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M.O.M.s group offers support to mothers and other caregivers

Article by Jeannie Briones

TULALIP, Washington – Parenting is a tough, often overwhelming job that takes a lot of skill and patience. It has been referred to as the toughest job for which we receive the least training. Mothers, expectant mothers, grandmothers, or any women who take care of children can benefit from extra support and encouragement – and they can find that much-needed support at Tulalip.

M.O.M.s (Making Opportunities for Mothers) is a support group for tribal and non-tribal females of all ages who are caregivers of children. The group meets every Tuesday from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Tulalip beda?chelh conference room. There is no obligation or application process, it’s very simple, all you have to do is show up.

Designed to provide support for female caregivers, the group meets in a casual environment, where women feel safe enough to talk about their concerns and share their experiences with child rearing.

“Our focus of the group is to offer support,” emphasized Teri Wood, beda?chelh Child and Family Therapist. “It’s a place for female caregivers to come and talk about real life.”

M.O.M.s group coordinators, Teri and Tamara Brushert, Administrative Assistant for beda?chelh, encourage open discussion on subjects like self-care, safety, culture, and community, allowing participants to gain knowledge and skills that enhance positive parenting practices.

Other benefits of the M.O.M.s group include monthly guest speakers and a free home cooked meal. And to make it even more worry-free, children are welcome to attend with the caregivers supervision.

If you would like more information, please Tulalip beda?chelh at 360-716-3284.

Jeannie Briones: 360-716-4188; jbriones@tulalipbribes-nsn.gov

Children’s television series on KANU TV

Article by Jeannie Briones; photos courtesy Roger Vater, KANU TV

TULALIP, Washington – Tulalip KANU TV is delving into family programming. “WaposBay”, a wonderful family television series, had its first airing on November 5th on KANU TV Channel 99.

This award winning children’s animated show is an educational program for the entire family. Set in a fictitious Cree community in remote Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, the series follows the adventures of three children, ten -year-old T-Bear, 9-year Talon, and 6-year-old Raven, as they explore the world around them and experience extraordinary adventures while learning self-discovery with the help of their elders.

Through traditional ancestral teachings, children learn valuable life lessons about respect, cooperation and honesty. These teachings give kids a sense of growth and a moral compass that will equip them in decision-making in a fast-paced modern world filled with technology. Children will learn the importance of family and culture, while learning how to live in balance with the old ways and the new.

“WaposBay” airs daily at 8:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. For more information on this and other Tulalip KANU TV programs, visit www.kanutv.com.

Jeannie Briones: 360-716-488; jbrionestulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Watch D.O.G.S., heroes for a day

First Watch D.O.G.S. volunteer Paul Allen assisted his daughter Chloe at Totem Middle School

Article and photo by Jeannie Briones

TULALIP, Washington – Ever wonder what it’s like to be a hero for a day? Ask any Watch D.O.G.S. volunteer, like Paul Allen. On October 25^th, Paul, wearing his official Watch D.O.G.S. shirt and badge, greeted students at Marysville Totem Middle School as they arrived, officially kicking off the volunteer program that promotes male role models in schools.

Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) is an innovative program created by the National Center for Fathering, which focuses on safety and education in schools by using the positive influence of fathers and father figures. On the day of their participation, Watch D.O.G.S. volunteers are given a short orientation with the school representative and are given a daily schedule of responsibilities.

“I think having a male role model is a positive influence that really helps the kids to see there are people who care about them,” said Paul. “I really want to make sure they are doing well in school and that the kids treat others with respect.”

Paul, a former Marysville Grove Elementary School, has witnessed a boost in morale and better behavior among the students, simply by having male role models on hand to bond with them.

Paul’s two daughters are used to their dad participating at school. His 7th grade daughter, Chloe, attends Marysville Totem Middle School, and likes when her dad volunteers for school activities.

“I glad that my dad helps kids that are struggling,” said Chloe Allen.

Paul spent his successful volunteer day assisting kids in the classroom, supervising during lunchtime, and monitoring kids for good behavior. Paul encourages other fathers to volunteer and to set a good example by being a role model, not only for their own kids, but for the entire student body.

Fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers, uncles and male father figures are asked to spend at least one day at their student’s school volunteering. They will support the school by monitoring the school property, working with kids one-on-one or in small groups, reading, helping with homework, helping with sports, or whatever needs to be done to plant seeds of success in the lives of the students.

