Author: Kim Kalliber

A coastal connection on Indigenous Peoples Day

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

“When I say Indigenous People, you say hell yeah!,” instructed Tulalip Board of Director, Theresa Sheldon. The call was met with a resounding response that reverberated off of the Gathering Hall walls, and was accompanied by many whistles, cheers, and drumbeats. 

Native pride was on display as the people of Tulalip arrived at the Hall in full regalia on the evening of October 14. They were greeted by the aroma of traditional foods as salmon was prepared over flame for the gathering. 

More than a day of recognition, Indigenous Peoples Day has become a time to celebrate our heritage, traditions, and culture across the nation. All of which were nearly stripped away from us due to colonialism and assimilation efforts. It’s become a day to educate the wider population about our history and our connection to the land, the waters, and how the stewardship of Mother Earth provided sustainability for our people generation upon generation. Perhaps most importantly, it’s a day to hold our youth up and pass those teachings on to ensure our way of life continues well into the future. 

Fittingly, nearly the entire Indigenous Peoples Day gathering was led by the youth. Approximately 250 community members were in attendance. After an hour of socializing and enjoying that salmon dinner, event emcee, Deyamonta Diaz, asked everyone to take a seat at the center of the Gathering Hall as the festivities of the night began.

At the head of the hall stood fourteen young adults, ten Tulalip tribal members and four visitors hailing from O’ahu, Hawaii. Now, we don’t want to gloss over this moment, because it was beautiful and powerful. And beyond the dreams of many Tulalip ancestors, who faced unspeakable punishments for this very act while attending Indian boarding schools. Every single member of the youth coalition took time to introduce themselves, and their lineage, in traditional Lushootseed. And what followed was equally heartwarming and promising as the youth took matters into their own hands and introduced the Tulalip Youth Education Declaration to the public.

With the assistance from those four visitors, Maliatoa Tuallii, Ka’iwa Foster, Lilia Iokepa-Guerrero, and Maui Iokepa-Guerrero, the Tulalip youth spent the entire weekend, leading up to Indigenous Peoples Day, building a detailed declaration. The areas of focus included youth protection, elder and youth interactions, tribal sovereignty education, and health and wellness. 

Maliatoa, Lilia, Ka’iwa, and Maui are members of Hawaiian nonprofit, Papahana Aloha ʻĀina. Ten years ago, the organization wrote their own declaration dedicated to Hawaiian cultural education, youth leadership development, language preservation, as well as land stewardship and environmental advocacy. Since then, the group spent those years spreading their message and sharing their culture across the nation. With their experience and success, the Tulalip youth called upon Papahana Aloha ʻĀina to not only learn how to design their declaration, but also to learn new ideas of how to implement those motions and initiatives into everyday Tulalip. 

The result was astounding. In solidarity, the group presented the declaration as one, taking turns stepping up to the podium and passing the mic with each PowerPoint slide. 

Tribal youth, Ariel Valencia, shared, “We chose food sovereignty to highlight because we can decolonize from the inside out by eating our traditional foods – being able to harvest and differentiate the native plants, being able to survive off the land. We want to have traditional medicine classes for devil’s club and stinging nettle – harvesting it, making salves, and making tea. It is all connected to food sovereignty and our traditional plants/food. Being able to gather also follows the medicine wheel which has four sections and four directions – spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional health, which helps you harvest right and produce the good medicine from those plants.”

Highlighting another topic of the declaration, Tribal member Lilly Jefferson got the crowd fired up. She said, “We want to implement the Lushootseed Young Learners program. I think this is an idea that we can take active steps to. It opens the door so that kids of all ages can learn Lushootseed outside of school. I think it’s a good opportunity for young adults who want to learn the language. Every Tribal department should be required to incorporate our language into their work. I think this is really important because we, as a people, should be using the language on a daily basis. So, why not incorporate it into our work? We think it should be expected of our Tribal members to be using our language on the daily.”

Lilly continued, “The next thing I wanted to highlight is that the Board of Directors have to know how to use our language – write it, read it, and speak it. This is very important because you’re the leaders of our Tribe, you should be speaking our language. Also, why would you even run if you’re talking like a colonizer? I think I speak for us all when I say that we’re so very proud of all this work that we’ve done in the last three days. And how much we’ve gotten to know each other, problem solve and create this beautiful document that will grow and thrive in the next couple years.”

After the thirty-minute presentation by the youth, Deyamonta invited three Lushootseed language warriors to the podium to kick off the cultural exchange between Tulalip and Hawaii. Tribal members Thomas Williams, Oceana Alday, and Natosha Gobin each shared an interactive and traditional story in their ancestral language. The stories told were Crow and Octopus, Owl and Chipmunk, and Grandmother Cedar Tree. Like Theresa, the language warriors utilized the call and response technique to share their stories, and thereby introduce Lushootseed words and phrases to the attendees. Once all the stories were shared, the language warriors passed the baton to Papahana Aloha ʻĀina.

