World Flutist Gary Stroutsos for Native American Heritage Month Concert, Nov 19 Everett Public Library

Native American Heritage Month Concert

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, world flutist Gary Stroutsos and Everett Public Library present a concert of Native American music from a variety of tribes. This free concert will be performed at 2 p.m. Saturday November 19 in the Everett Public Library Auditorium, 2702 Hoyt Avenue in Everett. There is no charge to attend.

Originally trained as a Jazz flutist, Stroutsos plays a variety of world styles, including Chinese, and Cuban. He has become best known, however, for his haunting work on the Native American flute, which he learned through journeying through many indigenous American cultures. He has worked and recorded with many Native American artists, including Navajo flute maker and Elder Paul Thompson. Stroutsos’s works express the enduring legacy of the Native American flute and its recent reintroduction into today’s society.

Stroutsos has performed in concerts throughout the United States, Japan, and Korea. His CDs Distant ShoresWinds of HonorThe Native Heart, and Echoes of Canyon de Chelley, with Thompson, have received national acclaim as benchmark recordings of Native American flute music. He has appeared on the soundtrack of Ken Burns’s Lewis and Clark: Journey of the Corps of Discovery, which led to a command performance at the White House for President Bill Clinton. He also has appeared on numerous other radio and television programs.

For further information, please call 425-257-8000.

Lady Hawks rollercoaster season continues

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By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks volleyball team were coming off back-to-back losses that dropped them to a (6-4) record and 4th in the league standings last we checked in. They would get a week’s worth of rest and practice in before their next game.

On Wednesday, October 19, the winless Lummi Blackhawks came to town. As expected, the match was very one-sided. Tulalip won the 1st game 25-5. Coach Tina Brown used the 2nd game as a prime opportunity to get her less experienced girls into the game and get some reps. They showed great effort and made use of their court time, barely losing 22-25. Coach Tina went back to her starters in the 3rd game and, again, it was a lopsided 25-6 win for the Lady Hawks. The home team went on to win the 4th game 25-16 and the match 3 games to 1. Upping their overall record to (7-4).

In a quick turnaround, the Lady Hawks hit the road the following day and travelled to Kirkland to take on the Providence Classical Christian Highlanders. The Highlanders are the league’s best team, sitting atop the NW 1B standings and sporting an impressive ten-match win streak. During their dominant run only the Lady Hawks managed to give them a competitive match, when they previously played each other back on September 30.

The Highlanders were much more prepared for the Lady Hawks this time around and brought the heat early. The aggressive style of play and hard hit spikes proved to be too much for Tulalip to handle. In a decidedly quick match, the Lady Hawks got blanked 0 games to 3. It was the first time all season they failed to win a single game, dropping their record to (7-5).

Next up, Tulalip hosted the Cedar Park Christian Lions on Monday, October 24. The match was ‘Senior Night’ for the Lady Hawks, as family and friends filled the bleachers to cheer on their team.

The match started out very well for the Lady Hawks. They came out pumped up and full of energy thanks to the pre-game ceremonies. In the 1st game, they took a commanding 13-4 lead and held on for a 25-19 win. Then in the 2nd game, they played the Lions nearly point for point and grinded out a 25-23 win. Up 2 games to 0, Tulalip only need to win one more game to clinch the match victory and make a defining statement on week before league playoffs.

However, the Lions are the league’s second best team record wise for a reason. Their coaches made some between game adjustments and focused on hitting the ball to the Lady Hawks back row. After dropping the opening games, the Lions would take the 3rd game 25-22 and the 4th game 25-21.

standings

Tied at 2 games apiece, the match went to a deciding 5th game. Minutes into the clincher the score was 6-6. The Lions eventually pulled away, as the Lady Hawks made some costly miscues and found themselves trailing 9-14. They refused to give-up and took the next three points, but a bad serve gave the Lions the last point they need. Tulalip lost the 5th game 12-15 and the match 2 games to 3.

