Category: Arts & Entertainment

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

With the sudden drop in temperature, many are looking for some fun indoor activities that they can enjoy with their friends and families as we approach winter. You are definitely going to want to add the Hibulb Cultural Center (HCC) to your list of places to visit soon. 

We understand that with its beautiful carvings of canoes and welcome poles, it’s informative main gallery that shares the rich history of the Tulalip people, the moving tribute to the tribe’s service men and women, the traditional cedar longhouse experience, and the impressive gift shop, the award-winning cultural center may already be on that list. If this is the case for you, we suggest circling it, hitting it with a double underline and exclamation point, or simply moving it higher on the list because you are not going to want to miss their new exhibit.  

Over the years, the HCC has built a reputation for putting together unique, informative, and interactive exhibits such as The Power of Words, Interwoven History: Coast Salish Wool, Tulalip Indian Fair, Vibrant Beauty: Colors of our Collection, Roots of Wisdom, and Coast Salish Canoes. The new exhibit, tabtabəb, follows their signature formula of culture and knowledge sharing and is guaranteed to engage everyone from youth to elders. tabtabəb is sure to have folks talking for days, not only in the traditional languages but also about the exquisite curation of the new exhibit. 

“The goal of the exhibit is to make the language accessible,” explained Mytyl Hernandez, HCC Museum Manger. “We use the language as much as we can, in all the videos, displays and visually too, so people can see it. And even with the name tabtabəb, which the Lushootseed department helped us find. We wanted a word that anybody could look at and give it a go at saying it. Because our languages have so many different characters, more than any other language that we speak, we wanted to make sure people could look at it and get a good sense of how to say it.” 

Upon stepping into the featured gallery, your eyes are immediately drawn to a circular wall that is covered in Salishan words and phrases. All around the exhibit you will see words with various diacritics, letters, and symbols that are specific to the languages of the original caretakers of this region. Very early in the tabtabəb journey, museum guests are informed that there are 23 total languages across all of the Coast Salish tribes. This exhibit focuses on six of those dialects – Klallam, Twana, Nooksack, Northern Straits, Northern Lushootseed, and Southern Lushootseed. 

The idea behind tabtabəb was originally concepted this past July by Mytyl and her team at HCC. After contacting several other tribes, the cultural center quickly gathered information, resources, and artifacts that highlight the languages of each tribe. The result is a collaborative educational and entertaining effort that showcases the words, stories, and the history of those local languages that were once outlawed and almost lost during this country’s era of assimilation.

Said Mytyl, “We are featuring six Coast Salish language groups; because we all really spoke different languages and the most common was Northern and Southern Lushootseed. We were able to form really nice relationships with S’Klallam Jamestown, Nooksack, Upper Skagit, and Puyallup. We worked with all of the tribes, sharing information, letting them know what we wanted to display and how we wanted to display it. We requested pictures and information. We wanted to make sure that their information was portrayed in the most respectful and accurate way possible.”

In addition to the intertribal partnerships, HCC also worked closely with the Tulalip Lushootseed department and the tribe’s TDS crew. When making your way through the exhibit, you will notice that there are a number of digital kiosks in between each section of tabtabəb. These interactive screens include numerous games and stories. They also provide the proper pronunciation of several of the items that are on display including the words for skirts, baskets, beads, canoes, and blankets. 

The exhibit pays homage to the Tulalip Lushootseed department as well and features a dedicated display case that highlights all the work they have done throughout the years. In this case you will find t-shirts from past summertime Lushootseed Camps, and the various tools they utilize to teach kids about the ancestral language such as shawls, slahal game pieces, and a Nintendo DS filled with games and lessons geared toward the children.  

At the center of the circular wall, a video of Lushootseed Language Warrior Lois Landgrebe is on a loop where she shares the traditional story, Star Child and Diaper Child. Along the opposite wall are multiple other traditional stories in print like Bear and Ant and Basket Ogress. These stories and their artwork were developed by the Lushootseed department, and they contain important lessons and explanations about the world around us. 

