The mission of the Xws7ámeshqen Program is to revitalize and sustain the worldview that connects us to our land, our ancestors, and our unique identity as Samish people by developing a cadre of young language revitalization professionals who will serve as staff for the future expansion of the language program.

Olive Mallory Brend  
Xws7ámeshqen Teacher and Program Coordinator 

Before moving to the Salish Sea region three years ago, Olive worked as a whale watch naturalist in Lingít Aaní (Southeast Alaska), where she learned Lingít yoo X̱’atángi (the Tlingit language) to better interpret local history, lands, and wildlife. For two years, she taught and studied multilingualism, post-colonial pedagogy, and storytelling at the University of Washington. Olive’s master’s thesis focuses on the relationalities of colonization, climate change, gender, and the Southern Resident killer whales, and she drew from 16 languages—9 of them Indigenous, primarily Samish and Lushootseed—to portray the multicultural atmosphere of the region. It was in writing about Xws7ámesh Schténgexwen (Samish Lands) and Xws7ámesh Schál7eche7 (Samish Relatives) that Olive began to learn Xws7ámeshqen (the Samish Language). When she isn’t teaching or writing, Olive likes to take coastal hikes and watch birds, whales, and the tide.

Thea Roe  
Xws7ámeshqen Multimedia Specialist 

Prior to joining the Xws7ámeshqen Department, Thea worked as the Chelángen Event Planner for over 3 years, during which she was steadily drawn toward Xws7ámeshqen. Thea's professional background has focused on graphic design and writing, event planning, and administration within the fields of performing arts and outdoor recreation. Her neurodivergent special interests include plants, storytelling, history, humor, and etymology — all subjects which she has been blessed to engage with professionally.