It was a heartbreaking loss for the Lady Hawks after playing so well and having a 2 games to 0 lead. Their record now sits at (7-6) on the year with two more matches before playoffs.

The District 1B playoffs will be held Saturday, October 29, at Mt. Vernon Christian High School.

 

 

Don’t Be A Monster

Kids meet Frank, a victim if bullying. Frank was featured in a video about bullying that presented by Georgetown Morgue Haunted House staff members.
Kids meet Frank, a victim of bullying. Frank was featured in a video about bullying that was presented by Georgetown Morgue Haunted House staff members.

 

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

During the month of October, school assemblies are held nationwide to talk to America’s youth about bullying, a serious situation that unfortunately is often overlooked. Don’t Be A Monster! is an organization that is informing students, fourth grade and up, that the bullying issue is real. Too often bullying is brushed off like it’s no big deal. In many cases victims are somehow left responsible and sent off with the ‘sticks and stones’ mantra when searching for advice.

Traumatic scars, caused by bullies, were initially emotional cuts that were once quite deep. According to the program’s research, over 90% of kids are bullied in school. Amongst the youth in the state of Washington, suicide is the third leading cause of death. One of the main contributing factors to suicide is harassment from classmates.

The Georgetown Morgue Haunted House in Seattle participates in the program and sends their staff to local schools to help kids identify what bullying is and how to step up when one of their peers is picked on. As a perfect tie-in to Tulalip/Marysville Unity Month, the Georgetown Morgue team paid a visit to the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club on a chilly Friday afternoon.

“You know we have all kinds of monsters and ghouls at the haunted house, but you know those aren’t real. But there are real monsters out there, bullies,” stated Lynette, a Georgetown Morgue staff member, to the group of kids filling the Club gymnasium.

A video presentation about a new student, Frank, who is struggling to fit in was shown to the youth. Frank, based on Doctor Frankenstein’s’ creation, is trying to adjust to his new school, however, because of how he looks he becomes an outcast. The video portrays popular kids using cruel words to hurt Frank’s feelings. At the end of each scene, somebody stands up for Frank and tells the bully to stop. The video displayed different types of bullying such as physical, emotional, and its most recent form, cyber-bullying.

The presentation showed Frank logging into his Facebook account to a plethora of messages. Statements such as ‘nobody likes you,’ ‘go away,’ and the horrific ‘kill yourself’ are comments that are sadly left on kids profiles and comment sections daily.

Lynette attempted to project her voice over the kids who lost interest in the assembly by stating, “I knew somebody like Frank, who went to my high school, that was pretty much like that. He always smelled like urine, his clothes were filthy, his teeth were yellow. He walked the halls alone with his head down and nobody sat with him at lunchtime. Nobody was kind to him. It was terrible, but this type of stuff does happen, and…”

After several attempts to re-engage the youth in the topic at hand, Lynette’s statement would unfortunately remain incomplete because of constant interruptions from the kids. She stated that over half of her presentation was cut short as she gave up the battle for the youth’s attention. She called upon special guest Frank, the character from the video, to make a quick appearance as the kids exited the gym.

Despite the many interruptions, Lynette’s message is one of much importance. Kids and parents need to be aware and heed the signs of bullying to help prevent it.

 

The following information and more can found at www.stopbullying.gov.

Signs a Child is Being Bullied

  • Look for changes in the child. However, be aware that not all children who are bullied exhibit warning signs. Some signs that may point to a bullying problem are:
  • Unexplainable injuries
  • Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry
  • Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness
  • Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating. Kids may come home from school hungry because they did not eat lunch.
  • Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
  • Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school
  • Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations
  • Feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem
  • Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide

If you know someone in serious distress or danger, don’t ignore the problem. Get help right away.