The similarities between the two cultures were recognized from the get-go as Ka’iwa blessed the floor beforehand by blowing on a conch shell in all four directions.  Lilia, Maliatoa, and Maui then took the floor in their traditional garb. They danced to the rhythm of the ipu, a drum unique to the Hawaiian Islands, all while chanting in their traditional language. 

“We greet you from Hawaii; from the highest of heavens down to your fertile lands of Tulalip; from the highest peaks to your waters here with abundant fish that has sustained your people,” stated Papahana Aloha ʻĀina member, Dino Guerrero. “The youth did a chant that talks about our people on our islands. How the islands were created. And how after the islands were created, our people stepped foot on those islands and sustained themselves for thousands of years. It was a traditional hula, a welcoming chant. We’re going to take you on a tour of our islands with our traditional dances, from our oldest island down to our youngest island.” 

The community was mesmerized as the Hawaiian youth danced each intricate step of their traditional songs. After several songs, the dancers left the floor for a brief intermission. During this time, Ka’iwa grabbed the attention of everyone in the hall when he began playing the guitar and singing soothing melodies in the Hawaiian language. Ka’iwa performed three songs before the dancers returned to the floor. After changing out of their regalia, Dino informed everybody that the first half of their cultural exchange was solely traditional dances. The second half was reserved for more modern songs and dances. 

Papahana Aloha ʻĀina closed their ceremony behind microphones, with a song performed in unison by the entire group. Our Hawaiian relatives were honored and blanketed by the Tulalip youth and leadership. Donning new shawls and cedar headbands, Papahana Aloha ʻĀina received a standing ovation from Tulalip.

Originally intended to be a two-hour event, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the Indigenous Peoples Day Gathering and cultural exchange went late into the night, to absolutely nobody’s dismay. Grateful that Papahana Aloha ʻĀina gave the community a glimpse into their traditions and culture, Tulalip was excited to return the favor. The group was invited to front row seats, and the Tribe brought the evening to an end with high energy throughout several of their ancestral songs. 

Even the Darkness  premiere lights up Tulalip

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Resort Casino’s Orca Ballroom has been an ideal venue for thousands of events, from extravagant weddings to charity auctions to stand-up comedian acts and a fair share of employee holiday parties. Most recently, for perhaps the very first time, the Orca Ballroom was redesigned to host a red carpet, TV series premiere.

In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day weekend, series director and Global Net Productions founder, Michael Lienau, held the first public viewing of his latest project Even the Darkness in Tulalip. An estimated 350 cinephiles convened for the exclusive October 13 viewing, including Chairwoman Teri Gobin, elected leaders from nearby tribes, Tulalip youth representatives, and many Even the Darkness cast members who basked in the limelight of their first red carpet experience.

Child actor Phillip James and his family enjoy the red carpet experience

One such actor was 8-year-old Phillip James who donned a cedar headband with abalone shells and a one-of-a-kind ribbon vest with imagery of his distinct Indigenous ancestry that spans the Americas. Most notably, he wore a heartwarming smile that was impossible to miss when he took front and center beside his family for his red carpet photo.

“I was happy and excited to get to act in a TV series,” said young Phillip after taking his seat in the Ballroom. “I thought it was going to be a fun thing and it was. My favorite memory [while shooting my scene] was seeing how happy my mom and grandma were. They were so happy they cried.”

Actress Amber Cantu and writer/producer Larisa Koenig greet the audience.

One of Phillip’s on set coworkers was actress Amber Cantu. She joined producer/writer and fellow stunning ribbon skirt wearer Larisa Koenig on center stage to welcome all those who managed to carve out time of their busy lives to celebrate an intersection of film, advocacy, and indigeneity.

“Even the Darkness started out as a dream, and now we’re all here at this red carpet premiere to celebrate it becoming reality,” shared Amber. “This project was a beautiful collaboration of amazing people with a vision to bring the realities our First Nations People face to the big screen. It’s about telling our stories of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), sharing traditional stories that connect us to the land and our ancestors, and so much more. I’m so thankful to be a part of this incredible series.” 

Even the Darkness features Coast Salish culture, gives credence to our stories that predate settler contact, has an Indigenous co-producer and several Indigenous advisors/consultants, and gave a number of aspiring Indigenous actors and actresses their official break into the film industry. Moreover, the independently created TV series seeks to honor and unite people of all ethnicities and generations, all while promoting environmental stewardship.

Bringing the Orca Ballroom hosted premiere full circle is the fact that several scenes were filmed within traditional Tulalip territory. One such scene took in the natural splendor viewed from Tulalip Marina and its central location within the Reservation.

Director Michael Lienau and his wife Shari at the Even the Darkness premiere.

