Lhaq’temish Foundation
2021 Community Building Award Recipient
The Lhaq’temish Foundation developed Xwlemi’ Resilience, an integrated community health strategy, designed as a Lummi community level response to Covid-19. They collaborated to provide the Lummi community with high quality services, safe social connections, inter-agency referrals, and healthy engagement activities throughout the pandemic. Through the Xwlemi’ Resilience collaborative, Lhaq’temish Foundation leveraged resources to increase community planning, increase access to services for children and families, and increase the overall connection among community members at the local level.
Xwlemi’ Resilience is responding to the overall public health crisis in response to the coronavirus. In order to restore balance to the Lummi community, they are approaching health and well-being as a transformational process that addresses the whole person. Xwlemi’ Resilience has one priority goal – to increase protection for the health and quality of life for the Lummi people. This is being done by increasing the coordination of services at a centralized and consistent location and increasing the coordination of services between partner organizations and Lummi tribal program services.
The Lummi people are resilient, and have worked since time immemorial to preserve, promote and protect their schelangen (way of life). Elders and cultural experts teach the people to know their food, land, water, and medicinal plants. Learning who one’s people are and where they come from is invaluable because it places cultural values and principals and their strengths and resiliency factors, into context and passes knowledge down to the next generations.
We are honored to recognize the Lhaq’temish Foundation for being at the center of wellness for the Lummi people.
To watch the 24th Annual Ken Gass Community Building Awards in which Lhaq’temish Foundation is recognized, click here.
