Taking place in Seattle in Suquamish territory was a series of workshops celebrating cultural unity between two indigenous communities: CHamoru artists and cultural practitioners and Suquamish tribal members.

Gi Matan Guma’, which consists of 13 multi-disciplinary artists and community organizers participated in the cultural and creative exchange and concluded with a community ritual activation.

According to a release, the community ritual activation is where performance art convergences traditions, spirituality, ceremony, fashion, language, performance art and more.

Dakota Camacho, Artistic Director of Gi Matan Guma’ said, “We use our bodies, our songs, our chants, our dances, our intuition, adornment, our attire to enhance this state of consciousness that we invite everybody into.”

Over the last week, artists and culture bearers who call the greater Seattle area home, particularly ones who have some sort of historical connection to the Mariånas shared creative space with the group from Guam.

The meetup came to be after Calina Lawrence, a Suquamish tribe member, made connections at the 2023 Making Waves Summit, organized by the Micronesian Climate Change Alliance.

The release also stated that the series served as a testament to the power of unity and understanding that transcends borders and fosters a shared appreciation for our land, practices, and people.