“Solidarity” implies equality and mutual respect, in contrast to “charity,” which has come to suggest hierarchy and condescension. Solidarity implies a commitment to mutual well-being. Nk̓ʷúwilš contributors are asked to commit to learning about the Tribal histories of the land where they live, and to discuss this history with other residents, in addition to whatever monetary contribution they may be able to offer.

The Tribal Council of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes and the Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee Elders have given their blessings to this project. The Nk̓ʷúwilš project is also reaching out to the Ksanka (Kootenai) Elders Committee, and will stay in communication with CSKT Tribal Council, elders, and government leaders, and collaborate whenever possible. A community visioning session was held in April 2023, including two Tribal Council members and a number of leaders in Tribal government. All were very supportive and encouraged Jody and Jenny to pursue this project. The Salish & Kootenai Housing Authority is a branch of the Tribal government. The Nk̓ʷúwilš project is also reaching out to the Elders Commitees, and will stay in communication with CSKT Tribal Council and government leaders, and collaborate whenever possible. 

Jody Cahoon Perez and Jenny Mish heard about other solidarity giving programs in 2022, and began meeting to imagine a local program. Jody grew up on the Flathead Reservation, where her heart’s desire is to secure safe housing for Tribal members, and for all people. She serves as Executive Director of the Salish & Kootenai Housing Authority, the Tribally-designated housing entity of the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes. Jenny is a consultant and community organizer who lives in Missoula, where she works on community development projects, including Common Good Missoula’s Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization and practice groups based on Resmaa Menakem’s book, My Grandmother’s Hands.

Starting around 2018, a number of programs have emerged around the U.S. to provide “honor taxes,” “real rent,” “guest exchange,” and other forms of solidarity funding for Native peoples. These programs are always tailored to local needs, providing unrestricted resources and support for the traditional people of the lands where they operate. See the Resources section for links to some of these programs.

The initial funding goal for this program is to address the gap in resources available to support Tribal members into homeownership. On the Flathead Reservation, there are currently ~275 households on the waiting list for 516 Low Rent housing units that are managed by the Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority. A bureaucratic funding gap prevents those who are currently in Low Rent housing from increasing their income and becoming homeowners. Relatively small amounts of money, ~$12,000 per household, can allow these families to own their own homes. In turn, this will open SKHA Low Rent units to others on the waiting list. Meeting that need is the top initial priority for Nk̓ʷúwilš financial contributions.

100% of contributions received from the fall 2024 pilot campaign will go directly to Tribal members in need of housing, minus payment processing fees which may also be paid by the contributor in the payment window. The launch of this program has been supported by SKHA, NeighborWorks Montana, and technical assistance from the HUD Office of Native American Programs and the National American Indian Housing Council. Continued operations will need additional funding– please let us know if you are interested in contributing for this purpose.

The Nk̓ʷúwilš project and the Salish and Kootenai Housing Authority will share successes on this webpage and social media, and provide a report for contributors detailing homeownership and other outcomes each time a fundraising goal is met. Contributors concerned about this issue are also encouraged to “wrestle” with the history of paternalism in philanthropy and consider the possibility of contributing without strings attached.

Yes. Nk̓ʷúwilš is a project of the Salish & Kootenai Housing Authority (SKHA) in collaboration with NeighborWorks Montana, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, EIN 81-0543240. All financial contributions will be received and tracked by NeighborWorks Montana, which will send tax verification letters to contributors at the end of the calendar year. This ensures full compliance with U.S. tax and other laws. SKHA and NeighborWorks have a long history of partnership for housing on the Flathead Reservation. As a tribal entity, SKHA is also tax exempt according to the IRS, under Section 7871 of the 1982 Indian Tribal Governmental Tax Status Act. However, many donors are unfamiliar with this status and prefer to contribute to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Anyone who feels called to heal the harms of settler colonialism is welcome to participate. We primarily focus on people from European ancestry living in the ancestral homelands of the Séliš, Ql̓ispé, and Ksanka people.

We do not share contributor names and gift amounts – what you give is for your heart to decide. Everything in the US takes place on land where Native people were and are displaced. We invite you to be bold and give a meaningful amount as large as your individual budget allows. In recognition of the broken Hellgate Treaty of 1855, you could choose to contribute $18.55/month, or $1855/year. For further guidance, you could use an online calculator from another Solidarity Giving Program. Here is a calculator from the Kuuy Nahwá’a Guest Exchange, and here is one from the Miami Nation Honor Fund.

Yes, checks and contributions from Donor Advised Funds can be made payable to “Nkwuwils Solidarity Program of NeighborWorks Montana,” EIN 81-0543240, and sent to NeighborWorks Montana, P.O. Box 1025, Great Falls MT 59403.

Financial contributions are the focus of the Fall 2024 pilot campaign, and will continue to be a key foundation of the Nk̓ʷúwilš program in the future.  A monthly contribution can be made as low as $1 per month. We understand that contributions can come in many forms, and that not everyone is able to contribute financially. Please be patient as we develop participation opportunities and build a solidarity community offering support in a variety of ways.

The Bitterroot Salish people call themselves the Séliš. Since time immemorial, they lived primarily in the Stevensville area, and were forced to relocate to the Flathead Reservation in 1891, after decades of broken treaty negotiations starting with the Hellgate Treaty of 1855. They joined the Ql̓ispé, a sister tribe sharing the same language, already living in the Mission Valley. The Ksanka people are one of several bands of Ksanka-ȼ Ktunaxa (Kootenai) people. The Ksanka lived in the area now called Libby, and were pushed from the north and west onto the Flathead Reservation. These three groups comprise the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

The Séliš-Ql̓ispé Culture Committee has requested that non-Natives become familiar with the resources provided on their website, linked in the Resources section below. Many organizations offer relevant events in Missoula and on the Flathead Reservation. These include films, powwows, storytelling events, art shows and fairs, speakers, ceremonies, and other events. Common Good Missoula offers Wrestling with the Truth of Colonization training twice each year. Courses in language, history, and culture are offered by the University of Montana, Salish Kootenai College, MOLLI, and the Lifelong Learning Center in Missoula. The Nk̓ʷúwilš project aims to highlight learning opportunities at least quarterly, and create gathering spaces for white settlers to “wrestle” with the truth of non-Native people’s impact on the land where we live.

SKHA Repairs Historical Trauma Through Providing Homes

Tribal Housing Authority Invites Non-Native Support Amid Housing Crisis

Missoulian Article

Access Limited to Subscribers; here is a PDF

UM student feature article about Jody Cahoon Perez and the Salish & Kootenai Housing Authority

Study of Housing Needs on the Flathead Reservation

For more detailed results, click here

Many resources including audio, video, photos, history publications, etc

Ksanka Culture Committee Website

Video overviews of key events in Salish & Kootenai history from Native perspective

Many videos on culture, language, youth, environment, current programs

CSKT Tribal newspaper covering the Flathead Reservation

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Website

A Spectrum of Allyship

How to Come Correct

Settler Responsibility & Reciprocity

Sogorea Te’ Land Trust’s Shuumi Land Tax

Kuuy Nahwá’a Guest Exchange

Manna-hatta Fund

Honor Native Land Fund

Mni Šota Makoče Honor Tax

Wabanaki Commission and First Light

Real Rent Duwamish