Mytyl provided an exclusive tour of tabtabəb for Tulalip News. During the walkthrough she shared, “All of the panel displays feature the languages of the tribes that are using them, and what they are doing in terms of language and cultural revitalization. In our cases, we have items on display that are specific to those tribes and those language groups. It could be anything – clothing, books, canoes, you name it. We also have an artifact wall with different items from our community; items that we’ve had in collection and that we secured specifically for this exhibit. And then with the accompanying digital displays, you can hear the word for each of the items in both English and Lushootseed.”

If you were to tour tabtabəb in a clockwise fashion, you will end the exhibit looking at a wall of black and white portraits. Each individual in the photographs played a major role in keeping the Salishan languages alive for the next generations to come. And through their life’s work, like the languages they fought to preserve and revitalize, the legacy of each of those elders who have now passed on will live long into the future. 

“One of my favorite parts of the exhibit is our Warrior Wall,” expressed Mytyl. “We are displaying the pillars of language communities, some of those early elders and ancestors who worked really hard for language revitalization when others weren’t. A lot of these people are responsible for the dictionaries of their languages, and books, and keeping traditional stories and storytelling going.”

The tabtabəb exhibit is on display for the foreseeable future and it’s a wonderful way to expand your knowledge about the Coast Salish people and their spectacular vernacular. The Hibulb Cultural Center is open Tuesday – Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and also Saturday – Sunday from Noon to 5:00 p.m. For more information, please visit their website www.HibulbCulturalCenter.org or contact 360-716-2600. 

“Representation is important,” stated Mytyl. “And representation of language, in outside communities, is not available to our people. We want to make sure that we can put as much as we can on display here and make it accessible to our own people, and also make it accessible for the people on the outside, so they can see that it is still a live language and that we’re still using it.”

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News; photos courtesy Potlatch Fund 

‘Tis the season of giving. Whether it be Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a family-specific tradition newly created, Tulalip families will gather in celebration over the coming weeks to give thanks, share food, and strengthen kinship bonds with those they hold dearest. 

These end-of-year gatherings typically involve gift-giving, which is a modern twist of traditional teachings that can be traced back to potlatches. Potlach gift-giving feasts were held by many Northwest Coast tribes pre-contact, and their legacy continues to be celebrated today.

A perfect example of enduring potlatch principles is the aptly named Potlatch Fund. It’s a native-led nonprofit that provides grants and leadership development to tribal nations in the Pacific Northwest region. They recently held their much-anticipated annual gala at the Tulalip Gathering Hall. 

“November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the rich and diverse histories and cultures of the 7+ million Native American people. While many celebrate Natives during this month only, Potlatch Fund celebrates Native communities every day through the cultural tradition of giving in our four-state region of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

“Our organization measures wealth in shared abundance. We provide leadership development services to tribes and Native nonprofits; educate the non-Native and funding communities about the needs, issues, and structures that exist within Indian Country; run grant programs that support emerging and innovative initiatives; and advocate for our communities. We have graduated over 100 emerging leaders through our capacity-building program cohorts, distributed over $8 million through our grantmaking program, and recognized over 80 individuals and organizations through our many awards,” detailed the Fund’s board of directors in a press release. 

The memorable evening was full of Native culture bearers proudly flaunting their vibrant, handmade regalia and all manner of Salish swag. Announced as the Fund’s 20^th anniversary gala, attendees did their best to be swept away in the spirit of giving. Compelled by the spirit, a whopping $260,000 was raised!

Beyond gifting of material possessions and cold hard currency, traditional teachings of giving extend to the sharing of knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual insights. Elders, who are highly revered within our community, play a crucial role in passing down these teachings to younger generations.

During the eventful gala, Sheryl Fryberg, a Tulalip elder and Early Learning Academy director, was announced as the Spirit of Reciprocity award recipient. She was described as a longtime supporter of the Potlatch Fund, fostering a genuine sense of outreach and inclusion, creating change with a vision towards the future, and demonstrating significant promise of leadership.

