By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
After an entire week of scattered showers, the weather held up for the Tulalip Foundation’s seventh annual Salmon Bake Fundraiser on the evening of August 16. It was sunshine, good vibes, and beautiful people dressed to the nines. With close to 200 in attendance, the fundraiser was yet again a great success. Each dollar raised over the weekend goes directly to the Hibulb Cultural Center (HCC) and helps with exhibits, cultural workshops, and community gatherings every year.
For a little background, the Tulalip Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports tribal programs and projects based on five support areas – culture and natural resources, education and workforce, law and justice, community and development, and health and social. The Foundation has made a great impact on the tribal community and has become well-known throughout the region. Many local companies and nationwide corporations have donated thousands of dollars for the betterment of both Tulalip’s governmental programs, as well as community-led and focused projects. And though the Foundation accepts and distributes donations year-round, this is their one and only fundraising event. And it’s all in benefit of the cultural center.
“History wasn’t always what I thought of as my favorite classroom subject,” admitted Tulalip Foundation President, Marjorie James. “That was until I got to college, and I realized that I had been learning about history in my living room, at family parties, through public television, libraries, and museums my whole life. And also, through visitors to our classrooms, like Bernie Gobin, those who were coming in as unofficial educators to our community. Nothing could compare to the sense of place and meaning like learning about my ancestors and what they have to teach us. Their wisdom was cultivated to this place, the Hibulb Cultural Center, where we and all our loved ones call home.”
Since its establishment in 2011, the Hibulb has imparted a vast amount of traditional knowledge about the Tribe’s history and ancestral teachings to the public. With historical artifacts, photos, and documents, the HCC has provided insight and a tribal perspective on issues such as colonialism, assimilation, treaty rights, and the MMIWP epidemic, all while simultaneously celebrating the ancestral teachings, values, beliefs, and sharing stories of the Tulalip people.
Now an award-winning museum, HCC is a fan favorite destination of local schools, guests of the Tulalip Resort Casino, Tribal members looking to connect and learn more about their heritage, as well as history buffs from far and wide.
Said HCC Museum Director Mytyl Hernandez, “Every year, I get to talk about all of the programming we do, and the guests that we encounter. But the truth of it is, we’re a very small facility. And so, I could tell you that we had 12,000 people come through our doors last year. And to us, that’s a big number. But to a place like the Burke, that has more than 100,000 guests every single year, that’s like a drop in the bucket. But those 12,000 guests who come through our doors are always so excited to learn about the true history and culture of our people here in Tulalip. And those guests that come through are not just from this local area; we have a lot of international travelers.”
“So today, I just want to talk a little bit about gratitude”, Mytyl continued. “And how grateful I am to be here every single year, with my family, with my team, with this building. I really love this place. I’m grateful to be able to educate our guests and our community through tours, curriculum and exhibitions. I’m very grateful for our leadership, who have trusted us to do the work that we’re doing, and also to be representatives of Tulalip history and culture. It is an honor to be able to share our story, and it is a blessing to continue to do that work.”
Over the years, the museum has put together some impressive exhibits such as Interwoven History: Coast Salish Wool, Vibrant Beauty: Colors of our Collection, The Power of Words: A History of Tulalip Literacy, Cultivating History: The Tulalip Indian Fair, and most recently, tabtabəb: Traditional Languages of the Coast Salish Peoples, as well as their current and exclusive exhibit, Portraits in RED. They also host monthly cultural workshops such as weaving gatherings, crafting classes for the kiddos, lectures by local culture bearers, live book readings and storytelling nights, and more.
These exhibits and events are made possible thanks in large part to the annual salmon bake. After the inaugural fundraiser brought in around $25,000 back in 2017, the event has continued to grow and garner more sponsors each year. The 2025 Salmon Bake had a total of seventeen sponsors, including the Battle Creek Golf Course, DraftKings, the Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce, the Tulalip Resort Casino, the UW Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity, Everett Community College Foundation, and the Tulalip Board of Directors.
In addition to the generous sponsors, there is also a silent auction held during the fundraiser. Inside one of the museum’s classrooms, rows of original art prints, beadwork, weavings, regalia, books, and even a couple baby boards were up for bid this year. All of these pieces were either created or donated by Tulalip artists and community members, such as Toneena Gobin, Taylor Henry, Winona Shopbell, and Walter Moses, just to name a few. There was also a table which featured glassware, jewelry sets, and cedar woven mats made by Tulalip youth.
Before the dinner officially began, the guests were afforded a free hour to socialize with the artists and other attendees, visit the exhibits and the HCC longhouse, and also view a live art demonstration. The 2025 featured artist was Ty Juvinel, who put the finishing touches on a salmon rattle during the event. The people had the opportunity to buy cedar woven roses upon checking in, and each rose purchased also came with a raffle ticket for a chance to win the rattle.
After perusing the items in the silent auction and placing their bids, many participants took a moment to see salmon cooked in traditional fashion, on sticks and over a fire pit. The delicious salmon has been prepared by Lance and Tammy Taylor ever since the start of the fundraiser. And as a bonus this year, the people also got to witness another Tulalip tradition in real time as the Taylors passed on their traditional knowledge of cooking to their grandson, Jared, while preparing the feast.
The event kicked off with the presentation of colors by the Tulalip Honor Guard and a prayer by culture bearer, Sarah Miller before the night’s headlining act, Swil Kanim (Lummi), took the stage. As he played a number of original songs that he composed on his violin, he also took time to share his personal story, filled with many hilarious anecdotes, to the audience.
Bringing the soiree to a close, the guests were treated to a strawberry shortcake dessert. During this last course, Mytyl and her kiddos raffled off Ty’s salmon rattle. Winners of the silent auction were then announced. Attendess collected their items and went home with smiles on their faces, knowing they helped contribute to a living history museum that continues to educate and share the chronicles of Tulalip and its people.
During her closing remarks, Marjorie shared, “The lessons that are celebrated and shared here, at the Hibulb Cultural Center, will continue to benefit and enrich future generations. Thanks to everyone’s support and continued patronage, in a time where arts, museums, and public education are subject to first round budget cuts. What we have echoes for lifetimes and we’re in this together.”
Executive Director of the Tulalip Foundation, Nicole Sieminski, officially announced that over $53,000 was raised at this year’s silent auction and salmon bake. That is double the amount raised at the inaugural event, which speaks volumes to how the cultural center has grown over the years and its significance to the community.
Said Nicole “Our ultimate goal is to support the cultural center and to feature it’s work and all the good work that it’s doing. It is gratifying to see people’s support and that they keep showing up for us. And we’re grateful that we keep getting new supporters as well. Every year the funds are going to future exhibitions and programming. Thankfully, the cultural center staff are able to continue to offer events. It’s good to see that and hopefully our donors can see that as well.”
For more information, and to stay up to date on the Hibulb Cultural Center’s events, exhibits, and activities, be sure to give their Facebook page a follow. And for additional details about the Tulalip Foundation, please visit www.TulalipFoundation.org.