Local News Archives - Page 56 of 92

Reps. McCoy, Sells express interest in vacant Senate seat

Reps. John McCoy and Mike Sells have said they intend to seek former Sen. Nick Harper’s Senate seat.

A successor for former state Sen. Nick Harper of Everett could be known by Thanksgiving, and Democratic state Reps. John McCoy of Tulalip and Mike Sells of Everett are both seeking the position.

Democrats in the 38th Legislative District will meet Nov. 26 to nominate three people for the seat which opened up when Harper unexpectedly quit Saturday. He announced his resignation following the Legislature’s special session.

Under party rules, the district’s 28 elected and appointed precinct committee officers are eligible to vote. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the Everett Labor Temple.

Names of the top three candidates receiving votes will be forwarded to the Snohomish County Council, which will choose one of them to take Harper’s place.

The County Council could make its decision the very next day — which is the eve of Thanksgiving. Council Chairwoman Stephanie Wright said if it can’t be done that quickly, it will happen the following week.

Harper resigned Saturday with a year left in his term, saying he needed to give up the job he won in 2010 in order to spend more time with his wife and two young children.

His successor will serve in next year’s legislative session and would have run for a full-term in 2014.

Candidates for the appointment are starting to surface.

McCoy, the retired general manager of Quil Ceda Village, was first elected to the House in 2002. Sells, the secretary-treasurer of the Snohomish County Labor Council, was first elected to the House in 2004.

Kelly Wright, who worked for former state Rep. Liz Loomis and ran for Marysville mayor in 2011, said Monday he would put his name in, too. But he said he intended only to be a caretaker of the seat through the next session and would not run for a full term afterward.

If Sells or McCoy is selected for the Senate, a similar process will be conducted to fill the vacant House seat.

Veterans Day ceremonies, events

Source: The Herald

Veterans Day Memorial concert, 6 p.m. today, First Presbyterian Church, 2936 Rockefeller Ave., downtown Everett. Choirs and handbell groups from several churches plan to participate. Free admission.

Veterans Day Ceremony, 11 a.m. Monday, Veterans Monument in Library Park, 15429 Bothell-Everett Highway, Mill Creek.

Snohomish County Memorial Central Committee’s 95th annual Veterans Day ceremony is 11 a.m. Monday at the eternal flame in the Snohomish Courthouse campus courtyard, 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett. Participants include the Everett High School Navy JROTC and representatives from Naval Station Everett. Call 425-258-4201.

Arlington Veterans Day Parade, 11 a.m. Monday, Olympic Avenue, sponsored by Arlington American Legion Post 76.

Veterans Day ceremony by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1040 of Lynnwood, 11 a.m. Monday, Lynnwood Veterans Park, 44th Avenue and 194th Street SW. Participants include Northwest Junior Pipe Band, Navy veterans Fred Ensslin, John Beam, Glenn Ledbetter and Ray Colby, Marine Corps veteran Martin Spani, Army veteran Brian Seguin, VFW Post 1040 Honor Guard and local Boy Scouts.

Veterans Day at Edmonds Memorial Cemetery, 11 a.m. Monday includes a tour of the graves of all veterans buried there, including those who fought in the Civil War, led by local history buffs Betty Deebach Gaeng and Dale Hoggins. Highlights include the life stories of war veterans buried at the cemetery, as well as the first-time telling of the story unlocking the mystery of the unidentified headstones located by the flagpole. The cemetery was founded in 1891 and is on the state Register of Historic Places. Call 425-776-1543.

Veterans Day Ceremony in Sultan, 1 p.m. Monday, Veterans Memorial Wall, First and Main streets. Retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Robert Reese is the speaker.

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, in honor of Veterans Day, plans to waive fees for visits to the forest today through Monday. State parks also are open free to the public during the weekend.

