Suquamish celebrates new mothers with first-ever tribal community baby shower
Gentle sounds of newborn cries filled the House of Awakened Culture May 11 as pregnant women and new mothers gathered alongside supportive partners, proud aunties and loved ones for the first-ever Suquamish Community Baby Shower.
The event was open to all Indigenous mothers within the community and was created in response to a baby boom in Suquamish over the past year, said Cori Silvey, event organizer and program manager for the Changing Tides, Helping Hands Home Visiting Program. Of the 30 mothers who attended, more than half arrived with a baby in tow, with ages ranging from three weeks to 11 months old.
The event was provided in partnership with Suquamish Tribe’s Community Health Department and Human Services Division, along with generous donations from community members for swag bags and raffle prizes.
Abundance, empowerment, and ceremony
“Abundance was our theme,” said Silvey. “Families couldn’t believe the preparation and intention that went into every element, especially the gifts and activities.”
Some of the most impactful educational takeaways centered around empowerment, advocacy and reclaiming intentional practices during birth and postpartum care.
Attendees were reminded that it is okay to advocate for practices that feel spiritually and culturally important, especially within western medicine settings.
“Until Suquamish has its own birthing center, we need to make places feel safe for our families,” said Silvey.
One of the recurring concepts throughout the gathering was the importance of “cere-minis” – practices that are intentionally small and sacred. They are not done for the approval of others.
“The idea is to honor the sacredness of ourselves and the teachings we are seeking to reclaim,” said Silvey. “Giving birth and bringing your baby home is something sacred. It feels warm in your tummy. It brings up a lot of emotions. It’s a memory and your body stores memories. It does not have to be big, or grand; it does not have to be on social media. It does not have to be affirmed by anybody else.”
Opening space
For Destiny Campana, the gathering opened space to process parts of her postpartum journey she had carried quietly. After the birth of her second child in June 2025, she struggled with feelings of mom-guilt after having to return to work much sooner than she had with her first born. The event allowed her to reflect on the differences between those experiences while also finding ways to move forward.
“Having to run a business in this economy is so stressful,” Campana said, referring to the family restaurant, Campana’s Pizzaria in Bremerton.
“And after my son, I just didn’t have the same bonding time that I had with my daughter. My husband was back running the restaurant within two weeks of our son’s birth, and I went back to work for [Port Madison Enterprises Construction Company] after six weeks.”
One of the practices that resonated most with her was making creation stories for both of her children — something they can read together as they grow older and recognize the deep love and thought she carried for them equally.
Janelle Mills, with a late July due date, attended with her partner Chris Samuria. She came to the event looking for ways to mentally prepare herself for giving birth.
“I keep repeating to myself, ‘I grew this baby, I can birth this baby’,” said Mills.
