Liabilities / Assets
58th percentile
Tied with the lowest-debt nonprofits in its peer group.
990EZ • Fiscal year 2023 • EIN 81-0924820
Precomputed percentiles for this filing year versus similar nonprofits in the same peer cohort.
Liabilities / Assets
58th percentile
Tied with the lowest-debt nonprofits in its peer group.
Liabilities / Revenue
59th percentile
Tied with the lowest-debt nonprofits in its peer group.
Net Margin
93rd percentile
Higher net margin than 93% of similar nonprofits.
Top Officer Pay
84th percentile
Higher top officer pay than 84% of similar nonprofits.
Top officer pay equals 11.9% of source-year revenue.
Asset Growth
90th percentile
Faster asset growth than 90% of similar nonprofits.
Revenue Growth
34th percentile
Faster revenue growth than 34% of similar nonprofits.
Assets
Up$185,822
Up $85,496 (+85%) from 2022
Net Assets
Up$185,822
Up $85,496 (+85%) from 2022
Liabilities
Flat$0
Flat from 2022
Revenue
Down$134,811
Down $14,230 (-9.5%) from 2022
Expenses
Down$49,315
Down $110,964 (-69%) from 2022
Net Income
Up$85,496
Up $96,734 (+861%) from 2022
Indigenous-led non-profit committed to promoting ancestral knowledge and practices for the protection and revitalization of the the waters, culture, life, and sacred sites of the Salish Sea.
Indigenous-led non-profit committed to promoting ancestral knowledge and practices for the protection and revitalization of the waters, culture, life and sacred sites of the Salish Sea.
| Description | Grants | Expenses |
|---|---|---|
| Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut: Bringing Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut (Tokitae/Lolita) out of captivity and back home to the Salish Sea continued to be our big project this year. We came so close! The qwe'lhol'mechen (orca) Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut was held captive at Miami Seaquarium for over 50 years, despite consistent animal rights/welfare protests. Back in 2017, Lummi Nation was called to bring her home to the Salish Sea. Those of us at Sacred Lands Conservancy first worked for her homecoming at the Sovereignty and Treaty Protection Office of Lummi Nation; when that Office was closed in 2020, we continued the work (as part of our larger Xw'ullemy Campaign) as the non-profit Sacred Lands Conservancy. Each year saw progress in the work to bring our relation home. 2023 was a monumental year. This was the year that Miami Seaquarium said "yes" to working with us and bringing her home. Our previous call for an independent health assessment saw that assessment done, and her health care improved. We were working with Miami Seaquarium/The Dolphin Company, the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, the philanthropists Pritam Singh and the non-profit he founded (Friends of Toki), the philanthropist Jim Irsay, the Whale Sanctuary Project, Earth Law Center, and had the support of countless engaged individuals as well as other non-profits. The Operational Plan that we had commissioned was being put into effect, and the search for a site for Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut's sanctuary in the Salish Sea was underway. The last bit of business that we had to take care of was getting governmental approval from Lummi Nation to build a sanctuary in our "usual and accustomed" Treaty-protected fishing territory. This approval came through in July. In August, Sk'ali'Ch'elh-tenaut suddenly and unexpectedly died.Our work then shifted to bringing her remains home to be honored in a traditional way, and so that she could be returned to the waters from which we came. Our President Tah-Mahs (Ellie Kinley) and Vice President Squil-le-he-le (Raynell Morris), in collaboration with Lummi Nation, then Miami Seaquarium, and Friends of Toki, were able to bring her ashes home from Georgia. A very small, private, sacred ceremony saw her remains returned to the Salish Sea. A more public ceremony was planned, but the opioid/fentanyl crisis at Lummi Nation resulted in so many deaths the week that Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut's ceremony was to be held that her ceremony was cancelled. Lummi elders felt that the necessary work had been done in the private ceremony, and it was time now to let her go.This was a hard year, but we can see how much good came from the work. One reason that our work was successful was because Lummi has a kinship, cultural, and spiritual connection to the Southern Resident Killer Whales. Our call to bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut home was a call for family reunification, for healing. Our call was not adversarial, it was inclusive. This resonated with people. Our experience is that the notion of tribal sovereignty is now more broadly recognized, and that our Indigenous world view and culture is more broadly respected because of what Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut gave us. Because of the timing of our grants, none of us were paid for hours put into this (or other projects) January-June 2023. | $0 | $10,310 |
