During the week of September 19, ATNI held their annual conference at the Tulalip Resort Casino. Following the second day of presentations and workshops, dozens of Northwest tribal leaders visited the Hibulb Cultural Center to learn about the Tulalip way of life.
The guests were treated to a delicious salmon bake dinner and a glimpse into the culture of the sduhubš people, complete with traditional songs and dances. The ATNI leaders also had the chance to tour the entire cultural museum to end the evening.
In 1953, a group of visionary tribal leaders in the Northwest formed the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI), and dedicated it to tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Among those founding leaders included Sebastian Williams, who served on the first ever rendition of Tulalip Board of Directors. Today, Sebastian’s hard work and reassuring resolve live on in the thriving government of his people and the steadfast, collaborative mission of the organization he helped to start.
ATNI is a nonprofit organization representing 57 Northwest tribal governments from Oregon, Idaho, Washington, southeast Alaska, Northern California and Western Montana. Its purpose is to: provide a forum for sharing information on matters of interest to its member Tribes, develop consensus on matters of mutual importance, assist member Tribes in their governmental and programmatic development consistent with their goals for self-determination and self-sufficiency and provide for effective public relations and education program with the non-Native communities.
The spirit of self-determination and self-sufficiency was embraced by hundreds of Native American citizens from all across the region who journeyed to Tulalip to attend the 2022 ATNI annual conference. Hosted by the Tulalip Tribes, the four-day conference was held September 18th – 22nd at the Resort Casino
“Since founding ATNI, all of the Tribes of the Northwest come together to convene and conference in order to bring out the issues they feel are important at the time,” said ATNI board secretary Jeanie Louie (Coeur d’Alene). “Our annual conference is where members convene for discussion, presentations and the work of the committees in regard to policy, legislation and the future of Indian Country in the Northwest.”
Through its conferences, forums, networks and alliances, it is the intent of ATNI to represent and advocate for the interests of its member Tribes to national organizations and the federal government. For four straight days, the representation of local Tribal interests echoed in the Orca ballroom, conference rooms, and adjoining walkway of the Resort Casino.
The reservation’s gem of a Resort provided many oohs and awes by conference attendees who took in the AAA certified Four Diamond luxury and accommodations for the very first time. That thought wasn’t lost on Tulalip board of director Mel Sheldon.
Mel Sheldon.
“It’s important for our Tulalip membership to recognize that we are one of the leading Tribes in the five-state region. When members of other Tribes come here and see our gaming properties, our Hibulb Cultural Center, our government building and all the natural splendor we have to offer, I think they are not only impressed, but they leave wishing their Tribe could emulate the sustained culture and gaming success that we’re fortunate to have,” said Mel, who also serves as ATNI 1st Vice President.
“To be the first Tulalip tribal member to serve on the ATNI executive board since Sebastian Williams is extremely humbling,” he continued. “Organizations like ATNI serve to unify the voices for all Tribes in the area. One collective voice, made up of 50 Tribes in the region, with a common goal is really much stronger than a bunch of individual voices that can be pitted against one another in the political realm. When we speak as one, the powers that be in Olympia, or Washington, D.C. for that matter, are forced to listen to our collective voice.”
Amongst the hefty four-day schedule were several breakout sessions or workshops led by Tulalip tribal members. From government affairs topics and expanding treaty rights to continuing education and passing legislation in pursuit of boarding school justice, Tulalip left an imprint at this year’s conference. Not to mention the number of local Tulalip artists, like Deshawn Joseph and Lance Taylor, who set up as independent vendors to sell their goods and network with leaders throughout Indian County.
“We want our community to realize that domestic violence (DV) has many layers,” said Legacy of Healing (LOH) Victim Advocate, Marisa Chavez. “Typically, people who are victims of domestic violence think that if they call law enforcement it’s because it’s something physical. But usually it starts emotional, then it goes to psychological – financial abuse, threats, and then becomes physical. So, this month, it’s about educating and providing information for people to realize that this is not okay that this is happening.”
A small building located on the corner of Waterworks and Marine Drive, next door to the Tulalip Bay Fire Station, is much more than meets the eye. Standing as a symbol of hope for many fleeing an abusive relationship, the building, which many people pass by on their everyday commute, is the home of the Tulalip Legacy of Healing, a program designed to support and uplift Tulalip tribal members, parents and spouses of Tulalip members, as well as other Natives who live on the reservation, through difficult and challenging times.