Showcasing Native actors, Native lands, and Native stories within the creative lens of filmmaking is something Director Michael Lienau and the show’s producers were intentional about from the very beginning.

“We thought it was significant to hold the premiere here in Tulalip because our series seeks to honor the Native American people and really amplify their voices,” explained Director Lienau. “Using the premier as a means to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day and to be able to bring so many together on such a significant day is really special. I’m just amazed to see so many people from Native communities all over the state came to celebrate with us and to view an unknown, unseen TV series.

“This outpouring of support proves why its so important to listen to our local Native American tribes’ stories and learn of their rich histories,” he continued. “Across this nation, especially here in Washington State, the Native American culture is so vibrant and filled with amazing stories that have stood the test of time. My hope is to see more filmmakers and media companies showcase these communities and not tell the stories for them, but work alongside them in a respectful way and allow them to tell their own stories.”

After all, honoring traditional stories and amplifying the Native voice is foundational to any proper Indigenous Peoples Day celebration. 

Hawks score season-high 58 points on Darrington, up to #7 in WA State rankings

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The coaching staff of Heritage High School’s (5-0) football program had a midseason matchup with the Darrington Loggers (3-1) circled on their calendars for weeks now. They knew it would be the first real test for the new-look Hawks who continue to put the prep football world on notice, one win at a time.

Darrington is well-known for their run heavy, power formations that contrasts greatly to the 3- or even 4- wide receiver sets that are ideal for Heritage’s electric quarterback J.J. Gray’s natural play making abilities. The battle of skill vs. will would determine if Heritage would remain among the state’s unbeaten teams, and force the rankings makers and high school scouts continue keeping an eye on the Tulalip Reservation.

“This season has been our redemption tour. We’ve beaten several teams that we haven’t beaten in a long, long time,” explained Heritage Athletic Director and Hawks head coach Lonnie Enick. “For us, it goes beyond previous wins and losses. Before the season, our team got zero recognition, not even an honorable mention as a team to look out for. Now that we’re undefeated and beaten several good teams, we finally got a number next to our name, and we know that all it will take is one loss for that to go away.

“Every week, our boys are getting better and better. Our coordinators do a great job of coming up with schemes that put our players in the best position to succeed. That didn’t just happen overnight. Most of our players have grown up watching Willy and Deyamonta play football and basketball or have been coached by one of them at the Boys and Girls Club or in an all-Native tournament. All that time and commitment to player development and team strategy is playing out now before the whole community. It’s beautiful. When we built this field, that was the dream; for our community to be able to come out and be proud of what they see and to cheer on that next generation,” Lonnie added.

And cheer they did! Those in attendance from the greater Tulalip community and those who ventured from Darrington were treated to an instant classic hosted at the Tulalip Youth Complex. There were touchdowns galore as both teams maximized every possession and did everything they could to put points on the board.

Tulalip’s offense, defense and special teams each scored a touchdown in the early going. First, J.J. Gray, playing safety, recovered a Darrington fumble and ran it back 55-yards for a touchdown. He later set the crowd ablaze when he torched Darrington of a 75-yard kickoff return for his second touchdown. Add in a direct snap to Ziggy Myles-Gilford for a 5-yard rushing touchdown and the home team was up 24-8 late in the 1st quarter. Cue chants of “Tulalip Power!” from their adoring fans.

Down by multiple scores, Darrington continued to chug along with one run after another after another. Their coaches were intent on playing their ground and pound style regardless of time and score. To their credit, all the pounding began wearing out Heritage’s defense. Already down a couple starters, they lost two starting defensemen Kane Hots and Lennox Luong during the 2nd quarter. Using this to their advantage, Darrington pounded that rock until, before you knew it, the score was tied 30-30 at halftime.

In the 2nd half, the Hawks proved their style of play could ultimately win out vs a traditional power team. Quarterback J.J. Gray led an unstoppable air raid offense, wherein he routinely found his wide receivers Ziggy and James Diaz for highlight making touchdowns. 

Here’s the 2nd half scoring breakdown:

  • #3 J.J. Gray with a 30-yard pass to #33 James Diaz. (38-30)
    • Darrington responds. 38-38
  • #3 J.J. Gray with a 45-yard pass to #33 James Diaz. (44-38)
    • Darrington responds. 44-44
  • #3 J.J. Gray with a 1-yard rush. (52-44)
    • Darrington responds. 52-50
  • #3 J.J. Gray with a 45-yard pass to #15 Ziggy Myles-Gilford. (58-50)

With just 3:30 left to play in the 4th quarter, Darrington had possession was once again marching down the field with one rushing attempt after another. They were intent on tying the game. Until that is, the Hawks defense rose to the occasion. After nearly two and a half hours of real time tackle football and the endless slew of hits to take down Darrington ballcarriers, Heritage’s defense came up with a game-sealing stop. Ziggy and #51 Ryland Dumont combined for a backbreaking tackle that led to a Darrington fumble, recovered by none other than J.J. Gray.

