We Are on Native Land
Roots of Resilience operates from the community of Chimacum, located in rural Jefferson County on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington state. We occupy the unjustly colonized lands that are the traditional and contemporary territories of the S’Klallam (Nəxʷsƛ̕áy̕əm̕) and the Chemakum (Aqokúlo or Čə́məq̓əm), and we are committed to the continued education and action that upholds and honors the Indigenous experience, past and present. As we deepen our awareness, we grow to understand our responsibilities as settlers and migrants on this land and commit to the work of respectful and humble relationship.
Learn more about this history of this region here, and check out some of the Indigenous-led projects we support below!
Learn more about this history of this region here, and check out some of the Indigenous-led projects we support below!
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"From 1910 to 2019 in Chemakum Territory, it was illegal to own or build a Longhouse. We are looking forward to building one and I think our ancestors have been waiting. "
-Naiome Dawn Krienke (organizer of the Longhouse For the People Project) 11.5 Acres has been purchased for the building of the Longhouse, but additional volunteers, funds and materials are needed. Visit their website to learn how you can support this amazing project! |
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Text by Rosalee Walz. Photograph by Brian Goodman.
"In history books, the Chemakum people have been described as extinct. Yet descendants of the Chemakum hold a yearly gathering and, in the summer of 2021, a group I helped start was invited to photograph them. We set up an outdoor studio in a park in Chimacum, Washington—named after the tribe—and Brian Goodman created this remarkable set of portraits. " |