Upon entering the building, and meeting with the team’s staff of advocates, many DV victims and survivors begin to see a way out and are able to safely plan to escape their unhealthy partnerships.
A quick Google search will show that the Native American population are at an extremely higher risk for experiencing domestic violence than other races. According to the National Institute of Justice, 84% of Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime as well as 81% of Native men. That same study stated that ‘more than four in five American Indian and Alaskan Native women and men experienced DV in [2016] alone’.
It is important to keep in mind that the statistics from this particular study have been referenced in many publications since it was released, and that this is the most up to date study. Tulalip LOH and Child Advocacy Center (CAC) Director, Jade Carela believes that although these numbers are shocking, they may be much higher. Citing conversations with other advocacy center directors, she gathered that there has been a recent influx of victims since the pandemic first hit. Another reasons these stats may be inaccurate can be credited to underreporting.
Said Jade, “One misconception that we want to make sure to clear up for our community is that a lot of people have been taught that domestic violence equates to physical violence. That’s not what domestic violence is. Domestic violence is many other things. To me it’s important for people to understand that, because I feel there are a lot of people in very unhealthy relationships that crossover into domestic violence and they might not realize that’s the type of relationship they’re in or that there is help when they’re in those type of relationships. A lot of domestic violence isn’t physical, and by the time it gets physical, there’s an end to it because they kill their spouse. Because they don’t recognize it as domestic violence, the victims don’t reach out for help.”
For this reason, it is important to understand what DV is exactly, that way if victims are able to identify that they are in a DV relationship, they can get out before it ever reaches an extreme scenario. Below is list of red flags curated by the LOH that serves as an indicator of an abusive partner.
Wants to get serious right away.
Humiliates you – calls you names or puts you down to break your confidence.
Treats you better when other people are around
Screams at you to intimidate you.
Follows your or calls/texts repeatedly to check up on you.
Pressures you to go along with what they want.
Bullies or tries to humiliate you via text, social media, or e-mail.
Throws, hits, or breaks things to make you afraid.
Gets overly jealous when you spend time with friends or family.
Tags you in posts, even though you have asked them not to.
Insists that you give them your passwords to your voicemail, social media or e-mail accounts.
Physically or sexually assaults you.
Denies their abusive behavior.
Gaslights you.
All their exes are crazy except you.
The LOH extended their list to include red flags that increase your chance for being seriously hurt or even killed.
Uses or threatens to use a gun, knife or other weapon.
Threatens to kill your or themselves if the relationship ends.
Tries to choke or strangle you.
Forces you to have sex or physically assaults you.
Is violently or constantly jealous.
Cassandra Rae, CAC Education Outreach Family Advocate, stated, “Often times part of the abuse is isolating you – cutting you off from family, friends, support systems. Having an advocate who is 100% there for you is such a huge part to finding the strength and the courage to leave an abusive situation. Often times there’s a lot of gaslighting. Part of the abuse can be cutting your self-esteem down – ‘people aren’t going to like you, people aren’t going to believe you, you’re making this up, you’re so emotional – that type of stuff. Sometimes people get so eroded, it’s so hard to have that voice to make that call. But that’s another really important part of the awareness work, to lift people up, to recognize how important and valuable our people are.”
Added Marisa, “Sometimes if an abuser is using kids against their partner they’ll say, ‘if you go to the cops, you’re going to lose the kids.’ That’s a real barrier to why people don’t leave because they’re trying to stay connected to their children. It’s so much more than hitting, it’s asserting power and control over someone, taking their choices away, taking their money away. If you don’t have access to money, or you have to get permission from your spouse, or you’re not allowed to see your family, those are some examples. Multiple texting in a time frame, calling to see where you are, putting trackers on your car, these are all tactics that people will do to control their partner. Those are things that a lot of people don’t recognize, they just think ‘oh he just wants to take care of me and know where I’m at’ – that’s not a healthy relationship.”
Nationwide, communities are taking part in an initiative to raise awareness about DV during the month of October. Over the past several years, both prior to and after the pandemic, the LOH team has been active during DV Awareness Month and held events to provide resources and information to those in the community in need of assistance.
