Category: Arts & Entertainment

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News  

The Tulalip Foundation Salmon Bake Fundraiser, benefiting the Hibulb Cultural Center, welcomed supporters from across the community for an evening of culture, art, and philanthropy, raising funds for the cultural center’s exhibitions and educational programming. Guests enjoyed salmon filets cooked over an open flame, received commemorative decorative towels, and took part in a silent auction and live entertainment while celebrating Tulalip history and culture.

Held on Saturday, Aug. 15, the ninth annual fundraiser featured artwork by Tulalip artists, including paintings, cedar hats, carved rattles, hand-painted drums, and many other handcrafted pieces. Throughout the evening, guests browsed and bid on unique items, with proceeds supporting the Hibulb Cultural Center’s mission.

Dinner was prepared by Lance Taylor, Tammy Taylor, and their grandson, Jared Taylor Parks, who has cooked salmon for the fundraiser since it began. Entertainment followed with a performance by Tulalip and Yakama  hoop dancers Terry Goedel and his son, Michael Goedel, whose colorful presentation combined storytelling, tradition, and athleticism.

One of the evening’s biggest highlights came when Terry and Michael invited audience members on stage to try hoop dancing. Guests of all ages eagerly volunteered, filling the room with laughter and applause as they learned the movements and became part of the performance.

Following the entertainment, Hibulb Cultural Center Manager Mytyl Hernandez thanked the artists, volunteers, sponsors, and community members whose support made another successful fundraiser possible. “We have such a very special relationship with our artists, and we’re able to provide opportunities for them and our community members to learn from each other,” Hernandez said. “And in return, we’re able to provide really beautiful items every year at our salmon bake for you all to bid on.”

Hernandez also recognized the longtime fish cooks, volunteers, and staff members whose efforts helped bring the event together, and reflected on what the cultural center has meant to her during her 15 years there. “It has been an absolute privilege for me the last 15 years to be here,” she said. “If it weren’t for the work of our ancestors and past leaders and all of the people that spent 30-plus years planning and prepping and keeping the idea of having a museum on the table, I wouldn’t be here, and my children wouldn’t have been able to be raised in such a beautiful environment.”

She also expressed her appreciation for the record level of community support received this year. “We had record-breaking sponsorship numbers this year,” Hernandez said. “That means so much to us that you support us and that you are entrusting us to tell the true history and story of our people.”

Tulalip Foundation Director Nicole Siemenski said the fundraiser raised a little more than $65,000, with the proceeds supporting new exhibitions and educational programming at the Hibulb Cultural Center in the coming year. She also noted that although the fundraiser began in 2017, cancellations during the COVID-19 pandemic mean this year’s gathering is the ninth annual event.

“We had our best year yet in terms of sponsorships, and we are extremely thankful to all of our community partners,” Siemenski said. “We were happy to welcome three new sponsors this year — First Citizens Bank, Jay’s Flooring, and Sno-Isle Libraries. We’re also very thankful to a special group of sponsors who have been with us since the beginning — Battle Creek Golf Course, Fueled Creative, the Hoban Family, Quil Ceda Village, Ray and Karen Sheldon Jr., Tulalip Resort Casino, and the Tulalip Tribes Board of Directors.”

Siemenski said the annual fundraiser continues to provide vital support for the cultural center while increasing awareness of its work within the community. “I think the event went really well,” she said. “All of the feedback I received was really positive. We had a great turnout, and everyone seemed really happy and supportive throughout the evening.”

Looking back on the evening, Siemenski said one moment stood out above the rest. “My favorite part of the evening was when our dancers, Terry and Michael Goedel, brought up some audience members on stage, and our guests were able to really interact and participate in the hoop dance,” Siemenski said. “I really loved that we had a wide range of volunteers from young kids to elders. I also loved that they were willing to interact with the kids who may have been too shy to go up on stage after the event.”

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News; photos courtesy of Mone’t Clemens

For generations, the Marysville Strawberry Festival Parade has signaled the arrival of summer for families throughout the Marysville and Tulalip communities. From colorful floats and marching bands to the festival royalty who wave to thousands along the parade route, the annual tradition has remained a cherished part of local life.

This year, Tulalip tribal member Mone’t Clemens is at the center of that tradition. As a graduating high school senior and the 2026 Strawberry Festival Queen, Mone’t is representing both Marysville and Tulalip while serving as an ambassador for one of the community’s most celebrated events.

The opportunity is one that has been years in the making for Clemens. Growing up attending the Strawberry Festival Parade, she remembers watching the royalty court make its way down State Avenue and imagining herself in their place one day.