| Education: We have written a children's book about Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut. It is called "Our Hearts Beat as One and is bilingual Xwlemi Chosen (Lummi language) and English. The book is illustrated by Lummi artist Jason LaClair. Extensive educational material in the back of the book supports the teaching of Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut's story, as this book will be part of the Since Time Immemorial curriculum mandated by the State of Washington. Bellingham School District is already on board to teach this book. Background material includes information on the Southern Resident Killer Whales and how they connect to the Lummi people, information on the boarding school era, Treaty rights and sovereignty. All of these are important to understanding the Lummi connection to Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut and why it was so important to bring her home. We are hoping that other regional school districts will also use this book in their Since Time Immemorial curricula.In a similar vein, we have been producing the Since Time Immemorial series for Bellingham Alive! magazine. This is an idea that we pitched to the magazine, and it was enthusiastically embraced. Each month, the series profiles someone whose family has been in the area since time immemorial. An hour-long interview is condensed to one page, and the interview subject can change any aspect of the final interview: it is their story, told in their words. The page long written "portrait" is accompanied by a full-page photo portrait on the facing page. Nothing is published without the subject's approval. A two-page spread in a glossy magazine is valuable cultural real estate, and we are pleased to (re)claim this space. The series has been very popular with magazine readers, and we hear it is deeply meaningful to the Lummi community.We continue to produce articles and blog posts for the Mountaineers, a regional non-profit. Recent, current, and forthcoming pieces address land acknowledgments and how to go beyond words into action; what our regional Treaties are, the rights affirmed in the Treaties, and how to uphold them; and Native place names. | $0 | $10,310 |
| Other: Rights of Nature: When we first started working to bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut home, we often thought of the possibility of trying to get her "personhood" recognized. After participating in a year-long workshop funded by Na'ah Illahee and facilitated by Movement Rights, we decided that trying to get the "inherent rights" of the Southern Resident Killer Whales was more strategic. To that end, we drafted a citizens petition that contained language for a Resolution to be passed by the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County Councils. The petition quickly gained hundreds of signatures, notably at an Orca Happy Hour" multi-disciplinary. This event, held at the Crystal Ballroom of the Hotel Leo in Bellingham, was free and open to the public. Estimates are that 200-300 people attended. We invited Lummi storyteller and violinist Swil Kanim, local band soul*drift, and local Choir of the Salish Sea to perform. Songs and stories all related to the orcas. Our President, Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley, spoke about the Lummi cultural and spiritual connection to our Salish Sea Orcas, and about the work that we're doing. The art of Lummi artist Jason LaClair was on display, as was the story pole that he was then working on. We wanted to raise awareness and make connections. A number of representatives from other regional non-profits (i.e. RE Sources for Sustainable Communities, Stand.earth) and elected officials were in attendance as well as concerned citizens.After the Orca Happy Hour, our Citizens Petition traveled to the Gathering of the Eagles canoe journey to gather more signatures. We also set up an online petition. Hundreds of signatures were gathered in a relatively short amount of time and these were presented, along with draft Resolutions that greatly resembled the Citizens Petition, to the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County Councils.While individuals on the governmental Councils have indicated enthusiasm for the Resolutions, they are waiting for Lummi Nation to take action on this front before they do. Lummi Nation has been dealing with other crises and so has not yet been able to attend to this matter. However, we feel good about being part of the movement to mainstream the idea that orcas have inherent rights and must be considered before further industrializing and/or degrading their Salish Sea home. We continue to work with Earth Law Center on bringing forward a State resolution or legislation, or establishing a guardianship protocol and panel.Organizational Infrastructure: We are small, nimble, flexible. We have