Military veterans are to be honored with an outdoor Wall of Thanks and a Veterans Tribute at Imagine Children’s Museum, 1502 Wall St, Everett. The museum, usually closed on Mondays, is scheduled to be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday in honor of Veterans Day. All veterans and their immediate families get free admission for the day. The Wall of Thanks, near the museum entrance, is an annual project featuring artwork created by the children and families of Snohomish County. At 3 p.m. Monday, the Veterans Tribute includes a presentation by the Everett High School NJROTC. All veterans in attendance will be honored during the tribute.

The Silvertips hockey club plans to play its first-ever Veterans Day matinee game, 2:05 p.m. Monday against the Vancouver Giants at Comcast Arena. All military veterans are to be honored. VFW Post 2100 plans to distribute Buddy Poppies and the local Veterans Heritage Museum plans to set up displays of military uniforms.

Marysville-Pilchuck High School’s Tomahawk Company hosts its 19th annual Military Parade from 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the school gym. The event, dedicated to military veterans, includes participation by Naval Station Everett.

Harbour Pointe Retirement complex plans to host a presentation by artist and veteran Michael Reagan at 1:30 p.m. Friday, 10200 Harbour Place, Mukilteo. Reagan, a portrait artist, created the “Fallen Heroes Project” honoring men and women who have died in military service. He draws portraits free as keepsakes for fallen soldiers’ families. The public is welcome to attend. Call 425-493-8555.

For veterans

Carl Gipson Senior Center of Everett plans to host its eighth annual USO dance from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday. Veterans of all wars are invited to bring their guests to this free event, which features a 16-piece swing band. Reservations: 425-257-8780, or stop by at 3025 Lombard.

Veterans Day Dinner, Arlington American Legion Post 76, 4 to 6 p.m. Monday at 115 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington. Free ham dinner for all veterans from throughout the region. Call 360-435-2492.

Veterans Day at Hibulb Cultural Center, noon Monday, 6410 23rd Ave. NE, Tulalip. Free admission for veterans and families. Light lunch, followed by veterans healing forum at 1 p.m.

The Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing Tour is honoring U.S. and Canadian military veterans including active duty military with free admission on Monday at 8415 Paine Field Blvd., Mukilteo. Call 425-438-8100 or go to www.futureofflight.org.

Monroe Family YMCA offers free admission on Fridays in November for veterans and current military personnel and their immediate families. Military identification is required. In addition, on Monday, the facility is open for free for veterans. Call 360-804-2175.

Marysville Family YMCA offers Military Family Night on 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 16. The evening includes dinner, door prizes, swimming, dodge ball, basketball. Military identification is required. Call 360-651-1607.

A hiring expo for military veterans is set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at Safeco Field, 1250 First St., Seattle. More than 40 companies plan to attend.

Tulalip Tribes donate $6.9 million to community

Tulalip Tribal Board Chair Mel Sheldon Jr. thanks the surrounding community for supporting the Tribes’ efforts to support organizations that support the surrounding community in turn.— image credit: Kirk Boxleitner — Tulalip Tribal Board Chair Mel Sheldon Jr. thanks the surrounding community for supporting the Tribes’ efforts to support organizations that support the surrounding community in turn.
— image credit: Kirk Boxleitner

By Kirk Boxleitner, Marysville Globe

TULALIP — The Tulalip Tribes announced a record-setting $6.9 million in donations this year, to more than 280 Washington state nonprofits and community groups, during their 21st annual “Raising Hands” celebration, in the Orca Ballroom of the Tulalip Resort Hotel and Casino, on Saturday, Oct. 26.

“We’re here to share stories of goodwill, and of how we came to journey together,” Tulalip Tribal Board Chair Mel Sheldon Jr. said. “We look back on how much progress we’ve made, thanks to the leaders of the past, who built our foundations. We’re so grateful to be able to follow their example, and to share in the goodwill and work that you do. Look around you,” he told those seated in the Orca Ballroom that evening. “We’re all doing the same work, which is bettering the community. It wasn’t that long ago that Tulalip needed help, and we appreciated the helping hands we received, so now that we’re in a position to do so, we’re proud to help those who help others.”