“One of the core focuses with DV Awareness Month is the importance of breaking the silence,” expressed Sydney Gilbert, CAC/LOH Coordinator and Forensic Interviewer. “If people are not talking about and it’s not coming to light, it lives in the shadow. The more we can talk about it, the more we can bring it to attention, the more we can normalize the conversation around it, I think it increases comfort for folks coming forward. It’s pervasive in the community. We know that there’s higher rates of intimate partner violence in communities that have experienced trauma. Another focus we have for this month is addressing that trauma, and not only bringing attention to intimate partner violence but bringing attention on how we can heal from that as a community.”
This year, the LOH is proud to announce that they will be hosting a number of events throughout October, with the goal in mind to open up discussion about what DV is within the community. Below is the list of events that the LOH will hold during the month. An event will be held every Thursday, beginning at 5:30 p.m., in room 162 of the Tulalip Administration Building.
Thursday, 10/6: Resolving Trauma Workshop
Thursday, 10/13: Self-Defense Class (ADULTS ONLY – limited to first 20 people only. E-mail CRae@TulalipTribes-nsn.gov to register)
Thursday, 10/20: Sisters Rising Film Screening (ages 14+)
Tuesday, 10/25: Beading as Healing Class
Cassandra described what the DV Awareness Month events entail, “We’re doing a resolving trauma workshop that’s all about the latest research on trauma, so you can understand how it impacts your life, as well as how understanding your trauma is the first step to healing that trauma. We’re doing a beading as healing class. Connecting with traditional cultural practices are huge resiliency factors, and it’s connecting with your community, having an opportunity where you are beading together, and you can have those conversations. We’re also doing a self-defense class, and a film screening of a film called Sisters Rising.”
Noting that each situation is different, LOH understands that leaving an abusive partnership is extremely difficult and can sometimes involve the court systems. LOH wants to inform the community that if you are in a situation where you do have to go through tribal or state court, they will be there to support you emotionally throughout the entire process. Additionally, LOH is careful not to pass any judgements and allows their clients grace and understanding, because statistically it could take a victim multiple times to leave an abusive relationship.
“Typically, it takes a survivor seven times to leave an abuser,” Marisa explained. “Talking to someone who can work with you, and help you be safe in your household so there’s not another incident, and help you plan to get out safely, that’s something that an advocate you can help with.”
Jade agreed, “Because it does take them so many times to leave, if someone comes to utilize services through us, we know that they might go back. They’re always welcome to the LOH because we know that’s how it works. We don’t want community members to feel bad, or like they are stupid or weak. Those are definitely things that we never think about people because we know that this is the cycle, this is what they go through. And when they leave, it’s also the most dangerous time. It’s a huge risk for them. So, if they can just reach out to start doing some safety planning and talking to one of our advocates privately, they can start preparing and working up to what they need to do.”
The LOH stressed the fact that DV can happen to anybody regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and social status. The team invites you to come out to show support and help raise awareness at the events throughout DV Awareness month. And if you or anybody you know is experiencing an abusive relationship, please do not hesitate to call the LOH at (360) 716-4100 or assistance. And if you are in a crisis or an emergency situation, the LOH provided a list of three additional hotline numbers that you can utilize during your time of need:
The National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Strong Hearts Native Helpline: 1-844-762-8483
Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County 425-25-ABUSE (22873)
“This is still happening in our community,” Jade stated. “It’s something that we see happening every single day. If you are experiencing an abusive relationship, the first thing you need to do is call us. By calling us, it doesn’t mean the police need to get involved, it doesn’t even mean you have to work with us. You can just call and say you are interested in talking to an advocate, and you can have a private conversation with an advocate about what you are experiencing. From there, we can offer our services, and it’s important to have that connection so when do become ready to leave, you can come back and see us later on.”
By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News; Photos courtesy of Blue Line Bears and Paula Cortez
It has been nearly two years since fallen Tulalip Fish and Wildlife Officer Charlie Cortez was pronounced lost at sea while in the line of duty. His absence is still felt amongst the nation of Tulalip, as his bright smile lit up any room that he stepped in. Countless friends and family members often take the time to honor and remember the man who dedicated his life to protecting and serving his people, ensuring that his memory will live on throughout both the tribal and law enforcement communities for generations to come.
