On December 9-10, the Tulalip Bay Fire Department hosted its annual Santa Run. The department helped spread holiday cheer while collecting non-perishable foods and monetary donations to support the food bank at the Tulalip Church of God.
All around Tulalip, people could hear a mix of sirens, Christmas music, and a jolly, “Ho Ho Ho” from honorary guest, Santa! A firetruck covered in lights and candy canes led the Fire Department parade, as five more trucks and engines followed shortly behind. Families rushed from their houses and stood anxiously by the edge of the road, anticipating their arrival. Children grinned from ear to ear as they ran up to Santa and announced their Christmas wishes. Ole Saint Nick was spotted running up to doors, handing out candy canes, yelling “Merry Christmas,” and asking people of all ages whether they are on the naughty or nice list this year.
A Santa tracker was available again for this year’s event on the Tulalip Bay Fire Department’s Facebook page, where community members could follow Santa’s GPS location and see which neighborhood he was visiting in real-time.
Some of the Tulalip areas visited were:
Madison Estates
Tulare
Spee-Bi-Dah
Tulalip Shores
83rd Pl Nw
Hermosa
43rd St NW
Potlach
56th St NW to 62nd St NW
Y-Site
Mission Ave
Battle Creek
Walter Moses Jr Dr/28th Dr. NW
Ezra Hatch RD/ Larry Price Loop Rd
Mission Highlands
Silver Village
Tulalip Firefighter and Paramedic Lindsay Ross, who has participated in the Santa Run for the past six years said, “This is our community that we take care of daily. We love being able to do this every year, to give back and share these memories with them. We love hanging out with the kids, but we also love visiting the elders. I know they’re a big part of the population and an important part of this community, so visiting and bringing them that Christmas spirit is important to us.”
An abundance of households were prepared to help those less fortunate as firefighters rounded up their canned goods, non-perishables, and monetary donations.
On December 12, several Tulalip firefighters drove to the Tulalip Church of God to make a special delivery. With hundreds of pounds of food and a $904 check, the Tulalip Church of God was overwhelmingly thankful for everything that was donated by the community.
“We are so blessed to be partnered with the Tulalip Bay Fire Department and to have such a good relationship with the Tulalip community. Everyone has been so good to us and has made it possible for us to continue helping others. I think this was our biggest Santa Run donation yet!” said the Food Bank Manager Charolette Petrie.
The food bank is available to community members and is open every Tuesday throughout the year. Contributions from events like the Santa Run help the food bank tremendously and allow more families to get the food they need. Much like the Thanksgiving baskets distributed earlier this year, Christmas baskets will also be given out to anyone in need. If you would like to donate to the Tulalip Church of God, please visit the church at 1330 Marine Dr. NE, Tulalip, WA, or contact them at (360) 653-7876.
The mission of the Tulalip Police Department is solely based on service to Tulalip’s 2,700 or so citizens who live on the Reservation and the even higher number of non-Tulalips who make up the greater on-Reservation community. The office of the Chief of Police and his many supporting staff considers it their duty and privilege to protect all citizens living within the 22,000-acre sovereign nation that is Tulalip from crime, but also to protect and defend the rights guaranteed under the Tulalip Tribes Constitution.
For all that they do for Tulalip, the entire police department was invited to partake in a special holiday celebration with their families on December 6th in the Orca Ballroom.
“A huge thank for all the work you do on behalf of this Tribe,” said Chairwoman Teri Gobin. “You each play a critical role in keeping our people safe. We’ve come a long way over the past few decades. As our membership has grown, our business ventures have grown, and our police force has grown. I want to let each and every one of you know that you are valued and appreciated.”
“Like Madam Chair said, I want to thank all of you for being here tonight and allowing us to celebrate you,” added Vice-Chairwoman Misty Napeahi. “We know how much your families have to sacrifice because of your commitment to keep our community safe. This means working the weekends and holidays, missing your children’s game days and award ceremonies, and other special family moments so that you can fulfill your duty to protect and serve Tulalip. My hands go up to every single family member in this room because its through your support that our officers can truly thrive.”
For the officers and support staff who brought their kids along, they were greeted by guest appearances by Santa and Mrs. Claus. Children screeched with glee to chat, hug, and take a keepsake photo with their Christmas icons.