“The first thing is growing up in Tulalip and going to Marysville to watch the parade,” she said. “Then seeing the Princesses and the Queen, that’s what first made me go, I want to be up there, and I want to be in that big red dress. As I got older, I realized it was more than just the dress, but being able to be up there representing who you are and where you came from.”

While earning the title was a proud accomplishment, the journey also required Clemens to overcome self-doubt and trust in her own abilities, something she said was one of the biggest challenges she faced along the way.

“Growing up, I feel many people face a lot of good and bad situations, but for me, what I had to get over was not believing in myself,” Clemens said. “I tend to put myself down and discredit much of the work I do. So, I think it was finding in myself that I am capable of doing what I put my mind to. I can push myself and get the support I need to get what I want.”

As she progressed through the royalty program, Clemens said she gained a deeper appreciation for the role and what it meant to represent not only herself, but also the communities that helped shape her.

“Well, when I first wanted to do it, I didn’t really look at it culturally,” she said. “But as I began my journey to becoming queen, I realized I am not only representing Marysville but also Tulalip. I think that helped shape my understanding that we, as Native Americans, can accomplish big things in a world that is kind of against us. And I think it shows that we, as Tulalip people, are powerful and can accomplish anything.”

That realization also strengthened her desire to inspire and show what can be achieved through determination and hard work.

“I hope to be that representation for the younger generation, someone they can see themselves in,” she said. “Not like the standard. So, they can say, maybe one day I could be up there, and I, too, could achieve big things. I want to be that voice for my community by being queen. It’s not just a title, it’s an embodiment of what I have achieved.”

Beyond the crown and public appearances, Clemens believes the experience has prepared her for future opportunities by building confidence and strengthening skills she will carry long after her reign has ended.

“I think this will help me feel confident pursuing other things in my future,” she said. “Having the opportunity to go through all the volunteering events as queen has helped me build my communication and leadership skills, which will help me make big changes in the future wherever I am. To know that I can speak what’s on my mind and not let anything diminish that. I am capable, and I do belong here.”

Since being crowned, Clemens has attended community events and public appearances throughout the region, experiences she said have made the significance of the title feel real in ways she never expected.

“It’s been a great experience,” she said. “The first parade I went to and saw all the faces of the young girls filled me with pride and honor. Being able to represent Marysville, Pilchuck, Tulalip, and my African American side, and to embody everything, has been surreal. It’s almost hard to put into words how it has made me feel. Also, having all my peers, friends, and family telling me how proud they are of me has really made me feel like I have accomplished a big thing and that this is just the start.”

Among the many highlights of her reign so far, one memory stands above the rest and serves as a reminder of how far she has come.

“I would say wearing the big red dress,” she said. “All the opportunities that have opened up for me and being able to be seen for all that I have done have been incredible. Not everyone sees the long nights at home doing homework. No one sees all the mental breakdowns and the not knowing if I am good enough. But being able to see the outcome has filled my heart with joy and love.”

Looking back on her journey, Clemens hopes her story encourages others to take chances and pursue opportunities, even when they may seem intimidating.

“I think that all the younger people who are scared to do something big, just do it,” she said. “You never know what the outcome will be, and even if the outcome is not something you want, you will grow from it. Just trying things and experiencing different things will help you grow as a person and open your world to a lot of new things and people.”

Those hoping to cheer on Clemens can catch her riding through downtown Marysville during the 2026 Marysville Strawberry Festival Grand Parade on Saturday, June 20, at 5:00 p.m. along State Avenue in Marysville.

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Roughly 1,400 miles separate the Tulalip Reservation from the heart of Pueblo Country in New Mexico. The landscapes are dramatically different. The evergreen forests and saltwater shores of the Pacific Northwest give way to high desert mesas, sandstone cliffs, and endless blue skies.

Yet, inside the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, the similarities between Native peoples become impossible to ignore.

Located on Museum Hill in Santa Fe, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture serves as one of the nation’s premier sources of Indigenous art, history, and material culture. Through exhibitions, educational programming, and community engagement, the museum interprets both the historical and contemporary lives of Native peoples throughout the Southwest. Its collections tell stories that span generations, from ancestral traditions to modern expressions of identity.

Walking through the museum’s galleries feels less like visiting a distant culture and more like visiting relatives whose stories have taken different paths across time and geography.

The centerpiece exhibition, Here, Now and Always, showcases more than 600 objects from the museum’s extensive collection. Ceramics, jewelry, textiles, paintings, fashion, basketry, and ceremonial items are presented through the voices and perspectives of Indigenous peoples of the Southwest. Rather than viewing Native history as something confined to the past, the exhibition centers living cultures and ongoing traditions.