On Friday September 23, a non-profit known as Blue Line Bears paid a visit to the Tulalip reservation to present heartfelt and customized mementos to Charlie’s children, Dominic and Peyton.
According to their official website, “Blue Line Bears is a nonprofit organization with the goal of helping the children of fallen law enforcement officers cope with the devastating loss of a parent. Blue Line Bears is the creation of the 14-year-old daughter of a police officer whose goal is to help the children of fallen officers through the difficult loss of their parent. Children of law enforcement officers grow up realizing that their parent’s life is at risk every day they go to work. Add to that the fact that there is much public ridicule of law enforcement officers, and deaths in the line of duty are sudden, shocking and violent. With all of this in mind, Blue Line Bears will not only provide a lasting keepsake to help keep the officer’s memory alive but will also help their child to see that there are caring individuals who respect and appreciate men and women in uniform. Children of officers killed in the line of duty are oftentimes young, perhaps too young to remember the parent who died. For those children, a bear from Blue Line Bears will provide a tangible reminder that their loved one will always be with them.”
The stuffed teddy bears are designed from the uniforms of the fallen officer and is adorned with the officer’s badges, patches and ranking stripes. In a photo that shows both Peyton and Dominic clutching their new bears closely, you can make out the customizations made in Charlie’s honor including his end of watch date, the Tulalip Police Department patches, as well as a badge that reads Cortez across the center.
The Blue Line Bears hand delivered the teddy bears to Dominic and Peyton at the Tulalip Marina, next to Charlie’s memorial wall and just yards away from the new Charlie Joe Cortez Marina Building, that was recently dedicated in his memory. In the summer of 2021, a motorcycle procession traveled the length of the Tulalip reservation to pay tribute to Charlie in a project called End of Watch – A ride to remember. The organizers of the nationwide project created a custom motorcycle with Charlie’s name, bio, police department and end of watch date, that was driven across the country. The motorcycle was brought out once more to Tulalip for this special occasion, providing the opportunity for Charlie’s loved ones and fellow TPD officers to take a photo alongside the bike during the Blue Line Bears’ gifting ceremony.
Following the special day of honor, Charlie’s mother Paula Cortez said in a Facebook post, “Back in January I was looking through my packets of information from Washington D.C. Police Week. I came across the Blue Line Bears brochure, and I noticed that they make the bears out of the fallen officer’s uniform for the officer’s survivors. I contacted them by e-mail with my inquiry on how to order bears for Charlie’s children. They returned my e-mail right away and they remembered Charlie’s tragic story. They do the bears at no cost for the family. The delivery of the bears was yesterday at the Tulalip Marina. A wonderful addition to the day was a visit from Allison McCarter and the Harley Davidson bike dedicated in honor of Charlie for anyone who wanted to see it. Once again, thank you all for making the day special and honorable, and thank you Jobey Tom Williams for the beautiful closing song and blessings.”
Tawnya Stout, Dominic and Peyton’s mother, shared, “The kiddos love their new bears and will cherish them forever! The kids are loving having a piece of their dad’s uniform to keep with them, in a way that is useful to them. Thank you, Blue Line Bears.”
“When building a bug out or a go bag, it’s important to get enough supplies and essentials to get you from point A to point B. Point A is the threat of danger and point B is the location that you choose for safety,” said Angel Cortez, Tulalip Emergency Management Director.
The Bolt Creek fire caused a lot of panic and distress for many families on the westside of Washington State. The air quality index at Tulalip reached an alarming 165 during the height of the fire, and people who lived in the nearby vicinity of the wildfire were urged to leave immediately. As many of our readers may know, Sky Valley Fire sent out an evacuation notice via a text message alert on the afternoon of September 10.
Meant for people in the Skykomish region, the alert was accidently sent out to everybody in Snohomish County. Residents of Tulalip, Everett, and Marysville took to social media to get the real scoop, asking their friends, families and local first responders if they needed to pack up and evacuate as the warning advised. And faced with a problem that us western Washingtonians hardly ever have to consider, a lot of people pondered what to grab in that emergency situation.
“It’s good to have a plan that meets the needs of you and the people you care about,” Angel said. “I tell people that preparing for something is basically how comfortable that you want to be in an uncomfortable situation. When people think about creating or building their bug out bag, they’re building them to provide safety, to provide comfort, and to provide the essentials for sustaining you to get to the next destination or a place of safety.”
