Quotes That Inspire Us

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, our staff members share quotes that inspire them and explain why they’re special to them.

Shared by Shelley Vendiola (Swinomish/Visayan), Indigenous Ecology Program Manager, Na’ah Illahee Fund.

Shelley shared a quote about the power of Indigenous stories:

“If Coyote with mismatched eyes had spent time with the Sto’:lo and Coast Salish Elders, he would have learned that to see clearly from the eye of the oral tradition, he needed to understand the cultural ways that stories were told and taught to children, that storytellers not only learned stories from master storytellers but also by being connected to land, that stories can become a teacher, and that we can live life through stories.” ~ Jo-ann Archibald, Q’um Q’um Xiiem, 2008, Indigenous Storywork

Shelley’s reflections: As an Elder, teacher, educator, and advocate within my own community, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, I have used this concept to guide my work in developing curriculum by and about who we are as a people connected to the Skagit River and the Salish Sea. And to remember the gift of stories and teachings, sayings like “when the tide is out, the table is set,” as iconic and valuable to understand who we are as a people connected to place. An example of metaphoric teaching is the story pole that is situated in the center of our village. Each iconic image carved into the pole represents a story or medicine about who we are as a people. Our Elders have also instructed us to “never forget who you are [as swadabs – Swinomish]. This story pole then becomes a historic marker embodying our beliefs, origin stories, medicine, and relatives—animal helpers that continue to guide our way of life. ~ Shelly Vendiola, Swinomish/Visayan (2023)

Shared by Aaron Clark E’lip Tilikum Land Conservancy Director, Na’ah Illahee Fund.

Aaron shared a quote from Billy Frank Jr:

“I don’t believe in magic. I believe in the sun and the stars, the water, the tides, the floods, the owls, the hawks flying, the river running, the wind talking. They’re measurements. They tell us how healthy things are. How healthy we are. Because we and they are the same. That’s what I believe in. Those who learn to listen to the world that sustains them can hear the message brought forth by the salmon.” ~ Billy Frank Jr. (Nisqually)

Aaron’s reflections: I chose this quote from Billy Frank Jr. (Nisqually) because, along with his direct actions of resistance and restoration, these words lay bare the insidiousness of colonization. You can fight for years to have the colonizer held accountable to their own promises within their own legal systems, and they will still take what isn’t theirs away from you another way (by depleting the salmon to nothing and then saying, oh sure you can have half of this nothing just like we promised). Mr. Frank knew clearly that the work of healing and decolonizing is relentless work on all fronts. And he fought on all those fronts with love for the living world because he understood how profoundly connected all of its parts are to one another. As a non-native visitor in this region, Mr. Frank’s words somehow always resounded to me as an invitation to work together for this beautiful place and all its inhabitants and that has inspired and influenced my work to heal the connected land, air, waters, and relatives. Read More

Shared by Melissa Watkinson-Schutten (Chickasaw & Choctaw) Deputy Executive Director, Na’ah Illahee Fund