The annual Tulalip Quil Ceda Talent Show on Tuesday, April 22, gave students an opportunity to showcase unique talents, imaginative recreations of pop songs, and amazing skills. The kids put on an exciting show that included singing, dancing, improvisational song and dance, martial arts demonstrations, and instrumental performances. An all-around good time, the show was entertaining.
Each student had five minutes of fame as they performed an act of their choosing. Performances varied, with original pieces of choreographed dance, including daring breakdance moves, hula hooping and more. Each act reflected the personality of the performers through wardrobe and dance choices. At the end of the show, school was over, but performers returned later that night with an audience of peers and parents, running through the set for an evening finale.
Jacob demonstrates a Kung Fu form. Andrew Gobin/Tulalip NewsGuitarist and vocalist Henry gave an excellent performance. Andrew Gobin/Tulalip NewsJade, Singing. Andrew Gobin/Tulalip NewsMateo, singing and dancing in the style of Michael Jackson. Andrew Gobin/Tulalip NewsA lovely duet by Candace and Macaela. Andrew GObin/Tulalip NewsJose, Alex, and Coltin breakdancing. Andrew Gobin/Tulalip News
Rhianna, singing a song by pop star, Rhianna. Andrew Gobin/Tulalip NewsKamaya singing Michael Jackson’s “I’m Bad” Andrew Gobin/Tulalip NewsKamaya singing while Selina performs kung fu as a dance. Andrew Gobin/Tulalip NewsThis little singer’s name is Emma. Andrew Gobin/Tulalip NewsKeyondra Hula hoop dancing. Andrew Gobin/Tulalip NewsKeyondra Hula hoop dancing. Andrew Gobin/Tulalip NewsMasters of Ceremony Avel, Ivan and Anthony. Andrew Gobin/Tulalip NewsMasters of Ceremony Avel, Ivan and Anthony. Andrew Gobin/Tulalip News
Andrew Gobin is a reporter with the See-Yaht-Sub, a publication of the Tulalip Tribes Communications Department. Email: agobin@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov Phone: (360) 716.4188
TULALIP – Hibulb Cultural Center is changing up their event series this month. The center, known for its monthly events featuring cultural demonstrations, lectures, traditional storytelling and workshops, has added a children’s reading series, Hibulb Reading Time, and a new film event, “Bring your own family history film night.”
The two new events resulted in creative ideas being exchanged between staff and volunteers earlier this spring. Hibulb Reading Time features Tulalip tribal members, including Tulalip Tribes board member Theresa Sheldon, volunteering to read books that explore Native American themes and identity, followed with a craft based on the story.
“Bring your family history film night,” is a special film event based on local family submissions that honor and capture family history. The event will be held May 29, in the center’s longhouse, and continues the center’s history of screening films that highlight Coast Salish life and Indian Country issues. Film submissions for this event will be accepted until May 28, and should include a 15-minute video that focuses on your family or family history.
Tulalip elder Sandra Swanson is hosting a quilting class every Sunday throughout the month, featuring her quilting expertise and the basics of quilting. You will need to provide your own fabric for this workshop.
This month also marks the last chance to view the Coast Salish Inheritance: Celebrating Artistic Innovation exhibit featuring art from Tulalip artists. The exhibit will close on May 21.
Events and workshops are included in the Hibulb Cultural Center admission price. Admission is free for Tulalip tribal members. Adults (18 years and over) $10.00, senior (50+ and over) $7.00, students (6-17 years old), military and veterans $7.00, children (5 years and under) free, and families $25.00. The first Thursday of each month is free admission.
For information on Hibulb Cultural Center events and lectures, please visit their website at www.hibulbculturalcenter.org. Please contact, Lena Jones at 360-716-2640 or Mary Jane Topash at 360-716-2657 regarding film submissions for “Bring your family history film night.”
