Annual Appeal 2024
As I write this, I am just a few days shy of my first two months as Confluence’s new executive director. I never could have prepared for how fulfilling and challenging this role would be, and I am grateful for every moment of it. The day after Election Day, I was walking back from the Vancouver Land Bridge—designed by John Paul Jones in partnership with Maya Lin and Indigenous artists like Lillian Pitt—and I stopped by the community garden that grows in Confluence’s backyard.
While the sun was shining and relatively warm, I noticed that the garden keepers had put the plants to rest, covering them with fall leaves to keep them warm to survive the winter. I thought about the natural cycle of all things living, how plants and animals must hunker down during the cold months, how old growth feeds new growth, and how everything blooms in the springtime. That “wintering” time is essential so that something even more beautiful and vibrant can emerge. Confluence is entering its wintering era, one in which we are hunkering down, taking the time we need to assess and re-evaluate our goals and priorities.
In my very first week at Confluence, we held our Legacy Maker Gathering. What most impressed me is how our small, but mighty, staff stepped up to the plate to carry off the event with grace, no matter the challenges. As a fundraiser with event experience, I was dazzled! However, I also know that resources are limited, and while there is so much we can do with what we have, we cannot do it all at once.
For that reason, we are taking this opportunity in 2025 to go into strategic planning mode and—in partnership with the Indigenous communities we serve—determine Confluence’s top priorities for the next 3–5 years. We seek to create a planning process that centers Indigenous voices and worldviews. And we can only do this important work with your support.
Please consider giving to Confluence today to help us determine our path over the next year. While we are identifying our strategic priorities, please know that our mission will continue to focus on elevating Indigenous voices at the intersection of art and environment.
We could not do this without you, our loyal supporters. Please give to Confluence today by going here.
Thank you for your gift, and I wish you a warm and loving holiday season.
Wopila (“Thank you” in Lakota)
Leah Altman, Oglala Lakota
Executive Director, Confluence
