Learning From Community Resilience: Pah-tu’s Story
Scientist, artist, and small business owner Pah-tu Pitt of Native Kut, at Longfellow Creek. Photo by Chloe Collyer.
“Does Seattle have the infrastructure to respond to different climate extremes? Is the water that is entering into the Salish Sea conducive to ecosystem health? As a Columbia River native, I see really strong connections to the city of Seattle and with a lot of the power coming from the Columbia River, but also the salmon that migrate to that area and up into the Salish Sea as well. I just feel like there’s a lot of connections that are super obvious.
I do spend a fair amount of time, in an ideal situation, out in the woods. And I really just see a change in the distribution of water to the landscape and see how that is influencing plants that are used to a certain cycle.
Within my tribe, within tribal communities, a lot of our teachings really are central to water and taking care of water. ‘Water is life’ is what you hear a lot within the social movement context. And that teaching, you know, goes back, since time immemorial. And it’s something that we can apply within the city setting or even rural setting.
So I think for me, a big part of it is just like: ‘how within our urban or rural context can we actually be responsive to the changes that we’re seeing with climate extremities? And how can that be cohesive and resilient as far as not having winners and losers?’
I think because we’re so blessed with water that sometimes it feels like we’re able to take it for granted. But I don’t think that’s something that we can do long term. And it’s not within the best interests of the kind of futures that our communities deserve and want. Because we can grow into a thriving region that takes care of us, or we can continue to ignore things like investing in infrastructure that is resilient, responsible, innovative.”
Scientist, artist, and small business owner Pah-tu Pitt of Native Kut, at Longfellow Creek. Photo by Chloe Collyer.
Pah-tu Pitt G. (Warm Springs/Wasco) (she/her/they/them) currently works on advocacy for Indigenous climate change resiliency, sustainable economic development, and grassroots organizing at regional and local levels in the Pacific Northwest and Seattle with an interest in solidarity with other BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and LGBTQ+ communities.
Pah-tu became the first female in her Tribe to obtain a professional degree in the environmental sector and holds a degree in Environmental Science from Portland State University and a Master of Environmental Studies from Evergreen State where they focused on Tribal Food Sovereignty for their thesis.
As a Native Kut business owner, Pah-tu practices art, consulting, and runs a vacation/business rental that is Native art-themed. Her work draws on the desire to re-center feminine leadership and to bring visibility to the experiences of historically impacted communities. Her preferred artistic mediums include carving, printing, watercolor, mixed media and film. Creating is a way she connects to her ancestors and feels the strong connection between art and science.
While Pah-tu’s communities are among the most impacted by infrastructure, they are not economically benefiting, and their stories are among the least visible to the public. Her desire is that Native people have the same opportunities as others, without the expectation to deny their heritage, and thrive in conjunction with their traditional territories. Pah-tu says: “Water is an important aspect of ceremony; management with climate change is putting pressure on communities. The need to center equity, employ restorative practices, and acknowledge the true price of power on communities who rely on healthy river ecosystems is yet to be seen and the only livable future. An important aspect of environmental justice is to center the most impacted, yet power structures do not reflect the fluidity of water, and they act as a systemic barrier to so many valuable local and traditional experiences within the region.”
Community Partner Spotlight: Native Kut
Native Kut is a Native-owned business started by Pah-tu (Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs) and her husband Sean (Inupiat) in an effort to reclaim Indigenous trade in a way that reflects culture, knowledge, and artistic expression. Starting with carving knives, Native Kut became a key supplier to Tribal carving programming, with an emphasis on youth. Efforts extended limited-edition hunting, chef, and ulu knives, using high carbon steel to support Native food sovereignty practices. Native Kut has grown to provide consulting and workshops, specializing in equitable environmental and climate issues while staying true to its artistic roots. Pah-tu’s services include issues ranging from homelessness to Indigenous education to food sovereignty, all guided by values instilled within them at a young age. Through art, stories of communities' experiences are made visible in several different mediums. Sean specializes in carving, painting, traditional skin on frame boat building, and graphic design. Pah-tu prefers printmaking, mixed media, and carving.