After a performance by Quil Ceda Elementary student singers, Tulalip Tribal Board member Glen Gobin noted that the Tribes’ financial generosity is a sign of their growing fortunes.

“We’ve given more than $57 million to different charities over the years,” Gobin said. “Fifty years ago, the Tribes’ total budget was $200,000 for the whole year. We had 750 organizations request funds from us in the past year. There’s a lot of good organizations out there, but we can’t give to everybody.”

Tulalip Tribal Board Vice Chair Deborah Parker told the representatives of those recipient organizations to take pride in being “hard workers who contribute to the community every day,” just as she expressed pride in being able to “stand beside you and help celebrate your successes.”

Tulalip Tribal Board member Theresa Sheldon thanked a number of organizations in attendance for helping to educate the public on the larger problems facing the world, “just as we’ve had to re-educate people, to correct them about our history as Native Americans, to let them know that Columbus Day isn’t something that should be celebrated, and that dressing up as a Native American for Halloween is inappropriate. We have to do that re-education because so much of our history is not taught in books.”

The Tribes support regional efforts to improve education, health and human services, cultural preservation, public safety, the environment and the economy. This year’s local recipients included the Arlington Community Food Bank — which received a donation in an amount between $7,501 to $10,000, to help with their construction of a new food bank, providing emergency food assistance to 12,000 people of all ages — and to the Marysville School District, which received a donation of more than $10,000, to support educational programs at Quil Ceda Elementary and Totem Middle School. The Cascade Valley Hospital Foundation received a donation in an amount between $2,501 to $5,000, to help fund their purchase of an advanced medical simulation manikin, with which to train hospital staff in crucial emergency responses.

“And of course, our most importance resource is our youth,” Mel Sheldon said. “It’s the little ones of today who will lead us down the road to the future. We’re all in this together.”

Hilbub Cultural Center features Tulalip artists in new exhibit

Cedar mask by Tulalip tribal artist Mike Gobin.Photo/Brandi N. Montreuil — Cedar mask by Tulalip tribal artist Mike Gobin.
Photo/Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

By Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

TULALIP – The Hibulb Cultural Center & Natural History Preserve will be featuring a variety of works by Tulalip artists in a new exhibit, Coast Salish Inheritance: Celebrating Artistic Innovation.

Opening November 16 and running through May 2014, the exhibit will feature a unique variety of traditional and contemporary art from Tulalip artists.

A collaborative effort between museum staff and Tulalip artists during the museum’s summer exhibit, Ramp if Up! Skateboarding Culture in Native America was the inspiration behind this exhibit.

“Our goal is to showcase the artists and talents we have right here,” said museum curator of collections, Tessa Campbell.

Works of art in a variety of mediums will be featured. Traditional pieces include cedar carving and weaving, sculpture, beadwork, and dream catcher weaving. Contemporary art will include mixed media, photography, painting, drawing, and musical composition.

Featured artists include Frank Madison, Tryone Patkoski, Steven Madison, Mike Dunn, Sr. Aaron Jones, Marie Moses, Michelle Myles, Judy Gobin, Ty Juvinel, Herman Williams, Sr. Kaiser Moses, Charlotte Williams, Shannon Edwards Pablo, David Spencer, Sr. Derek Jones, Virginia Jones, James Madison, and Katrina Lane and many more.

“Every artist is different, so in this display we wanted to showcase the unique variety of traditional Coast Salish art and modern abstract contemporary art that our artists are creating. This is a gallery of our artists, for our artists,” said museum public relations coordinator, Mytyl Hernandez.

For more information on the exhibit, please contact Tessa Campbell at 360-716-2646 or tcampbell@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov, or Mytyl Hernandez at 360-716-2650 mhernandez@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov.