Eric Cortez builds a Go Bag during a 2018 CERT training.
Go bags, also known as bug out bags or 72-hour safety kits, are personalized backpacks that contain everything you need in the case of an emergency where you need to evacuate your home at a moment’s notice. Prior to COVID, the Tulalip Tribes Emergency Management team regularly held annual CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) classes for both youth and adults. Among all the fun and important teachings that the CERT trainings offer, including how to triage and help others during a natural disaster, part of the classes are dedicated to teaching people how to build their own go bags.
Said Angel, “We think of the big disasters as earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, and fires. But here at Tulalip, for the people who live on the cliffs or on the beaches, what about erosion? What happens if the cliff gives way? You might need to leave for that immediately. What if it’s in the middle of the night and you need to just get up, get your clothes on, your shoes on and leave. That’s where the bug out bag comes into play. It’s not being paranoid, it’s good to think of those things beforehand, rather than in the moment during an emergency situation.”
When creating your own bug out bag, Angel recommends personalizing it to your individual needs and stocking it with items you will actually use while in distress, such as tasty snacks that you enjoy as opposed to dry foods that may go to waste. He also advises that each member of your family creates their very own go bag, and to pack comfort items for the kids like stuffed animals, their favorite toys, and their choice of entertainment including tablets and books.
He said, “I have five kids. So, if something were to happen, each of my kids can grab their own bag, and my wife and I can grab our bags. In my bag, I might have different things than my wife does. But put together, we have everything we need. And then with the kids, it’s about comfort. Maybe it’s their favorite stuffed animal, maybe it’s a small bag of candy, just something to keep them occupied because they’ll be scared and worried about all the crazy stuff that’s happening around them. It kind of de-escalates the situation in their mind and allows them to have some kind of comfort. So, if something happens in the middle of the night, it’s easier for everybody to grab their bags, get in the car, and go.”
Angel offered a few tips that will guide you when assembling your own go bag. First and foremost, he urges everybody to update their bags regularly throughout the seasons, noting that an abundance of warm winter gear will occupy space and weigh you down during the spring and summer seasons. Next, he states that it would be extremely beneficial to learn all the proper techniques of the equipment that you pack. He believes this is especially true if you have young children because it presents the opportunity to learn as a family, and the kids are better prepared if disaster does strike.
If you are wondering where to begin, Angel said a good place to start is the hunting and camping section of your favorite retail store such as Walmart or Target. In those isles, you are sure to find a number of multi-use items that can be stored in your go bag like paracord, multi-tools, tarps, and flashlights. And as far as the essentials that every bug out bag should have, he encourages everybody to follow the five Cs of survival – cutting tools, combustion devices, cover and shelter, containers, and cordage.
“Dave Canterbury came up this concept and he’s kind of an outdoors guy,” he explained. “He’s famous in the prepper community. These five things are the basics to help you in any situation. Your cutting tool is your knife, or it could be a multi tool. Combustion is a way to create fire, you never know if you need to start fire. Combustion is big because maybe you need to clean your water, and heat it up, and that’s where your container comes in. Usually, it’s a metal container with a handle or something that you can cook out of, you can boil water, of you can drink out of it. You want all your equipment to be multi-use and your container has to do that as well.”
He continued, “And then you have your cover, maybe it’s a tarp to get you out of the rain, or maybe it’s a lightweight sleeping bag or blanket. It’s whatever to keep you covered from the elements. In the summer, maybe it’s just to provide shade to keep you from getting sunburned. The other one is cordage, having some kind of paracord, preferably 550 paracord. And 550 means how much weight that cord can handle. Parachute cord and is very thin, very strong, very durable, and it’s lightweight, so you can carry a lot of length in your cord where it doesn’t take up a lot of room in your bag. There’s a lot of uses for cordage, whether you’re tying down your tarp for shelter, or maybe you forgot to bring a belt and your pants are falling down, you know, it’s good for whatever your rope or cordage can do for you.”
Angel went on to explain that Canterbury also curated an extended list of essentials, going from the five Cs to ten Cs of survival. That list includes candling, or flashlights and headlamps, cotton for washing, keeping cool and filtering large sediment out of your water, cargo tape, a.k.a. duct tape or gorilla tape, a compass, and a canvas needle for repairing torn items and assisting with paracord.
