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February 9, 2023

Let’s Help to End the MWWIP Crisis 2022 Recipient Announcement

American Indian women face murder rates alarmingly higher than the national average.

This violence that is disproportionately perpetrated against highly vulnerable Native women reflects the intersection of domestic assault, sexual assault, trafficking, and many other crimes.

Na’ah Illahee Fund’s Let’s Help to End Gender-Based Violence and MMIWP Grant has provided funding to Indigenous organizations, groups, individuals, and Tribes/First Nations who dedicate time and resources to work on the epidemic of Gender Based Violence and Murdered & Missing Indigenous Women/People (MMIWP) in our Indigenous communities.

This grant opportunity provided financial support to those who bring innovative, collaborative activities to raise awareness and strengthen gender-based violence and MMIWP work.

Amongst our recipients are subject matter experts and trusted messengers to victims and their families–those people who are doing the day-to-day work, located in the Pacific Northwest regions of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, and British Columbia.

We lift up our 2022 grant recipients, our Relatives, with deep gratitude for all they are doing to advocate for women, girls, and two-spirit people’s access to quality, multi-sectoral services essential for their safety, protection, and recovery from acts of violence.

Read About Our 2022 Grant Recipients

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!”