Inspiring and educating the next generation of leaders with Children of the Setting Sun
For Darrell Hillaire, Executive Director of Children of the Setting Sun, storytelling isn’t just an art, but an intrinsic part of his life and culture. Indigenous people have used storytelling to pass down history, tradition, and values from time immemorial, and Hillaire wants to continue that legacy.
Named after a song and dance troupe started by his great-grandfather with a similar vision, Children of the Setting Sun is an organization that uses storytelling to influence academia, activism, and policy development. Over the past ten years, Darrell and his team have been working with young leaders, teaching them about Indigenous history, providing access to educational opportunities, and honing their leadership skills, with the hope that they can inspire change—not just for Indigenous people, but everyone.
“A core mission of Children of the Setting Sun is the next generation,” Hillaire said, “Because if we’re not supporting the next generation; there’s no point in any of this work.”
Youth leaders can also improve their skills through their Young Tribal Leaders program and participating in the ‘Young & Indigenous’ podcast, a platform that amplifies the voices, stories, and experiences of young Indigenous people. Amy McKinley, Chief Development Officer at Children of the Setting Sun, explains that these programs have produced amazing results, with some of their young leaders even being invited to participate at the Bioneers Conference in California and conduct podcast interviews with national speakers. She knows that through their work, these young leaders will grow up to work towards changing the narrative for more than just Indigenous people, but for everyone.
In addition to supporting Indigenous youth, Children of the Setting Sun is deeply passionate about all students learning the true history through the Washington State’s “Since Time Immemorial” curriculum. They are strong partners with the Bellingham School District and are now starting partnerships with other schools as well. To support the curriculum, they have developed a Digital Heritage Library that schools can access for Indigenous films, interviews and research.
“When you have a stronger education system that is teaching true history, then you are not only helping the students, but you are helping their parents and grandparents learn, and when you have stronger Indigenous young tribal leaders, they are supporting their community, and that helps non-indigenous people and Indigenous people learn from each other," McKinley said.
Children of the Setting Sun’s work doesn’t stop there. To increase their impact and outreach in the community, they are also opening The Setting Sun Circle in 2027, a public space for storytelling, innovation, and gathering in the Downtown Arts District in Bellingham (grants from Allen Family Philanthropies are not being used to fund its development). This cultural center will bring together immersive experiences, education, and artistic expression to address urgent issues like climate resilience, equity, and unity. They hope that this new space can create a sense of community and safety in a changing cultural landscape.
Ultimately, this is what it’s all about for Hillaire, McKinley, and the Children of the Setting Sun team — bringing people together. Some of their favorite memories are when their work has been able to create tangible displays of interconnectedness, like during an Indigenous People’s Day event they hosted, where the speaker invited over 1,000 people from all walks of life to hug each other in the audience and celebrate Native history.
While recent shakeups in federal funding have impacted them, they are not deterred, but inspired. They know that the only way to move forward is to spark interconnectedness between communities and work together to help themselves—and future generations— thrive.
“We all need to be of a community that is going to get through what we're seeing today,” Hillaire said, “There's a call for us to be even closer in the work that we do. We want to be a ray of hope."
To learn more about Children of the Setting Sun and the work they do, visit their website: https://settingsunproductions.org/
