By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News
The third gathering of Tulalip’s Season of Healing was held on the evening of December 9 at the Tulalip Gathering Hall, bringing the community together to honor the cultural and spiritual strength of Tulalip’s life-givers. Families and relatives filled the space, sharing quiet conversations and warm smiles as a comforting meal was served. The atmosphere carried a sense of calm and connection, the kind that encourages people to settle, breathe, and prepare for meaningful reflection.
This gathering, focused on celebrating and uplifting the women who have shaped Tulalip across generations, invited attendees to be present not only for the ceremony but for one another. Throughout the night, grandmothers, mothers, aunties, and sisters were recognized for their resilience, their teachings, and the unseen emotional labor they carry to keep their families and community grounded.
A decisive moment came midway through the ceremony, when all the life-givers in attendance were invited to step into the center of the room. One by one, they were wrapped in blankets, hugged, and honored with a song that filled the Gathering Hall with emotion. Some wiped tears, others held hands, all surrounded by community members who stood in gratitude for the love and strength these women continue to give. The moment reaffirmed the heart of the Season of Healing: that healing is shared and that women deserve to be lifted with the same care they pour into others.
The evening’s main speaker, Dr. Gerry Ebalaroza-Tunnell of the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition, guided the room into deep reflection about the generations of women who have held families and communities together. She reminded everyone that healing is not about perfection but about presence.
“Women are the carriers of life,” she said, noting that mothers, grandmothers, and aunties have long carried the medicines, the stories, and the ways of survival. Her message emphasized that honoring them also means giving them permission to rest, feel, and heal. “You are not failing because you are tired. You are not weak because you need support. You are human, and that is sacred,” she shared, encouraging women to embrace vulnerability as a path to empowerment.
Dr. Gerry spoke about healing as a form of sovereignty, a responsibility not only to ourselves but to the generations that follow. She explained that when women tend to their own healing, “we shift the lineage,” passing down safety, tenderness, and emotional truth instead of inherited pain. Her words invited the entire room to remember that caring for oneself is not selfishness but a gift to the community.
Following her message, tribal member Zenitha Jimicum shared several of her poems, speaking openly about writing her truths and confronting the traumas she has worked through. One of her pieces, My Roots, offered a raw and emotional portrayal of sorrow, struggle, and the resilience required to rise from deep wounds. Her vulnerability resonated with the room and echoed the night’s theme, that healing begins when we name what we have carried alone for too long.
Zenitha then turned her attention to uplifting the women seated around her. “I just want to remind the ladies, whether you are a young woman or you decide to be a mother, that you are not alone,” she said. She encouraged women to surround themselves with support, to reach out when needed, and to give space to both others and themselves. “It is okay not to be okay. It is okay to ask for help,” she added. “Withdraw if you need time alone, just do not stay there too long. We are here for you.” Her words reinforced the evening’s purpose: that every woman deserves healing, connection, and time to breathe.
One of the night’s witnesses, tribal member Clarissa Johnny, also shared a heartfelt reflection, reminding everyone of the importance of compassion in the healing process. She spoke about the unseen struggles people often carry and encouraged women to give themselves grace. “You never know what someone is feeling,” she said, urging the community to be gentle with one another. Clarissa added, “You gotta give yourself the strength and ask the Lord.”
Together, the reflections shared throughout the evening lifted the community’s life-givers in a way that felt both heartfelt and necessary. The Season of Healing continues to serve as a place where truth, vulnerability, and strength are honored, and where women are reminded that they are valued, supported, and never alone on their healing journey.
The next Season of Healing gathering, titled Generations of Guidance, will take place on January 6. This upcoming event will focus on fatherhood and families, continuing the series’ commitment to reaffirming healing, connection, and cultural strength within the Tulalip community.