Like Coast Salish communities, Pueblo nations continue to balance the responsibilities of preserving ancestral teachings while embracing today’s realities. Artists featured throughout the museum demonstrate that Indigenous culture is not frozen in time. It evolves, adapts, and grows while remaining rooted in community, language, family, and place.

One gallery showcases the renowned pottery traditions of Pueblo communities. Clay vessels adorned with intricate designs reveal generations of knowledge passed from one artist to the next. While the medium differs from the cedar carving traditions of the Northwest Coast, the underlying values are familiar. Native art carries teachings, records histories, and strengthens cultural identity.

Another exhibition, Makowa: The Worlds Above Us, explores Indigenous relationships with the sky. Through stories, observation, and traditional knowledge, Pueblo peoples demonstrate how the stars provide guidance, meaning, and connection to the universe. The exhibit highlights a truth recognized by Indigenous nations across Native America: our ancestors looked to the limitless skies and vast oceans not only for practical knowledge, but also for spiritual understanding.

Perhaps most striking is the museum’s commitment to showcasing contemporary Indigenous artists. Throughout the galleries, visitors encounter works that address environmental stewardship, cultural survival, sovereignty, identity, and the responsibilities Native people carry into the future. These themes are not unique to the Southwest. They are conversations taking place in tribal communities from New Mexico to Washington State and far beyond.

For our Tulalip News audience, the selection of words accompanying this article offers a reminder that Indigenous peoples have always been innovators. The artists represented here honor their ancestors while speaking directly to present-day realities. Their work reflects adaptation and creativity in much the same way Tulalip artists continue to express Coast Salish identity through carving, weaving, painting, music, and storytelling.

As viewers browse the accompanying images in this feature, each piece of artwork reveals the personal and cultural journeys behind their creation. Through the artists’ own statements and interpretations, they offer glimpses into Pueblo life while simultaneously reflecting universal Indigenous experiences.

The distance between Tulalip and Santa Fe may measure 1,400 miles by road, but Native people have always understood that connection is measured differently. It is found in the teachings shared between generations, in the stories carried through art, in the responsibility to honor ancestors, and in the commitment to leave something meaningful for those yet to come.

Inside the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, those connections are everywhere. Different nations. Different homelands. Different artistic traditions. Yet the same enduring truth emerges from gallery to gallery.  Our tribal cultures are not relics of the past. They are living, thriving, and creating today. Here, now, and always.

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News  

The steady beat of hand drums echoed throughout the Tulalip Amphitheater as songs carried into the May 30 evening, and competitors tested their skills for a chance at more than $65,000 in prize money. Teams traveled from across the Pacific Northwest and Canada, gathering in Tulalip for one of the region’s biggest stick game tournaments.

Players arrived from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, with some camping on-site and others staying at the Tulalip Resort Casino. Regardless of where they came from, they all shared the same goal: making a run at the tournament’s top prizes.

Known by several names, including slahal and bones, the traditional game drew teams of four to six players for the tournament’s biggest night. With a $250 entry fee and a grand prize of $25,000 awaiting the winning team, competition remained fierce from the opening rounds into the early morning hours.

The event began with a prayer, followed by a special tribute from event coordinator and Tulalip tribal member Carrie Fryberg. She honored her father, Cy Fryberg, who had handcrafted drums for the tournament for more than a decade, asking everyone who had received one of his drums to raise it in recognition of his contributions.

“I want to give a big thanks to my dad,” said Carrie. “He has been making 20 drums every year for 14 years, since I have been doing the stick game tournament. He sells drums and also gives out so many. I want to thank my father for everything he has done for the tournament.”

When the final songs were sung and the last sticks were revealed, the championship team hailed from Nanaimo, British Columbia. The winning squad consisted of Anthony Wyse, Percilla Saloperee, Lyla Smith, Peyton Wyse, and Charlyse Brown.

For Anthony, who has only been playing for a short time, the victory was especially meaningful. “I have only been playing for three years. We all started together,” he said, adding that one of his favorite parts of competing is the atmosphere created by the songs and drumming. “I like singing and vibing to the music.” 

Asked how it felt to win the tournament, Percilla kept her reaction simple. “It was pretty lit.”

The road to the championship was a long one. Percilla recalled realizing the team had a legitimate chance to win after advancing to the final round. “It was probably when we got called for the last game,” she said. “Our game to make it into the finals was at 11:00 p.m., and we had to wait until 4:00 a.m. to play our final game.”

While the cash prize was substantial, the team said the experience itself was what made the trip worthwhile.

For Peyton, the tournament was about something even more personal.

“I really enjoyed playing with my family; my little brother and his girlfriend,” she said. “Playing with them and seeing them happy makes me feel good, and that’s what’s best for me.”