no sta, but rather pay our board part-time hourly wages. Likewise, we have no office, but work from our homes, remotely. Our overhead costs consist primarily of legal, bookkeeping, accounting, insurance fees, project expenses, and digital overhead (our website, and various accounts like YouTube, Vimeo, Zoom, Otter.ai, etc.). Honoring Fishing and Tribal Fishermen - The Lummi Fishermen's Memorial Statue: So much of what we're trying to do help protect and revitalize the life, waters, and sanctity of the Salish Sea has to do with salmon. We need to honor salmon, educate the public about how sacred salmon are, and how they are a keystone species for the ecosystem that all of us who live in the Salish Sea bioregion. Tribal fishermen know salmon better than anyone else, since they have been in reciprocal relationship with salmon since time immemorial. Lummi people are fishing people, and honoring fishermen lost at sea, blessing the fleet and praying for safe return of all our fishermen, are important.We applied for and received a $20,000 grant to be used in the design and execution of a Lummi Fishermen's Memorial. None of the funds raised to date for this project have yet been spent, as we have not yet commissioned an artist. The creative process, however, is well underway.The mission of the Lummi Fisherman's Memorial is to honor all Lummi fisherman and our Schelangen. For the past six years, Fish Commissioners have been serving salmon dinners at SeaFeast to help fund the memorial. We have currently raised about $26,000. In order to expedite fundraising and execution of this project, we are now fiscally sponsored by the SLC so that contributions are tax-deductible. The Memorial will be a bronze statue permanently placed at Gooseberry Point, as well as a yearly ceremony to bless the fleet, and to honor fishermen who have passed within the last year. The Lummi Fisherman's Memorial will be a life-size bronze sculpture of a traditional Lhaq'temish woman dressed in a cedar cape and cedar hat. She will stand by the shore at Gooseberry Point, facing the setting sun, with her hands raised in hy'shqe. She will watch over the fishermen going out to sea. Around the marble base on which she stands will be inscribed the names of Lummi fishermen lost at sea. Every spring, ceremony will be held at the statue. The hy'shqe woman statue will remind all who see her of the precious nature of the Lummi fishing way of life, the dangers of the sea, the fleetingness of life, and the need to always be grateful to the sea, the salmon, and our culture. The yearly ceremony will allow people to gather in mourning for fishermen who have passed, in gratitude for community and another year of fishing, and in a communal blessing of the Lummi fleet. It will cost about $35,000 for the design and the artist, about $35,000 for the casting, and about $10,000 for the marble base, inscriptions, installation, and miscellaneous costs.While Gooseberry Point, where the memorial will be erected, is Lummi land, it is also where the Lummi island ferry dock is located. Non-tribal islanders and tourists will regularly see the Hy'shqe woman statue looking out to see, and will be gently reminded of salmon, fishermen, and the Native land on which we live, and our responsibilities to this land and these waters.Treaty Rights, fossil fuels, industrialization, and the health of the Salish Sea: The Trans-Mountain pipeline issue has not gone away, and neither has the proposed expansion of the Roberts Bank Terminal up in Canada. These projects are both examples of Canada engaging in activities that adversely affect the vitality of salmon, killer whales, and the entire Salish Sea ecosystem, which, of course, includes Lummi and other people who live here.The Point Elliott Treaty of 1855, to which the United States and various Native nations are party, affirms Native rights to fishing in "usual and accustomed" territory, and implicitly guarantees the existence of fish to be caught. Modern court rulings have affirmed the right of Lummi fishermen to make a "moderate living" from fishing. This year, there will be no sockeye fishing season. That moderate living is not currently possible, because there are not enough fish in the sea. There are not enough fish because of industrialization and climate change.We at the Sacred Lands Conservancy are thinking about how our skill sets might best be put into action to raise public awareness about these issues, and how public awareness might translate into policy. Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut has taught us many things, one of them being that storytelling from an Indigenous perspective, sharing our cultural and spiritual values, is our strength. We will continue to try to change public culture, with the aim of positively affecting public policy. | $0 | $8,592 |
