Tulalip’s Boom City is upon us once again. And with that, comes the variety of explosive, incendiary fireworks, which have become synonymous with Independence Day, or known around rez as the fourth. Lighting fireworks is a long-standing tradition with local families who have participated for generations, while some critics wish they would get rid of them altogether.
In recent years, media outlets have been highlighting the dangers of lighting fireworks. Yes, fireworks have an element of danger to them, and are not to be taken lightly. However, with the proper techniques and the right safety precautions in mind, fireworks can be enjoyed by many.
The first step to fireworks safety is to be pre-emptive. This means to think about what you are doing and prepare for accidents that might happen. For example, when finding a spot to light fireworks make sure that there is a flat surface, and nothing in the way of the projectiles. This way you don’t have to worry about the firework tipping over or hitting a tree, light post, or house.
Have a bucket of water, a fire extinguisher, a hose, or all three readily available to help with extinguishing any sparks that might go into your yard. These are also great to have if the fireworks fail to go off. Do not try and re-light the firework. Instead douse with water, or put into a bucket of water.
Often, age is a factor. What age is right for your child to be lighting fireworks or holding sparklers? Many firework manufacturers would say it’s preferred if the person lighting the fireworks were over the age of 18. Though some fireworks are considered less dangerous and can be used by youth, with parental supervision.
Safer items that are easier and not as dangerous are such things like fountains, sparklers, and novelty items that spin in place on the ground or have very little crackling effects. There are also pop-its and snappers. Pop-it’s you throw on the ground, and snappers you usually pull the string or trigger to shoot confetti. These are examples of fireworks that can handled by responsible kids with their parents watching over them. Remember sometimes just telling your child isn’t enough, you need to show them
A very helpful tool for lighting fireworks is a punk, which allow people to light fireworks without getting their hands close to the flame and ignition. This is where most injuries occur. Trying to use lighters and matches next to fuses that shoot off sparks can causing burns to your hands. With punks you light it once and it stays smoldering for a few minutes allowing the user to light multiple items. Punks are usually 12 to 16 inches long giving plenty of space between your fingers and the firework ignition.
Remember your neighbors when lighting fireworks. People have different schedules, and also may have young kids or animals. Take them into consideration, be respectful and try lighting fireworks during appropriate times.
Everybody who enjoys fireworks wants to have a good time. Just remember to be conscientious about what you are doing. Apply safety measures to ensure a less likely chance of an accident. And be respectful of your community.
Container for Life is an exciting and potentially life-saving program being welcomed into our Tulalip community. In a collaborative effort led by Community Health and Tulalip Bay Fire to not waste a single second while attending to on-reservation residents during emergency situations, the family-friendly Container for Life launch event was held on June 16.
Hosted at the Tulalip Bay fire station, the always on alert firefighting team teamed up with the endlessly patrolling police officers to offer a memorable BBQ spread that got hungry passers-by to stop for a bite. After filling their bellies with grub, they were offered dessert in the form of sweet information about the many benefits of becoming a Container for Life participant.
“When a medical emergency occurs, it’s very hard for the person involved or their family to answer all the questions that Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and/or medical personnel will need to ask,” explained the lead nurse for Community Health, Ashley Schmidt. “With the Container for Life, most of that information is in the container. This helps ease stress and errors that can occur when people are under duress.
“Tulalip consists of 22,000 acres or 35 square miles. Much of the area has limited access, often only one road in and out,” she added. “Four out of five Tulalip emergencies happen in the home. The Container for Life will greatly assist in addressing medical needs immediately and possibly prevent a need to go to the hospital, not to mention this could be lifesaving. In addition, there is a section on the medical information form for tribal members to include preferences and goals of care. For example, this would be a great place to include cultural considerations such as not cutting one’s hair or spiritual preferences.”
The Container for Life program is nationally recognized for saving countless lives each year by providing emergency responders with life-saving medical information during an emergency. The Container for Life is a form that is stored in your refrigerator. When emergency responders are called to your home they will see the Container for Life sticker on your front door and know to go to your refrigerator to get your important medical information.
The simple to fill-out form, held in an easily recognizable container is designed to speak for you when you can’t speak for yourself. The container holds all the information you deem important enough to share in the event that emergency services are called to administer proper medical treatment, or you are in a situation that requires treatment at a new medical facility.
“My dad has had several health scares over the past year. We’ve noticed that when he’s gone by ambulance to the hospital, and we’ve followed by car, they keep the family out while administering medical care,” shared Amy Sheldon, daughter of Container for Life participant Ray Sheldon. “This can sometimes be as long as an hour or even two, where we can’t be with him. It’s always a concern whether or not they know all his relevant information. With this container, we know that they can find all his important information, like what medications he’s currently taking and what his allergies are.”
It’s the mission of Community Health and Tulalip Bay Fire to ensure every elder on the reservation is given the opportunity to become a participant. But this program isn’t limited to just elders, all adults and kids can benefit from participating, as well.
“We came for the learning experience and to let the kids see the fire trucks up close, and to enjoy the BBQ,” said Annette Cheer with four young ones in tow. “They were so excited to interact with the firefighters and Buster the police dog. We learned a lot. I can attest to the importance of children needing to participate in the Container for Life, especially if they have really bad allergies or are taking any medications. You never know what could happen, so it’s better to be prepared.”
Each Container for Life kit includes:
The Container for Life vial
A branded magnet for the refrigerator
A branded window cling for a front-facing door or window
2 medical information forms
An instruction card explaining how to use all of the above items
Having your critical information available in an emergency could be the difference between life and death. If you or a loved one wish to participate, Containers for Life kits are available for pick-up both at the Tulalip Bay Fire Department and Community Health buildings.
Community Health can be contacted for additional information at 360.716.5662 option 5.
