Spirit of Water with Chenoa Egawa

Join Friends of the San Juans for a powerful and moving evening of Indigenous song, ceremony, and teachings with Coast Salish artist, singer, storyteller, author, and environmental protector Chenoa Egawa. Gather in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day and Orca Recovery Month, and for the full experience, begin with a special Seafood Feast before the main event.



Water is life, and the waters that surround us every day need our attention, respect, and protection. This special gathering will center Indigenous perspectives on water protection and offer pathways for connection, healing, and responsibility in this time of environmental crisis. Through story and sound, Chenoa will share ancestral wisdom and a heartfelt call to action to protect the sacred waters of the Salish Sea on the weekend of Indigenous Peoples Day. Join us to be captivated through song, visual storytelling, and teachings that inspire action. All are welcome—come with open hearts and leave ready to stand up for the waters that sustain us all.

Join us for a special Seafood Feast Pre-Event Gathering to help sustain Friends’ education programs in our community!

For the full immersive experience, join us for a seafood feast before the evening gathering. Salmon and shellfish have sustained Coast Salish People since time immemorial. Enjoy a meal together prepared by islander Teja Julius, a Lummi Nation fisherwoman and chef.

About Chenoa 

Chenoa Egawa is Lummi and S’Klallam. Her grandparents were multilingual, speaking several Coast Salish languages of neighboring tribes in addition to Lummi, S’Klallam, and English. They were carriers of the profound ways of life of the First Peoples, as caretakers of our Mother Earth, through their interrelationship with their homelands and waterways, as well as through their stories, songs, prayers, and ways of life. 

Chenoa is dedicated to upholding and amplifying the wisdom of her elders and ancestors, sharing teachings about our interconnectedness, our responsibilities to this sacred life, to one another, and to the Natural world. She is a ceremonial leader, medicine carrier, singer, speaker, published author (The Whale Child and Tani’s Search for the Heart), artist, and nature photographer. She is also a Senior Level Qigong Instructor through the Ling Gui (Spiritual Turtle) International Healing Qigong School. 

We are grateful for Chenoa’s presence on the island, sharing knowledge through this public gathering and school visits at Friday Harbor Elementary School, Friday Harbor High School, and Spring Street International School.

Thank you to the San Juan Island Community Foundation, the Town of Friday Harbor, and the Bradley Family Foundation for providing partial support for this event.