Bio
 

Shelly Vendiola (Swinomish/Visayan) and has served for 29 years as an educator, facilitator, activist, and peacemaker. She is co-founder of the native Community Engagement and Peacemaking Project providing facilitation, community engagement strategies and training including strategic planning, dispute resolution, and traditional peacemaking circles. Shelly is a consultant for many tribal organizations including the Swinomish Department of Environmental Protection - Climate Resilience Project, and the native women in need advocacy non-profit Mother Nation. She developed a "place-based" curriculum for Northwest Indian College Native Studies Leadership Program and taught a series of Cultural Sovereignty courses on the history, language, and culture of Swinomish and Coast Salish peoples. Shelly formerly served as board president for the Indigenous Women's Network and Campaign Director for the Indigenous Environmental Network. She received formal peacemaking training from Indian Dispute Resolution Services and the San Francisco Community Boards Program. Shelly is greatly influenced by her elders and ancestors and practices indigenous research methodology as a scholar. Daily she practices the ancient meditation of Qigong daily for balance, energy, and mindfulness. She says, "There is nothing permanent in the world but change, the key is how we flow with it!" https://cepp4peace.org