Since Time Immemorial is a recurring series featuring community members whose families have been here since time immemorial. The ancestral knowledge carried by Lhaq’temish, Nooksack, and other Coast Salish peoples is knowledge about how to live in our shared home in a good, life-sustaining way. We live in a time when we need to restore our relationship with Mother Earth and with one another. We are grateful for these stories, told in the words of each featured individual.
Sharayah Lane is a mother, author, entrepreneur, and community organizer. She also works as Senior Policy Advisor for the Internet Society, which partners with Indigenous communities to make the internet accessible. She identifies as a Black and Indigenous woman and is a citizen of Lummi Nation.
Photo by Dani Winters Photography
I first met you when you were running the best food stand I’d ever been to. I went there every day of Paddle to Lummi back in 2019. What’s the story behind your amazing elotes?
We weren’t pulling a canoe, but we wanted to be part of the journey, and to help others be part of it too. I ran the stand with two friends of mine—I swear, throughout my life, I’ve done nothing alone. We came up with elotes (Mexican street corn) because we wanted something crazy good, portable, and affordable. Our stand was a place where friends and family could come sit, visit, or volunteer. Sometimes it can be challenging, especially for youth, to fit into Native culture communities. And so, one of our teachings is: “Just get in there and see how you can help.” It was cool to have people come help out and feel that sense of belonging.
When you look back on yourself as a girl, is there a moment where you can see that entrepreneurial flash, the kind of impulse that would lead you to create a food stand when you’d never done anything like that before?
I mean, honestly, that impulse was born out of necessity. Like, when I was a teenager experiencing homelessness, we would just figure out how we were going to make money to feed ourselves for that day. Though when I think even further back—I was just talking to my partner about this—I remember being a little kid out in lower Elwha, where I was staying with my aunt for a while. The kids, we used to ride bikes all the time, all day long. And I was like, “Okay, guys, we need to get organized, come up with a name for our club. We need to start fundraising; we need to figure out what we want to do with our money.” So, I can see how this connects to today, how I’m building coalitions and starting organizations.
How did the “ABCs of Grateful”, your kids’ book that’s been doing so well, come about?
I really wanted to be able to talk with kids about gratitude and gratefulness. And I had the idea to do ABCs because they’re so foundational. The challenge was in bringing the idea to life, having the confidence and the courage to figure the whole process out. It took a few years. Since the book’s been out, I’ve gotten to visit schools and talk with kids who have made their own ABCs of grateful. I’ve loved learning that there’s also been a benefit for the adults who are working with the kids on this. There’s so much happening in the world right now—people are going through crazy difficult things. Having gratitude practice isn’t always easy, but it can be a way to help us feel a little lighter.
Were you a writer when you were a kid?
There’s so much of my childhood that I don’t remember, but one of the memories I do have is of a nationwide poetry contest I won in elementary school. I really struggled in school. I was in trouble, suspended, all the time. So when I was informed that I had won this contest, it felt so good. It made me think, “Maybe I can write.” So I kept writing—I’m still writing.
You’ve weathered some storms.
I think probably the greatest impact of historical and systemic racism is the taking away of a person’s ability to love themselves. Whether it’s being in the foster care system and being abandoned, or experiencing abuse of any kind, whatever, it results in a deep disconnect from yourself, an inability to really value yourself. So much trouble comes from not loving yourself. And so much good can happen when you start to love yourself, but it’s hard and it takes time. I’m working with a group of people at Lummi on the House of Healing. We’re trying to create a permanent space that will welcome anyone on a journey of recovery, anyone who’s been impacted by addiction. We need a safe place to work towards healing ourselves and our community in our traditional, cultural ways. There are horrible things happening right now to our people and way of life. I went through that struggle for a while, and it’s an honor and a privilege to be able to turn around and try to help.
You’re amazing! How do you do all this, how did you get to be where you are?
I got to where I am today because of all the love that has been poured into me throughout my life. I’ve never had to do life alone. I just try to remember to stay considerate, to be open to new experiences, to come from that place of love.
Hy’shqe, Sharayah!
About the Writer:
Julie Trimingham is grateful to make her home on traditional Lhaq’temish territory, and to work for the Sacred Lands Conservancy (SacredSea.org), an Indigenous-led 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the life, culture, and sanctity of the Salish Sea.
