Land Acknowledgment
Camp Fire stands on the lands of the Coast Salish People who came before us and, despite systemic efforts to silence their voices and erase history, are still here today. We honor with gratitude the land itself and the Coast Salish peoples.
Camp Sealth is on the unceded ancestral land of the first people of Vashon Island: the Duwamish, the Suquamish, and the Puyallup tribes. Sealth is a namesake from a Duwamish and Suquamish chief, Chief Si’ahl and the Camp Fire Seattle offices are on the land of the Duwamish Tribe. We honor the legacy and the history of these tribes – past, present, and future – and invite you to learn more.
We stand in solidarity with these tribes and call on our peers in the summer camp and youth development industries to join us in not just acknowledging history but to also take action.
Recent action steps we have taken include:
- Becoming Real Renters & Paying Real Rent Duwamish
- Removing Culturally Appropriative Items, Names & Symbols at Camp Sealth
- Updating our emblems in our Group Program to include youth-led and non-appropriative designs
- Founding & utilizing financial aid dollars to bring Native youth to camp at no or low-cost
Future goals include:
- Incorporating land acknowledgements into the summer camp culture
- Expanding our reach and bringing more Native youth and families to camp
- Building and sustaining long-term partnerships with tribes and schools
Equity Statement
Camp Fire strives to provide diverse, inclusive, and equitable environments throughout our organizations and programs. We recognize that both access to and success in our programs requires intentional work, to cultivate respect, eliminate systemic barriers, and address injustice head-on.
We affirm, and support young people and adults of all abilities and disabilities, experiences, races, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, religion and non-religion, citizenship and immigration status, and any other category people use to define themselves or others.
We recognize that our efforts will be ongoing and evolving as we continue to grow, learn, collaborate, and press for an equitable future.
Inclusion in Our Programs
Youth of all backgrounds and abilities are welcome in Camp Fire programs. Our staff will work with parents to ensure a successful experience, whether its in a school-year program, day camp, or overnight camp. We encourage parents to be open with us about your child’s needs, so that we can determine how best to support your child.