“I think Sheryl has a very innovative way of giving,” said Director of Philanthropic Partnerships, Brian Tanner. “It’s one that we wish to offer to donors for Potlatch Fund. Sheryl is able to calculate how much she would have paid in federal tax and give that portion to Potlatch Fund. The way Sheryl gives is intentional. She gets to decide where her hard-earned money is spent, and she chooses Potlatch Fund.”

After receiving the award, Sheryl said, “I look at this money as an investment. An investment in my community, and yours. A way to support the future generations. I believe that language, culture, song, and dance are part of what is going to heal our communities. It is by having the opportunity to participate in Tribal Journey and other community-driven activities that are funded by Potlatch Fund that our children and families reconnect with their traditional ways of being.”

During this season of giving, there are quite a few Tulalip-based events that are open to the greater community and offer plenty of opportunities to support local artisans. Most notable is the upcoming Holiday Bazaar happening November 17 and 18 at the Gathering Hall. Followed by Lights & Ice’s holiday market hosted near the Quil Ceda Village amphitheater November 24-26. And then the annual holiday Pow Wow hosted at the Marysville-Tulalip campus gym on December 16.

By Kalvin Valdillez

October came and went in the blink of an eye. But before November arrived, the Tulalip community was sure to get in some spooky time fun during the season of candy and costumes. One of the more popular holidays on the reservation, the people get into the Halloween spirit as soon as Autumn has sprung and begin to deck their lawns and office spaces with creepy decorations at the turn of the season. 

Earlier in the month, local non-profit Together We’re Better held their annual Trunk or Treat gathering which was met with great success and served as the official kick-off to the Halloween season. Although there have been many Halloween department parties, school celebrations, and family get togethers, there were two events that many tribal families had circled on their calendars: the TELA Pumpkin Extravaganza and the Community Halloween Party.

Betty J. Taylor Early Learning Academy Pumpkin Extravaganza

Laughter echoed throughout the TELA hallways on the morning of October 27, as the children arrived to their school in full costume. It was a little too chilly for the academy’s usual outdoor pumpkin patch, so dozens of mini pumpkins were scattered throughout one of the staff conference rooms. Upon picking out a pumpkin to call their own, they were able to visit a decorating station to adorn their gourds with stickers to make jack o’ lanterns with wacky faces and silly smiles.

The students and their families participated in a number of activities including bouncy houses, caricature portraits, and face painting. A cute highlight of the day was when the kids bravely walked through the spooky halls of the academy and visited their teachers while trick-or-treating and participating in a variety of carnival style games!

“I think it’s important to show that we’re just not a school, we’re a community, we’re a family, and we love interacting with one another,” said Absyde Decoscos, TELA Family Engagement Coordinator. “And it’s also important to show to the children that it’s not a separation between teachers and family, we’re all together and here for them. It’s good for the kids to see us all interacting together. It turned out good. It’s really fun. They loved seeing us all dressed up and we loved seeing them dressed up.”

Tulalip Community Halloween Party

The Community Halloween Party returned for the first time since 2019 and did so in a big way. The party was jumping throughout the entire four-hour window on October 29, and hundreds of families came out to showcase their creative costumes. This was the type of event that the kids of the community will fondly look back on years from now, just off that feeling of togetherness as everyone from event planner to event go-er had a hand in making the night special, recreating those ghoul time vibes from the days of old, before the COVID pandemic. 

Families had a blast at the monster mash where there were numerous games, activities, pizza, and also a costume contest and a pumpkin carving contest. DJ Monie had the eerie tunes bumping and had the crowd at her command during the popular cake walk to close out the evening. A heartwarming thing to witness at this year’s party was members of the local recovery community working hard – setting up activity stations before the start of the event, manning said stations in full costume during the entire event, and sticking around until the very end to break down tables and help clean up the teen center, but most of all interacting with the people and getting reacclimated into the community in a good, healthy way. 

