August E-News: Two exciting launches at Braided River this Summer!

In the Spirit of Right and Respectful Relations

Braided River is honored to partner with Se’Si’Le on In the Spirit of Right and Respectful Relations: Conversations about Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being in Nature, featuring a foreword by Jay Julius Xw’tot lhem and as told to Kurt Russo.  

In the Spirit of Right and Respectful Relations highlights an Indigenous-led approach to the urgent environmental crisis by promoting dialogue with Indigenous Peoples and inspiring action to support, protect, and restore our region’s lands, waters, and lifeways. We are so excited to announce that this book and campaign are officially live, and we want you involved! 

How can you engage in this impactful project? 

Order your copy of In the Spirit of Right and Respectful Relations today to support this effort,  read the stories, and experience the beautiful illustrations. 

We would love to have you at our Seattle Launch Event in October! The evening will include conversations with Jay Julius (former chairman of the Lummi Nation) and his daughter Teja Julius, Lynda Mapes, John Vechey, and will be facilitated by Jeff Renner. 

Details: 

Make a gift to the campaign! 

Our goal is to give away the bulk of our print run. As part of the Braided River community, you know that the action behind the campaign begins once the book is published. You can learn more about this project and where the funding will go through this PDF here. 

Make a gift to support In the Spirit of Right and Respectful Relations 

Authors and contributors at the San Juan Island book launch for Right and Respectful Relations
From left to right: John Vechey, Jay Julius Xw’tot lem, Sarah Hart, Fiorella De la O, and Kurt Russo

We Are Puget Sound Traveling Exhibit 

With gratitude to the Foss Waterway Seaport Museum in Tacoma, WA, we were able to bring the We Are Puget Sound exhibit to yet another new location! In July, we opened the sixth year of this traveling exhibit with speaking engagement from Dr. Mindy Roberts who leads the Puget Sound program at the Washington Environmental Council, and Braided River’s own Executive Director, Helen Cherullo. You can order the book here.

Dr. Mindy Roberts, Helen Cherullo, and David Workman at the We Are Puget Sound Seaport Launch in July 2025.

You can visit the Seaport from Thursday - Sunday, 10AM-4pm, to see the exhibit at no cost! Follow along on social media to learn more about upcoming events. 

Protect the Arctic Updates


It would not be a Braided River summer update if we did not highlight the work being done to Protect the Arctic. A value of the Braided River mission is conservation action, which has been targeted at core legislation this season. What happens in America’s Arctic impacts everyone on earth, and has rippling effects for the climate crisis. Our team has been working closely in coalition with Protect the Arctic to keep the oil and gas industry out of America’s Arctic, and uplift Indigenous voices. 

In June, the Department of Interior proposed rescinding the 2024 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) rule that expanded protections over roughly 13 million acres of “Special Areas” within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPRA), also known as the Western Arctic, which opened the door to more straightforward oil and gas development by reinstating earlier, less restrictive rules. (U.S. Department of Interior) In July, the BLM officially withdrew the three policy documents associated with Special Areas. These actions follow executive orders focused on “Unleashing Alaska’s Extraordinary Resource Potential.” (Office of Advocacy). 

In addition to the Western Arctic, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was reopened by an executive order from President Trump to oil and gas exploration. The federal lease sales in the refuge have attracted zero bids. (Earthjustice Action) 

In April, a bipartisan group of lawmakers reintroduced the Arctic Refuge Protection Act (Senate bill S.1519 and House Bill H.R.3067) that advocacy organizations have voiced strong support for. (Earthjustice) 

Throughout this process, we’ve collaborated on media campaigns, “one click” public comment letters, banners, and messaging all aimed at permanent protection. As we have for the past twenty-plus years, we will continue these efforts. Please reach out with any questions, or if you would like more information on the work we do to #ProtecttheArctic. 

Big River Updates

Big River author Eileen Delehanty Pearkes is embarking on a transboundary speaking tour about healing the Columbia River in British Columbia from August - October!