In addition to the ten Cs of survival, Angel also advises people to pack a first aid kit, and any medication you may need such as an epi-pen, insulin, or an albuterol inhaler, as well as batteries and chargers. Another tip is shopping the sales of grocery stores during your normal shopping outings and purchasing extra food here and there to store away in case of an emergency. He also believes that keeping your gas tank at least half-full will be extremely helpful in the event you need to get in your car and get as far away from the disaster as possible. If you have pets, it’s imperative that they each have their own bug out bags as well, and be sure to pack it with food, water, snacks, blankets, medication, and toys specifically for them.
And finally, he encourages everyone to sit down and map out a plan with your loved ones in case a disaster were to occur. Within that plan you should also assign a third party contact in case cell service is unavailable or disrupted, establish a safe place to meet up in case your party is split up. You should also have additional bags at the ready, such as an Inch Bag for long-term emergencies or a Get Home Bag that is stored in your car and is filled with all the essentials to get you back home in the event of a catastrophic disaster.
“Our ancestors were preppers,” expressed Angel. “They were always prepping for winter. They went out and caught fish, gathered food, and hunted during summer harvest and put it away for the winter. They created medicines and winter clothing. Our ancestors knew this was important. They knew what it was going to take to take care of their people. They were always thinking ahead about the future, and how to provide for the babies and for their families. We have to think that way too. My goal for the community is I want people to start thinking about it, talking about it, researching it, and doing it now. Because if you wait until game day to do it, you’re already way too late.”
Following a community burning, on September 18, Tulalip held a community prayer gathering in attempts to help heal the tremendous amount of loss that our tribe has seen and felt over the years. The hearts and souls of our people have suffered for centuries, and unfortunately as time goes on, the amount of fatalities doesn’t seem to have an end in sight.
The community prayer was held within the Gathering Hall, where tribal members could share a meal, gather, see the works of our spiritual leaders, hear from community leaders, and share their personal feelings and experiences of grief. The afternoon consisted of a blessing, an interfaith service, and spiritual practices for tribal members to participate in. The hall was filled with emotion as tribal members expressed their feelings, the loss of their loved ones, and the future of the community.
Between the community burning and the community prayer, spiritual leaders from Tulalip traveled across the reservation to different buildings and areas that tribal members frequent. The purpose of this was to help bless and release some of the negative energy that seems to carry through these areas. Several spiritual leaders that were in attendance spoke of the tragedies that they felt. They spoke of the pain and losses that our community has endured and ultimately how exhaustive the blessings were because of it.
Tribal elder Ray Fryberg spoke on this issue saying, “These buildings needed to be taken care of. If we don’t seek spiritual guidance, a lot of this grief and residue from mourning falls onto the floor, and seeps into the walls. If we don’t clean it up, then that same grief and residue will cling to other people walking through it. When this event was started, our ancestors heard it, and they came. They are here in the spiritual bleachers around us, and they are thankful for the work being done.”
Tribal members in attendance spoke about the community prayer as something that has been long overdue. After witnessing the tremendous number of deaths in the community, Chairwoman Teri Gobin spearheaded the event to help address this issue. Currently within Tulalip Tribes, Community Health has calculated an average of 50 deaths per year. Unfortunately, the leading cause for deaths within tribal territories most often relate to drugs and alcohol. Looking at statistics such as this, some would consider it an epidemic.
Experiencing such levels of grief, you have to wonder the psychological and spiritual effects it can have on a community. For some tribal members, it’s as if it’s a never ending cycle, going from one death to another. For others, it’s a pain so intolerable, that they lost their way of life. And just like any disease, grief spreads.
Tribal member Antonia Ramos spoke about grief and how it’s important to acknowledge our emotions, “I remember going through a hard time in a my life and someone spoke to me and said ‘Why are you so afraid to cry? Who told you that you cannot cry?’ And I remember thinking I don’t think anyone has ever told me that, I just know that I couldn’t. And the woman looked at me and said ‘If mother earth never got rain, she’d never have trees, the flowers would never bloom, and the animals could never drink. So why are you denying your body the opportunity to cleanse?’ and it stuck with me. Now that I’m home and I see all of our beautiful people, I also see the pain that they carry and I wonder, who told us we couldn’t feel or that we couldn’t cry? And I pray for us.”