Big Lots comes to Marysville Mall Nov. 8

Marysville Big Lots Store Manager Dan Hanlon shows off the store’s seasonal stock, ready to help shoppers get into the holiday spirit.— image credit: Kirk Boxleitner — Marysville Big Lots Store Manager Dan Hanlon shows off the store’s seasonal stock, ready to help shoppers get into the holiday spirit.
— image credit: Kirk Boxleitner

By Kirk Boxleitner, Marysville Globe Reporter

MARYSVILLE — Its official grand opening isn’t until 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, but the employees of the new Big Lots store at the corner of the Marysville Towne Center Mall have already gotten used to passersby taping on the glass to try and get a sneak peak.

Marysville Big Lots Store Manager Dan Hanlon explained that his roughly 60 employees have had 25 days to prepare for the ribbon-cutting, during which Big Lots District Manager Sheila Marquis will present a check for $1,500 to Totem Middle School.

“When I was working for Restoration Hardware and we opened an outlet in this area, I noticed that the folks from Marysville would buy more small shelf stock,” said Hanlon, who’s worked in retail “all my life” and lived in Snohomish County for the better part of a decade. “That’s when I knew that Marysville was looking for a good discount store. When I started working for Big Lots three years ago, they hired me to work here, but because of the construction on this facility, I worked at the Bellingham store instead for two years.”

Hanlon believes that Big Lots’ ever-changing selection of affordably priced goods is tailor-made for the shoppers of Marysville.

“We have a lot of people in Marysville who are blue-collar, hard-working and looking for great bargains,” Hanlon said. “We’re here for the community, and not just to offer them great deals. All of our workers are from the community. When we sent out the call for employees, we got 300 applications in three days.”

While Hanlon was promising first-day, first-through-the-door customers an assortment of giveaways, gift cards and other prizes, Greater Marysville Tulalip Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Caldie Rogers was singing the praises of the new store.

“Big Lots is a big win for our downtown core and community,” Rogers said. “How big a win? Studies prove that shoppers favor a shoppers’ destination, offering multiple shopping venues, rather than traveling to a single store.”

Rogers has no doubts that the shoppers who are drawn to Big Lots will explore the rest of Marysville’s surrounding downtown core of merchants.

“Add to that the win of new jobs that they have brought with them, and then double that win recognizing that the increased sales tax revenue generated will help our city fund the expanding services and infrastructure needs for our growing community,” Rogers said. “Welcome to the neighborhood, Big Lots, and thank you for investing in our community.”

Being Frank: Boeing, Let’s Talk

By Billy Frank, Jr., Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

OLYMPIA – It was the mid-1980s, and Roy dairy farmer Jim Wilcox was worried.

As an owner of Wilcox Family Farms, one of the largest dairy producers in western Washington at the time, he was concerned how his business would be affected by the activities of a new group called the Nisqually River Task Force. I was part of that task force of tribal, state, federal and local governments, businesses and others charged with developing a management plan for the Nisqually River watershed. The aim of the plan was balanced stewardship of the watershed’s economic, natural and cultural resources.

Fearing that possible environmental regulations in such a plan could put his family farm on the Nisqually River out of business, Wilcox quickly joined the task force to protect his interests. But before that, he teamed up with other large landowners in the watershed – including Weyerhaeuser – to try and shoot down any plan that might be developed.

But those fears melted one day when the task force was touring the watershed and our bus broke down. Waiting for help, Jim and I started talking. I told him that we wanted him to stay in business, but that we needed to protect salmon as well, and that if we worked together, we could come up with a solution.

He agreed to try. Today, Wilcox Family Farms is still in business and the Nisqually River watershed is one of the healthiest in the state. It’s a model of how a watershed can be managed for the benefit of everyone.

About that same time, a war was raging in the woods of Washington. Timber companies, environmental groups, tribes, state and federal agencies, and others were battling each other in court over the effects of timber harvests on fish and wildlife. I asked Stu Bledsoe, executive director of the Washington Forest Protection Association, a forest products industry trade group, to see if his members would be willing to join a cooperative effort to develop a solution for everyone involved.