By Kalvin Valdillez; photos by Wade Sheldon and Kalvin Valdillez
Hundreds of Tulalip members stood upon a small bluff overlooking Tulalip Bay. Draped in traditional garb, the women and young ladies adorned shawls and ribbon skirts while the men and boys wore vests and ribbon shirts. Cedar woven headbands, hats, and jewelry were the accessories of choice, as well as bandanas, eagle feathers, and beaded medallions. The kids gasped with excitement and pointed out into the distance of the bay. With traditional hand drums and rattles, the people sang hikw siyab yubəč, and greeted the first king salmon of the season to the village as he arrived at the shore on a cedar dugout canoe.
“Today is our 47th annual Salmon Ceremony, that was revived 47 years ago,” said Tulalip Chairwoman, Teri Gobin. “We’re honoring hikw siyab yubəč, big chief king salmon. Welcoming him and showing him how well our community will treat him, so he will go back to the village under the sea and let them know he was treated well at Tulalip. And we’ll have a bountiful season. And it will also bless our fishermen to protect them from the storms and the weather and make sure they come home safe.”
As one of the main staples of their ancestral diet, the relationship between the salmon and the sduhubš is strong. The traditional belief is that Tulalips are descendants of the Salmon People who live in a village under the Salish Sea. At the beginning of every fishing season, the king salmon send a scout to the waters of Tulalip Bay, and it is his duty to report back to the Salmon People about his time spent amongst the tribal nation.
In the early 90’s, Tulalip leader Bernie ‘Kai Kai’ Gobin penned a retelling of the traditional Tulalip story, the Salmon People, for the Marysville School District. Kai Kai shared, “The story goes that there is a tribe of Salmon People that live under the sea. And each year, they send out scouts to visit their homelands. And the way that the Snohomish people recognize that it’s time for the salmon scouts to be returning to their area is when, in the spring, a butterfly comes out. And the first person to see that butterfly will run, as fast as they can, to tell our chiefs or headmen, or now they are called the chairman. One of the other ways they recognize that the salmon scouts are returning is when the wild spirea tree blooms. The people call it the ironwood tree, and that’s what they use for fish sticks and a lot of other important things, like halibut hooks. It’s a very hard wood. So, when they see either one of these, a tribal member will tell the chairman, and he immediately sends out word to the people and calls them together in the longhouse for a huge feast and celebration to give honor to the visitors that are coming.”
Keeping with the tradition that extends across thousands of years, the Tulalip community prepares for the arrival of the scout weeks in advance. The tribe plans a special honoring for the salmon, thanking the local Indigenous species for providing healthy nourishment for the people year after year.
“This is a ceremony that our people have done since time immemorial, since we were salmon,” explained tribal member, Chelsea Craig. “It was a commitment to our people under the sea that we would carry on this tradition. And when colonizers came and tried to stop us from practicing our ways, it went underground. And our ancestors maintained that knowledge and passed it through oral traditions. And when it was safe for us to bring it back, our elders brought it back. It’s our responsibility to keep that going until there is no more time.”
Along with the practice of spiritual work, the Lushootseed language, songs, dances, hunting, gathering, and traditional ceremonies were outlawed by the US government at the beginning of the 20thcentury. During this time, Indian boarding schools were established, and children were forcibly removed from their families. The kids were to learn the ways of the ‘new world’ and abandon their traditional lifeways. It was a dangerous time to be Native American.
Decades passed by and the Salmon Ceremony was all but lost. However, thanks to a number of boarding school survivors, bits and pieces of those ancestral teachings were held onto while they endured the tragedies of assimilation. And in the mid-70’s, after the Meriam Report of 1928 helped abolish the majority of Indian boarding schools throughout the country, Harriette Shelton-Dover called upon her community. Forming a small group comprised of Tulalip, Swinomish, and Lummi elders, Harriette ushered in a new era for the sduhubš people with the revitalization of the Salmon Ceremony in 1976.
Teri recounted, “My father [Stan Jones Sr.] was one of the main people to work with the elders to bring the Salmon Ceremony back. A lot of these songs were almost lost. It was Harriette Shelton Dover and all these iconic elders that wanted to make sure this was carried on. That was so important. My mom was the one who brought the cakes, and we would visit and write everything down to keep it for future generations. And that’s what’s most important, that these young ones are learning now.”
Tulalip’s future, some merely a few weeks old, were fully immersed in the ceremony, with their regalia and ancestral knowledge on full display. Accounting for over half of those in attendance, the youth put on their sduhubš warrior faces and treated the gathering with the utmost importance and sincerity. Each time they entered the sacred space of the Tulalip longhouse, they went in focused on the work taking place and beamed with Tulalip pride.
“It felt so good in the longhouse,” exclaimed Chelsea. “It felt like we were bringing pride to our ancestors. It felt like a longhouse full of love. It felt good today. And to see all the kids, I was sitting down watching them, and it overwhelmed me with pride. Our young ones are taking up this culture with their full selves.”
Tulalip youth Rajalion Robinson expressed, “This was my first year at the Salmon Ceremony. It was really nice to learn more about my culture, especially during the practices. My favorite part of the ceremony was dancing to the Welcome Song.”
Upon witnessing the youth arriving at the year’s ceremony, Teri said, “It’s exciting because what it brings is all this culture and knowledge to the children so they can pass it on. I’m really excited about how many youth we have involved. We actually almost need a longer longhouse to accommodate all the children.”
In total, ten songs and blessings are offered at the Salmon Ceremony. And those powerful chants were amplified by all the voices of the young people this year. From start to finish, the kids were engaged and sang with booming voices that echoed out of the longhouse and rippled across the bay. The ten songs are offered in the following order:
The Welcome Song
Sduhubš War Song
Eagle/Owl Song (Tribute to Kai Kai)
Blessing of the Fisherman
Listen to our Prayers
hikw siyab yubəč
The Happy Song
Table Blessing Song
Canoe Song (Kenny Moses Jr.’s Song)
New Beginnings Cleansing Song (Glen’s Song)
Once the guest of honor is welcomed into the longhouse, he is escorted on a bed of cedar branches to the Greg Williams Court where a feast ensues. The people share the first bite of salmon together as one tribe.
