Chenoa Egawa is Lummi and S’Klallam of Washington State. Her Lummi and S’Klallam grandparents were multilingual, speaking Lummi, S’Klallam, several Coast Salish languages of neighboring tribes, and English. They were carriers of the profound ways of life of the First Peoples – as caretakers of our Mother Earth – through their interrelationship with their homelands and waterways; through their stories, songs, prayers and ways of life.

Chenoa is dedicated to upholding and amplifying the wisdom of her elders and ancestors, sharing teachings about our interconnectedness, our responsibilities to this sacred life, to one another and to the Natural world. She is a ceremonial leader, medicine carrier, singer, speaker, published author (The Whale Child and Tani’s Search for the Heart), artist and nature photographer. (All the nature photos on this site, have been taken by Chenoa). She is also a Senior Level Qigong Instructor through the Ling Gui (Spiritual Turtle) International Healing Qigong School.

Through her Indigenous heritage, studies of Qigong and Taoist Philosophy and life experiences she shares a unique holistic understanding of life, imparting wisdom that brings us back into harmony with our true nature. She sheds light upon the great need of our current times to remember and reintegrate the wisdom of our ancestors as a guiding force in healing ourselves, realigning with the Natural world and fostering the healthful continuity of all life. In that regard, she serves as a voice to bring Native wisdom and perspectives to the world at a time when these teachings are particularly poignant reminders of our shared responsibility to live with respect for ourselves, one another, and for our Earth.

Chenoa has long been active in local and international work for Indigenous peoples, children and the environment. For over 20 years, she worked in Washington State schools, creating programs that integrated Native American culture and history. She often taught through songs and storytelling to empower Native youth and bring greater appreciation for cultural diversity to all children in the public school system.

Over the past 30 years, she has traveled throughout North, Central and South America facilitating communication among Indigenous Peoples with the intent of protecting and preserving cultural heritage, languages and homelands. Throughout her work she has served as a bridge in cross-cultural interactions, encouraging mutual respect and understanding among Native and non-Native communities, educators and environmental groups.

From 1997-1999 Chenoa was an Institute of Current World Affairs (ICWA) Fellow in Mexico and Guatemala where she studied and wrote on issues concerning Indigenous Peoples of both countries. In 1996, she was part of an international Native delegation that traveled to Chile to support Mapuche and Pehuenche Indigenous communities in their efforts to halt construction of large-scale dams on their homelands. In 1992 she traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to attend the Earth Summit where she served as a Lummi delegate, and an English, Spanish and Portuguese translator at meetings with Indigenous Peoples from the United States, Canada, Central and South America. In 1991, she worked as an intern at the United Nations Center for Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland, serving as a member of the Secretariat during the 10th Session of the Working Group of Indigenous Peoples.

As a vocalist, Chenoa has released five CD’s – Sacred Fire (Sound of America Records), Road of Life (Swan Clan), Heartbeat of Life (Swan Clan), Songs of Strength and Beauty (Cool Runnings), and Spirit of Salishan (Swan Clan).

In partnership with her brother, Keith Egawa, she has co-authored and illustrated two children’s books, The Whale Child (North Atlantic Books 2020) and Tani’s Search for the Heart (self-published 2013).

Her experience as an actor includes performing in lead roles in the World Premiere of Ghosts of Celilo at Portland, Oregon’s Newmark Theatre in 2007, 2011, where she also won the Portland Area Musical Theatre Award for “Best Original Score” 2011 (co-writer with Marv Ross); in Sacagawea, at the Oregon Children’s Theatre in 2003, and at the New Visions, New Voices series at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center in May 2002.

From 2003-2009 Chenoa was Host for the Native news television program ‘Northwest Indian News’ viewed across the Western United States, Canada, Hawaii, Alaska and New Zealand.

Qigong Photos by Tyler Penor.