Methow Valley Fund Game Changer Grant awarded to the mətx̌ʷu/Methow People

The mətx̌ʷu /Methow People (mətx̌ʷu is pronounced “mett-too”) have been awarded a Game Changer Grant by the Methow Valley Fund of the Community Foundation of North Central Washington. The grant funding will support cultural programming and land stewardship efforts at x̌ʷnámx̌ʷnam/Hummingbird (x̌ʷnámx̌ʷnam is pronounced “hwhenam hwhenum”), the former Wagner Ranch along the Chewuch River.

The Methow Conservancy and the Methow Valley Interpretive Center, who have been collaborating with the mətx̌ʷu /Methow People, will provide fiscal sponsorship and administrative support throughout the grant period.

“Our numbers are few and our language and cultural knowledge are in jeopardy,” a letter of support from the mətx̌ʷu /Methow People said. “We are committed to reviving and sustaining our heritage, and the Game Changer Grant presents opportunities at the x̌ʷnámx̌ʷnam/Hummingbird property that are integral to our efforts.”

The letter continued, “The x̌ʷnámx̌ʷnam/Hummingbird property is on ancestral territory, which is grounding for us; we belong here. The return of this land took us a big leap forward in terms of reviving our culture. The Game Changer Grant will take us another leap further by giving us the capacity to share our cultural knowledge with younger generations.”

BACKGROUND

In 2021-2022, the Methow Conservancy, supported by private philanthropy from the Methow Valley community, purchased and then facilitated the return of 320 acres of ancestral land on the Chewuch River to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation on behalf of the mətx̌ʷu /Methow People. The former Wagner Ranch property (renamed “x̌ʷnámx̌ʷnam/Hummingbird”) offers an important place for the mətx̌ʷu /Methow People to preserve and share their ancestral knowledge, skills, and traditions on their homeland. Read more HERE.

In 2022-2023, a group of mətx̌ʷu /Methow People and non-tribal allies began forming a mətx̌ʷu /Methow People’s Board. Comprised of the 13 existing mətx̌ʷu /Methow People families and grounded in the traditional ways of the Methow, this Board has been identifying and prioritizing cultural programming and stewardship efforts that are important to the mətx̌ʷu /Methow People at x̌ʷnámx̌ʷnam/Hummingbird. This cultural programming and land stewardship will be supported administratively by the Methow Conservancy and the Methow Valley Interpretive Center and will operate in harmony with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation’s science, climate change, and property management plans.

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation celebrated the gift of the x̌ʷnámx̌ʷnam/Hummingbird and have put forth a management plan that highlights the collaboration of the mətx̌ʷu families of the Colville Confederated Tribes, the Traditional Territories Program as well as the Tribes' Fish & Wildlife program.

PROJECT PURPOSE

The $25K Methow Valley Fund Game Changer Grant will seed a pool of discretionary funds, which the Methow Families will decide how to use on the ground. The funds will be administered by the Methow Conservancy as the fiscal sponsor. The funding will help the mətx̌ʷu /Methow People:

1) Reconnect with their ancestral land and cultural traditions on the Chewuch River;

2) Feel greater sovereignty and welcomeness in the present-day Methow Valley community;

3) Ensure that cultural knowledge endures across generations; and

4) Express and share cultural heritage with all area residents—both Native and non-Native—who wish to learn.

The funding will be used to support the mətx̌ʷu /Methow People’s cultural activities at x̌ʷnámx̌ʷnam/Hummingbird and will serve as a catalyst to launch private philanthropy efforts to ensure the fund is sustainable beyond the terms of the grant.

Although the project’s activities and impacts will be determined and governed by a board of mətx̌ʷu /Methow People, the Methow Conservancy and the Methow Valley Interpretive Center will be responsible for future fundraising endeavors (and associated expenses) to make the project sustainable in the long-term.

“The wrongs of the past cannot be undone overnight,” said Methow Valley Interpretive Center Executive Director David LaFever, “but we can change the name of the game by continuing to support traditional life of the mətx̌ʷu /Methow People on ancestral land for many years to come. It will help us all evolve in our understanding of our relationships with the land and the people who call the Methow Valley home.”

The letter of support from the mətx̌ʷu /Methow People concluded, “So many of us are teachers, but most are elders. We need to pass on traditional knowledge—dances, regalia, songs, food, medicine, arts, crafts—so that our culture endures. We envision sharing our ancestral knowledge with our own people, as well as with people from the surrounding community, so that they understand who we are. We look forward to many years of working with these two organizations to realize our dreams of returning to the land and teaching future generations our ways.”

The Community Foundation of NCW is a tax-exempt philanthropic organization that helps individuals, families, businesses, and agencies support charitable causes throughout Chelan, Douglas, and Okanogan counties. CFNCW’s mission is to grow, protect, and connect charitable gifts in support of strong communities.

The Methow Valley Fund was established to support the charitable organizations that work to tackle these social challenges while also providing rich cultural experiences and education. Through the MVF Fund and MVF Endowment, financial resources are available to nonprofits that are making an impact in the community.