“This first piece is representative of us all sharing the blessing of the yubəč,” said Salmon Ceremony leader, Glen Gobin, as he addressed the participants at the gym. “I ask that we all eat this piece at the same time together. Now, I’m going to ask that we all take our water and drink it together. This clear water represents the purity of life, and the lifegiving waters in which the salmon come from. Now I’m going to ask that we all eat this wonderful meal together.”
After the meal, the people return the remains of the scout back to the waters so he can complete his journey back to the village of the Salmon People and tell his relatives about his journey to the sduhubš territory. To show their appreciation to the tribe for the special honoring, the salmon will travel to Tulalip Bay throughout the season to continue providing sustenance for the people.
Derek Prather, Tulalip member and parent shared, “It’s a beautiful ceremony and I’m grateful to be able to share it with my kids, help cook the fish, and take part in the ceremony with the community. I’ve been doing it since I was my son’s age, 5 years old. My uncle was Stan Jones who helped restart the Salmon Ceremony, so it’s important to pass this on to my kids. I’m really grateful to see so many kids show up today. It warms my heart to see that.”
The following message is an excerpt from the 2023 Salmon Ceremony program:
This year’s Salmon Ceremony is dedicated to Donald ‘Penoke’ Hatch Jr. He was on the Tulalip Board of Directors for 27 years. And for every year he served on the board, he fought to keep the Salmon Ceremony and any activity for our youth alive here at Tulalip. Penoke was also on the Marysville School Board for 16 years to help keep our children in school. For all his hard work supporting our children, the Tribe named the new youth center gym after him. Our hands go up to him for all he has done for our tribe.
During the feast, and moments before taking a generational photo as a member of the king salmon carriers of the ceremony, Penoke shared a few words about the special honoring. He said, “Right now, I’m going through a lot with my health. I’m not feeling too good because of my cancer and the medicine I take. But it makes me feel good when I wake up in the morning to another day. Today was a really special day and it was tremendous for me. My life here on the reservation, all the cultural going-ons and all the things that I’ve done in my lifetime, it’s coming back to me. And I appreciate our people for recognizing me and the years that I participated in education, sports and just in our community. Our tribe has given us so many things that we need to appreciate more. We have to appreciate each other more. We have to love each other more than yesterday. That’s the most important thing.”
Early last month, Tulalip News detailed the exciting debut of Tulalip Heritage’s golf team. The eight-person team was intently driving, chipping, and putting their way to success at the well-manicured Cedarcrest golf course, where they were matched up with rival school Grace Academy. While covering Tieriana McLean, the lone female golfer on Heritage’s team, we learned she was routinely matched up with another girl golfer from Grace who also happens to be a Tulalip tribal member.
Emily Hegnes, the daughter of Belinda and Don Hegnes is a sophomore at the K-12 private Christian school in Marysville. And she recently etched her name among the lengthy list of Tulalip athletes to find great success in organized sports. She blew even the loftiest expectations out of the water with a stellar 2nd place finish at Tri-Districts and earned a spot at State.
“I’ve been playing since I was young with my dad and my brother, so golf has always been around in the family. At first, I didn’t really like it, but I’ve gotten really used to it and have fun playing with friends and family,” admitted 16-year-old Emily.
Her mom Belinda shared how her daughter started playing golf at five years old while on the course with her parents. They’d hand her a club between holes and watch her swing. Eventually, she grew increasingly competitive playing so often with her big brother that she could shoot even with him. That’s when everyone around her realized she had an innate skill on the green.
Those skills and more were on full display during her recent sophomore season. Her coach Elizabeth Callaghan said, “Probably the thing that sums up her season more than anything is the impression that she’s left on other golfers. I hear from other coaches and athletes what a joy she is to play with. She’s a kind and compassionate girl, and really in the community of golf, that’s something you want to develop in an athlete. The ability to be a lifelong player with whom others are excited to play is one of the highest compliments any golfer can get.”
High school sports have been known to provide numerous benefits to student-athletes, including improved physical health, leadership skills, and teamwork abilities. While traditional sports such as football, basketball, and baseball have long been popular among high school athletes, golf is becoming increasingly popular. In fact, according to a study by Axios in 2022, golf has risen to the eighth most participated high school sport, with a whopping 143,000+ participants playing high school golf nationally.
Emily’s consistently low scores at one golf course after another culminated with her Tri-District performance hosted at Loomis Trail golf course in Blaine at the end of May. With her sleeves rolled past her shoulders, she not only looked like she meant business but, performance-wise, was ensuring she had a complete range of motion on all her golf swings. Going into the final three holes, Emily was near the top of the leaderboard. Her clutch ball placement and patient putting earned her an impressive 2nd place finish.
“Districts and Tri-Districts were both pretty straightforward for me,” said Emily. “I didn’t feel much pressure. I was a little nervous, but I was pretty confident in my ability to get a good score. Usually, it’s all about fun, but my coach provided some motivation and gave me a goal that I really wanted to accomplish.”
Golf is commonly considered a mentally challenging sport that requires players to stay focused and maintain a positive attitude. The game is often described as “90% mental and 10% physical,” meaning that a player’s mental state largely determines success on the course. High-achieving golfers like Emily routinely showcase unwavering concentration, mental discipline, and resilience. The ability to stay focused and composed under pressure translates into academic success and cultivates a strong work ethic.
“She has a calm confidence,” described Emily’s mom. “That mindset helps her to improve and keeps her motivated. I’m so proud as a mom and a Tulalip tribal member to have a daughter who took up the sport of golf, committed to improving one area at a time, set goals that she reached, and made it all the way to State.”
After her State experience, Emily shared it only made her love golf more because she got to compete with the best girls around and realized how much better she could be.
Colonization is named the root of numerous ills in Native America. We often forget that while our people and culture suffered the effects of colonization by other humans, our lands were also colonized by non-native plants. Some are easily managed, and others have been wildly out of control since nearly the day they were introduced.