In possession of the ball with two minutes remaining, the Hawks were able to go into victory formation and bask in the cheers of the home crowd. As has been the case after every home win, a procession of fireworks lit up the Tulalip Bay sky when the game clock read all zeros. Still undefeated, Heritage moved to (6-0) on the season.

“I like the high scoring shoot-outs because there’s so much action and every possession matter that much more when the score is close,” shared breakout wide receiver Ziggy Myles-Gilford postgame. “When I transferred to Heritage over the summer, it was so I could play basketball here. I wasn’t expecting to play football, but the coaches and my friends on the team, like J.J., talked me into it.

“Now, I feel like every time I touch the ball I have an opportunity to score. At my size and with my speed, I just feel like no one in this league can matchup with me one on one,” beamed the Heritage sophomore. Indeed, he’s already amassed quite the ledger of touchdowns, especially 40-yard plus highlights, that have helped propel Tulalip to #7 in the WA State rankings. 

Bump, set, and enthusiasm

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Within the 1,743 square foot volleyball court at Heritage High School, the Lady Hawks continue to develop their bumping and setting skills. Normally, after bumping and setting comes spiking, but these girls the final ingredient of their on-court trifecta is enthusiasm. Unbridled enthusiasm to be exact. Plain, yet simple, and highly effective for making high school memories.

“We are just trying our best to be locked in during practice and in games. For me, I think being positive and focusing on the good things is an important, maybe the most important, part of life, not just sports,” explained Lady Hawks co-captain Lilly Jefferson. “You can see how its impacted our team, too, because regardless of the score we are doing our chants, cheering for one another, and actually enjoying the moments we get to celebrate. 

“Being able to be loud and scream out of joy and excitement if my favorite part of sports,” continued the high school junior. “As the season went along, the more and more of my teammates started to join along and now almost the whole team cheers and lets out good emotion when something good happens or someone puts full effort on the court, like diving or really hustling to try and make a play. These are moments are worth celebrating, or in my case, screaming for.”

While doing their best to maximize enthusiasm during their team as volleyballers, the Lady Hawks have unlocked a truly refreshing perspective for those who witness them play. They are making the best kind of memories, built from a united mission to have fun regardless of what the scoreboard reads. This was evident at girls’ latest home game when they hosted Shoreline Christian on October 2. 

 After dropping a quick first set, 10-25, the girls played a back and forth second set that saw them trailing by only two points, 18-20, at one point. If it’s possible to will a team to victory simply through enthusiasm, then co-captains Lilly and Raylee Fryberg nearly did just that. They were the driving force that made sure they team came together after every point, win or lose, to clap it up, express positive platitudes, or let out a cheer-filled scream.

The super competitive second set ended up going Shoreline Christian’s way, but that didn’t stop the Lady Hawks from boiling over with that unbridled enthusiasm. Not even close. Before the start of the third set, senior Elizabel Herrera huddled up her team and mimicked the legendary “Whose got my back?!” chant made famous by the Seattle Seahawks vaunted Legion of Boom.

Those vibes carried over to the start of their third set. The Lady Hawks managed to jump out to a 9-8 lead and were still in the think of things while trailing 15-20. Ultimately, they dropped the third set and lost the match 0-3. Don’t tell them they lost though because they aren’t interested in the wins and losses; they are interested in making memories and building friendships.

“This is my first year playing volleyball,” admitted 17-year-old Elizabel post-game. “I’m so thankful for Lilly and Raylee for bringing me up and talking me into playing. I feel like I mess up so much and am still learning where I need to be and when, but they act like I don’t and that makes me want to keep on playing and getting better.

“This whole experience playing volleyball and being a Lady Hawk are good memories that I’ll be thankful later for. Really, I just want to smile and make others smile because high school is only four years and, me being a senior, I only have a few months left. So I want to smile as much as I can and make as many memories as I can before it’s over.”

The 2024 volleyball season is quickly coming to an end. Catch one last glimpse of bump, set, and enthusiasm when Heritage celebrates Senior Night on October 15. The Lady Hawks will be hosting Evangel Classical School in their final home game of the season. 

Celebrating an investment in Indigenous science

Bureau of Indian Affairs assistant secretary Bryan Newland, Lummi Nation secretary Lisa Wilson, executive director of Columbia River inter-tribal fish commission Aja DeCoteau, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration regional administrator Jennifer Quan visit Tulalip’s salmon hatchery.

By Micheal Rios in collaboration with NOAA Fisheries

Coast Salish leadership from Metlakatla to Yakama Nation, and many tribes in between, gathered with federal and state leaders at the Tulalip Reservation on October 3 to celebrate $240 million in federal funding for tribal hatcheries. This Inflation Reduction Act investment offers much-needed financial assistance to 27 tribes from Northern California to Southeast Alaska meet urgent maintenance and modernization needs of their on-reservation salmon hatchery programs.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries partnered with the Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to disperse the funds. Initial payments of $2 million are currently being distributed to each of the 27 tribes. The remaining $186 million will be allocated by competitive grants in 2025.

