Kurt Russo with Chenoa Egawa and Fiorella De La O

Third Place Books welcomes Se'Si'Le director Kurt Russo, artist and ceremonial leader Chenoa Egawa, and Environmental Conservation student Fiorella de la O to our Seward Park store for a conversation about , a collaboratively written book centering Indigenous perspectives on conservation and environmental stewardship in the Pacific Northwest.

This event is presented in partnership with the North Cascades Institute and is free and open to the public. For important updates, RSVP is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book!

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This event is free to attend. For important updates, registration is highly recommended in advance.

Given the rising climate anxiety and the relentless environmental and biodiversity crisis, it is increasingly difficult to envision or have hope for a way forward for all our relations and future generations. A new Indigenous-led approach to ensure equal, respectful, and productive conversations and solutions between Tribes and other invested partners, communities, and government entities is emerging.
In The Spirit of Right and Respectful Relations promotes dialog with Indigenous Peoples to increase understandings, build relationships and momentum, and inspire action to support, protect, and restore our region’s imperiled lands, waters, life, and lifeways.
This book was inspirited from a gathering on Orcas Island where those present spoke from the heart and the mind on raising up Indigenous voices, narratives, and knowledge to help others re-imagine their relationship with Nature and preserve our shared Earth. The worldviews and lifeways from this gathering are generously shared in this book.

Kurt Russo worked for the Lummi Nation from 1978-2020 in the area of sacred sites and treaty rights. He now serves as the Executive Director of Se’Si’Le.

Chenoa Egawa is Lummi and S’Klallam of Washington State. For over 20 years, she worked in Washington State schools and created programs that integrated Native American culture and history, often teaching through song and storytelling, empowering Native youth and bringing greater appreciation for cultural diversity to all children in the public school system.

Fiorella De La O is a third-year Bachelor of Applied Science student in Environmental Conservation at Skagit Valley College. Inspired by the ecosystems of the U.S. Pacific Northwest and her ancestral roots in Peru’s Quechua highlands and Amazon, she is passionate about protecting biodiversity across both regions. As a neurodivergent conservationist with autism, Fia brings a unique perspective grounded in creativity, curiosity, and empathy. She combines hands-on field research with artistic storytelling to advocate for marine and forest ecosystems — often using illustration, writing, and public interpretation to help others connect with the natural world.

About Third Place Books

Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park, Washington, Third Place Books is dedicated to the creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them. With locations in Lake Forest Park and Seattle's Ravenna and Seward Park neighborhoods, Third Place Books is proud to serve the entire Seattle metro area. Learn more about their event series at thirdplacebooks.com/events.

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