For information on volunteering, contact Marysville Totem Middle School at 360.653.0610. Learn more information about the Watch D.O.G.S. program by visiting www.fathers.com/watchdogs.

Jeannie Briones: 360-716-4188; jbriones@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Community members “walk in the shoes” of domestic violence victims

Elishia Stewart, tribal member and Manager of the Tulalip Legacy of Healing Advocacy Center and Safe House, introduced herself and the program she manages before the “In Her Shoe” workshop started.

Article and photo by Jeannie Briones

TULALIP, Washington – Domestic Violence can happen to anyone. Victims of domestic violence usually turn to family and friends for help, so staff at the Tulalip Legacy ofHealingAdvocacyCenterand Safe House is working to educate the community about the realities of domestic violence, and teaching empathy rather than sympathy.

‘In Her Shoes’, a series of interactive workshops created by the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV), debuted at the TulalipAdministrativeBuildingthis month. These workshops are designed for learning about domestic violence through audience participation. Participants act out real life scenarios of battered women – essentially putting themselves in their shoes. The October 18^th workshop, ‘In Her Shoes, Economic Justice Edition,’ focused on the added struggles that low-income battered women face and how the community can help bring justice to these survivors.

“‘In Her Shoes, Economic Justice Edition’ pays close attention to each one of these survivor’s stories and how finances and poverty impact their situation and create barriers that make them more unsafe and at risk,” said Traci Underwood, Program Coordinator for WSCADV.

During the workshop, participants stepped inside the victim’s world through an interactive exercise about life choices. Participants were given cards printed with a real story of a victim and abuser. These stories are unique and the victims in each share a similar background, involving a lack of money and resources. Through these cards, participants make “life choices” concerning school, housing, legal situations, social services, friends, etc. These choices send them in different directions in life to face the consequences.

“When you are walking through the interactive process, you learn what happens in a woman’s life with domestic violence,” said Elishia Stewart, tribal member and Manager of the Tulalip Legacy ofHealingAdvocacyCenterand Safe House.

During the workshop wrap-up session, audience feedback was followed by an open discussion period where workshop participants were given the opportunity to voice concerns and questions about domestic violence.

On October 30^th, the second workshop in the series, will feature a Native twist, focusing on the struggles that pertain to Native American victims and their abusers.

For more information, call the Tulalip Legacy of Healing Advocacy Center and Safe House at 360-716-4100, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and more information about the “In Her Shoes” series, visit WSCADV at www.wscadv.org

Building relationships through open communication

Totem Middle School teachers reach out to parents

Article and photo by Jeannie Briones

TULALIP, Washington – Teachers are always looking for ways to better communicate with their students, and now they are reaching out to the parents. Community Partnership, a new program at Totem Middle School, is simply designed for teachers to meet one-on-one with parents outside of the classroom, at their homes or any other location of the parents choosing.

These out-of-classroom visits enable the teachers and parents to form better relationships and build trust. Questions such as, what are your child’s hopes and dreams, bring both teachers and parents to a common understanding about the kids needs and academic standing.

Daniel Natividad, Native Equity Access Specialist and Interim Associate Principal for Totem Middle School is elated with the progress the program has made so far. In the few months that the program has been in operation, school staff has seen an improvement in attendance and test scores and a decrease is suspensions and expulsions, along with less vandalism around the school.

“It’s been a positive program,” said Daniel, referring to the positive changes in the children’s behavior.

Staff is striving to make 60 home visits to parents by the end of the first quarter of school. 25 visits have already been made, ten of these to tribal member families.

Teachers have received warm welcomes from the families, many of which give thanks to Totem Middle School staff for taking the time to show they care about their child’s education.

“It’s all about building a relationship, and once we have that relationship, everyone is going to be successful,” said Daniel.

Staff are available to meet with parents after school and weekends. For more information, contact Daniel Natividad at 360-653-0608 or email, Daniel_natividad@msvl.k12.wa.us.

Watch D.O.G.S. brings dads to school

Article and photo by Jeannie Briones

TULALIP, Washington – Something exciting is happening at Totem Middle School. New to the school this year is Watch D.O.G.S. – Dads of Great Students –a program that encourages fathers to get more involved at their child’s school. Father, grandfathers, step-dads, uncles, and all father figures are encouraged to volunteer at the school to provide positive male role models, and work with the kids to enhance their learning environment.

