE.
AND IN A SENSE THAT JS SAID, WE HAVE THAT RELATIONSHIP.
MAY I ASK FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND OPEN TO WHAT YOU'RE FEELING, WHAT YOU'RE PRESENTING ON THINGS THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS WORK, IT GIVES US A SPACE TO TALK ABOUT.
IT, NECESSITATES THAT RELATIONSHIP.
IT GIVES US, IT GIVES US THAT UNDERSTANDING TODAY.
BECAUSE THE THING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ASK THEM ANY LAYER OR ANY PLACE, THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
WE'RE HERE TO ASK FOR MACHINES TO LEARN ABOUT PEOPLE.
WELL, TAKE AND WRAP THINGS UP.
I THANKING HER FOR HER WORK IN ORGANIZING THIS.
SHE'S LEFT AND LAWRENCE. THANK DJ.
KAREN BLAIR, AND QIJ PAINTING OR YOU CAN GAIN FOR ALL OF THIS.
I HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE LATE SHE STOLE MY THUNDER WHEN SHE MENTIONED, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD TONIGHT RESONATE WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT? YOU ARE EATING THEIR BOAT, WHETHER IT'S THE ROAD AT KAYAK, YOU, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING ONLY TO LOOK AT IS OUT THERE AND THEY'RE ALL SUDDENLY SAID THAT.
BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE IS TO SCHOOLWORK AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE IS COMMUNITY.
YOU WANT TO SUPPORT OUR KIDS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE TOOLS THEY NEED.
NOT ONLY SURVIVE BUT THRIVE IN THESE CONVERSATIONS HELP US BECAUSE WE CAN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER.
WE CAN LEARN HER PERSPECTIVES.
WE ALL COME FROM DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES AND THOSE DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES SHAPED AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING AND WHAT'S NOT.
HOGAN, KT THIS AND CONTINUE THE CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO ON, STANDING HERE AND GO AHEAD AND COLOR ON EACH TURN.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.