Grief can be such a paralyzing feeling and it often takes a long time for someone to finally feel any level of normalcy after a loss. But the path to normalcy begins with acknowledging those feelings. Generational trauma is carried on through grief. Trauma may initially act as a match, what keeps the fire going in the unresolved pain. As Indigenous people, we have learned through residential boarding schools, colonialism, addiction, etc., just how detrimental generational trauma can be. A loss is a loss no matter what era we live in. And if the pain we feel is not taken care of in this generation, then it certainly will be passed onto the next. So where does generational trauma finally stop?
Marlin Fryberg
Though there are numerous resources that people can utilize, many natives would argue that healing comes through connecting with your culture, listening to your elders and spiritual leaders, speaking about your grief, and simply showing up.
Tribal member Marlin Fryberg spoke openly about his frustrations within the community and the lack of presence at the event, “Where is our community today? Where are all the young people that are supposed to be taking over for our elders one day? There is a problem in our community that we have to talk about and there’s a whole tribe out there that isn’t here. Unfortunately we live such fast lives, and everyone has an opinion, but no one wants to listen. When I speak with our elders about how we can help our people spiritually, it starts with listening. And it takes all of us to understand how to do that.”
Many tribal members in attendance nodded in agreement, appreciating all the work that our elders and spiritual leaders have done for our community and the precedence that they set for our people. This standard of cultural and spiritual living was frequently discussed during the event, and a feeling of urgency overwhelmed the hall.
Council member Hazen Shopbell spoke candidly by saying, “The generations before us took on so many burdens and they held strong. They put in the work and fought for us. We are who we are and have what we have because of what they did. We are here because of them, and we have to put in that same work for the next generation. Keep sweating, keep singing, keep dancing. What our spiritual leaders are doing is not easy. They put in their time and effort, and we are so grateful them, but we have to keep moving and do our part too.”
Even though the process to bless such large areas and in such quantities can be an exhausting practice for our spiritual leaders, they agreed with some of our tribal leaders in that these events are something that should be held more often. Giving more opportunities for the community to cleanse, and so that our people aren’t holding onto this pain for as long as they have.
For future community burning and prayers, please watch out for any government announcements. If you or someone you know is overwhelmed with the grief you feel, please call the Community Health nurse team at 3607165662 and ask about the Support Circle.
On the morning of September 20th, during the annual ATNI conference at the Tulalip Resort Casino, the Tulalip Tribes received the 2022 TERO Program of the Year award from the Council for Tribal Employment Rights. With big smiles, the TERO staff accepted the award for their outstanding leadership and commitment for their tribe and membership.
“Leadership comes from the training in your past leadership,” said TERO Director, Tory Chuckulnaskit. “I’ve had good teachers. I had Teri, and Teri had Conrad who was a founding father of TERO. I want to acknowledge my staff, Lisa who’s with our school, Jared who is also with the school, Loretta and Hannah are with compliance. And we have Robert Henderson our manager, and Kesha who are not here today.”
Tulalip Chairwoman Teri Gobin added, “I wanted to say a few words because TERO has always been my baby. I was in the TERO program for 19 years; I was the director. We’ve grown immensely and one of the big portions that’s been a success in our TERO has been the school. All of these TERO people are involved in recruiting for our school – our TERO Vocational Training Center, that’s construction. We offer it to any Native that wants to come here, free of charge, to take a four-month course and have open access and direct entry in many of the trades. It’s made a difference in so many people’s lives. And not only their lives, their families’ lives, their children’s lives. I’m really proud of where our TERO program is going. They’re always looking at new opportunities to bring forward, new trainings that they can bring to the people. We’ve had people come from all over the United States to take trainings here. I’m really proud of this team.”
Tulalip Tribes Chairwoman Terry Gobin, Tulalip Tribes Board member Hazen Shopbell, Seattle Mariners legend Randy Johnson, and DraftKings representative Johnny Avello cutting the ribbon at the Tulalip Sportsbook opening.
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
“When we decided to go down this path of sports betting, we knew it was going to be a long and grueling process in Olympia. Our lawyers worked hard finding the right legislation and gaming compact language so we could bring our goal to fruition,” explained Tulalip Chairwoman Teri Gobin. “With all the Washington tribes working together, we earned our legislative victory a year ago. It did take a while to make our vision a reality, but in the end we did it the Tulalip way. And as you can see, it’s a grand way.”
