
About Our Sabbatical

Meet Gina Corpuz, native member of the Indipino community on Bainbridge Island and producer of the “Honor thy Mother” documentary. Completed in 2019, Honor thy Mother tells the story of the Indigenous women of the Squamish nation who came from Canada to work in berry fields here, where they met and married Filipino farmers. They identify their families as “Indipino”—a community unique to Bainbridge Island. After we view the video, Gina will share her own story and answer questions.
Gina is the daughter of Anacleto Corpuz from the Philippines and Evelyn Williams, Squamish Nation, BC, Canada. Her father was one of the founders of the Filipino American Community of Bainbridge Island. She grew up on a 20-acre raspberry farm with her five sisters, on New Brooklyn Road. She is a graduate of Bainbridge High School and holds a master’s degree in education, curriculum and instruction from the University of Washington. Her volunteer work with the BISD includes chairing the Multicultural Advisory Council and co-developing the Indian Education Program. Her higher education work experience includes teaching students and administering programs for Evergreen State College, Northern Arizona University, and Northwest Indian College. She is one of the founders of a new nonprofit organization, the Indipinos of Bainbridge Island and Vicinity, whose mission is to develop and provide educational resources about the history and culture of Filipinos and Indigenous people to schools and museums. Gina is the executive producer of Honor Thy Mother: the Untold Story of Aboriginal Women and their Indipino Children.