“I want to thank NOAA for listening to us. We, as tribal governments, go back and forth a lot with Washington D.C. and Olympia. Sometimes we are met with closed ears, and we can not get the work done unless our elected leaders on the state and federal levels are willing to listen to what we have to say,” explained Tulalip Vice Chairwoman Misty Napeahi. “As tribes, we’ve had to learn to embrace western science because it gives us the data we need to get our points across. 

“We are trying to teach a nation how to see the Earth through an Indigenous lens. That we are not here to conquer it nor extract all it’s resources, but to live in harmony as one with nature,” continued Misty. “This is our science given to us by the Creator and passed down through our ancestors. We know we have to use our science to save our lands, to save our oceans, and to save our way of life for our future generations. But we can’t do this without people being willing to listen. I raise my hands to NOAA for not only listening to us, but being willing to invest in our Indigenous knowledge and science.”

Treaties with the U.S. government in the 1850s, such as our Point Elliot Treaty, promised many tribes hunting and fishing rights. However, the decline of salmon in Pacific Northwest rivers has place great burden on hatcheries to provide the bulk of fish necessary to sustain tribal fisheries. The commitment of funding by the Biden-Harris Administration is a step toward delivering on the treaty promises that tribes have fish to catch.

“In the course of 3 months, from starting conversations, I started getting letters from 22 tribes with an agreed path forward,” said Jennifer Quan, West Coast Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries, to the crowd of people gathered within the TRC’s Orca Ballroom. “Thank you to all the tribes who rolled up their sleeves and got to an agreement very fast. It’s helping us get this program on the ground quickly. I think this is the fastest the tribes and the federal government have ever moved together.”

Many Leaders Attend Celebration

A Tulalip Veterans color guard and group of pint-sized culture bearers from Quil Ceda Elementary kicked off the celebratory event, which Tulalip Chairwoman Teri Gobin opened with a prayer passed down from her father, Stan Jones. Vice Chair Misty Napeahi emceed a panel of speakers that included Governor Jay Inslee, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen, and Bryan Newland, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs for the Department of the Interior.

“I’m so excited for today’s announcement that a quarter of a billion dollars is going to tribal fish hatcheries to help restore salmon populations,” said Assistant Secretary Newland (Ojibwe). “Equally as important is what this investment represents; its an investment in tribal-led management and caretaking of our salmon relatives. We know that when tribes were managing these ecosystems and our relationships with our relatives on land and in both the air and sea, that was an era of abundance. We need tribes leading the efforts to restore salmon, leading partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies to restore critical habitat, if we are to restore balance to our relationship framework with our natural environment. That’s what is necessary for us to return to an era of abundance.”

Tribal leaders and elder representation from many of the 27 tribes attended the celebration located on the shores of the Salish Sea. Tribal representation from across the Pacific Northwest included the Metlakatla of Southeast Alaska, Quileute, Jamestown S’Klallam, Lummi Nation, Stillaguamish, Quinault, Yakama Nation, Warm Springs, Suquamish, Sauk-Suiattle and Nez Peirce.

The event continued from the Resort Casino with visits to Tulalip hatchery facilities. The lower pond of Tulalip Creek teemed with Coho salmon returning to their release site, as tribal fishing boats dotted the expanse of Tulalip Bay. “Ninety-five percent of Chinook and Coho salmon harvested by Tulalip fisherman come from our local hatcheries,” informed Jason Gobin, Executive Director of Natural Resources.

“While our local hatchery is still productive, funding will help address deferred maintenance and update hatchery operations to the latest technology. Decades-old hatchery infrastructure needs upgrades to release salmon smolts and the collection of brood stock with more efficiency and targeted timing,” Jason added. 

Hatchery Requires Updates

Several members of Tulalip’s Natural Resources department presented initial plans for modernizing the Tribe’s Bernie ‘Kai-Kai’ Gobin Salmon Hatchery. While the Tribe has already set aside funds for renovations, federal resources will kick-start the improvements. Most other eligible tribes, including the Nez Perce Tribe and the Lummi Nation, have identified specific plans for hatchery upgrades.

“This is a much-needed injection into the infrastructure that supports all these hatcheries,” Jason told media members during the hatcheries tour.

Tribal salmon hatcheries help the U.S. government fulfill its treaty obligations, while also removing fishing pressure on wild stocks. Some tribal hatchery programs have also led to the rebound of wild salmon. For example, the Nez Perce efforts have revitalized Snake River fall-run Chinook salmon; the Lummi Nation’s hatchery program has restored spring-run Chinook in the Nooksack River.     