He agreed to try. After many months of negotiations by all of the parties involved, the result was the Timber/Fish/Wildlife Agreement – now called the Forests and Fish Law – which put an end to the war in the woods with a cooperative science-based management approach that ensures a healthy timber industry while also protecting fish and wildlife.

We find ourselves in a similar situation today with the state’s extremely low fish consumption rate that is used to regulate pollution in our waters. The lower the rate, the higher the level of pollutants allowed.

Washington has one of the highest populations of seafood consumers, but uses one of the lowest fish consumption rates in the country to control water pollution. State government is quick to admit that the current rate of 6.5 grams of seafood per day – about one 8-ounce serving a month – does not protect most Washington citizens from toxins in our waters that can cause illness or death.

That fact is especially true for Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, as well as recreational fishermen and others who eat more seafood than most. For us tribes, fish and shellfish have always been basis of our cultures. Our treaty-reserved harvest rights depend on those resources being safe to eat.

Oregon recently increased its fish consumption rate to 175 grams per day, the most protective rate in the U.S. We think everyone in Washington deserves at least that level of protection.

Sadly, the effort to adopt a more accurate fish consumption rate has become one of the biggest public policy battles in the country, pitting human health against the economy. Some industry leaders such as Boeing are digging in their heels to delay or kill rule-making on a more accurate rate because they say it will increase their cost of doing business.

To find a solution, Gov. Jay Inslee has put together an informal advisory group of tribes, local governments, businesses, environmental organizations and others to help resolve the issue. That group met for the first time recently, and although Boeing was invited, the company chose not to participate.

That’s too bad, because I would have told them that we don’t want Boeing to leave the state or go out of business. We want them to keep making planes here in western Washington, but at the same time we have to protect the health of everyone who lives here by adopting a more realistic fish consumption rate. I also would have told them about Jim Wilcox and Stu Bledsoe and the many great things that can be accomplished when we sit down together to solve a shared problem.

Puget Sound orcas circle ferry carrying artifacts

About a half-dozen orca whales swim and splash close to a small research vessel following the group near Bainbridge Island in the Puget Sound Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013, as seen some miles away from Seattle. The whales were among about 20 or more, believed to be from the resident J and K pods, seen traveling through the passage Tuesday afternoon. Photo: Elaine Thompson, AP

SEATTLE (AP) — A large pod of orcas swam around a Washington state ferry in an impressive display as it happened to be carrying tribal artifacts to a new museum at the ancestral home of Chief Seattle, and some people think it was more than a coincidence.

Killer whales have been thrilling whale watchers this week in Puget Sound, according to the Orca Network, which tracks sightings.

But they were especially exciting Tuesday when nearly three-dozen orcas surrounded the ferry from Seattle as it approached the terminal on Bainbridge Island. On board were officials from The Burke Museum in Seattle who were moving ancient artifacts to the Suquamish Museum.

The artifacts were dug up nearly 60 years ago from the site of the Old Man House, the winter village for the Suquamish tribe and home of Chief Sealth, also known as Chief Seattle. The Burke, a natural history museum on the University of Washington campus, is known for Northwest Coast and Alaska Native art.

Also on board the state ferry was Suquamish Tribal Chairman Leonard Forsman who happened to be returning from an unrelated event. As the ferry slowed near the terminal, it was surrounded by the orcas, Forsman said Wednesday.

“They were pretty happily splashing around, flipping their tails in the water,” he said. “We believe they were welcoming the artifacts home as they made their way back from Seattle, back to the reservation.”

The killer whales have been in Puget Sound feeding on a large run of chum salmon, he said.

“We believe the orcas took a little break from their fishing to swim by the ferry, to basically put a blessing on what we were on that day,” he said.

Forsman believes there’s a spiritual tie between the tribe and the orcas. “They are fishermen like we are,” he said.

It was an auspicious arrival for about 500 artifacts that The Burke Museum had held for nearly 60 years, Suquamish Museum Director Janet Smoak said.

