Perspectives of Indigenous Bridges

  Group photo from the 2019 Tribal Canoe Journeys The year of 2020 was one of big changes for the world and for our organization as well. Large gatherings of people and international travel became banned and online meetings became the norm. The cultural exchange activities of the ATAYAL organization were suspended, including our most important cultural exchange event, the Tribal Canoe Journeys . Instead of hanging up our paddles, our organization used the down time to be productive, strengthening the foundation for a sustainable future. We worked on the four pillars of our foundation: Recruiting , Program Development , Partnerships and Fundraising . I. RECRUITING In 2020, we added key members to our Board, International Advisory Board, and to our Staff. Each person offers the organization their experience, skills and connections. More importantly, they bring a passion and respect for the indigenous people and their cultures. Dr. Ming-lon Young - Chairman of the Board Guy Charlton - B

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE ATAYAL ORGANIZATION The Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors of the ATAYAL Organization was originally held on November 21, 2020, and is being reconvened on Tuesday, January 18, 2021 via online conference call using Google Meets, as the Pandemic limited the members' ability to meet in person. According to the the Quorum defined in our previous By-laws, we have at least two of our Board Members in attendance. During this meeting, we will vote to update our By-laws and Quorum for future meetings. ATTENDANCE Those in attendance of the 2021 Reconvened Annual Meeting and their titles are as follows: 1) Tony Coolidge, President, Secretary, Treasurer and acting Executive Director 2) Gary Smoke, Vice President and acting Deputy Director 3) Guy Charlton, Board Member 4) Mark Sussman, Advisory Board Member (New Board Member) 5) Will Tsang, Project Coordinator 6) Chloe Hsia, PR Coordinator 7) Tse-chi Chad Yen, Cultural Ambassador for North America DISTRIBUTI

  ARTICLE I.  NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION The organization was registered as a corporation in the State of Florida and with the Internal Revenue Service under the name "ATAYAL, Inc." References to the organization shall be "ATAYAL Organization" to better reflect our status as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. ARTICLE II. ORGANIZATION PURPOSE Section 1. Nonprofit Purpose This corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, cultural, educational, and community development purposes. This includes, for such purposes, the making of distributions to organizations that qualify as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.   Section 2. Specific Purpose The ATAYAL Organization was founded to promote and facilitate culture, education and economic exchanges between the world's indigenous tribes. The specific objectives and purpose of our organization shall be: Connect represe

Village In The Clouds was an article originally written for ORIENT Magazine and published on May 20, 1997. The article documented my first trip back to Taiwan after leaving Taiwan as a young child in 1971. The trip occurred in the Summer of 1996, after the death of my mother. My aunt Yu Yin Lytle and uncle Jim Lytle brought me to Taiwan to meet my relatives. The trip revealed far more than I ever expected, and the unexpected discoveries led to my decision to form the ATAYAL organization , which is named after my mother's tribe. This story of the unexpected discovery of my mother's indigenous roots and search for understanding why she kept her ethnic roots hidden became the cornerstone of the Voices In The Clouds documentary film. This version is revised for more accuracy and republished. Last summer, I was blessed with the opportunity of a lifetime. Twenty-five years after my family and I left Taiwan for the land of baseball and apple pie, I was offered a chance to revisit my

The ATAYAL Organization has received the grant award of USD $10,000 from the Nisqually Charitable and Local Government Funds for their 2020 Grant. The grant proposal and application was made in September 2020, and it was requested for the funding of a delegation trip to Taiwan for two members of the Nisqually Tribe. The purpose is for outreach to establish cultural exchange trips for ATAYAL's Indigenous Youth Ambassador Program. The trip also includes components on indigenous tourism exchange and community emergency response for COVID-19. You can see the official proposal here:  https://www.indigenousbridges.org/files/2020-NisquallyCharitableApplication.pdf We are currently discussing the timing of this exchange trip to Taiwan in the face of the current status of the global pandemic. The funds are earmarked and will be set aside specifically for this future trip. The ATAYAL organization facilitates international indigenous exchanges through its Indigenous Bridges Programs. The prog

The Financials of 2020 reflect a year of restricted program activity due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, the organization has focused on program develop and relationship development for future programs. The donations and expenses reflect this restricted level of activity. INCOME ($2,381.00) Donations (11) - $2,381.00 EXPENSES ($2,861.21) OPERATIONAL EXPENSES ($1,972.89) Professional Services - $569.17 Printing - $55.23 Office Supplies/Software - $739.00 Meals - $182.77 Dues and Subscriptions - $71.25     Travel and Transportation - $143.97     Bank Fees - $211.50 PROGRAM EXPENSES ($888.32) Meals - $326.71 Travel and Transportation - $561.61 NET INCOME/LOSS (-$480.21) BANK ACCOUNT BEGINNING BALANCE ($5,138.75) END OF YEAR BALANCE ($4,583.37) PAYPAL ACCOUNT BEGINNING BALANCE ($117.06) END OF YEAR BALANCE ($554.49) PETTY CASH BEGINNING BALANCE ($735.00) END OF YEAR BALANCE ($191.56)