| Media Presence & Relations: We work with media (journalists, writers, filmmakers, podcasters) to help get stories about killer whales, salmon, the Salish Sea, treaty rights, and other pertinent topics out into the world. Storytellers will often contact us for background information, interviews with our board members, and connections to other people who might be helpful. Our President and Vice-President have often appeared in local, regional, and/or national television and radio news and journalistic stories. We've also often provided background information to these outlets. Examples include The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Seattle Times, King 5 News "Facing Race," Indian Country Today, Fox13 News, CrossCut, The Salish Current, Bellingham Alive!, KUOW, KOMO, and many others.In working with filmmakers on two films, one about Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut and the other about salmon, we work with the principles of ongoing consent and reciprocity. Often, when non-Native storytellers have told Native stories, it has essentially been another example of resource extraction, with the story being the resource. By emphasizing ongoing consent and reciprocity, we aim to protect the agency of the subject to whom the story belongs. This means that Tah-Mahs and Squil-le-he-le, in being featured in films, have the right to review the work(s) and the process on an ongoing basis, and to have their concerns respected. They are active agents whose review and approval of their representation in the film, and the overall message of the film, is necessary. | $0 | $5,155 |
| Name | Title | Full / Part Time | Base | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Julie Trimingham | Secretary/Treasurer | PT | $16,065 | - | $16,065 |
| Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley | President | PT | $7,130 | - | $7,130 |
| Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris | Vice President (Former) | PT | $5,000 | - | $5,000 |
| Cyaltsa April Finkbonner | Vice President | - | $0 | - | - |
“Description: Community outreach. Amount: 3,083. Description: Office expense. Amount: 3,623. Description: Travel, meals and entertainment. Amount: 7,373. Description: Insurance. Amount: 1,250. Total to Form 990-EZ, line 16: 15,329.”
This appendix keeps the raw XML leaves available for debugging and edge-case review. The human report above is the primary experience.
| Path | # | Value |
|---|---|---|
| IRS990EZ/ActivitiesNotPreviouslyRptInd | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/BooksInCareOfDetail/BusinessName/BusinessNameLine1Txt | 0 | Jan Bowman and Associates Inc |
| IRS990EZ/BooksInCareOfDetail/PhoneNum | 0 | 3607330956 |
| IRS990EZ/BooksInCareOfDetail/USAddress/AddressLine1Txt | 0 | 2200 Pacific Street |
| IRS990EZ/BooksInCareOfDetail/USAddress/CityNm | 0 | Bellingham |
| IRS990EZ/BooksInCareOfDetail/USAddress/StateAbbreviationCd | 0 | WA |
| IRS990EZ/BooksInCareOfDetail/USAddress/ZIPCd | 0 | 98229 |
| IRS990EZ/CashSavingsAndInvestmentsGrp/BOYAmt | 0 | 100326 |
| IRS990EZ/CashSavingsAndInvestmentsGrp/EOYAmt | 0 | 185822 |
| IRS990EZ/ChgMadeToOrgnzngDocNotRptInd | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/ContributionsGiftsGrantsEtcAmt | 0 | 134811 |
| IRS990EZ/DirectIndirectPltclExpendAmt | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/DonorAdvisedFndsInd | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/EngagedInExcessBenefitTransInd | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/ExcessOrDeficitForYearAmt | 0 | 85496 |
| IRS990EZ/FeesAndOtherPymtToIndCntrctAmt | 0 | 5101 |
| IRS990EZ/FiledScheduleAInd | 0 | 1 |
| IRS990EZ/ForeignFinancialAccountInd | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/ForeignOfficeInd | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/Form990TotalAssetsGrp/BOYAmt | 0 | 100326 |
| IRS990EZ/Form990TotalAssetsGrp/EOYAmt | 0 | 185822 |
| IRS990EZ/GrossReceiptsAmt | 0 | 134811 |
| IRS990EZ/InfoInScheduleOPartIIIInd | 0 | X |
| IRS990EZ/InfoInScheduleOPartIInd | 0 | X |
| IRS990EZ/InfoInScheduleOPartVInd | 0 | X |
| IRS990EZ/LobbyingActivitiesInd | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/MadeLoansToFromOfficersInd | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/MethodOfAccountingCashInd | 0 | X |
| IRS990EZ/NetAssetsOrFundBalancesBOYAmt | 0 | 100326 |
| IRS990EZ/NetAssetsOrFundBalancesEOYAmt | 0 | 185822 |
| IRS990EZ/NetAssetsOrFundBalancesGrp/BOYAmt | 0 | 100326 |