Brandi N. Montreuil: 360-913-5402; bmontreuil@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov
A new draft report finds that Washington schools face threats from nine different kinds of natural hazards. Credit Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
The Oso landslide, with 41 dead and two still missing, could be the the third-worst natural disaster in Washington history after the Stevens Pass Avalanche of 1910 and the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.
But what if there had been a school in the path of the slide? The death toll could have been much higher.
A new draft report from Washington’s Superintendent of Public Instruction finds that 15 public schools in Washington are within 500 feet of a mapped landslide zone. The good news is none of those nearby slopes are considered steep and the risk of a landslide in those areas ranks as “low.”
However, the report finds another 28 Washington schools have a steep slope with a “high” risk of sliding in the immediate vicinity. And dozens more K-12 buildings are close to hills with a “low” or “moderate” risk of failing.
Six major natural hazards
It’s not just landslides. The draft report finds that Washington schools face threats from nine different kinds of natural hazards. Six of those pose the greatest threat:
Earthquakes
Tsunamis
Floods
Wildfires
Volcanoes
Landslides
“It doesn’t necessarily mean we need to start packing our bags and shutting down schools,” says report co-author Robert Dengel with Washington’s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). “But talking about risk in a real and practical way.”
To that end, OSPI has partnered with 28 school districts in a pilot project to help them create their own hazard mitigation plans. Dengel gives the example of the Ocosta School District on the Washington coast where plans are underway to construct a tsunami safe haven.
In the case of landslides, Dengel says districts may want to have a geotechnical engineer do a formal on-site assessment of the slide risk. But it might not even take that to rule out a threat.
‘I’m Pretty Shocked’
Take the example of Holmes Elementary School in Northwest Spokane. It shows up in the draft report as sitting near to a steep-slope hill with a preliminary landslide risk level of “high.”
“I’m pretty shocked,” says Holmes Elementary principal Steve Barnes.
Barnes says his school is about three blocks from the Spokane River and there is a steep slope there. But if the hillside were to give way, the debris field would flow north away from the school. So how did Holmes Elementary end up on the list? Because the list was created using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping, not actual site visits.
The report emphasizes the list does not represent a “determination of landslide hazards nor the level of landslide risk.”
Wake-Up Call
Still, the principal at Holmes Elementary sees a value in being reminded of the potential for natural hazards to affect his school. “Natural disasters are pretty low, if at all, on my radar,” admits Barnes, whose school regularly drills for shootings and other human dangers. “We have lockdowns, we have shelter-in-place … so those are where we’re spending our time.”
Washington has 295 school districts with more than 2,400 campuses and more than 1 million students, according to the draft report. Dengel, the report’s co-author, says in an average-sized school district with 30 school buildings, usually only one or two would be at high risk for some sort of natural disaster.
His bottom line: “The sky isn’t falling, but there’s definitely work to do to better protect our students.”
The draft report is titled “Washington State K-12 Facilities Hazard Mitigation Plan.” It’s the first of its kind in the nation and was made possible by a 2012 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
OSPI will accept public comments on the draft until July 25. A final report is due out this fall.
source: instagram.com/rediscoveredbooks High school junior Brady Kissel holding a copy of Sherman Alexie’s ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.
Indian Country Today Media Network
When it comes to banning books, it’s the same old story — tell someone they can’t read a text and you’ll just make them seek it out.
In Meridian, Idaho, parents succeeded in getting Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian removed from the curriculum of Mountain View High School. The book, published in 2007, won a National Book Award, but has become a frequent target of parents seeking to sanitize their children’s reading material because of some language and frank discussion of sexuality. In Meridian, some object to the book as anti-Christian as well.
The book is not “banned” per se, but “challenged” — it has been taken off the school reading list, but remains on the school library’s shelves, pending review.
Stacks of Alexie’s book, which was handed out for free on World Book Night.
