By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News
The Tulalip Tribes opened Season of Healing 2.0 on Tuesday, October 7, with warmth, reflection, and a shared meal that brought the community together in the spirit of healing. At the heart of the gathering was Sandy White Hawk, a Sicangu Lakota woman whose life’s journey, from separation and loss to reconnection and love, has become a guiding light for Indigenous people reclaiming their identity.
As founder of the First Nations Repatriation Institute and elder in residence for the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, White Hawk has devoted her life to helping others heal from the wounds of removal, adoption, and generational trauma.
Her visit to Tulalip marked more than the start of a new season; it was an invitation to come together, to tell stories, and to begin mending the spirit of the people — one shared truth at a time. As plates were passed and quiet conversations filled the room, White Hawk spoke softly but with a strength that resonated deeply. She shared that healing begins when people are seen, heard, and welcomed without judgment; when stories of pain are met with compassion instead of silence. Drawing from her own experiences as an adoptee, she reminded the community that coming home is not only about returning to a place, but also about restoring relationships, culture, and spirit. Her words invited reflection and hope, encouraging everyone present to see themselves as part of a larger story, one of survival, love, and the ongoing work of healing together.
The luncheon opened with remarks from Tulalip Board of Director, Theresa Sheldon, who welcomed the community and reflected on how far the healing initiative has come since its first year. She explained that the idea for Season of Healing was born from a simple but powerful question: How do we break the silence? The gatherings, she said, are about creating space for genuine conversations, about grief, family, wellness, and the many ways Tulalip people are working together to heal.
“We may not always know where these conversations will lead,” Sheldon said, “but what’s important is that we start them together, as a community.”
Sheldon went on to acknowledge the many community partners who helped make the day possible, including beda?chelh and guest speakers from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition.
She also reminded attendees that this opening event was dedicated to honoring Tulalip youth, adults, and elders who have experienced foster care, guardianship, or family placement. “We’re starting this season by acknowledging them,” she said, “and by recognizing the strength it takes to share their stories.”
During the luncheon, White Hawk shared the moving story of how she came to realize her life’s purpose, creating a way for Indigenous adoptees and displaced relatives to be welcomed home. After being adopted out at 18 months old, she returned to the Rosebud Reservation at age 35 and slowly began rebuilding connections with her family and culture.
“When I came home,” she said, “I immediately saw the difference in how we talk, how we listen, and how we treat one another. There’s a nurturing spirit among our people that I didn’t experience growing up away from my community.”
Over time, she met others who had been adopted or raised away from their families and recognized the same deep ache, the longing to belong.
“I started meeting young people who didn’t know if they’d be accepted if they came home,” she recalled. “They didn’t have words for it. It’s deep, it’s raw, and it’s hard to explain, that fear of not being welcomed back.”
Her turning point came while attending a powwow where a song was sung to honor a veteran. As she listened to the drum and watched the community raise their hands in gratitude, something stirred within her.
“In that moment, I thought, we have songs for our veterans, for our dancers, for those we’ve lost,” she said. “But we don’t have a song to welcome home our relatives who were taken, those who are still finding their way back.”
That realization led to what she calls her vision, the creation of the Welcome Home Ceremony and song, a sacred tradition that now brings together adoptees, fostered relatives, and families from across Indian Country.
“When we sing that song, grief rises and then softens,” White Hawk shared. “Jingle dress dancers come forward to wipe that grief away, and you can feel the healing move through the circle. It’s what our people needed, a way to say, we’re glad you’re home.”
Her story deeply resonated with Tulalip’s own purpose for Season of Healing 2.0: to acknowledge those who have been separated, to hold space for their stories, and to restore the spiritual bonds that tie the people together.
“Healing doesn’t always happen through words,” she reminded the audience. “Sometimes it happens through song, through ceremony, through the small ways we show kindness. It’s in our DNA to nurture one another — that’s where the healing begins.”
The next Season of Healing gathering will be held on November 4. Guest speakers James Labelle Sr., Second Vice President of the National Native American Boarding School Coalition, and his wife, Susan Labelle, will share their stories and insights on the ongoing work of truth and healing. There will also be a special honoring ceremony to celebrate Tulalip’s elders, our first teachers, and to recognize the blessings and strength that continue to guide the community forward.