Sunny Notes: 10.14.26 - In the Spirit of Right & Respectful Relations

On Sunday, October 11, BUF welcomed former Chairman of the Lummi Nation and President of the nonprofit Se’Si’Le, Jay Julius, as our honored speaker. During his talk, Jay shared with heartfelt intensity the pain and grief he and other Indigenous Peoples of the Salish Sea experience around the devastation to their ancestral lands, waters, and the more-than-human life that inhabits them.

Jay wrote the Foreword to the book we referenced several times during the service, In the Spirit of Right and Respectful Relations with Salmon Nations (these books are for sale through BUF's Native American Connections Team— see the blurb below in this edition or talk to Beth Brownfield to purchase a copy). He reports that people often ask, "How can I help?" In his words:

Think about what it means to be human. We live in a time of war against the common good. But our people know that the common good is about community, civility, and common human decency. And we know our common destiny depends on understanding what it means to be human in the spirit of right and respectful relations.

On Monday, October 12, I attended the Indigenous Peoples' Day event at Lummi Nation. Not surprisingly, I ran into many BUFsters at the event, including most of our youth group, accompanied by their parents. There was delicious smoked salmon—enough to feed the crowd of hundreds—donated by the Swinomish and Upper Skagit Tribes, and catered by Seawolf Surf N Turf. There were blessings in song by the Lhaqtemish Canoe Family. I even stayed later than planned for part of the Jam Out, where various groups drummed and danced late into the evening.  

The theme of this year's event was "Answering the Call of Our Ancestors," and the majority of the speakers were youth and young adults, including a panel of K-12 students. When asked, "What do you want your elders and non-Indigenous folks to know?" I heard over and over "We want them to know we are still here; our culture is still here; and we are still fighting."

Throughout the event, I had in the back of my mind Jay's words from the Sunday service and the book: "Think about what it means to be human." We are in chaotic and challenging times. But the evening was an opportunity come together in shared humanity, community, and culture—to be reminded of what it means to be human. Thank you to Lummi Nation for making such an event possible and extending the invitation to all, and thank you to BUF's Native American Connections Team for making Sunday's service so meaningful.

In the spirit of right and respectful relations, Rev. Sunny, minister 

On Sunday, October 11, BUF welcomed former Chairman of the Lummi Nation and President of the nonprofit Se’Si’Le, Jay Julius, as our honored speaker. During his talk, Jay shared with heartfelt intensity the pain and grief he and other Indigenous Peoples of the Salish Sea experience around the devastation to their ancestral lands, waters, and the more-than-human life that inhabits them.

Jay wrote the Foreword to the book we referenced several times during the service, In the Spirit of Right and Respectful Relations with Salmon Nations (these books are for sale through BUF's Native American Connections Team— see the blurb below in this edition or talk to Beth Brownfield to purchase a copy). He reports that people often ask, "How can I help?" In his words:

Think about what it means to be human. We live in a time of war against the common good. But our people know that the common good is about community, civility, and common human decency. And we know our common destiny depends on understanding what it means to be human in the spirit of right and respectful relations.

On Monday, October 12, I attended the Indigenous Peoples' Day event at Lummi Nation. Not surprisingly, I ran into many BUFsters at the event, including most of our youth group, accompanied by their parents. There was delicious smoked salmon—enough to feed the crowd of hundreds—donated by the Swinomish and Upper Skagit Tribes, and catered by Seawolf Surf N Turf. There were blessings in song by the Lhaqtemish Canoe Family. I even stayed later than planned for part of the Jam Out, where various groups drummed and danced late into the evening.  

The theme of this year's event was "Answering the Call of Our Ancestors," and the majority of the speakers were youth and young adults, including a panel of K-12 students. When asked, "What do you want your elders and non-Indigenous folks to know?" I heard over and over "We want them to know we are still here; our culture is still here; and we are still fighting."

Throughout the event, I had in the back of my mind Jay's words from the Sunday service and the book: "Think about what it means to be human." We are in chaotic and challenging times. But the evening was an opportunity come together in shared humanity, community, and culture—to be reminded of what it means to be human. Thank you to Lummi Nation for making such an event possible and extending the invitation to all, and thank you to BUF's Native American Connections Team for making Sunday's service so meaningful.

In the spirit of right and respectful relations, Rev. Sunny, minister