DONATE | Subscribe

DONATE | Subscribe

December 6, 2023

PAIYA-TUMTUM – Fire In Our Hearts

It’s that good feeling–when we come together to care for one another.
When each of us hold a piece of the fire (paiya) in our hearts (tumtum).

When we lead with our values of mutual respect, reciprocity, and commitment to caring for all our relatives, we know a better world is possible. We are at our best when we act on the fire in our hearts. We call this feeling paiya-tumtum (in the Chinuk Wawa language). In coming together to care for one another, we each hold a piece of the fire (paiya) in our hearts (tumtum).

Our programs that support Native-led community-based solutions rely on sustained contributions. We invite you to show the fire in your heart—your paiya-tumtum, by making a monthly donation today. Your ongoing gift, of any amount, is a catalyst for long-lasting impact. With your sustained support, you ensure that Na’ah Illahee Fund continues to be responsive to community needs, versatile in our programs, and work towards our long-term vision of a regenerative and equitable world.

Your gift is your paiya-tumtum in action. Together, we stoke the fire of our futures.

Read our 2020-23 Impact Report here

Join us in this sacred work in our Circle of Giving! Please donate here

* Chinuk Wawa ‘Chinook Talk’ or Chinook Jargon: Chinuk Wawa (also known as Jargon and Chinook Jargon) is a hybrid lingua franca consisting of simplified Chinookan, combined with contributions from Nuuchahnulth (Nootkan), Canadian French, English, and other languages. It originated on the lower Columbia River, where it once was the predominant medium of intertribal and interethnic communication. Read More

#GiveNative #NativeLed #NativeNonprofits

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!”