In this first episode of the YAI podcast we talk about learning the language of our Native American culture: we are the Lummi people from the Pacific Northwest in Bellingham Washington. Growing up I didn’t get to be involved in my culture as much as I wanted to because different families had their own ways of doing things and mine didn’t practice culture as much as other families did. My brother Tyson Scarborough and my boyfriend Keith Jefferson are in the podcast and they are teaching me the language by showing me how to say my introduction in Lummi.

I get called as a witness at gatherings sometimes so I thought it would be a good time for me to learn what my ancestors protected and saved for us. Some of them got killed for practicing the old ways and because of their sacrifice the culture and language are still here today--that’s why we are still here today.

We are proud to have many Lummi artists contribute to our podcast. We have piano and beatboxing by Chance Mad-Aye, Native song by Keith Jefferson, original music from Michael George and the Westshore Canoe Family, Stick Game Song by Johnnie Bob, original flute song by Jonah Ballew, and a family song by Tonya Teton.

Learning the ways of our people is important to us because we didn’t get to grow up learning a lot of them like we should have and I think our culture and language is so beautiful. As a people I think we shouldn’t be afraid to show the world what we are really all about. We are not in the 1800 or 1900s anymore and we should not be scared to show who we really are-- we should be fighting for it back no matter what.

It’s time that we start showing who we are because we are not weak people. We are strong people. We are strong and we are asking now: is the world ready for that?