Community Collaboration Brings Students to Seattle for Netse Mot: One Heart, One Mind
In mid-November, a group of 56 students, staff, and faculty went to Seattle for the Netse Mot: One Heart, One Mind celebration hosted by Children of the Setting Sun Productions. The event was held in partnership with the National Congress of American Indians and their 82nd Annual Convention and Marketplace, which was being held in the Pacific Northwest for the first time in over 40 years. The program was a campus and community collaboration between WWU’s offices for Health Promotion and Resilience, Compass 2 Campus, the Black Student Coalition, the Native American Student Union, and Ferndale High School.
As posted to the CSSP website, “the evening at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre featured a blend of powerful storytelling, comedy, music, dance, film, ceremony, and recognition. Together, we fulfilled the purpose of Netse Mot – uniting as one heart, one mind.”
In addition to the main event, the group was provided a pre-show experience with a backstage tour of the historic Paramount Theater, a meet and greet with several of the evening’s performers, including emcee and host of the show Dallas Goldtooth, and an opportunity to witness sound check and rehearsal of the show. The group then ventured over to the NCAI Convention and Marketplace, where they experienced a room full of Native arts and crafts vendors, community organizations supporting movements for positive Native futures, job opportunities, and more. A pre-show dinner was held at the Seattle Public Library and catered by Off the Rez Cafe. The day culminated at the Paramount Theatre for the nearly 3-hour show full of joy, laughter, storytelling, and recognition and honoring of the tribal leaders and community members who have impacted Native communities for generations.
In an amazingly joyful twist of fate, the evening ended with an impromptu viral moment as the entire theatre was witness to a wedding ceremony for performers Fawn Wood and Dallas Waskahat, of Cree Confederation, officially ordained by host Dallas Goldtooth. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful day designed to build community, strengthen relationships, and celebrate Indigenous joy, culture, and tradition in the Pacific Northwest.
The program was an “Arts as Wellbeing” initiative designed to help the WWU community experience art and theater as a way to enhance their connections, wellbeing, and overall joy. In addition, the partnership with Ferndale High School was supported by the work of Compass 2 Campus and the Limitless Learning Network grant, whose purpose is connecting leaders across K12, higher education, and community organizations toward a shared vision: a future where every student has access to strong, equitable pathways to postsecondary success. WWU and the Ferndale School District are one of 26 partnerships around the state. Our partnership is focused on postsecondary access for Native and Latine students.
Here are a few testimonials from students about their experience:
"I loved it!!! So wonderful and made me feel so joyful. I learned about so many different Indigenous leaders and talented individuals."
"Life changing 10/10 thank you everyone who made this happen!!!!! Thank you for the food and the transportation, I wouldn’t have been able to make it without💗."
"Some highlights were getting to build connections with people I hadn’t really talked to very much as well as being immersed in various forms of Indigenous cultures such as food, dance and general performance. A community of learning was built in a few hours and it was incredible!!"
"Being in an all-Native space was amazing!!! The performers were so inspiring, and I had a fun day building community with Ferndale."
"This was such an amazing experience! I felt so inspired by the stories, songs, and art shared by the speakers. The day gave me a boost of confidence going into the last couple weeks of the quarter. The representation of so many Native people felt comforting to be around."