Signs a Child is Bullying Others

  • Kids may be bullying others if they:
  • Get into physical or verbal fights
  • Have friends who bully others
  • Are increasingly aggressive
  • Get sent to the principal’s office or to detention frequently
  • Have unexplained extra money or new belongings
  • Blame others for their problems
  • Don’t accept responsibility for their actions
  • Are competitive and worry about their reputation or popularity

Why don’t kids ask for help?

  • Statistics from the 2012 Indicators of School Crime and Safety show that an adult was notified in less than half (40%) of bullying incidents. Kids don’t tell adults for many reasons:
  • Bullying can make a child feel helpless. Kids may want to handle it on their own to feel in control again. They may fear being seen as weak or a tattletale.
  • Kids may fear backlash from the kid who bullied them.
  • Bullying can be a humiliating experience. Kids may not want adults to know what is being said about them, whether true or false. They may also fear that adults will judge them or punish them for being weak.
  • Kids who are bullied may already feel socially isolated. They may feel like no one cares or could understand.
  • Kids may fear being rejected by their peers. Friends can help protect kids from bullying, and kids can fear losing this support.

Senator McCoy shares thoughts on MSD education issues

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

On Tuesday, October 18, the Marysville-Pilchuck High School auditorium was home to Marysville School District’s first Education Town Hall. The panelists included Washington State Representative June Robinson, Marysville School Board President Peter Lundberg, and Tulalip tribal member, Senator John McCoy.

“Senator John McCoy and Representative June Robinson serve the communities of Everett, Marysville and Tulalip in Olympia during the State Legislative Session which starts every year in January,” states Dr. Becky Berg, Marysville School District Superintendent. “When they are not in Olympia, they also work tirelessly for our local communities in their day-jobs and by meeting and working with citizens to understand concerns and advocate new ideas.”

During the 90-minute Town Hall discussion the focus was all about education; from defining what basic education is, how to best educate MSD students, and how that education may be funded going forward. Senator McCoy took point on many of the discussion questions and, as is his style, didn’t hold back with his honest assessments and ideas on how to best equip MSD students with a quality education that yields productive citizens.

Sen. John McCoy, D-38 Photo/wastateleg.org
Sen. John McCoy, D-38
Photo/wastateleg.org

In your opinion, what is basic education? 

“Because we have such a diver legislature, lots of different opinions, there are a lot of different ideas about what basic education is. You can say we are constantly defining basic education because each community across the state of Washington is a little bit unique in terms of their diversity and needs. For the students, their community determines what they need survive in that area. I’ve been preaching that you have to take it community by community, which means the school districts, and they have to decide the necessary skill sets of that community in order to survive. For every community, there is a focus and codes of language based on the resources in that area.

Here in the Everett/Marysville/Tulalip area we have Boeing, Fluke, and medical centers. These are technical companies, companies manufacturing aerospace parts, and a large contingent of the healthcare sector. So we have to figure out what needs to be in the skill sets of our students in order to take advantage of these local companies. That’s going to be a different skill set required than students in the Tri-City area, or the Bellevue area, or the Neah Bay area. Each community needs to work on what is required for them to survive and they should gear your education systems to those requirements.”

 

How do you propose to level the educational playing field?

“I’m watching out for that square peg trying to get into the round hole. No child walks through the door with the same information, even if they live in the same house. We have to get down to where they are, find out where they are, so that we can educate them. Now not every kid is going to be a STEM person (STEM is a curriculum based on science, technology, engineering and mathematics). That’s probably only 15-20% of students who are going to be STEM people, so why are we gearing everything to STEM? By doing that we are leaving 80% of our students behind when they could be trained up to be very productive citizens of the community.

Whenever I talk to kids I tell them ‘find that one thing that makes you want to get up in the morning and go do it’ because there will be some crazy guy like me who will pay you to do it. Be happy in your work. I think we’ve all seen people who are not happy in their work and their product showed it. Not everyone is going to be an engineer or become a programmer. So that’s what we have to do, we have to get our educators to where the kids are. I have the highest respect for every teacher in the system. I thank them every time I can. They have a hard job. They’re educating the people who are our future. We need to prepare them for everything.”

