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October 22, 2025

Thank like a Native- Reciprocity in the Kinship Economy

As we enter the season of giving, we’re reminded that generosity is more than a gesture — it’s a practice of reciprocity. Giving that connects us back to the land, to one another, and to the kinship that sustains us.

At Na’ah Illahee Fund, we call this the Kinship Economy — an ecosystem of care where wealth is measured by what we share. Your gifts strengthen Native-led efforts to protect land and water, revitalize food systems, and grow the next generation of Indigenous leaders.

This season, Thank like a Native and give in a good way, knowing that every offering you make flows back through community, culture, and the living world we all depend on.

The Impact of your Gift

At the frontlines of the climate crisis, grassroots groups are the ones leading with innovation, efficiency, and a resourceful spirit that drives real change.

With a $10,000 passthrough grant, the Organized Village of Kake created a range of food security, cultural vitality, workforce development, and land restoration projects on Tlingít Aaní in Southeast Alaska.

This support funded five youth (ages 14–18) employed through the Alaska Youth Steward program. These young stewards harvested and distributed 128 sockeye salmon to Elders, restored fish habitat on a logged creek, and visited the homelands of the Huna Kaawu in Glacier Bay.

Through this experience, Kake’s youth strengthened food security, practiced stewardship, and deepened their relationship with their traditional homelands.

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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!”