On the Tulalip Reservation, Poison Hemlock, Scotch Broom, and Japanese Knotweed are some of the most pervasive. The problem isn’t that non-native species are inherently bad. In fact, many beneficial food crops are non-native. The most obvious problem is that invasive species outcompete native species that provide food and shelter for native animals.
Austin Richard, a Stewardship Ecologist with Tulalip’s Natural and Cultural Resources Division, is part of the team working to decolonize habitats on the Reservation.
“Part of my job entails invasive plant management and treatment both on Reservation and throughout our usual and accustomed areas,” he explained. “We define invasive species as plants or animals that do not naturally occur in an ecosystem and whose introduction can cause environmental harm, economic harm, or harm to human health.”
The on-Reservation efforts focus on areas where people work or play regularly. The Betty J. Taylor Early Learning Academy, the Gathering Hall, and the Health Clinic waterfront. Austin described the three primary species his team is targeting.
Poison Hemlock, as its name implies, is toxic to people and animals. “We want to make sure it’s not accidentally ingested or harming people,” said Austin.
According to the USDA*:
Poison Hemlock can poison animals who eat the plant, either fresh or dried.
It looks very similar to wild parsnip, which is edible.
Children have been poisoned and died from using the hollow stems as homemade whistles.
Signs of Poison Hemlock exposure include trembling, ataxia (poor muscle control) that affects the lower or hind limbs, salivation, lack of coordination, dilation of the pupils, rapid, weak pulse, respiratory paralysis, coma, death, convulsions and occasionally bloody feces and gastrointestinal irritation.
Scotch Broom is next on the list. Whether they know it or not, most people have seen Scotch Broom growing alongside the freeway. According to the National Parks Service** it is a member of the pea family. This ornamental was introduced to North America from Africa and parts of Europe. It was also used as erosion control along highways. Its bright yellow flowers are in full brilliant display currently. When the plant is pollinated, it produces pods that dry and twist until they burst, flinging thousands of seeds into the surrounding area.
“The major problem with Scotch Broom is how rapidly it spreads,” said Austin. “It out shades and outcompetes native plants so that nothing else can get established. It’s really difficult to control because those seed pods explode and release tens of thousands of seeds. Those seeds can last upwards of 60 years in the soil. So even if you kill the plant initially, if you’re not reintroducing native plants in the soil, the seeds can propagate, and you have more Scotch Broom plants.”
Japanese Knotweed is the third target species. Another escaped ornamental, Japanese Knotweed can grow up to 8 feet tall, spread by seed, tiny plant fragments, and its extensive root system. Sometimes incorrectly referred to as bamboo, *** Japanese Knotweed has reddish brown hollow stems, large leaves, and whitish flowers that grow in clusters. Although it seems like a pretty landscape plant, it can cause some real damage to infrastructure and the environment.
“Salmon need really specific habitat and conditions,” described Austin. “They need cooler water temperatures and specific gravel types, not too small like sand and silts because that will suffocate their eggs, but not so large that the salmon can’t move them to create the redds (nests) where they lay their eggs. The problem with Knotweed is that it doesn’t allow those conifers to grow and provide shade to the streams.
Lack of large conifers also impacts the way streams flow, said Austin, “Those large conifers grow and then fall into the water, providing larger woody debris and creating pooling, and more habitat complexity that salmon and smaller fish rely on. Knotweed also grows extensive root systems that spread out – but don’t stabilize the soils. That allows the banks to become eroded and provide more silt and sand that covers up spawning gravel and suffocates salmon eggs.”
Knowing the damage they do, it still begs the question, why pesticides? Can’t we rip them out and call it good? It’s not that easy, said Austin. Each plant requires a specific chemical treatment administered within a particular time frame to be effective. The team always weighs the benefits and risks before resorting to chemical interventions.
“We use manual and mechanical means whenever possible unfortunately, some of those natural vinegar-type treatments just don’t work,” said Austin. When used according to the regulatory guidelines and labels, the products we use are very safe for humans and animals. Once they’re sprayed, and the product dries, there is minimal risk to humans and animals.”
Signage is posted indicating the day and time the area was treated to protect and educate people.
“We recommend people avoid the area for 24-48 hours to allow the herbicides to dry on the plants and reduce any impacts. The chemicals we use are all approved for aquatic use by the EPA and Washington State Department of Agriculture.”
If you want to know more or have noxious weeds from your property, contact Austin at 360-716-4603, or email arichard@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov.
An exciting and potentially life-saving program is being welcomed into the Tulalip community. In a true collaborative effort by Community Health and Tulalip Bay Fire to not waste a single second while attending to our on-reservation residents during emergency situations, the family friendly Container for Life launch event is scheduled for June 16, from 3pm to 5pm, at the Tulalip fire station.
The Container for Life is designed to speak for you when you can’t speak for yourself. The container holds important information that can assist emergency personnel in administering proper medical treatment.
“When a medical emergency has occurred, it’s very hard for the person involved or their family to answer all the questions that EMS and/or medical personnel will need to ask. With the Container for Life, most of that information is in the container. This helps ease stress and errors that can occur when people are under duress,” explained lead nurse for Community Health, Ashley Schmidt.
What is the Container for Life program?
The Container for Life program is a community safety and harm reduction program. In the case of a medical emergency one of the most crucial factors is time. The Container for Life provides crucial information for EMS and medical professionals to quickly assess and respond on an individual basis during an emergency.
Why should our community make it a priority to implement the Container for Life in their homes?
Tulalip consists of 22,000 acres or 35 square miles. Much of the area has limited access, often only one road in and out. 4 out of 5 Tulalip emergencies happen in the home. The Container for Life will greatly assist in addressing medical needs immediately and possibly prevent a need to go the hospital, not to mention this could be lifesaving. In addition, there is a section on the Medical Information Form for tribal members to include preferences and goals of care. For example, this would be a great place to include cultural considerations such as not cutting one’s hair or spiritual preferences.
