2025 WE Ignite Speaker

Kay Knott
Kay Knott

Kay Knott

Kay Knott is an elder in the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe. She was raised in the Skagit Valley receiving her BA from Western Washington University. She is a parent and grandparent and served a foster parent for 15 years.

She served as the Executive Director of the Inter-tribal Housing Authority, Directed the Big Brothers, Big Sisters, and the Director of Youthnet. She established and ran a Pregnancy and Parenting Teen program. She served on the Indian Child Welfare Advisory Board for ten years and a board member for the National Housing Authority.

Kay works with Paths to Understanding to develop Let’s Go Together, a program to invite people of diverse traditions and cultures into relationship. She works to prepare groups and organizations for relationship with Indigenous communities.

Presentation Info

Through storytelling and sharing from her life experiences, Kay will acknowledge Vi Hilburts words of wisdom. Express and expand upon the importance of story telling in the River and Coast Salish culture. In addition, the audience will have the honor of learning about Kay’s mother’s story, and, if time allows, Kay will share the "Lifting the Sky" story.