Listening to Understand: A Call to Allyship
Hosted by the sʷədəbš Cultural Center & Creative Hub
In partnership with Tony Cladusbid (Swinomish Tribal Member), Michelle E. Cladusbid (Author & Cultural Center Co-Founder), and Stephanie Nestlerode of 7th Generation Labs
You’re invited to the kickoff session of a transformative new series:
Still Here: A Collection of Words They Tried to Silence
Book Launch & Guided Conversation with Author Michelle E. Cladusbid
Date: June 25, 2025
Time: 6-8PM
Location: Beaver Tales Coffee/sʷədəbš Cultural Center & Creative Hub
Suggested Donation: Pay as You Can
This isn’t just a book release. It’s an opening.
An invitation to step into a conversation that centers Indigenous truths, lived experiences, and the often-unseen consequences of colonial systems still at play today.
Michelle’s poetry offers a deeply personal lens — as a white woman living within Indigenous community — on the work of showing up differently. With honesty and humility, her words challenge assumptions, spark reflection, and offer a path toward true allyship: rooted in relationship, not rhetoric.
Why We’re Gathering
- To begin unlearning systems that center whiteness and silence others.
- To listen without needing to fix, frame, or explain away what we hear.
- To explore how we — especially those of us raised within dominant culture — can support, not overshadow, Indigenous and other marginalized voices.
What to Expect
- A reading from *Still Here* by Michelle E. Cladusbid
- A conversation guided by Michelle, Tony Cladusbid, and Stephanie Nestlerode
- Reflection prompts and practical steps for moving from awareness to action
This is the first of an ongoing series designed to introduce Indigenous ways of thinking and being as vital tools for healing our communities, dismantling colonial mindsets, and
co-creating a future where everyone belongs.
Come with an open heart.
Come ready to listen.
Come ready to grow.
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