Said DJ Monie after the party, “We had a blast today! Thank you to everyone that came, and for the crew that helped make it happen. Also, thanks to the judges that volunteered for the costume contests. Happy Halloween everyone!”

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News 

Steeped in tradition forged by our ancestors, master weavers came from Canada, Oregon, Idaho, and all over Washington state to teach at the Northwest Native American Basketweavers Association (NNABA). The two-day event, October 28 to 29, was held at the Muckleshoot Casino in Tacoma. 

Hundreds of attendees eagerly awaited their chance to learn traditional style teachings from weavers who have dedicated their lives to learning the ways of our ancestors. Creating clothing, baskets, and art connects us to our roots and creates strong bonds between one another when we share these teachings. 

“Since Covid, this will be our first year back in four years,” Teresa Harvey of Puyallup tribes said. “Everyone at the event belongs to the NNABA, and different tribes get to host. All the teachers at this event are master weavers, and they create different things you get to learn at each table. There is easy all the way to difficult, and you pick what you want to learn and sign up at the different booths. If you choose a hat, it may take you all day, or if you pick a different item, it may only take a couple of hours.” 

Throughout the day, when someone finished an item, the announcer had them show the room what they had created. Eruptions of applause let the students know their accomplishment didn’t go unnoticed. 

“This has been a wonderful event, Alfred Lane, aka “Bud”, from the Siletz tribe in Oregon, said, “The Puyallup’s have been wonderful hosts. There’s a lot of support for NNABA. We are a non-profit and rely on help to put this thing on. It’s a labor of love for everybody here. It’s fantastic. One thing I would like to see is expanding our youth track; there’s an area for the youth to learn. To me, that’s the future, and I’m amazed at the interest they are taking. If you’re not teaching that younger generation, or if there’s a link missing in that chain, you’re heading over a cliff at some point, and we must ensure that doesn’t happen.”

When asked about the most challenging part about weaving, Bud replied, “Well, I always call it work, but the hardest part is the gathering. It’s also one of the most enjoyable parts. You get to go out in the woods, pick some things, peel some things, then prepare them for the next step. I always say gathering and preparing is 90% of the process of making baskets. We are basket makers. All we need is a place to sit inside, a table, a chair, and some water. Then we can create.”

“I have been teaching for over five years,” Jamie Sheldon of the Tulalip tribes said. “The event was awesome; everyone was excited to be back. I love teaching and want more people to come and learn because basket weaving is a part of our culture. If I can teach someone from our tribe, and they go on to teach someone, then that is an accomplishment for me and the next generation.”

To know more about the Northwest Native American Basketweavers Association, visit www.nnaba.net. If you would like to learn how to weave baskets or jewelry, and you live around the Tulalip Reservation, Jamie teaches every Wednesday from 5 to 7 at the Hibulb Cultural Center. 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Slightly less than an hour’s drive from the Tulalip Reservation, going southbound on I-5, one can find the City of Kenmore. A relatively small city with an estimated 24,000 residents, it’s a suburban town that occupies the land where the Sammamish River joins Lake Washington.

Native Americans were the only people living in what is now the Kenmore area as recently as two hundred years ago. They lived on the waterway that later became known as the Sammamish Slough. It’s not difficult to imagine these Coast Salish ancestors establishing multiple villages in such a pristine fishing and hunting area, with each village having one or more cedar-plank longhouses to hold village families.

According to the Kenmore Historical Society, it was a great place to live, to fish, and to hunt. Migrating salmon entered the lake from the sea and swam to the mouth of the Sammamish Slough. Ducks and geese were abundant, landing in nearby marshes and the estuary on their annual migrations. Game was plentiful, and the area supported large populations of otters, beavers, muskrats, and other animals.

Flash forward to 2023, and that stunning Coast Salish identity that once thrived on those pre-colonized Kenmore lands is actively being curated once again by modern-day culture-bearers. The latest example of this reclamation process occurred just this summer as a special story pole awakening ceremony kicked off the city’s 25^th anniversary celebration. 

