Jeffrey Palmer Smith BA ’80, Makah

Jeff received his MSW in 1990. Since that time he has worked in a variety of roles in the American Indian community, including mental health counseling, community organizing and social services. He was Northwest Indian Program Director for 25 years at the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker peace and social justice organization. He served the Seattle-based urban Indian organization United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, briefly as Interim Executive Director and five years as Board Chair. After retiring from AFSC in 2017 he became founding Executive Director of the peace and social justice organization Nakani Native Program. He now works part-time for the University of Washington School of Social Work as Off Site Field Instructor for practicum students. He is most well known for his work with the intertribal canoe journey, an annual journey of hundreds of miles that includes over 4,000 Natives and allies using 100 traditional dugout style ocean-going canoes throughout the Salish Sea lasting two-three weeks.