While filling their bellies with an assortment of eats from the 4-Diamond catered buffet, officers enjoyed a rare night off to relax with their families and speak casually with Board of Directors Teri, Misty, and Mel Sheldon as they made their rounds to each table.
As the evening celebration concluded, Chief Sutter reflected, “This was really a great night for all our unsung heroes. They were able to enjoy the moment with their families. For me, seeing officers laugh and smile with their kids while taking picture with Santa and Mrs. Clause was so cool. Our professional often keeps us from having the time to create these special moments, so it really was amazing to see the simple joys of family and friends having light-hearted fun together.”
It was a full house at the Don Hatch Youth Center on the evening of December 12th as families gathered for some Christmastime fun during the Tulalip Education Division’s Holiday Celebration. Loaded with fun holiday-themed activities, the youth beamed with excitement and joy as they visited the many stations at the celebration. And to help set the yuletide vibe, DJ Monie kept the crowd amped throughout the night by playing all the Christmas classics and some new mixes as well.
“We went with a little bit of a variety,” said Danielle Fryberg, Tulalip Education Division Executive Assistant and lead organizer of the Holiday Celebration. “We had cookie decorating, ornament making, stocking coloring; there was a hot cocoa station and everyone really loved that. I think it’s important to have holiday events for the kids. This is a fun time for us to come together as a community and see each other and be with our friends and family.”
A beautiful Christmas dinner was served at the Greg Williams Court. And while attendees enjoyed their meal, they were treated to the beloved Christmas flick, Elf, on an extra-large projection screen. And because the celebration was a three-hour event, Elf was followed by another holiday comedy, Christmas Vacation.
“It’s really important to bring people together to spread holiday cheer, be one as a community, and do fun activities together, and enjoy each other’s time and company,” expressed Jessica Bustad, Executive Director of the Tulalip Education Division.
On the grassy area between the Greg Williams Court and the teen center, Santa Clause parked two of his reindeer before he went inside to take photos with all the families for the evening. Kids of all ages were astounded to see the reindeer adorned with sleigh bells, and they quickly formed a line to meet, pet, and feed the reindeer. Many of the youngins made multiple trips to check on the magical mammals, perhaps to make sure they didn’t fly off to the North Pole without jolly old St. Nicholas. And speaking of Santa, he had quite the busy trip to Tulalip this year as close to one-hundred boys and girls shared a conversation with him before posing for a photo in his sleigh.
The Education Division also hosted a book fair during the Holiday Celebration, and everyone in attendance had the opportunity to select a book to take home and read over the upcoming winter break.
“Anytime the bookfair is here, I get super excited to watch all the kids pick out books,” Jessica stated. “We love books. We’re the education division; we love learning, and we feel it’s important for every child to have books in their homes. Winter break is coming up and our hope is that they’ll have some books at home during the break that they can read. Reading is fun and we need the parents and adults of the community to help the children feel that.”
Everybody who was in attendance of the Holiday Celebration dressed in festive attire; some wore Christmas PJs, others wore Santa hats, but nearly everyone wore an ugly Christmas sweater. At the midway point of the party, DJ Monie announced the start of an ugly Christmas sweater contest. Split into three categories; kids, teens, and adults, the contest helped showcase the creativity and humor of the contestants. Some of the contestants took the time to personalize their sweaters by adding additional decorations, and others simply wore a sweater featuring their favorite characters such as the Grinch, Stitch, and Buddy the elf.
“That was fun and exciting,” said Ugly Sweater Contest participant, Sandy Pitchforth. “It was great to see all the kids who participated. The highlight of the night for me was all the crafts that were available for the children, and just being able to do things together. It was fun and we’re looking forward to the next events to happen.”
The evening ended with a raffle giveaway and each winner walked away with the gift of their choosing ranging from toys and fishing poles, to air fryers and Bluetooth speaker systems. The Tulalip Education Division’s mission to spread holiday cheer was a great success as the kids left with gifts in their hands, smiles on their faces, and memories to last a lifetime.
“I won a raffle prize and chose a speaker because I love music,” young Sophia Williams excitedly shared. “We love playing Christmas music loud and I’m really excited to use it for that. My little cousin also won and picked a volleyball for some reason. My favorite part tonight was making a stocking, hanging out with my friend, and just having a good time. This [Holiday Celebration] helps make the community a better place for us all.”
