Candidate Letter: Senate Seat 7 - Aurelia Bailey

My dear Swinomish people,

I am currently seeking your support for Swinomish Senate Seat #7. I am always committed to being here for my people. During this pandemic we have seen some real hardships and despair within our community. We have all been through some things that we could have never imagined.

In the beginning of this pandemic, Tracy James, Angie Ball, and I were given the opportunity to develop an essential team of workers to provide the basic needs to Swinomish. At that moment we didn’t even think about the real dangers, all we knew was that we had to take care of our people. All of our essential worker are real heroes to me, they put their lives on the line to keep all our folks safe. This is the kind of compassion and love that our ancestors had. Our Swinomish people are always going to do whatever we can to overcome any kind of devastations in our community. The elders gave us our traditional resources to help us get through anything; now it is time for us to start focusing on the healing of our people.

The compassion I have for my people has been instilled in me since I was a small girl. My grandparents raised me to do the spiritual, cultural, and traditional work of my people. I am grateful today that we have the medicine of our songs and dances. We all have been waiting for the time we can gather together again to practice our ways of healing. We have lost many great people to COVID-19and other illnesses. I continue to pray for these familieswho still need closure. It is up to us as leaders to guide our people through these dark days.

I was once asked by an elder, “Do you have the heart to hear your people?” He said, “Some people listen, but they can’t hear.” This teaching has stayed with me and has taught me that leadership is the power of our people. Those who grew up here know the turmoil that our folks have faced and are still facing. We must always ensure that the basic needs of our people come first. Our leadership should never be called a dictatorship, it should never be about getting a title, and most of all, it should never divide our families. If we are here with the best intentions of our people, we need to always work together. If my people feel that I am ready to take on this level of leadership, I would be honored to represent you. I promise to do my best and to use my voice to ensure that your expectations are heard.

Qw tee sa luq always taught us to do everything with a good heart, good mind, and good feelings, Hysheqwalawen. Loving, caring, and sharing!

I raise my hands to my Swinomish people with love, honor, and respect.

Qws tan ya

Aurelia G. Bailey