While there’s little I can say about Billy that hasn’t already been written, I do want to reflect a bit on the things that I’ve learned from Billy’s work.

• Stand up for what you believe in … even when no one else will.

• Speaking your mind — especially if your opinion is unpopular — is a hard thing to do. The minute you open your mouth, you open yourself up for ridicule and arguments, but no one has ever accomplished anything or affected positive change by sitting back and accepting the status quo.

Of course, there’s a downside to this: standing up means people will try to knock you down and, sometimes, they will. Like the old saying goes though, it’s better to have tried and failed then to have never tried at all.

• Treat people with respect, even if you’re on opposite sides.

If you put yourself and what you believe out into the open, inevitably, you’re going to run into someone who doesn’t agree with you. I’ve been in countless meetings where this has happened. For example, our Tribe’s protection of Port Gamble Bay has come under fire on more than one occasion. Not because these opponents necessarily want to harm the bay, but because their perspective is different or they put other interests above environmental concerns.

• The thing I have found to remember is that disagreement doesn’t invalidate your opinion. You have to have the courage of your own convictions, but understand that someone who thinks otherwise isn’t necessarily your enemy.

It’s the big and small things that can make your community a better place.