We would like to express our sincere gratitude for your unwavering support of the Native Connections Action Group. Your encouragement and commitment have been crucial in helping us work alongside other groups like ours in the region, aligning our goals with Unitarian Universalist values.

With your assistance, we have supported the water protectors at Standing Rock, raised funds to establish and maintain the čičməhán Trail which offers a unique walking, cycling, and driving route in Port Townsend chronicling the history of the S’Klallam people, and established the Chemakum history group to listen to the descendants of the Tribe and counter the inaccuracies in settler history.  Also, every very year, we honor Billy Frank, Jr. near his birthday on March 9th, in recognition of his dedication to Tribal treaty rights, sovereignty, and salmon habitat protection. Soon, we will share more about our project with the Hoh Tribe on the west end of Jefferson County to develop a computer lab for their library.

This work has enabled us to practice our faith, fostering understanding, acceptance, and love in our community, and achieve our goals:

• – Educating Ourselves: We aim to deepen our understanding of the history of Native Peoples in the Olympic Peninsula, Salish Sea, and Pacific Northwest, while acknowledging the lasting impact of colonization.
• – Deepening Respect: We seek to appreciate the rich traditions of Native cultures, including their environmental, spiritual, and social philosophies, and to learn from their wisdom through educational events and cultural experiences.
• – Being in Solidarity: Our goal is to build connections with Native Peoples and raise awareness of critical environmental issues, providing opportunities for activism to protect Mother Earth and all her beings.

Thank you for being a vital part of our efforts. Together, we continue to make strides toward justice and equity and pluralism with understanding, respect, and solidarity. Native Connections has a reciprocal relationship with QUUF. We keep pledging because you support our faith-based calling.

With gratitude,
Jo Blair and Maria Mendes
Native Connections Action Group