By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
Twenty-five years ago, Quil Ceda Village was just a dream. Today, it stands as one of the most recognizable economic development projects in Indian Country. It’s a tribal-governed municipality that has transformed the Tulalip community and the economic landscape of Snohomish County.
That transformation was celebrated on Saturday, August 8, as current and former leaders, community members, and guests gathered at the Tulalip Amphitheatre to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Village. The celebration offered an opportunity to reflect on where QCV began, recognize those who helped bring the dream to life, and look toward what the next 25 years might hold.
In 2000, the year before Quil Ceda Village received official recognition as a tribal municipality, Indian Country Today reported on the ambitious plans taking shape on 2,000 acres of Tulalip trust land bordering I-5. At the time, then-Chairman Stan Jones looked beyond the undeveloped acreage and saw something much larger.
“I actually believe that area is going to be bigger than the city of Marysville,” Stan said. “It’ll really take the Tribe forward. To me, it’s just like a godsend.”
A quarter century later, those words carry the weight of prophecy. On March 2, 2001, the Bureau of Indian Affairs officially recognized Quil Ceda Village as a tribal municipality. The development was the culmination of years of planning, infrastructure investment and determination by Tulalip leaders to create a diversified economic base built upon tribal sovereignty.
The original vision called for a business park featuring large retail outlets and commercial ventures. Plans also envisioned a new casino, destination resort, convention center, restaurants, entertainment facilities and an arena. Much has changed since those early drawings.
According to a Quil Ceda Village press release, the municipality is now home to major retail, hospitality, dining and entertainment destinations, including the Tulalip Resort Casino, Seattle Premium Outlets, Walmart, Home Depot and Cabela’s. Perhaps most impressively, the Village now employs more than 5,600 people and has become a major economic engine for the surrounding region.
Yet the significance of QCV cannot be measured solely by the businesses that occupy its landscape. For Tulalip, Quil Ceda Village represents self-determination in action. The Tribe took land that had previously been used as a Department of Defense ammunition depot and later as a Boeing jet engine testing site and transformed it into an economic center designed to generate opportunity for future generations.
At the anniversary celebration, current and former leaders reflected on that journey and the significance of the decisions made by previous generations. Quil Ceda Village President and Tulalip Vice Chair Deborah Parker described the anniversary as an opportunity to recognize the larger meaning behind 25 years of development.
“Today, as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of QCV, we also recognize and honor the leaders whose vision, courage, and determination made this success possible,” Deb said. “Their dedication laid the foundation for everything we see today. They understood that economic development requires more than businesses and buildings. It requires infrastructure, governance, planning, utilities, publish safety, land-use controls, and a dedicated organization focused on growth and long-term success.”
Chairman Hazen Shopbell similarly emphasized the role QCV continues to play in the Tribe’s future. “Our people are brilliant,” he said. “Look around Quil Ceda Village, this city is an engine driving the prosperity of our Tribe, and we’re still building it up.”
That continued development was an important theme throughout the celebration. While the anniversary provided an opportunity to look backward, speakers also spoke about the responsibility of continuing to build upon what previous leaders started. The economic activity generated through QCV ultimately circles back into the Tulalip community, helping support tribal programs, services, cultural initiatives and environmental restoration efforts.
One of the most meaningful moments of the celebration came when leadership unveiled Stan Jones Sr. Way. The updated street name honors the former Tulalip Chairman who passed away in 2019. His leadership helped shape the early vision for Quil Ceda Village. Members of the Jones family gathered for the dedication, including Stan’s granddaughter Toneena Gobin.
“It’s amazing!” declared Toneena while standing next to the unveiled sign with a portrait of her grandfather. “It just shows how much love and gratitude there is in our community for his memory. He literally dedicated his life to building up his people and putting Tulalip on the map. It’s only fitting that his name now is memorialized as a street on that map.”
Quil Ceda Village is the second federally recognized city in the nation, the other being Washinton D.C., and has become a true model of Native American economic development. Furthermore, its success has helped place Tulalip at the center of the region’s economic landscape while creating opportunities that extend well beyond the boundaries of the Reservation.