Jay Julius W’tot Lhem (Lummi)
Se’Si’Le (saw-see-lah)
Jeremiah “Jay” Julius (W’tot lhem) is President and founder of the Indigenous-led nonprofit, Se’Si’Le, dedicated to preserving tribal ancestral knowledge and securing its place in the effort to restore to health our natural environment. He is a life-long fisher and enrolled member of the Lummi Nation of Washington State. Jay is one of the Founders of the intertribal nonprofit, the Pacific Northwest Tribal Salmon Alliance and is on the Board of Directors of Stand.earth in Bellingham, WA. Jay served as chairman of the Lummi Nation for two consecutive terms until the winter of 2019. During his four years in the Lummi government he led campaigns across the Salish Sea bioregion to fight for the health and well-being of Creation, including the historic victory at Cherry Point. Jay believes in honoring his Nation’s treaty rights and inherent rights and is a strong advocate for true government-to-government relations. Jay also shares his passion for traditional knowledge, self-improvement, and leadership through his life coaching practice.
“Jay” Julius (W’tot lhem), President, Se’Si’Le
Bellingham, Washington
Kurt Russo, PhD
Se’Si’Le (saw-see-lah)
Kurt Russo is the executive director of Se’Si’Le, an Indigenous-led nonprofit dedicated to the perpetuation and practical application of Indigenous ancestral knowledge. Kurt has worked with Indigenous communities since 1978 in the areas of sacred site protection, Indigenous treaty rights, environmental cross-cultural conflict resolution, and the intertextualization of ways of knowing nature. He was co-Founder and Executive Director of the Florence R. Kluckhohn Center for the Study of Values and the Native American Land Conservancy, helped establish the International Indigenous Exchange Program (Northwest Indian College), the Sacred Lands Conservancy, and the Foundation for Indigenous Medicine. He has a BS in Forestry from the University of Montana, an MS in Forestry from the University of Washington, and a Ph.D. in History from the University of California (Riverside). He is a veteran and served in Viet Nam where he worked with Montagnard Indigenous communities.
Kurt Russo, Executive Director, Se’Si’Le
Bellingham, Washington
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More to Come!