Regional leaders gather to ‘move beyond land acknowledgement’

LEAVENWORTH — Leaders from across North Central Washington spent two days at Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort last week examining what it means to move beyond symbolic land acknowledgements toward genuine, trust-based relationships with Indigenous communities.

The retreat, titled “Moving Beyond Land Acknowledgement,” was organized by the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT) and the Wenatchee River Institute (WRI) in collaboration with Tribal leaders and facilitators from the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Funding support came from the Icicle Fund.

Held Nov. 4–5 at the resort near the confluence of the Wenatchee and Icicle (na-sik-elt) rivers, the event brought together about 60 participants, including nonprofit directors, agency staff, school administrators, and municipal officials from both the upper and lower Wenatchee Valley, for workshops, films, and panel discussions focused on cultural humility and inclusive leadership.

Wenatchee Mayor Mike Poirier described the experience simply: “When we know better, we do better.”

For Wenatchee School District Superintendent Kory Kalahar, the two-day retreat offered both challenge and perspective. “The ‘Moving Beyond Land Acknowledgements was’ a deep dive into our robust local Indigenous culture and the struggles therein,” he said. “The two-day conference was a time to learn, reflect, and challenge ourselves to find ways to creatively partner with local tribal leadership. It was an eye-opening experience. I left more informed and better because of it.”

Justin Erickson, Chelan County PUD’s Chief Strategy and Stakeholder Officer, called it “an important dialogue and opportunity to build stronger partnerships with tribes and area groups and agencies.” He added, “Special thanks to the Wenatchee River Institute, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, and Colville representatives for such an engaging two days.”

Event facilitator Lynn Palmanteer-Holder, a citizen of eight of the twelve Tribes that make up the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, guided the sessions. A longtime educator and administrator, Palmanteer-Holder has trained leaders across government, education, and business to understand the mutual benefits of reciprocal, government-to-government relationships with Tribes as sovereign nations.

She was joined by trainers John Sirois, Darnell Sam, and Kiana Sam, all from the Colville Tribes’ Traditional Territories program.

Participants explored five central takeaways:

• Authentic relationships with Tribes are foundational — building genuine, respectful, and lasting relationships is essential for collaborative leadership.
  
  
• Collaboration enhances shared outcomes — partnerships with Tribes make joint projects more successful.
  
  
• Mutual recognition strengthens commitments — honoring government-to-government relationships and place-based knowledge fosters trust.
  
  
• Collective visioning supports economic, cultural, and environmental well-being.
  
  
• Leadership requires action — moving beyond symbolic land acknowledgements to tangible partnerships shows true respect and shared responsibility.

The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust and Wenatchee River Institute said the retreat represents a step toward deeper, ongoing partnerships between local institutions and regional Tribes.

“This work is about relationships — and relationships take time,” said CDLT Associate Director Angela Morris in the event release. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to listen and learn together.”

For more information about future leadership programs, visit cdlandtrust.org or wenatcheeriverinstitute.org.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media