Honoring the ancestral ways of the Támal-ko people is to carry stories, practices, and relationships that breathe through generations. It’s how we remember, heal, and weave a future where Indigenous representation blooms visibly and powerfully.

In 2025, Alliance for Felix Cove celebrated its fourth year of reawakening the traditional practice of creating and building with tule–the water reed used for thousands of years by Indigenous peoples along the West Coast and beyond. Our tule programming has brought together Native youth, families, and friends coming to take part in tule harvests, canoe building, storytelling, and more. 

In September, we hosted our first Mini Tule Basket workshop led by TekTekh Gabaldon (Mishewal Wappo), a respected culture bearer and Native Advisory Council member who is deeply engaged in tribal ceremonial affairs across the North Bay. Participants learned about traditional California basket weaving techniques, and then created their own basket to take home. 

This workshop quickly filled to capacity–demonstrating the need for more opportunities for Indigenous people and other community members to learn these traditional practices. We hope to expand additional tule workshops in the coming years. 

Because ​tule isn’t just a plant—it’s woven into our stories, homes, and futures.

Photo (left) by Ashley Salaz