Mission Statement for the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee (DEIC)

The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee at Friday Harbor Labs is a group of faculty, staff, students, and researchers dedicated to the continuous pursuit of a more inclusive and equitable community. As a committee we believe that the foundation of academic and professional excellence lies in our collective experiences and differences. To move forward we must first recognize our own involvement in the historical and systematic exclusion of under represented groups and be mindful of our own latent prejudices. Our overall goals include increasing access to our research facilities, raising funds to decrease barriers of entry in marine science, and building relationships with the surrounding indigenous nations. We pledge to continue developing a more inclusive, equitable and just culture that will lead to greater academic success and a strong community that we can all be proud of.

Land and Waters Acknowledgement Statement

We acknowledge that we work and live on the traditional homelands of the Coast Salish peoples. The University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories acknowledge the Coast Salish peoples of this land where we teach, research, and learn- the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes within the Lhaq’temish (Lummi), Lekwungen (Songhees), Swinomish, Semiahmoo, Samish, T’sou-ke, WSÁNEĆ, and Jamestown S’Klallam, and we pledge support for Coast Salish peoples of our community and seek meaningful connections to protect our shared environment.

This short statement represents a larger process and is subject to change as we learn more. You can read our full FHL Land and Waters Acknowledgement Statement and view additional resources here. Our intentions at FHL are to actively develop meaningful relationships that support specific actions and programs. We welcome feedback and are always open to hear how we may improve our acknowledgement of the local tribes. 

How We Formed

In February of 2020 we recognized a need to be more active in building an inclusive, equitable and just environment at FHL. Members within our own community came forward with a plan to establish our first formal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Through reaching out to students, staff, and faculty, we formed a group that is representative of the different types of scientists who visit and work at the labs.