Walk to Protect & Restore the Salish Sea

🌊 🐬 Walk to Protect & Restore the Salish Sea

Hosted by Protectors of the Salish Sea & Co-Hosts

“I believe in the sun and the stars, the water, the tides, the floods, the owls, the hawks flying, the river running, the wind talking. They’re measurements. They tell us how healthy things are. How healthy we are, because we and they are the same.”

-Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually Tribal Leader

We come together in NEȾEMOT (One Heart, One Mind, One Prayer, One House) for the safety and well-being of all sacred beings who live within our ŚW̱ḰENE (Salish Sea).

Since time immemorial, our W̱ILṈEW̱ EȽTÁLṈEW̱ (First Peoples) have lived with and cared for our ṮEṮÁĆES (Sacred Relatives of the deep — the Islands) and the beings of theses waters. These beings, in turn, have kept their sacred promise to us and to our Creator, offering their bodies and spirits in reciprocity. Now it is our turn to uphold our promise to keep them well.

Join us in song, dance, laughter, joy, voice, ceremony, action, and prayer as we walk to protect the circle of life, the water, and all future generations. Together, we resist the proposed 500% increase in oil tanker traffic that threatens our First Peoples’ sacred islands and the survival of our SĆȺNEX EȽTÁLṈEW̱ (salmon people, the KELȽOLEMEĆEN EȽTÁLṈEW̱ (killer whale people), and all who depend on these waters.

✨ Event Details ✨

• When: September 27–30, 2025

• Where: STOLȻEȽ (so-called San Juan Island)

• What to Expect:

• 4 days of prayer walks for our salmon relatives, orca relatives, the water, and future generations. We will aim for 8:00am departure times daily, however we will be doing updates and live feeds to our Protectors page for exact departure times as things will undoubtedly vary each morning.

Travel: Park in Anacortes private lots, walk onto the ferry. Shuttles will meet walkers at STOLȻEȽ (so-called Friday Harbor). Participants may arrive Friday evening to camp.

❤️ ***** Please note! You must RSVP for this event by emailing: Protect.restore.salish.sea@gmail.com. In order to provide food for all attendees, we are requesting that each person contact us via email. Please specify the amount of days/nights as well as the number of people in your group. Please share your social media link *****❤️

<3 *****All volunteer inquiries can be sent to: protect.restore.salish.sea@gmail.com ***** <3

Car pool link coming soon.

The people of our Salish Sea are rising like the tide again! To protect what we love and cherish as sacred, to stand together like the trees and lift each other up! The “each other” includes our grandchildren’s grandchildren, the orca and salmon people, the tree and bird people and all the other animal people of our Salish Sea. To ensure that there are no Tar-sands Oil Tankers in our Salish Sea, To stand in solidarity with Salish Sea tribes to ensure their treaty rights are honored, respected and for other nations to have their unceded territories, natural laws honored and respected. To breach the Snake river dams to keep our sacred promises to our Salmon People. For Climate Justice, as low glacial snowpacks create shallowed, warmed rivers and estuaries that devastate our wild salmon stalks which our Southern Resident Orcas depend upon.

This is why, on our 4rd Walk for our Salish Sea, we will be making offerings to the sacred water in ceremony, please bring a container of water from your place for this sacred work. 

We are the keepers of the sacred promises to care for the circle life. We must all keep these sacred promises alive, this is why we are coming together this way. 

WHAT TO BRING:

-Reusable plate/bowl & fork/spoon (for breakfasts & dinners, provided at host locations) Label them yours!

-Water bottle/Coffee cup.

-Cloth napkin/Towel for drying your dishes.

-Sunscreen/Sun hat.

-Medications & Personal 1st aid items (for potential blisters and hot spots along the walk.)

-Small backpack/bag to carry your personal items as you walk. 

WHAT TO BRING - OVERNIGHT GUESTS:

All sleep locations will be outdoors.  PLEASE BRING A TENT. In addition to the list of items above, walkers who will be staying overnight, please bring:

-Sleeping bag 

-Sleep pad

-Pillow

-Oral & other hygiene supplies

-Wash cloth & bio-degradable soap, towel.

If you do not have any particular camp gear item we can help with a loaner. Please email us your request at: Protect.Restore.Salish.Sea@gmail.com

YOUR HEAVY BACKPACKS & BEDDING WILL BE TRANSPORTED FOR YOU!

FOOD: The following meals will be provided (Breakfasts & Dinners. Basic healthy snacks will be provided during lunch). If the menu does not meet your dietary needs, please bring food items with you. We will NOT have refrigeration or use of a kitchen along the way. Please bring all your own snacks for during the walk.

RESTROOMS: There will be bathroom stops along the way at various locations, we will also have a shuttle that can transport people to the restroom.

WATER: Pure Artesian Spring water will be offered from large 5 gallon containers to fill walker’s water bottles at various rest stops along the way.

MEDICINE: Anti-viral polypore tea will be offered during meals.

BREAKS: Support van will be offering a break from walking for Elders, Jr. Elders and tired children.

MEDICATIONS: If you take any prescription medication, or believe you will need any other medication along the way (aspirin, Tylenol, etc.), please bring it with you in your personal belongings.

First AID: We will have basic first aid supplies on hand at the Longhouse and Church locations (Band-Aids, etc.) if you require more than basic aid, you will be referred to your doctor or local hospital.

PETS: Dogs are welcome on our Walk, Your dog must be leashed during the walk as there is traffic near walking areas along the walk.

This is a family friendly event.

Featured presenters and speakers to be announced.

More co-hosts and details will be shared as the event approaches.

HÍSW̱KE SIÁM NE SĆÁLEĆE (Thank you honorable friends and family).