(also known as Lushootseed) By Jane Valencia In the January and February issues, David Turnipseed, a language instructor with the Puyallup Tribal Language Program, taught us about Twulshootseed, the language spoken by the indigenous people of Puget Sound. He invited us to support its revitalization by learning some of it ourselves. Today, we embark on…
Island Voices, May 2025
Complicated Conversations: Part I
By Deborah Anderson September 1969. I sat on the edge of my bed in my first year at Mills College for Women and said to myself, “It’s safe to be a woman here.” As with many of my epiphanies, I wasn’t sure how I knew that or why it was important, but it brought peace…
Island Voices, May 2025
Are You a Mearcstapa?
By Suzanna Leigh Strange word, “mearcstapa.” According to artist Makoto Fujimura in his book “Culture Care,” mearcstapa is an Old English word used in Beowulf. It translates as “border walker” or “border stalker.” A mearcstapa was someone who lived at the edge of their group or tribe, someone who moved between groups. Remember Strider from…
Island Voices, May 2025
Gone to the Dogs
By Michael Shook Almost 20 years ago, I at last fulfilled a childhood yearning, and acquired my first Scottish Terrier. I had wanted one ever since reading Marjorie Flack’s delightful series of children’s books about a Scottie named Angus. Additionally, the books of James Thurber (who had Scotties himself), were a fixture in our house,…
Island Voices, May 2025
Planetary Ayurveda
Saturn Transits By Melanie Farmer Ayurveda, known as the “science of life,” is an ancient medical system that originated in India over 5,000 years ago. It employs a holistic approach to health and wellness, focusing on harmonizing the body, mind, and spirit by balancing internal and external energies, represented by the five elements: air, space,…
Gardening, Island Resilience, May 2025
Native Plant Appreciation Month
By Kim Cantrell, Little Bird Gardens April is National Native Plant Appreciation Month. It began in 2003 as a weeklong observance, sparked by a conversation between Fred Weinmann, President of the Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS), and Bill Brookreson, a state board member. “Native Plant Appreciation Month celebrates all the individuals and groups who have…
Health Matters, May 2025
Practicing Naturopathic Medicine on Vashon
By Caitlin Rothermel On Vashon, conversations about health happen everywhere, all the time, and go well beyond the typical topics of diagnoses and drugs. We discuss what we eat, where that food came from, how we move, and how we want to age and ultimately die. At a time when conventional healthcare can feel increasingly…
Health Matters, May 2025
Address Your Physical Health Through Subconscious Work
By Dr. Lisa Morse I remember it vividly: The day during my clinicals of naturopathic medicine that I realized how much thoughts and emotions affect our physical health. I was seeing a 70-year-old woman who had a full-body itchy rash. She was attached to the idea that candida was the cause. Upon questioning, it was…
Island Resilience, May 2025, Recipes
Mayo is Magic
By Marc J. Elzenbeck For decades I thought mayo was the province of professionals and was too intimidated to try my hand. But looking at store shelves full of white stuff made with industrial oils at $10 a jar provided the final oomph. (What is a canola? Where does it grow?) Turns out, mayonnaise is…