We seem to all agree that the State needs to meet its duty to fully fund education. In your opinion, where should the money come from?

“The fact remains we need to devise a system that will have everybody in the State participate, everybody. Not everybody is participating in the revenue process. Right now, because of our sales tax system, the middle class and low-income are carrying the burden of all taxes. The upper incomes are pretty much unscathed, so we need to devise a method that everybody participates.”

What do you see your individual role being during the 2017 State Legislative Session when it comes to the State’s mandate to fully fund education by 2018?

“Well, I’m not on any of the finance committees by design. In my prior life I did a lot of working with budgets and quite honestly I got tired of it. Now, I delve into just policy. But that does not relieve any legislator from their responsibility to do due diligence and fund education. We all have something at stake. We all have skin in the game to bring it home for all students in the state of Washington, all students. We need to work together, with one another in order to achieve this.

One thing the Supreme Court was quite clear on, and I agree with, is that salaries should be part of basic education. There will be lots of discussion and we need to solve that problem and move forward. We all have hard work to do and I think we’re up to it. We’re going to do the best job we can to fully fund education so all our kids down the road can become productive citizens.”

What is the one thing you’d like to see the State Legislator accomplish this session when it comes to K-12 education?

“I’ve been in the State Legislator for fourteen years and twelve of those fourteen I’ve dropped the bill to delink, and I will continue to do it. The last three years the Chair of the Senate Education Committee refused to allow that bill to come up, to not even be heard. I will submit another bill to clean them out again and see what happens.

I think the Education Committee ought to be disbanded for five years. Everybody thinks they’re an expert when it comes to education. The Legislator turns over 20% every two years and out of the group we get all these folks who think they have the magic fix. That’s why we have an unsettled education system because every two years a group comes in who wants this or that and everything remains unsettled. We have to stop, let things settle, and see the process work. In my opinion, we have a pretty good school system, but we keep messing with it. We need to stop that and allow current processes to work.”

In your opinion, what skills and capabilities do students need to be a productive citizen?

“That depends on the child. Autistic students can demonstrate great skill and be productive when they are educated at their level. They have skills that will help the community. Every child in the State of Washington has the capability to be a very strong citizen and be productive in this state. Like I said earlier, we have to find out where the student is at and teach them at their level.”

 

 

 

Contact Michael Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Kicking tobacco addiction through peer support and culture

Ashley Tiedeman, Tulalip Tobacco Cessation Program Coordinator (2nd from right), and program members show the woven cedar frog pins they made during a habit replacement class.
Ashley Tiedeman, Tulalip Tobacco Cessation Program Coordinator (2nd from right), and program members show the woven cedar frog pins they made during a habit replacement class.

 

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

One of the most difficult challenges one might have to personally face in their lifetime is kicking the tobacco addiction. Without even realizing it, long-time smokers’ entire lives are mapped out the moment they first began to crave a cancer stick. Social circles were most likely affected first. Many non-smokers cannot bear to be around smokers because of factors such as the lingering smell of stale smoke a cigarette user often carries. And smokers know that their non-smoking friends and family members have good intentions but their words can sometimes sound preachy, making the smoker feel judged. For this reason, smokers tend to socialize and associate themselves with other smokers and vice versa for non-smokers.

This creates a problem for smokers who are trying to quit. Because of the bonding experience smokers share during work, social and family events, smokers often feel like they are stepping into a completely different world, not to mention the withdrawal symptoms like cravings and irritability they experience from quitting. Smokers who attempt to kick the habit struggle because that’s exactly what it is, a habit. They usually adhere to an internal schedule when it comes to lighting up a stogie such as after a meal or once they hit the road on their daily commute.