Moments later, Chairwoman Gobin beamed with excitement as she stood next to fellow board member Hazen Shopbell, Seattle Mariners legend Randy Johnson, and DraftKings representative Johnny Avello for a ceremonial ribbon cutting. While the red ribbon fluttered to the floor, a sweeping thrill of energy radiated through the largely Tulalip crowd, announcing Tulalip’s sportsbooks are officially open for business.
A large contingent of Tulalip culture bearers were on-hand to open the event in a traditional way. The voices and thumping drum beats of adults and children echoed through the casino gaming floor, reminding everyone they are guests on Indigenous land.
“I’ve opened a number of casinos and sportsbooks in my career and want to thank the tribal members for their songs and prayers because I’ve never encountered that before. That was fabulous,” said Johnny Avello, DraftKings director of race and sportsbook operations.
Tulalip Resort Casino and Quil Ceda Creek Casino both celebrated their grand openings simultaneously on Tuesday, September 20. The much-anticipated events featured celebrity guests – former Mariners pitcher, the towering 6’10” baseball hall of famer Randy Johnson at the Resort and Seattle Seahawks former wide receiver and hall of famer Steve Largent at the Q.
The retail sportsbooks feature live in-game sports betting and other engaging wagering options, with viewing of a multitude of sporting events at the same time possible via jumbotron-like LED screens. The Resort’s sportsbook is over 5,000 square feet and offers sporting enthusiasts the opportunity to watch up to 10 live sporting events while placing bets at 20 touch screen kiosks and 4 over-the-counter ticket windows. Another ten sports betting kiosks are located throughout the Resort’s gaming floor.
The state-of-the-art sports betting venue is managed by Tulalip citizen Brandon Jones. Impressively, the 35-year-old has 17 years of gaming experience. He started his gaming career in the cage at just 18-years-old and hasn’t looked back since.
“Gaming and the casino life are all I know, it’s all I’ve ever done,” shared Brandon, sportsbook manager. “It means so much to be a Tulalip tribal member and be able to build something all-new from scratch that adds so much value to the reservation, from both a business and community perspective.
“We’ve designed this sportsbook for the new generation. A lot of people my age and younger aren’t interested in bingo or keno, but are super engaged in all forms of sports entertainment, whether it be professional or college level,” he continued. “We’ll continue to evolve our sports betting and are already working towards facilitating e-gaming betting in the near future. To my fellow tribal members, this venue offers a new place to gather and enjoy the Seahawks, Mariners, or Huskies and Cougs games with all the high energy of a local crowd.”
Meanwhile, the Q’s new sportsbook features 20 sports betting kiosks and 3 over-the-counter ticket windows located on the gaming floor. The four video walls in The Stage, the Q’s entertainment venue and nightclub, span nearly 900 square feet, comprised of 13 million pixels that can also display up to ten different games simultaneously. Both of the sportsbooks are outfitted with a variety of betting resources, including odds boards, scrolling tickers with live-score updates, statistics, and player information.
In development with Tulalip’s newest partner, DraftKings, a digital app is in the works that will allow gamers of either casino sportsbooks to place bets from their mobile devices while on casino property. Future announcements are planned when the app is ready for launch.
After the grand opening ceremony ended, several tribal members eagerly waited for a picture opportunity with former Mariners, the Big Unit and Bucky Jacobsen. Others quickly took to one of the new sports-based kiosks to place their first-ever sports bet. Father/son duo Cyrus Fryberg Sr. and Jr. were spotted putting their combined sports knowledge together for a wager or two.
“As an avid sports bettor, I know this is going to be huge for Tulalip. The atmosphere around sports is different than our other revenue streams because the younger generation is so involved with sports,” said Bubba Fryberg. “We can definitely anticipate many new people coming to Tulalip on Saturday for college football, Sundays for NFL games, and throughout the weeks for marquee matchups and primetime games. Also, it’s cool for everybody to have a new spot where family and friends can come together to root for their favorite teams.”
Both of Tulalip’s sportsbook offerings are open 24/7. All sports bets are cash only, so there’s complete anonymity. Unless, you were one of those attending the grand opening and wanted to share your sports bet ticket, like councilwoman Marie Zackuse who placed a $10 wager on the Mariners money line.
