Home is where the heart is. Because Samish is not reservation-based, its citizens live predominately in a six-county area – but they consider Samish country to be home.

Amy Nichols, daughter of former Samish council member Lisa Weber, talked about the importance of place in a 2013 video by Longhouse Media.

“Being able to learn about my ancestors, you’re walking in their footsteps, you’re wondering about who they were and what their life was like,” Nichols said at Camp Samish, a summer cultural camp on Samish Island. “And it kind of puts your life in a different perspective, because when we’re in the city, we have a different style and we don’t think about the environment around us. But when you’re here and you’re looking at the beauty of this land, you can’t get away from the here and the now and everything around you.”

Rosie Cayou James, Samish, is the Nation’s cultural resources director. She’s also a well-known frybread cook. “When I’m in the kitchen, I feel complete,” she said in the Longhouse Media film. “When my cousins are doing cedar hats, they feel complete, or if they are in the canoe they feel complete. So, I come home to Samish where I can feel complete.”

Education is paramount: The Samish Nation has a fairly well-educated population – according to Wooten, 33 percent have had some college, compared to 25.1 percent of the state’s population and 21.2 percent of the U.S. population.

“We also provide vocational training and scholarships for Samish members, and tutoring for children who need assistance,” Wooten said.