Which services and programs are collaborating to bring this potentially lifesaving program to Tulalip?
The Community Health nurse team and the Tulalip Bay Fire paramedic team have partnered together to bring this life saving product to tribal homes. The Community Health Department was awarded a Public Health Improvement & Training subaward through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB).
This subaward will fund the Container for Life project as well as ACT community classes. ACT stands for Antidote, CPR and Tourniquet. The Community Health nurses and community paramedics will offer important classes on reversing overdoses using Narcan, compression-only bystander CPR and in-the-field tourniquet use to stop critical bleeds (i.e. fishing or hunting accidents, car or ATV accidents, etc.). These classes will begin later this summer.
Who is championing the Container for Life cause already and what messages are they hoping to share?
Ray Sheldon Jr. and Rhonda Gobin are our two Container for Life champions. Ray said, “We have to think about the larger picture. If I have to go to a new medical provider or for some reason have to go to a different hospital than Providence, say Overlake or Evergreen, then I can grab the container. It has all my important medical information in it and is readily accessible to go where I go. It’s a win-win.”
Rhonda shared, “Not everyone has access to get a Life Alert. Knowing that I live alone and my information is there if it is needed. It gives me lots of assurance and confidence in the EMTs. I’d advise my fellow elders to not be afraid and try something new. Trust in this program because it is good. This makes me feel safe. I have had many good experiences with Tulalip Bay Fire. This Container for Life would have saved my grandmas life and many other people’s lives. We have attended so many funerals that we should never had to if they had this.”
How can interested individuals and/or families participate?
KICK-OFF distribution event: Friday June 16th at 3pm, come by the Tulalip Bay Fire Department to learn about the project, receive a Container for Life kit and meet the teams! This is a family-friendly event. We will serve BBQ foods. We will also have TPD Community Outreach there with the canine unit and the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator to engage with the community.
After the distribution event, we will have Containers for Life kits available for pick-up both at the TBFD and Community Health buildings. In addition, EMS teams will have kits for distribution while they work in the field.
Community Health can be contacted for additional information at 360.716.5662 option 5.
Each Container for Life kits will include:
The Container for Life vial
A branded magnet for the refrigerator
A branded window cling for a front facing door or window
2 medical information forms
An instruction card explaining how to use all of the above items
The Lakewood relay team etched their names in school history with 6th place at State.
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
During the summer of 2022, soon-to-be high school senior Kenzie Thompson Sheldon made the decision to transfer from Marysville Getchell to Lakewood. A seemingly simple enough transfer had major ramifications for the three-time Varsity letter earner for her prowess on the soccer field, as Washington Interscholastic Activities Association — the state’s governing body for high school sports – denied her petition to play soccer at Lakewood during her senior year.
Roughly half the country’s state athletic associations require one year of ineligibility for student-athletes transferring for anything other than “bona fide” family reasons, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. This longstanding restriction is generally an attempt to prevent high school athletic programs from recruiting and thereby gaining a competitive advantage.
Kenzie prepares to run the first leg of her team’s 4×100 relay.
With her decision to transfer high schools for her senior year solidified, the Tulalip soccer standout had no other choice but to consider playing another sport to fulfill her competitive spirit. She had previously participated in track and field events while in middle school. Memories of running the mile and doing the long jump seemed like forever ago, but more prominent was the litany of soft tissue injuries that plagued her from year-round soccer.
“It was important for me to play a sport during my last year of high school. Even though I had strained muscles in my back and groin playing soccer and then running track in consecutive seasons in the past, I was confident with the time I had before track started that I could make my body strong enough to withstand the stress of sprinting,” said Kenzie.
And so during the three winter months, she focused her sights on Lakewood’s indoor workout facility and its variety of weight-lifting equipment. Her commitment to an ideal sprinter’s bod required three days a week getting in her routine of Russian twists, pike crunches, box squats, goblet squats, and a whole host of barbell-based lifts.
Kenzie and her grandmother Denise Sheldon on the day of State finals.
When spring sports season came around, Kenzie had lived up to her commitment to strengthening her body for track. At a lean, mean 5’1 and 110 pounds she had achieved bench-pressing and squatting well over her body weight for multiple reps. Remarkably, she managed to successfully streamline her body to one of a single-digit body fat percentage that could easily explode out of the runners’ blocks and move lightning quick around the track.
Her competitive fire was reignited once track kicked off. To the point she eagerly accepted the challenge of competing in the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints, long jump, and 4×100 relay. As the season progressed, she and her coach made the decision to focus solely on the 100-meter sprint and 4×100 relay because of the success they were achieving meet after meet.
“Early on, I knew our relay team was going to be good because every one of us had a good 100-meter time. We just hadn’t all run together as a relay team before, and I was brand new to the team, so our times earlier in the season didn’t really show how good we were,” admitted Kenzie. “But after figuring out which order of relay runners we each needed to be, getting our steps dialed in, and practicing our baton hand-off, oh I don’t know, like, a thousand times, then our time kept getting faster and faster.”
With each passing track meet the Lakewood High School girls 4×100 relay continued to progress. Running the first leg, considered by most to be designated for the team’s strongest runner, Kenzie continued to work on her blazing fast split, which she says topped out at a whopping 11.8 seconds. Her relay team was peaking at just the right time. When they competed in sub-districts and then districts in mid-May, they managed to post a blistering 50.8 second time that qualified them to run at State.
This year’s Washington State track finals took place at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma. Kenzie and her relay team were among the top 2A runners invited to race into the record books during the weekend of May 27.
Kenzie’s keepsakes from the memorable season: her cleats, relay baton, and favorite pre-race candy.
A contingent of family made the trip to Mount Tahoma’s outdoor track and field facility to cheer on their soccer star turned State qualified sprinter. As she does before every race, Kenzie devoured a pack of pink lemonade-flavored sour strips. The 120-gram shot of sugar refuels her glycogen level for the longest 12-second sprint of her life. After she completes her leg and passes the baton to the next runner her time is leading the race and all she can do is wait for the relay to conclude to see where they place.