These mentors assists in a variety of ways, such as monitoring the school lunch room, helping out in classrooms, and other activities assigned by the school’s administrative staff. Their presence also provides an extra set of eyes and ears, which reduces signs of bullying.

Daniel Natividad, Native Equity Access Specialist and Interim Associate Principal for Totem Middle School is one of the dedicated employees working to get this project underway. As an advocate for Native American kids, David feels that this positive program helps kids grow socially and academically, creating a solid foundation for their future.

“We are in the opening stages of this program. We had 21 dads sign up for different days throughout the school year, to help out in the classroom, lunchroom, and on campus,” said Daniel.

Through the Watch D.O.G.S. program, these role models are asked to volunteer for at least one full day during the school year

“We are trying to increase male positive role models on campus. Kids can feel like they are cared for, especially the kids who don’t have a positive role model at home,” Daniel continued. “The first dad is coming in this month, and he’s going to help out with the classroom and buses.”

Daniel encourages all tribal and non-tribal parents to participate in the program, saying, “One the big goals this year is to make sure the community understands that education is not a one sided street. It’s not a one person process, it requires everyone, the teachers, students, and lastly the parents.”

Watch D.O.G.S., an educational initiative of the National Center For Fathering, has been in operation since 1998, helping children thrive through father and father figure involvement at schools across the nation. For Totem Middle School it means a step in the right direction to enhancing children’s lives, especially for kids dealing with challenging issues at home like poverty, drug abuse, abuse, and the lack of parental guidance.

For information on volunteering at Totem Middle School, contact Daniel Natividad at 360-653-0608. For information on the Watch D.O.G.S. program, visit www.fathers.com/watchdogs.

WrapAround is not a service but a process

Article and photo by Sarah Miller

TULALIP, Washington— The WrapAround process is a fairly new service provided by Family Haven. With WrapAround, a facilitator works with an individual or family to develop goals, build on strengths and it gives them support to enhance family life. According to WrapAround Coordinator, Cherol Fryberg, it’s not a program or a service, but a way to put you back in the driver’s seat of your own life.

“It’s a way to get the client’s voice heard,” Cherol said. “Some people work with a lot of different services and counselors with Behavioral Health and they don’t always get to be heard. We want to give them that control.”

People using the WrapAround process are encouraged to form a team to help them out. This team can be family members, counselors or therapists. WrapAround uses four phases to help clients out. Phase one is an engagement of team preparation in which the concerns, needs, hopes, dreams and strengths of the client are addressed. Phase two is the initial plan development. During this phase, the clients will collaborate with their teams to identify the strengths as stepping stones to meet needs. Phase three is plan implementation. Based on accomplishments, the team can assess and see if the plan is successful and make adjustments if need be. Phase four is transition. During this phase, the team will view the success.

“If you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or have multiple goals you want to accomplish, WrapAround is here to walk with you while helping you put your life back together,” Cherol said. “A WrapAround team of your choosing, with my support, will help you meet your dreams, needs, hopes and concerns.”

In addition to the four phases, WrapAround also uses ten principles to help keep people on track and help them achieve. The first principle is family voice and choice. This focuses on needs and wants. Second principle is to individualize. With this principle, the team will tailor this service to the client’s strengths and needs. Principle three and four, team based and collaboration, resolve individual challenges. Principle five is natural supports, which is about strengthening the connection of the family. Phase six and seven is about being strength based and culturally competent. These principles honor the individual or families culture with a positive approach. Principle eight is community based. The WrapAround team will implement services and support strategies that focus on the family receiving services in the community. Phase nine is persistence. With this principle, the team will persist towards the goals. Principle ten is outcome based. The WrapAround team is accountable to assist in setting and achieving measurable goals with this
principle.

“This service is available for anyone who is tribal or has a tribal member in their family,” Cherol said. “They must also live in Snohomish County. They do not have to have any kind of addiction, they don’t need to have had their kids taken away, and they can just come in to get back on the right track with their lives. It’s not about having severe problems; it’s about making a better life.”

If you think that you or someone you know is in need of WrapAround process for support, you can call Cherol at 360-716-4401 or email her at cfryberg@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Tribal member voted homecoming king

Article by Jeannie; photo submitted by Misty Napeahi

TULALIP, Washington – Tulalip tribal member Justice Napeahi was recently voted senior homecoming king of Marysville Pilchuck High School. Nominated by his teachers, Justice was then voted in as king by the student body.