A large part of why smokers relapse is the lack of a support system. Since smokers often associate with smokers, if a person who is trying to quit has been smoking a long time, chances are their closest friends are smokers as well. This can sometimes lead to peer pressure, doubt, and negativity from their friends, which then results into a ‘might as well’ attitude. In that moment of weakness, a cig is lit and the chances of quitting again are put on hold for a few months. Many smokers who attempt to quit multiple times, begin secretly trying to quit to avoid public humiliation.

Tulalip’s Tobacco Cessation Program provides smokers with all the resources they need to drop the bad habit for good. Some of the resources include one-on-one counseling, nicotine patches and gum, new friends and support systems, and fun crafts and activities that smokers can use while they slowly begin to transition to a smoke-free life.

Ashley Tiedeman, Tobacco Cessation Program Coordinator, invites and encourages smokers to check out one of her classes, which are held on a monthly basis. She wants to ensure smokers that the program is designed to support and assist during the excruciating quitting process.

She states, “If someone is still smoking but is interested in quitting, they can still come to these classes because that’s the whole idea behind it, to see if different activities or crafts can help.” Ashley says the program does not pressure smokers into quitting but rather gives them a healthy alternative. Whether the alternative is cedar weaving, beading, or having great conversation with others struggling to quit, Ashley has created a space where smokers can feel comfortable and have a fun time while forgetting that cigarettes once ruled everything around them.

Group participant and master haida weaver, Lisa Telford stated, “No matter what I do, how many times I screw up and fall off the wagon, Ashley takes me back because she cares about us.”

For assistance with kicking the tobacco addiction and for additional information contact the Tulalip Cessation Program at (360) 716-5719.

 

 

Contact Kalvin Valdillez at kValdillez@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Tulalip is ‘Raising Hands’ to the community

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Tulalip youth open the Raising Hands Ceremony with a welcoming song.
Tulalip youth open the Raising Hands Ceremony with a welcoming song.

 

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

 

Once a year the Tulalip Tribes hosts a gala to honor and thank local charities for their impact on our communities. The event, dubbed Raising Hands, is a nod to a Tulalip tradition of raising hands as a sign of gratitude and recognition for hard work.

“Everyone here tonight had a calling,” Chairman Mel Sheldon stated. “They had something they wanted to do to help better society and they went out and did it. Now, each and every one of them is making a difference. That’s why we’re here, to celebrate your journey. We are all in this canoe, helping each other out, pulling together in the right direction. For the work that you do, we thank you and raise our hands to you. Thank you for helping make a stronger, greater community with Tulalip.”

The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 allows tribes to conduct certain types of gaming if they enter into a gaming compact with the state.  Tulalip’s compact, like most, includes a provision to donate a percentage of gaming earnings to organizations impacted by gaming (fire, police, etc), as well as other charitable organizations.

Tulalip leaders long ago decided that the money would support organizations that demonstrate the same ideals that Tulalips cherish. Over 400 charities and non-profit organizations received grants from Tulalip this year, bringing the total amount donated to over $7 million. This year, Tulalip broke the record for most money donated by a tribe in a single year.

Tulalip Board of Director Glen Gobin explained that after years of success, the Tribe is more than happy to help support organizations that have a positive impact in Washington.

“We weren’t always this blessed,” Glen reminisced about Tulalip before gaming revenue. “I remember years ago when there was no TRC (Tulalip Resort Casino) and no outlet mall. That area used to be just trees. We’re now very blessed to have the opportunity to give back to our community.”

The event, held in the TRC Orca Ballroom, brings together representatives from each of the organizations who received funds from Tulalip over the previous year. The idea is that when change makers are in a room together, they have the opportunity to network and build connections that can strengthen their efforts.

Among all those present, six organizations were singled out and their efforts highlighted with videos that provide a glimpse into the hard and selfless work that it takes to run charities and non-profits.

For more information about the Raising Hands gala or Tulalip charitable giving, check out the website www.tulalipcares.org.

 

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