A matter of seconds later the times are announced and the Lakewood relay team finishes with the 6th best time.
“When the times were announced I was both excited and sad. Excited because of how well we did as a first-time relay team and how much we grew from the beginning of the season, but sad because I know we were so close to finishing 4th. But really, no one predicted we’d even qualify for State, let alone make school history,” reflected Kenzie. “We were told it was the first time in Lakewood school history that a team made it to a State final for the 4×100. That’s a pretty cool achievement.”
With graduation only a couple weeks away, the 18-year-old State finisher admits her athlete days may be behind her. That is unless she manages to make the Hawaii Pacific University soccer team as a walk-on. But if not, she’ll turn all her focus to her studies while pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in marine biology on the gorgeous Honolulu-based campus.
Several dozen camping tents were set up throughout the northern parking lots of the Tulalip Resort Casino during the first weekend of June. The sound of traditional hand drums could be heard around the gaming establishment and luxury hotel. The drum beats emanated from the center of the Tulalip Amphitheater where close to 1,000 people gathered for the Tulalip Tribe’s annual Stick Games Tournament.
According to stories passed down generation after generation, stick games was originally introduced to the Northwest coastal tribes and First Nations Bands thousands of years ago. The traditional game, also known as bone games, slahal, hand games, and lahal, was created as a way to settle intertribal disputes such as the rights to hunting and fishing grounds, and also as a means to prevent warfare between tribes. And while each tribe and band have different stories pertaining to stick games, the origin of the game is consistent throughout the region. Tribal nations agree that the game was gifted and taught to the people by the Indigenous wildlife of our territory.
Requiring the skill and mastery of deception and distraction, the game is initiated by two opposing teams that consist of three to five players. During gameplay, the team’s alternate turns, and sticks are used to keep score throughout the contest. A set of bones is discreetly distributed amongst the team that is in-play and the opposing squad must correctly guess where the bones are hidden and how many pieces the player has concealed in their hands. While the bones change hands between teammates, the team sings traditional family songs to distract their opponents from seeing who is in possession of the bones. The team with the most correct amount of guesses wins the game and advances to the next round.
In addition to bones and sticks, there are a number of unofficial game pieces that each team utilizes to their advantage during a stick game tournament. Such items include foldable lawn chairs, so that teams can quickly set-up against their opponents and move and play about the grounds; pull-over hoodies, blankets, and bandanas are used to cover a player’s hands to prevent opponents from seeing where the bones are placed. Of course, traditional hand-drums and rattles are used to distract the rival team while the bones are in-play.
“I’m happy to be back here playing at Tulalip,” said Lummi tribal member, Tavis Washington Jr. “I am a 5th generation stick game player, but it’s been a part of my family since the beginning of time. It always feels great to come out to this event and see all the people who I [know] and meet new people too. My favorite part of the game is winning, I like when my team or my family wins.”
For observers and players alike, a highlight of the Tulalip Tribes annual Stick Games Tournament is supporting Indigenous owned businesses as local artists and chefs set up shop at the amphitheater throughout the weekend. This year a vast amount of vendors were scattered throughout the amphitheater’s grounds, including several Tulalip entrepreneurs.
Josh Fryberg’s clan sold their signature smoked salmon as well as a selection of hoodies and t-shirts, Jared’s CORNer was popping as many stopped by the food truck to grab a bag of kettle corn, Winona Shopbell-Fryberg had a beautiful array of her family’s beaded jewelry for sale, and Angel and Amber Cortez’s kids operated the ‘Traveler’s Drinks & Grub To-Go’ food truck to help raise funds for a trip to Washington D.C. this fall. Other items for purchase at the tournament included Indian tacos, snow cones, and Native-designed clothing, blankets, and accessories.
The participants of the Tulalip Stick Games Tournament competed for the chance to walk away with some scrilla in their pockets. With a total payout of $60,000 this year, many cash prizes were awarded throughout the three-day event, including the grand prize of $25,000. In addition to the main competition, several mini matches were also held during the tournament such as the three-man tournament and the kid’s tournament.
Jennie Fryberg, Tulalip Stick Games Tournament Committee member, shared, “I’m so happy our Tribe hosts tribal events for our people. We hosted 145 teams for Saturday’s five-man tournament and 115 teams for Sunday’s three-man tournament! Congratulations to Martin Hannigan’s (Muckleshoot) five-man team for winning first place in the big tournament Saturday night. It was an amazing weekend full of friendship, good food, and beautiful art by Native vendors. Hands up to my sister Carrie Fryberg for making this event happen. Can’t wait for next year’s event!”
“Gooch” Wolf Mask. Red cedar, acrylic paint, cedar bark.
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
In an era of rapid technological advancement, the art world is undergoing a profound transformation. Artists, once limited by traditional mediums, are now free to embrace modern tools and digital platforms to push the boundaries of their creative mind.
Tulalip citizen James Madison is one such artist who isn’t simply embracing this challenge of adapting to an ever-evolving art market, he’s actually empowered by culture and tradition to forge forward and demonstrate to the next generation what’s possible. A mindset he inherited from his grandfather Frank Madison.
“I started learning how to carve at 5-years-old,” shared the now 49-year-old James in a recent episode of Hibulb Conversations. “Some of my earliest carving memories are from when I’d be dropped off at my grandma Lois and grandpa Frank’s house every day during elementary. I’d basically receive my culture teachings from them in the morning, before going to school at Whittier Elementary, then continue the culture teachings with them after school. Back then, my grandpa would carve around the kitchen table. He’d sit me down with my cousin Steven and we would watch and learn.”
James comes from an artistic family that spans multiple generations and includes both Tulalip and Tlingit forebearers who were deeply rooted in cultural traditions and storytelling. They used a variety of tools and elements that were at their disposal at the time to preserve their culture through art.
