“Neighbor to Neighbor – Sharing Our Stories” Project

Mary (K’Naugh) Brown was Coast Tsimshian whom married settler Charles Brown. They were early homesteaders on Lopez. Referred to often as Mother Brown, as she was known for bringing Native people and white settlers together on Lopez. Stories of early Lopezians tell of generosity, helping each other, sharing resources, and making the most out of situations. Mother Brown is an exceptional role model of compassion and caring for others. Her efforts created a strong foundation valuing kindness that the Lopez community still benefits from today.T

Bonnie Swift, who grew up on San Juan Island, was a producer, editor, and deputy director for the Stanford Storytelling Project, an interdisciplinary program that examines the role and use of stories in our lives. Now she is a freelance writer, editor, storytelling coach, and researcher. Bonnie will provide training to interested facilitators who will be trained to help bring neighbors together to share their stories later this year.

For more information, contact: barbara@lifrc.org