Twa-le Abrahamson-Swan
Twa-le Abrahamson-Swan is a Spokane Tribal member, and with her mother Deb Abrahamson (in photo, left), created SHAWL (Sovereignty, Health, Air, Water, Land) Society, a grassroots organization based on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Community education efforts focused on environmental justice and health risk factors related to uranium mining in an indigenous community; education about the effects of radiation and heavy metals, and pathways of exposure including traditional, medicinal, and subsistence foods and plants. Most recent efforts include the call for a cancer treatment center for Tribal members in the region.
Twa-le is a graduate from the University of Washington with a degree in environmental studies and minor in restoration ecology. She has been a social and environmental justice organizer for almost 20 years. She worked for several years in Natural Resource management for the Spokane Tribe, and was recognized by the USEPA for outstanding community education and outreach through the production of “InnerTribal Beat,” a Native American news and music show focused on environmental news in the northwest region. She was also recognized by the private and nonprofit sectors for her community advocacy work on indoor air and water quality and radon issues in Indian Country.
Presently, Twa-le works for the Washington State Human Rights Commission as a Civil Rights Investigator.