By Kelly Finley, Tulalip Natural Resources
This past August the second annual Tulalip Mountain Camp kicked off. This year seven Tulalip tribal members participated in this one-of-a-kind adventure. Three camp leaders guided the middle students on a five-day, four-night outdoor experience. After their backpacks were filled and ready to go, their first stop on the journey was at the Hibulb Cultural Center for a special opportunity. Phil Solomon along with Inez Bill, Virgina Jones, and Joy Lacy all came together to teach the youth how to make a cedar bark basket for berry picking.
“Basket making isn’t so that these young people get to have a basket or learn to make a basket. This basket process is a means to incorporate their cultural connection into this experience. We have so many young people who are struggling with their cultural connection. This is an important part of the week to remind them that this is something their people would have known how to do. This is a basket they can carry with them if it is meant for them. This is one of the things their people would have brought with them if they were doing a trip similar to this hundreds of years ago,” stated Inez. Every student finished their basket and carried it to their journey.
The campers then took a long ride out to the Skykomish watershed area. This is where the backpacking portion of the camp would begin. Inez also traveled to the trailhead to instill in the youth the importance of their experience and how special communicating with nature is. The participants tackled the hike with a great attitude. Travelling almost 800ft up in elevation, over nearly two miles with filled backpacks containing supplies they would need over the two night stay, was no small feat but they finished the hike together in good spirits. The time spent hiking in this area was educational. The campers learned to live in the backcountry, how to step lightly to not make an impact on the wilderness.
The group made their way up to swədaʔx̌ali, or Mt. Huckleberry, where the youth would continue their cultural connections.
On their first night camping the future of Tulalip, led by Michelle Myles of the Tulalip Language Program, told stories over campfire. They also learned the important history of the Lushootseed language. Once the sun went down and it was dark enough, the campers witnessed a meteor shower with giant meteor trails in a sky full of stars. Many participants had never seen so many stars or meteors so spectacular.
The second day was full of events. The campers started the day by becoming the first to help with the huckleberry restoration the tribe is implementing at swədaʔx̌ali. The group worked hard and finished their tasks before the day became too hot.
Patti Gobin and Daryl Williams spoke to the participants about their culture, the mountains, and the importance of the work they did at camp. Joe Neil, from the National Forest Service, joined the group to provide insight on the co-management the Forest Service has with the tribe of the swədaʔx̌ali area. The long day of hard work and learning concluded with a plant scavenger hunt.
The trip ended where it began at the Hibulb Cultural Center, with a final ceremony involving families of the participants. Tulalip Mountain Camp 2016 was another great accomplishment for the participants as well as the staff involved.