04/22/2025
🌍 Honoring Earth Day: A Commitment to the Salish Sea 🐟🐋
Earth Day began in 1970 as a call to action—a global response to environmental degradation that sparked the modern environmental movement. But long before that, Indigenous communities, including the Coast Salish people whose homelands surround these waters, practiced a deep and enduring relationship with the land and sea—built on reciprocity, respect, and generational care.
At the Salish Center, we honor that wisdom. From maintaining the reefnet fishery—a practice passed down for centuries by the Lummi people—into the 21st century, to protecting the fragile marine ecosystems that sustain wild salmon and orca, our work is rooted in a deep reverence for place. This stewardship is not symbolic; it’s practical, restorative, and necessary.
Just this week, we were heartened to hear of a new calf born to J-pod, one of the southern resident orca families whose future is intimately tied to the health of the Salish Sea. While we can’t speak for Indigenous communities, we acknowledge that among many Coast Salish people, orcas are considered relatives beneath the waves—and their wellbeing is a powerful reminder of what’s at stake.
On this Earth Day, we recommit to our mission: to protect, preserve, and restore the cultural and ecological legacy of this incredible region. If you feel called to support this work, your donation helps us continue—season by season, tide by tide.
💙 Give today: salishcenter.org/donate