| IRS990EZ/NetAssetsOrFundBalancesGrp/EOYAmt | 0 | 185822 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/AverageHrsPerWkDevotedToPosRt | 0 | 10.00 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/AverageHrsPerWkDevotedToPosRt | 1 | 5.00 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/AverageHrsPerWkDevotedToPosRt | 2 | 0.00 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/AverageHrsPerWkDevotedToPosRt | 3 | 20.00 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/CompensationAmt | 0 | 7130 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/CompensationAmt | 1 | 5000 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/CompensationAmt | 2 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/CompensationAmt | 3 | 16065 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/EmployeeBenefitProgramAmt | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/EmployeeBenefitProgramAmt | 1 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/EmployeeBenefitProgramAmt | 2 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/EmployeeBenefitProgramAmt | 3 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/ExpenseAccountOtherAllwncAmt | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/ExpenseAccountOtherAllwncAmt | 1 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/ExpenseAccountOtherAllwncAmt | 2 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/ExpenseAccountOtherAllwncAmt | 3 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/PersonNm | 0 | Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/PersonNm | 1 | Squil-le-he-le Raynell Morris |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/PersonNm | 2 | Cyaltsa April Finkbonner |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/PersonNm | 3 | Julie Trimingham |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/TitleTxt | 0 | President |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/TitleTxt | 1 | Vice President (Former) |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/TitleTxt | 2 | Vice President |
| IRS990EZ/OfficerDirectorTrusteeEmplGrp/TitleTxt | 3 | Secretary/Treasurer |
| IRS990EZ/OperateHospitalInd | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/Organization501c3Ind | 0 | X |
| IRS990EZ/OrganizationDissolvedEtcInd | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/OrganizationHadUBIInd | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/OtherChangesInNetAssetsAmt | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/OtherExpensesTotalAmt | 0 | 15329 |
| IRS990EZ/PartVIHghstPdCntrctProfSrvcTxt | 0 | NONE |
| IRS990EZ/PartVIOfCompOfHghstPdEmplTxt | 0 | NONE |
| IRS990EZ/PoliticalCampaignActyInd | 0 | 0 |
| IRS990EZ/PrimaryExemptPurposeTxt | 0 | Indigenous-led non-profit committed to promoting ancestral knowledge and practices for the protection and revitalization of the waters, culture, life and sacred sites of the Salish Sea. |
| IRS990EZ/ProgramSrvcAccomplishmentGrp/DescriptionProgramSrvcAccomTxt | 0 | Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut: Bringing Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut (Tokitae/Lolita) out of captivity and back home to the Salish Sea continued to be our big project this year. We came so close! The qwe'lhol'mechen (orca) Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut was held captive at Miami Seaquarium for over 50 years, despite consistent animal rights/welfare protests. Back in 2017, Lummi Nation was called to bring her home to the Salish Sea. Those of us at Sacred Lands Conservancy first worked for her homecoming at the Sovereignty and Treaty Protection Office of Lummi Nation; when that Office was closed in 2020, we continued the work (as part of our larger Xw'ullemy Campaign) as the non-profit Sacred Lands Conservancy. Each year saw progress in the work to bring our relation home. 2023 was a monumental year. This was the year that Miami Seaquarium said "yes" to working with us and bringing her home. Our previous call for an independent health assessment saw that assessment done, and her health care improved. We were working with Miami Seaquarium/The Dolphin Company, the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, the philanthropists Pritam Singh and the non-profit he founded (Friends of Toki), the philanthropist Jim Irsay, the Whale Sanctuary Project, Earth Law Center, and had the support of countless engaged individuals as well as other non-profits. The Operational Plan that we had commissioned was being put into effect, and the search for a site for Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut's sanctuary in the Salish Sea was underway. The last bit of business that we had to take care of was getting governmental approval from Lummi Nation to build a sanctuary in our "usual and accustomed" Treaty-protected fishing territory. This approval came through in July. In August, Sk'ali'Ch'elh-tenaut suddenly and unexpectedly died.Our work then shifted to bringing her remains home to be honored in a traditional way, and so that she could be returned to the waters from which we came. Our President Tah-Mahs (Ellie Kinley) and Vice President Squil-le-he-le (Raynell Morris), in collaboration with Lummi Nation, then Miami Seaquarium, and Friends of Toki, were able to bring her ashes home from Georgia. A very small, private, sacred ceremony saw her remains returned to the Salish Sea. A more public ceremony was planned, but the opioid/fentanyl crisis at Lummi Nation resulted in so many deaths the week that Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut's ceremony was to be held that her