They include tools, decorative items and bits of bone and rock that date back 2,000 years.

The Old Man House — the largest known longhouse on the Salish Sea — was located at Suquamish on the shore of Agate Passage, about 13 miles northwest of Seattle. Chief Sealth, for whom Seattle is named, is buried there.

The longhouse was burned down by the U.S. government in the late 1800s. The artifacts were collected by a University of Washington archaeological investigation in the 1950s, according to the Burke museum.

In 2012, the tribe completed its new museum, which includes a climate controlled environment. The artifacts will be displayed to illustrate Suquamish culture in an exhibit called Ancient Shores Changing Tides.

Everyone was talking about the orcas at the Tuesday museum blessing ceremony and feast, Smoak said.

“Everyone was really excited and moved by the event,” she said.

The orcas, identified from their markings as members of the J and K pods, were seen this week along several routes between the Seattle area and the west side of Puget Sound, according to Howard Garrett of the Orca Network at Freeland.

He thought their intersection with the ferry carrying tribal artifacts was uncanny.

“I can’t rule out somehow they could pick up on the mental energy that there is something special there. Or it could be a coincidence,” he said. “I don’t know.”

Stream restoration in the Port Susan watershed

Before the culvert was restored. — After the culvert was restored. Photo by Brett Shattuck

Natural Resources department seeks out important streams that are in need of restoration.

By Monica Brown, Tulalip News Writer

TULALIP, Wa. -In an effort to boost salmon populations and abide by treaty rights, the state of Washington has been court ordered to fix problem culverts, which prevent salmon from accessing integral streams. Tulalip’s Natural Resources department has been helping the State’s effort by repairing one culvert per year for the last few years. Greenwood creek in the Warm Beach community, the most recent culvert repaired by Natural Resources, was found to be an important stream for juvenile salmon and acts as a nursery prior to entering the ocean.

“We try to repair one a year or every other year. It’s something we do when we have time on the side,” said Brett Shattuck of Tulalip’s Natural Resources. Brett works as a forest and fish biologist, a position that doesn’t center on stream restoration. Together as a department though, they research and find vital streams that require repair yet fall out of state jurisdiction which would require the state to repair according to the court order. While the state owns and is responsible for 1,521 culvert barriers, they have been court ordered to only repair just fewer than 1,000 of those within the next 17 years, a feat which the state implies that they do not have enough funds for in order to complete on time.

Brett includes that, “because most streams on the reservation are either naturally non-salmon bearing, or are utilized for hatchery operations and do not have wild salmon access for that reason,” they look beyond the reservation boundaries to find nearby, integral streams in need of repair that would otherwise be ignored. “These streams are really important to fish and a lot of them have degraded,” explained Brett. There are streams that contain salmon on the reservation including Quilceda Creek, Sturgeon Creek and Coho Creek, but these streams already have, or are in the planning stages, of being repaired by Natural Resources.

Greenwood Creek is located in the Port Susan watershed, and as a tidal stream, it is similar to an estuary where salt water tides flow in and mix with the out flowing fresh water. During salmon monitoring of one small portion of Greenwood Creek, it has been recorded to support over 700 salmon in various species. Brett explains, “most of the fish come from the Stillaguamish River and they come in here to avoid predators, to have refuge and to find food.” The stream, mainly utilized for salmon rearing also provides an extra half mile of stream for Silver and Coho spawning.

Many streams located within development areas have degraded environmentally and structurally. Stream area diminishes due to roads, invasive plants change habitat and inaccessible culverts prevent salmon from traveling further upstream. When a stream is developed, a culvert is placed in the stream to modify it so that it can be crossed over. As per Washington Department of Transportation’s data, many streams statewide are important to salmon spawning and rearing but overtime have become inhospitable; 1,960 out the 3,200 culverts statewide have been identified as fish barriers.