Beyond treaty promises and conservation goals, tribal hatcheries help drive on-reservation employment, salmon nutrition for specific ceremonies, and the preservation of cultural traditions. The approximate 11.5 million juvenile salmon raised and released each year contribute to the tens of millions of salmon produced annually by tribal hatcheries in Washington State alone.

“I know how hard the tribes have worked to keep these tribal hatcheries going, because they are so important to their culture and way of life,” reflected Jennifer, NOAA Regional Administrator. “I am proud that we have been able to provide such substantial new funding for the hatcheries. It tells me that the nation recognizes these hatcheries’ crucial role in delivering on the treaty promises that the government made to many tribes so long ago.”

Reclaiming your joy, love, and laughter

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

“We have to be able to grieve. We have to be able to process loss,” said Nola Jeffrey. “And there’s many ways that we could do that – you can go to therapy and talk to someone, and that does help. But I’d rather do ceremony, I’d rather go to the water, I’d rather go into a sweat lodge, I’d rather sit in a circle with our people and talk to them. Because what you’ll find is that we share things in common, and in that, it gives us strength.”

A sage bundle burned atop an abalone shell at the entrance of the Gathering Hall. As people arrived, they took a moment to ground themselves, guiding the fragrant vapors from head to toe, cleansing their bodies and spirit before stepping into the Hall on the evening of October 7.

At the start of September, the Tulalip Tribes introduced an initiative to the community dubbed the Season of Healing.  Since then, the Tribe has organized a number of gatherings aimed at healing the mind, body, spirit, and heart of its membership, and also of the citizens who work for the Tribe or live on the reservation. Through TED-Talk-esque panels and traditional art projects, the people have been absorbing the knowledge and teachings shared at these events with the intention of applying it to their own healing journey. 

Tulalip Board of Director, Theresa Sheldon, explained, “The Season of Healing came about to the BOD, really from the community saying that they want to address trauma. We put together eight Mondays of speakers, eight Saturdays of art to talk about hard issues and work through them at the same time. Having speakers come from outside the community to talk about things that impact you, in a safe environment, is really the intent and purpose of us doing that. And then working on art projects so we can then get it out. Art takes a different piece of your brain and a concentration of peace and balance that we don’t use when we’re in fight or flight. It was an intentional combination to have speakers and art together.”

The latest installment of the Season of Healing focused on dealing with grief and loss. According to a recent study by the CDC, American Indian and Alaskan Native males had the highest death rate in 2022 with 1,444 deaths per 100,000 population. And AI/AN females were not far behind with a total of 1,063 deaths. These statistics are staggering considering that most other races had a death rate below 900 per 100,000 people. That is 40% higher than the white population, 17% higher than the black community, and 98% higher than Hispanics.

Delving a bit further, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Minority Health reported that the life expectancy for Natives is an average age of 71.8 years, compared to an average of 78.8 years for whites, 74.8 years for black people, and 81.9 years for Hispanic individuals. But even without knowing any of those stats, many Native people could relate this to you simply from experience, by recalling upon the names and memories of all the loved ones we’ve laid to rest. 

“I think that as Native people, we do funerals really well,” Theresa stated as tears began to well up in her eyes.  “And I think after the funeral, we don’t know what to do. I think we don’t talk about it enough. We don’t talk about the foreverness that we carry as long as we’re still here. That loss we have, we’re just expected to know how to deal with it.”

After receiving an event t-shirt that read, ‘reclaiming joy, love, and laughter’, attendees shared a meal together before the panel began. Taking their seats at the head of the Gathering Hall, the people participated in some mindful mediation and breathing exercises, led by Tulalip community member and LMP, Glendy Morrison. 

On the main stage, three chairs were occupied by Tribal member and event emcee, Kali Joseph, moderator and Tulalip BOD Debra Posey, and guest speaker Nola Jeffries (Tsimshian/Coast Salish). Nola is well known amongst tribal communities, and she has leant her voice and efforts to the health and betterment of Indigenous people at gatherings such as the Tribal Canoe Journey and at various National Day of Truth and Reconciliation events across Indian country. 

During this intimate gathering of about 50-60 Tulalip community members, Nola spoke from the heart. She shared her personal experience with grief and how she was able to cope and withstand the lowest point of her life, the loss of her daughter Megan, who aged just 20 months before her untimely passing.

“My daughter died in a car accident that I was very much a part of,” she stated. “Having this beautiful little girl who was so full life, full of love, full of energy, and full of promise, to be gone – my whole life changed in a second. As a mother, I thought it was my responsibility to keep all my children safe and that day I didn’t succeed. I blamed myself. Sometimes, you can turn your anger onto somebody, but I drew that anger inward. I didn’t feel I deserved to be a mother, a wife. I didn’t feel like I deserved to even grieve for her because I caused this to happen.