ceremony was cancelled. Lummi elders felt that the necessary work had been done in the private ceremony, and it was time now to let her go.This was a hard year, but we can see how much good came from the work. One reason that our work was successful was because Lummi has a kinship, cultural, and spiritual connection to the Southern Resident Killer Whales. Our call to bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut home was a call for family reunification, for healing. Our call was not adversarial, it was inclusive. This resonated with people. Our experience is that the notion of tribal sovereignty is now more broadly recognized, and that our Indigenous world view and culture is more broadly respected because of what Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut gave us. Because of the timing of our grants, none of us were paid for hours put into this (or other projects) January-June 2023. |
| IRS990EZ/ProgramSrvcAccomplishmentGrp/DescriptionProgramSrvcAccomTxt | 1 | Education: We have written a children's book about Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut. It is called "Our Hearts Beat as One and is bilingual Xwlemi Chosen (Lummi language) and English. The book is illustrated by Lummi artist Jason LaClair. Extensive educational material in the back of the book supports the teaching of Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut's story, as this book will be part of the Since Time Immemorial curriculum mandated by the State of Washington. Bellingham School District is already on board to teach this book. Background material includes information on the Southern Resident Killer Whales and how they connect to the Lummi people, information on the boarding school era, Treaty rights and sovereignty. All of these are important to understanding the Lummi connection to Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut and why it was so important to bring her home. We are hoping that other regional school districts will also use this book in their Since Time Immemorial curricula.In a similar vein, we have been producing the Since Time Immemorial series for Bellingham Alive! magazine. This is an idea that we pitched to the magazine, and it was enthusiastically embraced. Each month, the series profiles someone whose family has been in the area since time immemorial. An hour-long interview is condensed to one page, and the interview subject can change any aspect of the final interview: it is their story, told in their words. The page long written "portrait" is accompanied by a full-page photo portrait on the facing page. Nothing is published without the subject's approval. A two-page spread in a glossy magazine is valuable cultural real estate, and we are pleased to (re)claim this space. The series has been very popular with magazine readers, and we hear it is deeply meaningful to the Lummi community.We continue to produce articles and blog posts for the Mountaineers, a regional non-profit. Recent, current, and forthcoming pieces address land acknowledgments and how to go beyond words into action; what our regional Treaties are, the rights affirmed in the Treaties, and how to uphold them; and Native place names. |
| IRS990EZ/ProgramSrvcAccomplishmentGrp/DescriptionProgramSrvcAccomTxt | 2 | Media Presence & Relations: We work with media (journalists, writers, filmmakers, podcasters) to help get stories about killer whales, salmon, the Salish Sea, treaty rights, and other pertinent topics out into the world. Storytellers will often contact us for background information, interviews with our board members, and connections to other people who might be helpful. Our President and Vice-President have often appeared in local, regional, and/or national television and radio news and journalistic stories. We've also often provided background information to these outlets. Examples include The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Seattle Times, King 5 News "Facing Race," Indian Country Today, Fox13 News, CrossCut, The Salish Current, Bellingham Alive!, KUOW, KOMO, and many others.In working with filmmakers on two films, one about Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut and the other about salmon, we work with the principles of ongoing consent and reciprocity. Often, when non-Native storytellers have told Native stories, it has essentially been another example of resource extraction, with the story being the resource. By emphasizing ongoing consent and reciprocity, we aim to protect the agency of the subject to whom the story belongs. This means that Tah-Mahs and Squil-le-he-le, in being featured in films, have the right to review the work(s) and the process on an ongoing basis, and to have their concerns respected. They are active agents whose review and approval of their representation in the film, and the overall message of the film, is necessary. |
