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October 27, 2023

Daybreak Star Community Planting Work Days

Community Forest Restoration Planting Parties

In partnership with United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, and Green Seattle Partnership and Seattle Neighborhoods Na’ah Illahee Fund is kicking off our Community Forest Restoration Planting Parties with “Forest Week at Daybreak Star Cultural Center” Saturday November 4th, 10 am – 3 pm. This is part of the vision to create a Food and Teaching Forest so that Indigenous communities living in Seattle can continue to learn and harvest traditional foods and medicines. Na’ah Illahee Fund’s Youth Trails and Land Restoration Cohort have been working hard this past summer to prepare the land to receive 3,500 plants and medicines to be planted from now through Spring 2024.

We need community to sign up and register to help us welcome and plant these sacred medicines and foods in a good way. We ask folks to come prepared: warm clothes, water bottle, snacks and to bring their best selves to the work. Tools will be provided, but community folks are welcome to bring their own if they have any.

Each planting date has a different sign up link.

Register today for these dates:

Thursday, November 23rd – 10 AM – 3 PM: Click Here
Saturday, November 18th – 10 AM – 3 PM: Click Here
Youth Day! Friday, November 17th – 9 AM – 3 PM: Click Here
Saturday, November 4th: Click Here

Homepage Announcement

Shelly Vendiola

(she/her), Swinomish/Visayan, Community Engagement and Culture Director

Shelly Vendiola, (Swinomish/Visayan) is an enrolled member of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, and Visayan. She has served as an educator, facilitator, activist, and peacemaker/mediator for over 30 years. Shelly co-founded the native Community Engagement and Peacemaking Project and offers consultation in the areas of community engagement and facilitation services including: leadership development, strategic planning, organization mapping, dispute resolution, interest-based negotiations and peacemaking circles throughout the country.

Currently she works as a Community Engagement & Culture Director for the Na’ah Illahee Fund, and serves on the board of the Indigenous Environmental Network and the Skagit YMCA. She continues to work in partnership with the Swinomish Department of Environmental Protection, co-chairs the Protect Mother Earth Subcommittee, and is a member of the Swinomish Health, Education and Social Services Committee. Shelly developed a place-based curriculum about the history and culture of the Swinomish peoples and taught a series of cultural sovereignty courses for over 10 years at the Northwest Indian College – Coast Salish Institute within their Native Studies Leadership Program.

Previously her team provided leadership and consultation for the Lummi Cedar Project – Organized Generations Healthy Lifestyles Program. Ms. Vendiola served as President for the national Indigenous Women’s Network and a Campaign Director for the Indigenous Environmental Network. Shelly received several years of formal dispute resolution training from the Indian Dispute Resolution Services, Inc., and the San Francisco Community Boards Program. She is the recipient of the Native Action Network – Enduring Spirit Award, and a recognized educator and peacemaker in the Northwest region. Shelly has an M.Ed. in Higher Education and practices indigenous pedagogy and indigenous research methodology within all aspects of her work.

Following in her father’s footsteps, Shelly is passionate about gardening. She practices the ancient form of meditation known as Qi Gong for balance, energy, and resiliency, and is a certified Yoga instructor. Her motto is, “There is nothing permanent in the world but change, the key is how we flow with it!”