Honored by his nomination, Justice exclaimed, “This can’t be true, no way, this is such a cool feeling!”

A down-to-earth kid with a great attitude, his motto in life is to always be nice, it will get you further in life.

“I have a lot of friends at school and each friend I have a different hand shake for. It’s cool to have something unique with so many people,” said Justice.

Those who know Justice are aware of his passion for music. He plays percussion ensemble drums at high school, and after school, he practices with his band, Tomorrow May Fail, which was formed three years ago.

Justice gets his inspiration from his role model, Matt Greiner, a drummer for the band August Burns Red. He advises fellow students to, “Use your inspiration as fuel to succeed, it makes you whole.”

Misty and Jay Napeahi are the proud parents of Justice.

David Spencer Sr. shares his passion of poetry

David Spencer read poetry at Hibulb Cultural Center

Article and photo by Jeannie Briones

TULALIP, Washington – The Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center, known for its artistic and educational series of workshops which highlight storytelling, lectures, culture and film, have added a new series that features poetry.

Tulalip Tribal elder and author, David Spencer Sr., read a series of poems on October 4th at the Hibulb center, capturing the audience with his ebb and flow of words. Events that he witnessed in his life and the poets and teachers who inspired him to write poetry inspired these poems.

“I took four courses at the UW from Nelson Bentley. He guided me on how to write poetry, to take one form all the way through the poem,” said David. “Poetry is like painting.”

Writing poetry since 1973, he reconnected with his grandparents’ first language, and began his writing process anew in 1997 by using the Lushootseed language as a creative outlet. This transformation brought new meaning to his poetry that he had not found while writing in English.

Poetry helped David through dark periods in his life, especially after his wife passed away. Sylvia Plath and Ted Hues are just a couple of poets he admires. He read their poems over and over to absorb their words and meaning.

In the poem, “The Sacred Smoke,” David describes a traditional memorial burning, the feeling of being on-edge, being reborn, and having no temptation of worldly needs.

David’s first memoir, “Lifted to the Edge: the Reflections of a Tulalip Grandson,” is a skillfully written exploration of his life. You can find a copy of his book at theTulalipHibulbCulturalCentergiftshop. Visit www.hibulbculturalcenter.org for information and a schedule of events.

Raising awareness to save lives and give hope

Legacy of Healing presents interactive play based on domestic violence

Article by Jeannie Briones

TULALIP, Washington – Domestic Violence happens more often than people realize. Behind closed doors, many victims fall pray to abuse. Without help, these victims are controlled by their abuser and live in a world of isolation, helplessness, fear, intimidation, denial, coercion and threats that usually turn into violence. Many battered victims are afraid to get help in their vulnerable state of mind.

There is help for victims of abuse. Tulalip Tribes Legacy of Healing Advocacy Center and Safe House advocates are here to listen and offer assistances to victims and help them understand they are not alone.

To end domestic violence, it is important to educate the community. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Tulalip Tribes Legacy of Healing Advocacy Center is recognizing the rising epidemic of domestic violence. In an effort to address this matter, they have collaborated with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence in presenting “In her shoes,” an interactive play based on real-life experiences of women with abusive partners. Participants will move, do, think and experience the lives of battered women.

Deborah Parker, Tulalip Tribes Vice Chairwoman and spokesperson for the Violence Against Women Act, will provide the traditional opening, along with a meet and greet of Legacy staff, and Traci Underwood with the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence will facilitate the interactive event.

“In Her Shoes” will be presented on two days; October 18^th will be for Tulalip Tribes employees and October 30^th is open to employees and community members. Both showings will be held in room 162 of the Tulalip Administration Building from noon-3:00 p.m. and lunch will be served.

Are you are living with domestic violence? The most common form of domestic violence is physical violence. The signs of domestic violence include being hit, slapped, kicked or punched by your partner, including threats, injury to pets, jealousy and destroying of property.

Battered victims are reluctant or unable to report the abuse, but advocators at Legacy of Healing offer a safety plan that might help the victims feel safer before an incident, in the midst of a violent incident, and if victims decide to leave. When the battered victim is ready to leave, they can call an advocate staff at Legacy of Healing to address their needs.

Call to talk with an advocate at Legacy of Healing Advocacy Center and Safe House for question or concerns at 360-716-4100, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. or for immediate help call 911, DVS 24 Hour Crisis Hotline 425-252-2873, or Washington State Hotline 800-562-6025.