The Natural Resources department has restored this and previous streams through grant funding. The $50,000 in grant funding was obtained from Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) to replace the preexisting culvert with one that is more functional and to excavate in order to restore 250ft of the stream. While Snohomish County did not provide funds they did provide in-kind services and materials to the project which match the grant fund in cost from PCSRF.

BeforeBelowCulvertHoriz — Before the culvert was restored. Photo by Brett Shattuck

Orcas Spotted in Puget Sound near Seattle

Credit Elaine Thompson / AP PhotoA pair of orca whales swim in view of a state ferry crossing from Bainbridge Island toward Seattle in the Puget Sound Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013, as seen some miles away from Seattle. — Credit Elaine Thompson / AP Photo
A pair of orca whales swim in view of a state ferry crossing from Bainbridge Island toward Seattle in the Puget Sound Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2013, as seen some miles away from Seattle.

Source: Associated Press, October 30, 2013

Whale spotters say dozens of killer whales are still in Puget Sound where they have been seen by ferry passengers as well as people on shore.

Howard Garrett of the Orca Network at Freeland says 30 to 35 were spotted again Wednesday from the ferry on the Edmonds-Kingston route. The killer whales had been spotted in the same area at sunset Tuesday after swimming past Seattle.

The Orca Network reports members of the J and K pods have been in Puget Sound since Sunday.

John Kieffer Memorial Award Presented to Deborah Parker

Source: National Indian Gaming Association

Albuquerque, NM (October 30, 2012) – The National Indian Gaming Association honored Tulalip Tribes Vice Chairwoman Deborah Parker at the 15th Annual Sovereignty Awards Banquet on Tuesday with their prestigious John G. Kieffer Memorial Award.

The award recognizes a selfless dedication to advancing the lives of Indian peoples socially and economically, building self-sufficiency through gaming enterprises, and being an advocate for Indian self-determination.

Deborah Parker demonstrated tremendous leadership this year by helping Indian country push through the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). VAWA guarantees sweeping changes in the way violent offenders on tribal lands are brought to justice and held accountable for crimes against native women. Vice-Chairwoman Parker became a leading Native voice in support of VAWA and with great courage stepped forward with her own personal story amid heightened Congressional debate about violence against women.

NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. said at the banquet, “We honor this leader from the Tulalip Tribes who devoted her life to improving the well being of women, Native women, her people, her community and Indian country. The historical impact of what Deborah Parker has accomplished will be told for many generations as a true woman warrior. Through her work, she has upheld tribal sovereignty. Vice Chairwoman Parker’s determination of telling her story has inspired many beyond her tribe and the nation. She has increased awareness and given back a sense of pride to Native women, and we thank her for her devoted service.”

Prior to her election as Vice-Chairwoman, Deborah Parker served as a legislative policy analyst in the Office of Governmental Affairs from 2005-2012 for the Tulalip Tribes, where she worked with the State of Washington on behalf of the Tulalip Tribes by providing quality analysis of issues most pertinent to the exercise of sovereignty and tribal governance.

Deborah Parker also served as Director of the Residential Healing School of the Tseil-Waututh Nation in Canada, and in the Treaty Taskforce Office of the Lummi Nation. As a passionate advocate for improved education for tribal members, and a belief in the inherent right of all Native Americans to expect and receive a quality education, one that is free from racial or cultural bias, Deborah is focused on educational reform, which includes developing curriculum that is a true reflection of an Indigenous ethics and knowledge system.

She is a graduate of the University of Washington and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in American Ethnic Studies and Sociology.

The John G. Kieffer award is presented at NIGA’s Mid-Year Conference each year. The award is named in honor of former Spokane Tribes Vice-Chairman John G. Kieffer, known nationally for his work on Indian gaming issues and was a founding member of the National Indian Gaming Association.

The award is presented annually at the National Indian Gaming Association’s Mid-Year Conference, this year hosted by the Sandia Resort and Casino located on the Sandia Pueblo in Albuquerque, New Mexico.