| IRS990EZ/ProgramSrvcAccomplishmentGrp/DescriptionProgramSrvcAccomTxt | 3 | Other: Rights of Nature: When we first started working to bring Sk'aliCh'elh-tenaut home, we often thought of the possibility of trying to get her "personhood" recognized. After participating in a year-long workshop funded by Na'ah Illahee and facilitated by Movement Rights, we decided that trying to get the "inherent rights" of the Southern Resident Killer Whales was more strategic. To that end, we drafted a citizens petition that contained language for a Resolution to be passed by the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County Councils. The petition quickly gained hundreds of signatures, notably at an Orca Happy Hour" multi-disciplinary. This event, held at the Crystal Ballroom of the Hotel Leo in Bellingham, was free and open to the public. Estimates are that 200-300 people attended. We invited Lummi storyteller and violinist Swil Kanim, local band soul*drift, and local Choir of the Salish Sea to perform. Songs and stories all related to the orcas. Our President, Tah-Mahs Ellie Kinley, spoke about the Lummi cultural and spiritual connection to our Salish Sea Orcas, and about the work that we're doing. The art of Lummi artist Jason LaClair was on display, as was the story pole that he was then working on. We wanted to raise awareness and make connections. A number of representatives from other regional non-profits (i.e. RE Sources for Sustainable Communities, Stand.earth) and elected officials were in attendance as well as concerned citizens.After the Orca Happy Hour, our Citizens Petition traveled to the Gathering of the Eagles canoe journey to gather more signatures. We also set up an online petition. Hundreds of signatures were gathered in a relatively short amount of time and these were presented, along with draft Resolutions that greatly resembled the Citizens Petition, to the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County Councils.While individuals on the governmental Councils have indicated enthusiasm for the Resolutions, they are waiting for Lummi Nation to take action on this front before they do. Lummi Nation has been dealing with other crises and so has not yet been able to attend to this matter. However, we feel good about being part of the movement to mainstream the idea that orcas have inherent rights and must be considered before further industrializing and/or degrading their Salish Sea home. We continue to work with Earth Law Center on bringing forward a State resolution or legislation, or establishing a guardianship protocol and panel.Organizational Infrastructure: We are small, nimble, flexible. We have no sta, but rather pay our board part-time hourly wages. Likewise, we have no office, but work from our homes, remotely. Our overhead costs consist primarily of legal, bookkeeping, accounting, insurance fees, project expenses, and digital overhead (our website, and various accounts like YouTube, Vimeo, Zoom, Otter.ai, etc.). Honoring Fishing and Tribal Fishermen - The Lummi Fishermen's Memorial Statue: So much of what we're trying to do help protect and revitalize the life, waters, and sanctity of the Salish Sea has to do with salmon. We need to honor salmon, educate the public about how sacred salmon are, and how they are a keystone species for the ecosystem that all of us who live in the Salish Sea bioregion. Tribal fishermen know salmon better than anyone else, since they have been in reciprocal relationship with salmon since time immemorial. Lummi people are fishing people, and honoring fishermen lost at sea, blessing the fleet and praying for safe return of all our fishermen, are important.We applied for and received a $20,000 grant to be used in the design and execution of a Lummi Fishermen's Memorial. None of the funds raised to date for this project have yet been spent, as we have not yet commissioned an artist. The creative process, however, is well underway.The mission of the Lummi Fisherman's Memorial is to honor all Lummi fisherman and our Schelangen. For the past six years, Fish Commissioners have been servin |
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| IRS990ScheduleO/SupplementalInformationDetail/ExplanationTxt | 0 | Description: Community outreach. Amount: 3,083. Description: Office expense. Amount: 3,623. Description: Travel, meals and entertainment. Amount: 7,373. Description: Insurance. Amount: 1,250. Total to Form 990-EZ, line 16: 15,329. |
| IRS990ScheduleO/SupplementalInformationDetail/FormAndLineReferenceDesc | 0 | Form 990-EZ, Part I, Line 16 - Other Expenses |
| TransferPrsnlBnftContractsDecl/DeclarationDesc | 0 | The organization did not, during the year, receive any funds, directly,or indirectly, to pay premiums on a personal benefit contract.The organization, did not, during the year, pay any premiums, directly,or indirectly, on a personal benefit contract. |
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Displayed year
2023 • Form 990EZDetailed filing. Detailed filing data is available for this year.