“It’s hard for us to grieve. What grief can do is stop us dead in our tracks and I think that’s what happened to me. I had a really hard time staying here. It was my own mother who probably helped me stay here. She called me and told me she was worried about me, and that if anything happened to me it would kill her. And a little lightbulb went on in my brain. I would purposely cause my mother this pain. I would purposely make her suffer. I thought to myself I can’t do that; I have to somehow live through this. There were times I couldn’t look ahead, because the pain was so deep. And what I would do is stuff it down. Of course you can’t stuff all that pain down. For me, it felt like I had a manhole over that pain, and it would get so full, it would be like a geyser. It would start coming up until I’d get control of it again and push it back down. I lived my life like that for a long time. I’d pretend I was happy, people thought I was happy, but I wasn’t. I was struggling. There were lots of beliefs I held that just weren’t true, because I really wasn’t responsible for my daughter’s death. I was part of it. One day I woke up and thought, Nola, you’re not the creator. You can’t make all these things happen. You’re not in control of any of this.”

Nola went on to explain that she officially set off on her healing journey 11 years after her daughters passing. Upon accepting a position at a substance use and trauma treatment center named the Tsow-Tun Le Lum Society, she was introduced to new forms of therapy which helped her through that pain and gave her a new perspective on grief, in addition to traditional work. 

She said, “I believe that things are supposed to happen the way that they happen. We have a time to be born, and we have a time to go. Sometimes it’s really hard to accept some of the things that have happened. I used to think that if I accepted it, then I agreed with it – I realized I was just fighting myself. I couldn’t change what had happened. I still have grief, but the way I live with my grief is different. I didn’t think I had the right to cry, and today I absolutely know that my tears are welcome. Even though she is on the other side, she’s still my daughter. That love never dies. I still talk to her. She’s still a part of my life, I still love her so much. And she has taught me so much. What I didn’t know before she came and left was how incredibly strong I am. But I’m going to be honest with you, 35 years have passed and sometimes it feels like it was yesterday. I still miss her.”

Many tears were shed in the Gathering Hall that evening. When hearing Nola recount her story, nearly everyone in attendance could be seen nodding in understanding and relating to those feelings of hopelessness, guilt, and despair. And as she continued to detail her experience with loss, they acquired new ways and ideas on how to work through their grief and how to allow themselves to let go.

Following her TED-Talk, Nola opened the floor for questions. Among the two people who came forward was Tribal member, Deborah Parker.

 

Said Deborah, “I lost a loved one on September 26th – three years ago. It’s really difficult. I get confused with letting go and remembering. They say to let go, but then also to remember your loved ones. I don’t quite know what to do and how to live without that loved one. What did you do to relieve yourself from that confusion in your mind? Because I know that grief and feeling of loss will be forever, in a sense. But I too want to live a more meaningful life because grief has really hit myself and it’s impacted my children, my family, and friends.”

In response, Nola replied, “You said people talk about letting go, and I think what they’re talking about is to start releasing the pain, because that trauma and grief gets stuck in our bodies. That’s what you need to let go of, that’s what you need to release. But the memories of them? Absolutely not. The love of them? Absolutely not. You hold on to that and you allow it flourish and grow.”

Prior to a youth-led closing song and a raffle drawing, that included $50 gas cards and gift bag prizes, BOD Posey concluded the panel with a few insightful remarks, “When you lose someone who you love, and you get to that point where you can start really remembering the best times, when you can focus on those wonderful moments in time, you can ask yourself what would that person want for you? But you have to be really true and honest about it. Would they want you to be isolated and be in grief? And if the situation were reversed, and you were the one that is gone, what would you want for them? And if you know what you would want for them, that’s what they want for you. To live a full life, to find joy, to find happiness, to live the best life you possibly can.”

The Season of Healing will continue throughout the rest of October. The next art project scheduled is a dentalium earring workshop instructed by Tribal member Santana Shopbell-Proehl. It will be held on Saturday October 12, at the Hibulb Cultural Center from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. To sign-up for the class, be sure to call  (360) 716-2600 or e-mail info@hibulbculturalcenter.org.  There will also be an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration at the Gathering Hall on Monday October 14, beginning at 5:00 p.m., which will feature Noelani Lokepa-Guerrero as the guest speaker. 

If you are a Tulalip tribal member, you can follow the speaker series via livestream on IAmTulalip.com. On this site, you can also find a video recording of all the Season of Healing TED-Talk panels if you were unable to catch the event in real time.

 And please remember to RSVP to each of the remaining events at https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/ce6877abd9f44c969fcfb6cbbb0719aa

Tulalip hosts NNABA’s largest basket weaving event

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News

The Northwest Native American Basketweavers Association (NNABA) selected Tulalip as the host for its 27th annual gathering, held at the Gathering Hall. The two-day event on October 4 and 5 saw over 600 registered guests and 38 teachers, marking the largest gathering in the organization’s history. The NNABA continues to provide a space for Indigenous peoples of the Northwest to share and learn cultural and artistic skills, including creating native regalia and various styles of basketry.


