By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News
The Tulalip Foundation Salmon Bake Fundraiser, benefiting the Hibulb Cultural Center, welcomed supporters from across the community for an evening of culture, art, and philanthropy, raising funds for the cultural center’s exhibitions and educational programming. Guests enjoyed salmon filets cooked over an open flame, received commemorative decorative towels, and took part in a silent auction and live entertainment while celebrating Tulalip history and culture.
Held on Saturday, Aug. 15, the ninth annual fundraiser featured artwork by Tulalip artists, including paintings, cedar hats, carved rattles, hand-painted drums, and many other handcrafted pieces. Throughout the evening, guests browsed and bid on unique items, with proceeds supporting the Hibulb Cultural Center’s mission.
Dinner was prepared by Lance Taylor, Tammy Taylor, and their grandson, Jared Taylor Parks, who has cooked salmon for the fundraiser since it began. Entertainment followed with a performance by Tulalip and Yakama hoop dancers Terry Goedel and his son, Michael Goedel, whose colorful presentation combined storytelling, tradition, and athleticism.
One of the evening’s biggest highlights came when Terry and Michael invited audience members on stage to try hoop dancing. Guests of all ages eagerly volunteered, filling the room with laughter and applause as they learned the movements and became part of the performance.
Following the entertainment, Hibulb Cultural Center Manager Mytyl Hernandez thanked the artists, volunteers, sponsors, and community members whose support made another successful fundraiser possible. “We have such a very special relationship with our artists, and we’re able to provide opportunities for them and our community members to learn from each other,” Hernandez said. “And in return, we’re able to provide really beautiful items every year at our salmon bake for you all to bid on.”
Hernandez also recognized the longtime fish cooks, volunteers, and staff members whose efforts helped bring the event together, and reflected on what the cultural center has meant to her during her 15 years there. “It has been an absolute privilege for me the last 15 years to be here,” she said. “If it weren’t for the work of our ancestors and past leaders and all of the people that spent 30-plus years planning and prepping and keeping the idea of having a museum on the table, I wouldn’t be here, and my children wouldn’t have been able to be raised in such a beautiful environment.”
She also expressed her appreciation for the record level of community support received this year. “We had record-breaking sponsorship numbers this year,” Hernandez said. “That means so much to us that you support us and that you are entrusting us to tell the true history and story of our people.”
Tulalip Foundation Director Nicole Siemenski said the fundraiser raised a little more than $65,000, with the proceeds supporting new exhibitions and educational programming at the Hibulb Cultural Center in the coming year. She also noted that although the fundraiser began in 2017, cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic mean this year’s gathering is the ninth annual event.
“We had our best year yet in terms of sponsorships, and we are extremely thankful to all of our community partners,” Siemenski said. “We were happy to welcome three new sponsors this year — First Citizens Bank, Jay’s Flooring, and Sno-Isle Libraries. We’re also very thankful to a special group of sponsors who have been with us since the beginning — Battle Creek Golf Course, Fueled Creative, the Hoban Family, Quil Ceda Village, Ray and Karen Sheldon Jr., Tulalip Resort Casino, and the Tulalip Tribes Board of Directors.”
Siemenski said the annual fundraiser continues to provide vital support for the cultural center while increasing awareness of its work within the community. “I think the event went really well,” she said. “All of the feedback I received was really positive. We had a great turnout, and everyone seemed really happy and supportive throughout the evening.”
Looking back on the evening, Siemenski said one moment stood out above the rest. “My favorite part of the evening was when our dancers, Terry and Michael Goedel, brought up some audience members on stage, and our guests were able to really interact and participate in the hoop dance,” Siemenski said. “I really loved that we had a wide range of volunteers from young kids to elders. I also loved that they were willing to interact with the kids who may have been too shy to go up on stage after the event.”