When Sara Baker, a student at the University of Washington, and her friend Jen Lott, learned that the book had been challenged, they decided to get involved. They started a page at GoFundMe.com to raise funds to purchase 350 copies of the book, which they planned to distribute for free to Meridian students. The campaign met its goal, and the books were purchased through Rediscovered Books, a bookstore in Boise. Brady Kissel, a junior at Mountain View, spearheaded the plan to distribute them, and on the evening of April 23 — World Book Night — over 225 copies were handed out, and the rest went to Rediscovered Books, where they remained available for free.
Today, Rediscovered announced on its Facebook page that it had run out of books — but this isn’t over yet. Alexie’s publisher (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) donated another 350 copies, which are on their way.
Alexie himself weighed in on the matter, writing in a letter to his publisher, “I am honored by the hundreds of Meridian students who showed incredible passion and courage for books. Mine, yes, but literature in general. And Sara Baker and Jennifer Lott are friggin’ superheroes. If I ever get caught in a fire, I’m calling them.”
Two women in Washington have raised enough money to send 350 copies of a controversial book by Sherman Alexie to students in Meridian, Idaho.
It’s a reaction to the Meridian school board’s decision to suspend use of “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.” Parents complained about profanity and sexual content in the novel.
University of Washington student Sara Baker and a friend in Spokane set up an online campaign to buy and distribute the book to Meridian students with the help of a local teacher. Baker says they received more than $3,000 from Idaho, Washington and at least 15 other states.
“I’ve heard from students that said they read the book and really loved it,” says Baker. “I’ve had English teachers tell me that they teach it in their curriculum and it engages students that hate to read. And then just general fans of the book that can’t believe the people who want to ban it even read the same book.”
The superintendent of the Meridian school district says a committee of teachers, administrators and parents is reviewing the high school reading list and may decide to retain “Part-Time Indian” next fall.
The 2007 young adult novel is inspired in part by Alexie’s own experience growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. The book often requires parental consent to read and is frequently targeted for removal. Earlier this winter, the school district in Sweet Home, Ore., considered pulling it from the classroom after parents complained, but the district ultimately kept the book.
In Idaho, the attention generated by the controversy has given Alexie a bump in local libraries and bookstores. There are more than 60 holds on “Part-Time Indian” at the Boise Public Library.
Tulalip Family Haven held an open house on April 10, for their new program, Girls Group, that is designed to be a support network for Native girls, ages 14-17. Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News
Just for the girls
by Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News
TULALIP, WA. – Being young is one of the most thrilling times in a person’s life. It is the time frame between major responsibilities and no responsibilities at all, however, the decisions made during this phase can be hazardous to their future. Some decisions can destroy your life while others will define what type of an adult you will be. To help teen Native girls navigate this precarious time, a new group designed just for them through Tulalip Family Haven is providing Native girls the support they need to become the most successful person they can be.
The group, simply referred to as Girls Group, will offer Native girls, 14-17 years old, support in life skills, education, and cultural understanding. The group uses the Canoe Journey, Life’s Journey curriculum guide by June LeMarr and G. Alan Marlatt, which is a comprehensive evidence-based intervention curriculum guide for Native adolescents. The girls will be taught to make choices that promote positive actions while learning to avoid the hazards of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
“This is about intervention, prevention and education to keep girls away from hazardous lifestyles, while increasing their self-esteem and empowering their self-awareness to ensure they become successful adults,” said Yvette McGimpsey the group’s project director.
As part of the Girls Group curriculum, young girls will be introduced to different art mediums and crafting, such as the keepsake jars girls made during the Group’s open house. Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News
“The idea is to teach young Native women life skills, everything from how to cook and clean to budgeting finances, along with cultural awareness,” explained Sasha Smith the group’s lead youth advocate. “As we do our curriculum, we will be incorporating activities such as crafts and guest speakers from the community and from our elders. We will also be doing other education pieces such as sexual education, and dangers of alcohol and drug use.”
Curriculum will also include nutrition education through the Washington State University Nutrition Program, which uses an interactive approach through trained staff, to teach participants to develop skills and behavioral healthy eating. Community work, such as cleaning up beaches and visiting elders will also be included.