Pearkes speaking in Kootenay Bay, BC in August, 2025

June E-news: Highlighting Braided River author Amy Gulick, and action opportunities

Highlighting Author Amy Gulick


“Powerful stories get the attention of decision makers and people they represent” - Amy Gulick, author of The Salmon Way

Hello Braided River Community - the month of June has absolutely flown by, and each day we seem to be facing new obstacles and headlines of horror. It's not easy to keep showing up for the climate and our community when everything may feel like it is falling apart.

Here at Braided River, we believe in the persuasive power of images and stories to lead people to protect the wild and sacred outdoors, and communities that are connected to them. We are here to connect with you - from inspiring words from Braided River author and photographer Amy Gulick, to a chance to share your story on why you care about public lands.

Amy Gulick

Environmental Impact Award Recipient at NANPA

(The North American Nature Photography Association)

Amy Gulick published her first award-winning book with Braided River in 2010, titled Salmon in the Trees: Life in Alaska's Tongass Rainforest. Going on to publish another book with Braided River titled The Salmon Way: An Alaska State of Mind in 2019, she now the recipient of the Environmental Impact Award from the North American Nature Photography Association, the Conservation Voices Award from Washington Wild, and the Voices of the Wild Award from the Alaska Wilderness League. Amy has been one of Braided River’s champions, continuing to share stories and be involved in the fight to protect Alaskan ecosystems. I had the honor of speaking with Amy about the project and what this work means to her.

1. What first inspired you to combine photography with environmental storytelling?

As a kid, I loved telling stories. I would draw pictures to illustrate my stories, and when I figured out what a camera could do then that became my tool of choice. The power of a strong photograph to engage people and draw them into the finer details of a story is paramount to helping people understand an environmental issue.

Amy Gulick, The Salmon Way (2019)

2. Can you tell me a little bit about the project that led to the Environmental Impact Award?

The Salmon Way: An Alaska State of Mind explores the relationships and ways of life that wild salmon make possible for people in Alaska. These remarkable fish provide a fundamental source of food, livelihood, and identity, and connect generations and communities throughout the state. Yet while salmon are integral to the lives of many Alaskans, the habitat they need to thrive is increasingly at risk from large-scale development that threatens both the fish and valued ways of life.

3. What impact do you hope your photography continues to have on conservation and environmental awareness?

Powerful stories can get the attention of decision makers and the people they represent. I’m always trying to tell stories that inspire people to see the world from a new perspective, because how we see the world is how we treat it. Ultimately, I want people to come away from my stories inspired to take care of what takes care of us and all beings on Earth.

You can find more of Amy Gulick’s work here: amygulick.com

Protect The Arctic Campaign

For decades, Braided River has worked in coalition with many photographers and authors to amplify and protect America’s Arctic. In 2021, our “Protect the Arctic” Campaign led by Campion Advocacy fund recording their award-winning IMAX film titled “The Arctic: Our Last Great Wilderness." This campaign is interwoven into the heart of Braided River's mission.

The threat continues. Among other damaging motions, the Big Beautiful Budget Bill that President Trump is proposing includes a plan to sell off public lands to pay for billionaire tax breaks. This includes the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), and opening up Americas Arctic for oil and gas development. Regardless of Trump’s belief that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge holds oil potential equivalent to “liquid gold,” the fact of the matter is that industry does not see economic potential in oil and gas development in the Arctic Refuge (ANWR). Multiple legally mandated oil and gas lease sales for the Coastal Plain have resulted in no companies showing up for the sale.

As stated by our colleagues at Alaska Wilderness League, “Public lands cannot be for sale. Not for profit. Not for political cover. And not now or EVER. The Senate budget bill uses land giveaways to offset the cost of billionaire tax breaks, trading irreplaceable landscapes for temporary gains. This is a shortsighted political stunt with permanent consequences.”

Check Protect The Arctic’s Take Action Page | Protect The Arctic’s Instagram