On a crisp fall day, overlooking the Salish Sea, our CAF Seattle members gathered with other community volunteers outside the Daybreak Star Cultural Center, a beacon of Indigenous culture and resilience in Seattle.

With gratitude to the Na’ah Illahee Fund for sponsoring the event, we engaged in a deeply meaningful act: planting hundreds of camas bulbs by a serene lake where they never should have left. These bulbs will bring beauty, nurture wildlife, and feed people as they grow.

The Daybreak Star Cultural Center, established after a historic occupation and protest by Native Americans, stands as a testament to the enduring spirit and cultural revival of Indigenous peoples. It’s a place where history’s wounds are acknowledged and healing processes are embraced, an inspiration for the resilience we aspire to in our environmental work.

Each bulb we carefully set into the earth was another investment in healing, and nurturing our land and indigenous neighbors. It is slow work, just like healing our environment and climate. We cannot be attached to knowing which will grow and bloom and spread, but we proceed knowing that it is time to plant as many bulbs as possible.

This activity, sponsored by the Na’ah Illahee Fund, an Indigenous women-led organization, was a step towards restoring access to traditional foods and re-establishing food sovereignty for Native communities. By planting camas, once a staple in the diets of Indigenous peoples and lost to settler colonialism, we were partaking in an act of environmental justice and cultural restoration. 

Na’ah Illahee Fund : Restoring Access to Traditional Foods

Consider supporting them here.

The Daybreak Star Cultural Center, through this and many other initiatives, continues to be a space for community, learning, resilience, and celebration. We can support their community by exploring their upcoming event:

Native Art Market from December 15-17, 2023.

We encourage you to visit, experience the rich artistry, and support local Indigenous artists. 

At Climate Action Families, we understand that the journey towards environmental sustainability is intertwined with cultural and community resilience. We hold onto the lessons from that day – knowing that every small act of care and restoration contributes to a larger movement of healing and change.