Installed in the heart of the town square and unveiled during a city-wide celebration is a towering 12-foot story pole created by Tulalip artist Ty Juvinel.

“I get asked the question often, “What is a story pole?” because people think we only made totem poles. When, in fact, our Coast Salish ancestors of this region made story poles and house poles,” shared Ty. “The difference was that a house pole was kept inside, while story poles were placed outside and were of utmost importance in acknowledging a nearby longhouse.

“I’ve been told there used to be a longhouse where the town hall used to be,” added the 36-year-old culture bearer. “The meaning behind this story pole actually explains the meaning of why Tulalip’s logo is the killer whale. The inspiration comes from the traditional story Seal Hunter Brothers as told by Lushootseed legend Martha Lamont. Further inspiration for this pole’s design and carving style was to intentionally reflect the style of [last hereditary chief of the Snohomish Tribe] William Shelton and the story poles he created.”

Ty spent hundreds of hours over the course of months to create this awe-inspiring story pole that started as a 12-foot tall by 30-inch wide single Cedar beam procured along the peninsula.

At their core, story poles are cultural storytellers. They are meticulously carved from large, straight cedar logs – chosen for their durability and resistance to decay – using various handheld tools. The intricate designs and figures adorning the poles are then carefully painted with earth tone or Medicine Wheel pigments.

Each story pole narrates a unique story, most often detailing a tribal village’s history or an iconic narrative that’s been told for millennia. They are central to preserving and spreading traditional teachings passed on via the oral tradition, a key aspect of Coast Salish culture.

In that vein, it’s become an artist’s signature for Ty to welcome members of the local community to leave a lasting mark on his story poles to both solidify allyship and serve as a reminder that they heard the pole’s story and can be held accountable to pass on the teaching. He achieves this by inviting all those in attendance at the story pole’s awakening to leave their painted thumbprint on a dedicated panel at the pole’s base.

“It solidifies the story pole being welcomed into the community. There isn’t a lot of opportunity for people to engage with art or our culture, making it much more memorable for those who leave their fingerprint,” said Ty. “Twenty years from now or even longer, those who were here might return, and when they do, they’ll be able to spot their print and, hopefully, remember what they witnessed and tell others about it.”

Coast Salish story poles are so much more than wooden sculptures, they are living embodiments of Indigenous history, culture, and spirituality. With their roots stretching back millennia, they stand as a testament to the resilience and enduring traditions of the region’s first peoples. As they continue to be celebrated and respected, their stories, like Martha Lamont’s Seal Hunter Brothers, will echo through the ages, ensuring that this tradition remains alive for generations to come.

“If if there is a secret ingredient, it’s love. The love I have for my people, my culture, my family, and my customers who keep us in business.”

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

One of Washington’s most iconic culinary traditions, The Bite of Seattle, made a historical 2023 return after being shut down the previous three years for various Covid-related concerns. The weekend-long food festival took place July 21 – 23 at its usual and accustomed grounds located in the heart of Seattle Center. 

Local Q13 Fox News affiliate reported the Bite reeled in more than 75,000 people on the first night alone. This year’s event easily shattered previous attendance records, attracting diverse attendees and vendors.

Among the vibrant spirits and culinary diversity among 100+ food vendors was Tulalip’s own master fryer Lynette Jimicum. She journeyed to the Emerald City’s three-day food extravaganza with her dedicated family crew, who helped operate rez-famous TeePee Creepers.

“We were told by coordinators that we are the very first Native Americans to have a food stand at the Bite of Seattle,” asserted Lynette, the 57-year-old teepee creeping proprietor.

At the behest of her sons, nephews, and cousins, who enjoyed her food on the regular and suggested she enter the food market, she debuted her frybread concoctions at Tulalip’s 2015 bone games. Her debut was so successful that she followed up with another appearance only weeks later at Boom City, again with great success. The rest, as they say, is history. 