The gathering offered guests various weaving classes to choose from, where they learned techniques using materials like cedar, sweetgrass, wool, and yarn. Participants had seven hours each day to work on their projects, with classes filling up on a first-come, first-served basis. Each teacher provided the necessary materials for their craft, with fees for both lessons and supplies varying depending on the craft and instructor.


Tulalip tribal member Hiedi Zackuse expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “This is super cool.” Another attendee, Jack McCloud from Nisqually, reflected on the significance of the gathering: “I didn’t grow up with much tradition. My grandparents spoke our language fluently but weren’t allowed to teach us about our culture. Being part of this year’s gathering makes me proud. It feels like our culture has come back stronger than ever. Seeing the imagination of all the artists here is incredible.”

During the event, each completed item was announced by teachers, who would stand up to share what had been created and by whom. Applause filled the room as participants proudly raised their finished projects for all to see, creating a warm and supportive atmosphere.

Tulalip tribal member and teacher Toni Jo Gobin flew in from Hawaii to share her unique basketry techniques. Reflecting on her experience, Gobin said, “It was awesome teaching at the Gathering Hall. It was a lot of fun meeting everyone. This was my first time teaching and attending a NNABA event, and while it was super busy, it was nice.” She also expressed her gratitude to the Tulalip staff, adding, “I want to give a huge thanks to the staff at Tulalip. They ensured all the elders and guests had everything they needed and kept things running smoothly.”

NNABA representative Ramona Townrae, a Yakama Nation member and resident of Black Diamond, praised the event’s success. “Every year, the NNABA selects a host by advertising proposals, allowing us to connect with people from all over the Northwest, including Canada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and parts of Montana,” she explained. “This year’s gathering was one of the largest we’ve ever held. When we first started back in 1996, we barely had 100 attendees. Now, we’ve brought in over 600 people. Seeing individuals who saved their nickels and dimes to attend and participate warms my heart.”

Reflecting on the venue, Ramona shared, “This is a fantastic place—not only is it beautiful, but it truly maintains our culture and traditions. The staff and tribal members have been working hard for months, ensuring everyone felt welcome. I always ask, ‘What would you do if someone came to your home?’ That’s the approach Tulalip took. It’s not just a conference; it’s a gathering, and that distinction is so important.”

Ramona also highlighted the event’s growing significance within the community. “Our mission is to promote, perpetuate, and preserve Native American basketry, and a key part of that is involving the youth. We run a program for kids; whether we have hundreds or just a handful, those kids are the ‘promote’ part of our mission. They’re the ones who will carry our traditions forward. I always tell them, ‘You are our future. You will be the cultural bearers.’ It’s heartwarming to see their little hands weaving—knowing they’re the ones who will keep this alive.”


The 27th annual NNABA gathering at Tulalip celebrated basket weaving and the strength of Indigenous culture and community. Bringing together elders and youth, the event ensures that these traditions will continue to thrive and be passed down for generations.


If you want to know more about the NNABA or their next gathering, you can find out on the website at http://www.nnaba.net

Weaving warmth and connection

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News

On Saturday, September 28, culture bearer Tillie Jones taught a second wool headband weaving class at the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center as part of the Season of Healing. A small group attended the event, which provided a warm and welcoming environment. It was a beautiful day characterized by focus and a peaceful atmosphere.

Tillie expressed her appreciation for the class, noting how much she enjoyed witnessing the bonding experience between families. “It was a great class,” she said. “I loved seeing mothers and daughters learning side by side.”

Attending the weaving class with her daughter was a meaningful experience for Tulalip tribal member Stephanie Fryberg. She shared her enthusiasm for the session, saying, “I loved the class. I’ve always wanted to try weaving, and doing it with my daughter was great. It was easy to do, and I liked being able to focus on the task. It helped me imagine my ancestors doing this, making me feel connected.”

Stephanie also spoke about the more significant impact of the Season of Healing, saying, “I think it’s been great. Our community needs to think about how we push back against settler colonialism. Colonialism taught us to be mean to one another and not to love ourselves or each other. This focus on bringing love back and weaving it into our everyday lives is the first step toward truly finding healing in our community.”

As the wool headband class ended, the room buzzed with laughter and pride as participants admired their creations. With fall just beginning, the cozy spirit of the Season of Healing felt more like the start of a new tradition—one that wrapped everyone in warmth and connection, just like the wool headbands they’d made.

The Season of Healing continues through October, and there is more to look forward to. Up next is Dentalium earrings with Santana Shopbell-Proehl on Saturday, October 12, followed by a painting session with Monie Ordonia to wrap up the month on Saturday, October 26. To save your spot and get pricing details, call the Hibulb Cultural Center at (360) 716-2600 or email info@hibulbculturalcenter.org.