La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

Here the Magic Skagit mingles into the Bay, sheltered yet centrally located; Swinomish is a place of great healing. People here enjoy a diverse, continuous and bountiful ecosystem. The soil is rich. Water is always accessible. Food is found easily in plentiful amounts. The climate is mild.

People are drawn here. Some may realize a portion of why they are drawn here, yet few are fortunate enough to have experienced the full spectrum of its gift. In a field of rich and intoxicatingly beautiful diversity it is easy to loose perspective and take for granted what is so plentiful. Conversely it is the lack of adversity that provides the opportunity to heal. Peace is a powerful medicine. Here in the land of plenty we have the opportunity to achieve peaceful moments.

Amongst plenty we are afforded time to rejuvenate and pursue excellence in artistic endeavours. Medicine is art and this specific location provides continuous opportunities for people to heal. As people heal themselves through practice and awareness in the context of plenty, they are afforded opportunities to teach others. Historically and presently this place continues to manifest healers. People who are able to communicate with others.

Swinomish is known as a place of great healing by the native peoples who travel to Swinomish to attain rejuvenation of mind, body and spirit. The cultural is alive along lines unbroken for millennia.

We are so blessed, it is easy to forget we are stewards of the Magic. It is easy to be fat and lazy in our responsibility to cultivate balance. Balance with the environment. Balance in communication and understanding in our responsibility as stewards of this place. It is to easy to take and not to give back. It is to easy to point and to grab. We have continuing opportunities to heal and expand our participation with this place of great healing.

The balance of the scales is found first in small things. A smile. A wave.

Things that communicate positive wellness.

At Swinomish we have a teaching. As many of the most important teachings go, it is quite simple; loving, caring and sharing. This teaching has many layers and like many teachings it remains a pursuit of excellence. We pursue excellence in loving, caring and sharing of this place, for this place and with this place. Together we continue to have opportunities to find balance within ourselves, with other people and with our environment.

We, the people of this place, share responsibility in its stewardship.

Finding the balance of cooperation in stewardship between the identified communities of this place is an excellence I propose we consider pursuing with greater consideration. Sometimes one must slow down to speed up.

Take the time to consider the diversity of family groups in our place. We are always stronger and more capable together. Now more than ever, coming into a COVID-19 endemic world we can learn from this place, a place of great healing and allow the art of listening to become a pursuit of excellence.

Once upon a time this place was known simply as Swinomish, now it is known by many names including La Conner and Shelter Bay. It remains a place of great healing and the opportunity for stewardship here is ours together.

James, a medical doctor, is a Swinomish tribal member, graduate of La Conner High School and sublease holder at Shelter Bay.