Whale Mask. Hand carved yellow cedar.
Today, as the world becomes increasingly interconnected and technology-driven, James and his contemporaries are finding ways to evolve their craft by blending traditional techniques with new mediums that require a functional knowledge of the latest techno wizardry. Welcome to the competitive art scene of 2023. Where true master’s of the craft must push themselves to learn exciting and innovative methods to preserve their cultural heritage like those before them.
“I always dreamt of being an artist like my grandpa and father before me,” admitted the Tulalip master carver. “There was a Haida artist named Bill Reid, who I never actually met in person, but he had a profound impact on me through his books filled with northwest coastal art and stunning sculptures that were 15 to 20-feet large. When I was young, his books were accessible to me and I’d look through them constantly; studying his technique and visualizing what I’d do if I had the ability to create things larger than life.”
Thunderbird Blackfish Panel. Hand carved red cedar, acrylic.
As his portfolio grew, so too did his public commissions; to the point that his previous childlike visions of one day creating larger than life carvings and sculptures came to fruition. James has created stunning 10, 20 and even 25-foot installations that are easily visible all across Coast Salish territory. From his home reservation (at Tulalip Resort Casino, Hibulb and the Admin Building), to Mukilteo’s Lighthouse Park, Stanwood’s Kayak Point, Arlington’s Centennial Trail, and Everett’s Evergreen Arboretum.
Now in his first solo exhibition with Stonington Gallery, located in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square neighborhood, James mastery of the latest artistic mediums is on full display. His unique cultural expression fills the gallery space and allows onlookers to explore complex themes, while immersing themselves in the awe-inspiring creations developed by a master at work.
“I know it’ll sound kinda goofy, but I don’t look at myself as a Native artist. I look at myself as an artist,” reflected James while reviewing his latest gallery collection. “My grandpa always told me, ‘we need to not just carve things out of the books, but look to create new things to show that we’re still evolving. We’re not petrified. We’re still alive.’ That was his mantra and I’ve incorporated into my life by always pushing myself creatively to create something new. To show that we’re not petrified. We’re still alive and still evolving.”
“Eclipse” Moon Mask. Hard carved yellow cedar, carbon fiber.
Fittingly titled Still Alive, Not Petrified, his Stonington Gallery exhibition embodies what an artistic mind can achieve when experimenting with different techniques, collaborating across disciplines, and creating groundbreaking works that challenge conventions, while intending to inspire new ideas from the next generation of artists.
“I’ve been so enthralled by not just the level of mastery James routinely exhibits, but the sheer diversity of his mediums as well. It was his carvings and public works that really caught my eye, and why I initially contacted him over Instagram,” explained Jewelia Rosenbaum, director of Stonington. “In my 24-years with Stonington, we’ve made it a mission to spearhead the connection between this region and Coast Salish art. In 2005, we were the first to put out a wide-ranging, largescale exhibit of only Coast Salish artwork. This went hand-in-hand with our partnership with University of Washington Press to publish a book titled Contemporary Coast Salish Art.
Stonington Gallery exhibit display.
“We are so honored to feature a James Madison solo exhibition because he truly encapsulates contemporary Coast Salish art,” she added. “From metal sculptures and glass woven panels to intricately carved cedar masks and paddles to even molded carbon fiber weaves that contrast beautifully with a carved cedar panel backdrop, he represents everything one might want when coming to the art form.”
As he continues to evolve his use of traditional storytelling through new mediums and digital tools, James is actively revitalizing the Coast Salish art scene by injecting innovation, vibrancy, and relevance into the creative process. By leveraging technological advancements to preserve and showcase his culture, he’s also bridging the gap between generations and diverse backgrounds to create a collective understanding of what it means to be alive, not petrified.
By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News; photo courtesy of Nicole Sieminski
Six Tulalip tribal departments sang nothing but praises about the Tulalip Foundation for their assistance in getting their projects up and running this year, as well as expanding their program’s outreach and services for the community. And it’s a guarantee that if we were to speak about every project that the Foundation has helped since its inception in 2007, countless other tribal departments and outside organizations would join in on the chorus.
Nicole Sieminski, the woman behind the scenes, has made a huge impact within the tribal community from the moment she took on the role of the Foundation’s Executive Director in the mid-teens of this millennia. Through her hard work and guidance, the non-profit has become a well-known organization, and therefore, many local businesses and nationwide corporations have donated thousands of dollars for the betterment of both Tulalip’s governmental programs as well as community-led and focused projects.
The Tulalip Foundation has helped raise monies, and also accepted and dispersed donated funds, on behalf of numerous efforts and causes based on three core values: culture, justice and education. Undergoing a recent strategic planning process, the Foundation is excited to announce that they expanded from those three project support areas to five – culture and natural resources, law and justice, education and workforce, community and development, and health and social. These newly defined areas give the Foundation the ability to fully support Tulalip’s community at large.
“We’re currently working with fourteen tribal programs and departments and a couple outside ones as well,” said Nicole. “We just reorganized a little and our new project support areas really gives us that flexibility that we need to support our community.”
Over the past several years, the Tulalip Foundation has been the recipient of a yearly donation from Kendall Subaru of Marysville. Throughout the winter months, Subaru dealerships participate in a nationwide initiative known as the Share the Love Event in which local dealerships contribute a donation to an organization or charity of their choosing each time a vehicle is sold throughout the duration of the event. As Kendall Subaru’s handpicked ‘hometown charity’, the Foundation has been fortunate to accept upwards of $20,000 each year that they have been selected.
Following a springtime check presentation, the Foundation divvies up the donation into $5,000 mini grants which programs, projects, and departments can then apply for. After receiving last year’s donation of $25,000, the Foundation began their strategic planning process and decided to hold onto those funds until the reorg was completed. Combined with this year’s Share the Love donation, the Foundation was able to award a total of six mini grants in 2023.