A health and beauty station was available during the Girls Group open house on April 10, where girls received hand massages, aromatherapy, and facial beautification. Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News
“A simple day in the group would be, we pick them up from school, they will have time devoted to doing homework, then we do an activity such as art and craft making. Then we will all make dinner together and work on a lesson from the curriculum guide,” said McGimpsey.
“And that is the biggest thing, these girls may not have a healthy place to go after school or have homework help or have someone teaching them those critical life skills. This will be a safe place for them,” said Smith. “We will also be exposing them to things they would never get a chance to experience, such as the ballet or an art gallery,” continued Smith.
The group meets every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays and is free to join, and participants can be enrolled in the group until they graduate. A community advisory board, made up of youth advocate volunteers and professionals, will also evaluate the group’s progress monthly for effectiveness.
For more information on the Family Haven Girls Group or how to sign up, please contact lead youth advocate Sasha Smith at 360-716-4404.
Brandi N. Montreuil: 360-913-5402; bmontreuil@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov
Tulalip tribal member Mandy Carter volunteered her gardening expertise to teach the girls how to plant their own vegetables and flowers during the Girls Group opening house held on April 10. Photo/ Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News
TULALIP — The Marysville School District’s third annual Opportunity Expo is coming on Tuesday, April 22.
The Expo is a dynamic college and career fair designed to help prepare students for life after high school.
The event will take place at the Tulalip Resort Orca Ballroom and Chinook rooms from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
There will be three sessions for students — 8 a.m., 9:45 a.m. and noon — and one session open to parents, students, staff and community members at 1:45 p.m.
Marysville School District juniors will be bused to the morning sessions.
The Expo is provided through a partnership between the Marysville School District, the Tulalip Tribes, the Marysville Rotary and the Rotary Education Foundation.
More than 120 college, tech, trade, vocational, civic and military representatives will be in attendance, to help students prepare for their futures, and support them in their dreams and goals.
The University of Utah has reached a new agreement over its continued use of the Ute name and drum and feather logo for athletics teams, a university source tells The Tribune.
A memorandum of understanding that outlines collaborative efforts to encourage more Ute students to attend the school is expected to be signed by U. President David Pershing and Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee chairman Gordon Howell 11 a.m. Tuesday in Fort Duchesne. The university will not pay to use the name.
The Ute Tribal Business Committee sent a letter to the University of Utah late last year, requesting a meeting with the school. Attached to the letter was a resolution stating support for the school’s use of the Ute name and drum and feather logo, but also hopes to negotiate tuition waivers instead of scholarships for Ute Indian Tribe students.
The resolution further called for the creation of a special adviser to Pershing on American Indian Affairs, and to appoint a member of the Ute Indian Tribe in this role.
The current memorandum of understanding was established in 2005. U. Vice President Fred Esplin told The Tribune in November that the school and the tribe had been involved in ongoing discussions about the 2005 agreement, which was not immediately available to The Tribune late Monday.
Tuesday’s scheduled signing comes amid objections from within the U.’s own ranks over the school’s handling of diversity. Last week, assistant vice president for student equity and diversity Enrique Alemán resigned in part, he said, because he was accused of leaking the letter the U. received from the Ute Tribe.
Days earlier, chief diversity officer Octavio Villalpando resigned. Alemán said he was told Villalpando was being investigated for human resources issues.
Even if handled delicately by the U., the teams’ association with American Indians leads to a problem of “education,” said Samantha Eldridge, a leader of the initiative and now a liaison for Native American Outreach in the National Education Association in Washington, D.C. Fans of the team must be told it is inappropriate to wear mock headdresses or paint their faces red at games.
“We are always going to get a negative, stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans,” Eldridge said Monday night. “We’re always going to get a new cohort of students attending the university who we are going to continually have to educate on what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior.”
