Tleena Ives grew up immersed in the language and culture of her Native people, the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe—knowledge gleaned from her extended family and her early education.
"My memories from my early experience in education included learning to speak in S'Klallam, learning our traditional songs and dances, and being instilled with a great sense of cultural identity," Ives said.
So when it came to the education of her own four children, she worked ardently as a parent volunteer to help shape the tribe's early learning curriculum to reflect this important heritage.