Upon hearing where the mini grants were allocated, Tulalip News spoke with all six of those recipients to discuss how their programs will benefit from the donation and how they plan to utilize those mini grant funds.
Tulalip Vocational Training Center – Lisa Telford, TERO TVTC Family Career Navigator
We got a mini grant to update our welding supplies so we can do a welding class. It will be focused on the basics of welding, so you’re not coming out as certified welder, but you’ll have a better understanding of how to lay a bead. The funds are going to refurbishing the machines that we already have, making sure they’re usable, and purchasing another.
We’re always trying to expand what we teach so people can have a good base for their career or to further their career. For me, I’m always looking for ways to expand their knowledge so they’re more successful, and it just so happens that the mini grant came up.
We have a graduation this Friday (5/26) and we are recruiting for our new classes that starts in September!
Tulalip Legacy of Healing and Tulalip Child Advocacy Center – Sydney Gilbert, CAC/LOH Coordinator
It feels great and supportive to receive these funds for our clients. We were able to get one mini grant for each center, and that will be able to be used directly for client assistance. We do receive a lot of grant funding that does go towards client assistance, but often times there isn’t endless flexibility with the things you can use those funds for. So having access to these funds, we can really meet our clients where they’re at, so they can work with their advocate to identify what their needs are in their situation, so we can financially assist in a much more flexible way.
There are so many barriers when you think about domestic violence. Leaving an abusive situation, a lot of times abusers financially silo their victims, so they don’t have access to funds. A lot of examples people run into is the ability to bring their pets, you might have to board an animal and that costs money, you might have continued vet care. Animals and pets are really important to people so being able to potentially assist with getting their pets out of the situation is a more flexible cost that we can assist with.
We just want to honor the fact the victims and survivors are the expert in their story, they know what they need, and we need to be listening to them and supporting them. Thank you to the Tulalip Foundation and we’re really happy to have access to those funds.
Tulalip Office of Civil Legal Aid – Chori Folkman, TOCLA Lead Attorney/Youth Attorney
It’s incredibly supportive of the Tulalip Foundation to award us with this grant because it’s funding a really important piece of infrastructure that we need to be able to operate as a law office. What it’s going toward is to pay for an annual subscription to a legal case management system. A client management system that allows us to be able to serve the needs of the Tulalip community through our civil legal aid office.
It allows us to keep all files, client contact information, the ability to conflict check, and access information all in one place. It’s through the web, so we can access it from any place we are, whether it’s in the courtroom, in the community, or on the weekend dealing with an emergency, we can access our entire case files. It also allows to ensure confidentiality between our different divisions.
The Tulalip Office of Civil Legal Aid is holding office hours every Monday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. where tribal members can stop by and get screened to talk to our attorney that morning about their legal needs. We’ll also be having open office hours once a month at the admin building. People can drop by anytime during normal business hours to talk to our pro se navigator who can give them guidance on how to fill out forms or the legal process, and that’s accessible by phone or in person all week.
Natural Resources: Education and Outreach – Melissa Gobin, Environmental and Education Outreach Coordinator
“The $5,000 that we got from the Foundation mini grant is being used to get equipment for cedar pulling, for being out in the woods. I am trying to get more rain gear for the kids.
We’re also going to be doing fish camps, because we had fish camp and mountain camp going before COVID, so we’re trying to get that back up and running. In the middle of July, we’re going to be doing our first fish camp at the youth center, so it’s close. We’re going to bring the kids out fishing, bring them back and teach them how we prepare it, how we store it for the whole year, smoking, canning, all that kind of stuff. We’re going to try to build a smoker on the beach, that’s our big goal, to have the youth help build that smoker and teach how we traditionally made sure we had salmon for the whole year.
I think the kids really need to know about natural resources in a way that’s fun, and not just on paper. I want them to see the different plants and medicines we have. And see why we’re protecting these wetlands, why we’re protecting the forest, why we’re trying to go out and make buffer zones to the fish. You can see it in their eyes once they get out there and start getting into everything, they get excited. You can see which kids want to come back and work in natural resources. And that’s what I’m really trying to do, after they go to college, get them back here and working for us.
Natural Resources: Restoration, Acquisition, and Stewardship Program – Austin Richard, Stewardship Ecologist
Receiving this mini grant is really valuable to our program to help alleviate capacity issues and support day to day functions. Our program has received multiple large grants to support salmon habitat restoration work, but the flexibility around this mini grant allows us to purchase equipment and gear in a more efficient way that will help support larger scale restoration projects from the ground up.
Funding from this mini grant will support critical efforts to provide the equipment and gear necessary to further prevent the spread of invasive plants that negatively impact Tulalip land and Tribal member’s properties. The majority of the funds will be used to purchase a Conex container, which will allow us to store our equipment (e.g., brush cutters, shovels, weed wrenches, etc…) in a more spacious and organized manner. This will also improve our ability to obtain additional gear and equipment that will help accomplish the Restoration, Acquisition, and Stewardship Program’s ultimate goal of protecting and restoring Tulalip Treaty Retained Resources through conservation, stewardship, restoration, and enhancement of critical habitat and natural processes.
It is exciting to get an inside look of the Tulalip Foundation and their process of dispersing donations throughout the community while remaining focused on those key project support areas. They recently received a surprise $25,000 donation from the Taylor Family Foundation through the Community Foundation of Snohomish County, and the Tulalip Foundation is eager to continue to build upon that newfound relationship. The Foundation also assisted the Tulalip Village of Hope by accepting a $3,000 donation on their behalf from homebuilding company, LGI Homes. And of course, the Tulalip Foundation will be hosting their annual Salmon Bake Fundraiser to benefit the Hibulb Cultural Center on August 19.
And if you are interested in learning more or looking for additional info, listed below are the contacts of the Tulalip Foundation and each of the programs that were awarded this year’s mini grants.
Tulalip Foundation: (360) 716-5400
Tulalip TERO Vocational Training Center: (360) 716-4760
