Land Acknowledgement

Pamoja Place would like to begin by acknowledging that we are here now on the ancestral homelands of Indigenous Peoples who have lived in the Salish Sea basin from time immemorial, with focus to the Salish Coastal Peoples. The Suquamish (soo-kwah-mish), Snohomish (snō-hō-mish), Tulalip ( tuh·lay·luhp), Stillaguamish (still-uh-GWAH-mish), Swinomish (SWIN-ə-mish), and Lushootseed ( upper & lower Skagit tribes). Whidbey Island was known prior to colonial settler arrival by its birth name of “Tscha-kole-chy” (SHA-KOL-CHI) in Lushootseed . The Salish Sea and its lands still knows and greets these peoples as family.

May we be mindful of the inherent owners of this land, our children, who are our future. Our future stewards of the land and advocates for the generation to come. May that truth guide our work and efforts to improve the well-being of all families and children, native and non-native, living in this beautiful county.

This land acknowledgment is not meant to be a substitute for authentic relationship-building and understanding. It is meant to introduce us to one way we can show respect and honor for the sacrifices of the first people of this land. 

Please join us in expressing the deepest respect for our indigenous neighbors, and gratitude for the enduring stewardship of our shared lands and waterways. 

To understand a bit more about the native land here on Whidbey and its paramount indigenous history please visit.

https://www.washingtontribes.org

https://www.native-land.ca