“I was truly surprised by my early success…that the people loved my cooking and simple, homemade chili, salsa, and jam to add even more flavor to my frybread,” reflected Lynette. “Since then, I’ve been doing big gathering events, especially cultural events hosted by local tribes from Lummi to Muckleshoot. Everywhere I go, people love my food. I keep a very simple menu with all local ingredients, but if there is a secret ingredient, it’s love. The love I have for my people, my culture, my family, and my customers who keep us in business.”

Known best for its mouthwatering, extra fluffy, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, golden-colored frybread dishes, TeePee Creepers brought out all sweet and savory hits. The O.G. standard frybread and jam, Indian tacos with homemade chili, two hands required rez burgers, and delicious frybread shortcake. 

While the record-setting Bite attendance overwhelmed many vendors, resulting in extra long lines and wait times, Lynette’s thirteen-person frybread wrecking crew banged out order after countless order with ease. TeePee Creepers stood out for having an open cooking area in full view of spectators to take pictures and videos as they witnessed, perhaps for the first time ever, actual Native American cuisine being cooked up by actual Native Americans. 

“We’ve been asked a lot of questions by people who have never heard of nor seen frybread before. It’s been nonstop, questions about frybread or them asking to take our picture,” said Charissa Sigo after posing with freshly made frybread for a Venezuelan customer.

“It’s been a lot of fun. We got a good team going on here,” added Carla Hillaire while kneading dough destined for a sizzling oil bath. “Our vibes have been so good that we added another item to the menu: smiles! A side of free smiles comes with every order.”

Bite of Seattle 2023 lived up to its reputation as a community-driven event that fosters connections. The festival provided a platform for local businesses like TeePee Creepers, and food artisans like Lynette to showcase their unique, homemade offerings. Offering a new way to experience a cross-cultural exchange, one bite at a time.

Native Americans have found empowerment and community-building opportunities through making and selling frybread in several ways:

• Cultural Preservation: Frybread serves as a symbol of Native American cultural identity and resilience. By making and selling frybread, Native Americans are keeping their culinary traditions alive and passing them down to younger generations. This act of cultural preservation helps instill a sense of pride and connection to their heritage.
• Economic Independence: For many Native American communities, economic opportunities can be limited, especially on reservations and in rural areas. By selling frybread at powwows, festivals, and other events, individuals and tribal groups can generate income to support themselves and their families. This economic independence can help reduce reliance on government assistance and foster self-sufficiency.
• Community Bonding: Making and selling frybread often involve community efforts and collaboration. Families and tribal members come together to prepare and cook the bread, creating a sense of unity and shared purpose. This communal activity strengthens social ties within the community and reinforces a sense of belonging.
• Entrepreneurship and Small Businesses: Some Native Americans have turned frybread-making into small businesses. They may sell frybread from food trucks, roadside stands, or even establish restaurants that feature traditional Native American cuisine. Through these entrepreneurial ventures, individuals can contribute to the local economy and create job opportunities for others.
• Cultural Exchange and Education: Selling frybread at public events provides an opportunity for cultural exchange. Native Americans can share their heritage, traditions, and history with non-Native customers, fostering understanding and appreciation for their culture. This can also combat stereotypes and misconceptions about Native American communities.
• Funding for Tribal Initiatives: Revenue generated from selling frybread can be reinvested in tribal initiatives, such as educational programs, healthcare services, infrastructure development, and cultural events. By using the income strategically, tribes can address various needs and challenges faced by their communities.
• Advocacy and Awareness: In some cases, frybread sales have been used as a platform for advocacy and raising awareness about Native American issues. Activists and community leaders may use these opportunities to discuss the history of frybread, its connections to colonial oppression, and advocate for healthier food options and cultural preservation.

Despite the positive aspects, it is also essential to consider potential challenges and concerns related to frybread consumption. The high-fat content and processed nature of the dish have been associated with health issues such as obesity and diabetes within some Native American communities. Thus, efforts to promote healthier traditional foods and food sovereignty continue to be important alongside the celebration of frybread’s cultural significance.