In Memory of Saajeda Mikaela Stratman

Why we chose Sacred Earth Foundation for donation in her name…

Sean and I always believed that god/spirit/creator/source energy exists within all living things all around us. From the time we met Sean, she delighted in the farm, in the stinky compost and was on board to go with Sean to do any task needed - stinky or not. She snuck cherry tomatoes when we weren’t watching always thinking we didn’t know. Mikaela went to Wilderness Awareness School for years, along with attending Three Cedars Waldorf School. All of these environments were meant to preserve her childhood and wild side connected to nature. As an adult, she loved to hike with her father or simply take a day hike with the dogs. Her love of the outdoors, her passion to nurture nature and find solace in the beauty of the earth was always strong. She humbled us with her love of so many things and yet this single thread always remained. The connection to earth and all of its splendid beauty.

Sacred Earth Foundation is a 1,133-acre non-profit land trust outside Goldendale, WA, home of Ekone Ranch Summer Camps and White Eagle Memorial Preserve, the Conservation Burial Ground where Mikaela was laid to rest.  There truly are no words to fully express the extent to which we felt the support and loving presence of everyone who journeyed with us from the moment we chose White Eagle as her body's final resting place. The land is sacred and to rest our beloved child into the earth in this space and place was a gift beyond measure.

Donations in her name will support the conservation and stewardship of this sacred land. To learn more:www.ekone.org and www.naturalburialground.org. Donations of $1000+ are recognized on a plaque at the cemetery grounds entry, and may be in memoriam. SEF is currently seeking $50,000 in funding to purchase an adjacent 20-acre parcel in this watershed--contributions may be used towards this goal. 

More about Mikaela ~

It is hard to know where to begin when describing the type of person Saajeda Mikaela Stratman was in this world. 

I’ve heard all of the following over the past few weeks…

• Bright
• Shining
• Sunshine
• Beautiful
• Infectious smile
• Beautiful inside and out
• Passionate
• Smart
• Witty
• Funny
• Kind
• Loving
• Thoughtful
• Caring
• Smart
• Stubborn
• Loved to Argue
• Loud
• Tenacious
• Playful
• Willful
• Fierce
• Genuine
• Outgoing

The room lit up when she walked in. She touched our lives with a special something that was hard to place your finger on. Her passions in life were vast and her love for arguing about politics, religion and world affairs kept her friends and family on their toes. 

When she started at UW this past January, it felt like the sun and stars aligned to greet her thirst for knowledge and to do right by people who were less fortunate than she was. Her passion for justice was so strong sometimes she would break down in tears trying to get others to understand the importance of communities helping each other. As her mother, she was my greatest teacher and I can say, without a doubt, who I am today is because she came into my life. My wounded heart was healed the moment she was born and I gazed into those big brown beautiful eyes. This young Saajeda had filled that hole that my mother Saajeda had left from her passing years earlier.

She was an amazing sister, confidant and best friend to her brother. There was a love and kindness between them that delighted us. They always said to me, we might fight but that is what siblings do, we still love each other mom, you simply don’t understand because you were an only child. Oh they are both smarter than me and still allowed me to think I was playing a role in their worlds.

We delighted in her strength, intelligence and tenacity. She showed up time and time again to be of support in the right ways and sometimes it was almost a little over the top and I realize now how much that came out of pure love. The little things made her happy too. The silliness of sitting on my lap and snuggling with her long limbs hanging off of me and the chair in both directions. Our late night goofy activities which included her walking behind me in circles around our coffee table so I could get in my 10,000 steps for the day before midnight. The dad dancing that she did which made me howl with laughter because it was funny when she did it vs. her dad. Her messing with her brother and I in the morning by continually turning off the Sonos speakers that were playing…us totally forgetting she could control them from her phone in her room. Even in the worst of times (aka her and I could go toe to toe like no others) I still adored her like crazy and I think she felt the same.

Sean, Keenaan and I will never be the same, because she helped us all be better people. In the past few weeks leading up to her passing, we also learned how deeply loved she was by so many others. We felt the heartbeat of our communities holding us, nurturing us and loving us when we needed it the most. Our deepest gratitude and appreciation to all who have shared their condolences and love.