The Education Division has plenty more Christmas joy to spread and have a number of events coming up including the Tulalip Youth Council’s Winter Break Kick-Off and the Holiday Powwow. They also have a Christmas Break schedule for those youth (grades 6th-12th) who wish to take part in a movie outing on 12/19, Ice Skating on 12/20, a Christmas Party on 12/21, and Christmas Bingo on 12/22. For more details, please contact the teen center at (360) 716- 4909.
Said Jessica, “The Tulalip Education Division wants to send love and prayers out to our community. We hope everyone has a safe and fun winter break. And we encourage you to keep learning, keep growing your brains, and have fun doing it.”
Extravagantly festive Christmas trees and wreaths adorned the Orca Ballroom at the Tulalip Resort Casino during the 37th annual Festival of Trees. The multi-day holiday fundraiser kicked off November 3rd with a free community day and teddy bear celebration. Opportunities to give generously via an online auction accompanied the much anticipated, excitement-filled Holiday Gala and Live Auction held in-person on December 2nd.
Each year, thousands of community members take part in the Festival of Trees – including volunteers, sponsors, and attendees – to raise funds for Children’s Services at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett. For more than three decades, Providence Children’s Center has been providing comprehensive, family-oriented care and highly specialized therapies; such as physical, occupational, speech and feeding therapy for children with a wide variety of special needs.
“Knowing this is one of the largest charitable events for Snohomish County, it is appropriate for us to host and participate with good will and sharing the opportunity to help all children in need,” explained Marilyn Sheldon, manager of Tulalip Tribes Charitable Fund, on the importance of hosting the Festival and being the presenting sponsor. “We recognize that over 50% of Tulalip’s population is 0-24 years of age and Providence is our local hospital for care most tribal members use for emergency situations and other needs. Also, this event brings many people to our facilities for the week and encourages them to come back and host their own business/charity event at our venue.”
A highlight of the holiday season, the Festival of Trees provides opportunities for local families and organizations to make a significant contribution to benefit their community neighbors. Not to mention the festive, memory making opportunities for those seeking a post-Covid experience in a heart-warming atmosphere. Whether it’s a decadent black-tie gala or afternoon with cookies and Santa, the Festival’s variety of events offer holiday cheer for all.
The tremendously decorated Christmas trees won’t soon be forgotten as their specialized themes like ‘Gnomes for the Holidays’ and ‘Walking in a Winter Wonderland’ to ‘Baby’s First Christmas’ and ‘Reindeer Games’ capture the imagination.
During an elegant gala, the dazzling Christmas trees and wreaths were sold to the highest bidders during a frenetic live auction that saw auctioneer Mark Schenfeld’s contagious energy get table after table to lift bidding paddles. Of course, all proceeds raised at Festival of Trees goes directly to Providence to aid, invest in, and expand programs and infrastructure related to Children’s Services.
The Children’s Services Fund is designed to provide a full spectrum of support for services that benefit children at Providence. Funding supports programs and services such as Pediatrics, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Children’s Center, Boyden Family Autism Center, and Camp Prov, a summer camp for children with special needs. Several of the trees lining the Orca Ballroom were reserved to be put on display throughout the Children’s Center as a special treat for hospitalized kids this holiday season.
“For nearly four decades, funds raised from this annual event have touched countless lives and spanned generations,” stated Festival Chairs, Tom and Kiersti Lane. “Tonight, while we are all celebrating and reigniting Festival traditions, let us pause to reflect and remember the reason we are all here. Your gift tonight will help provide health, hope and happiness for the babies and children in our community who need it most.”
Because of the great generosity of various donors, sponsors and an estimated 530 gala attendees, this year’s Festival of Trees raised a record-breaking $1.6 million. This enormous amount of financial support allows Providence to continue growing and expanding specialized therapies, equipment and educational classes that make miracles happen for children and families every day.
In attendance at the history making fundraiser were two first time Tulalip attendees, Vanessa Flores and Amaya Hernandez.
“It was nice to dress up and wear my fancy Air Force Ones,” shared 14-year-old Amaya. “I had a lot of fun being here and listening to all the conversations. I think it’s important for us to host events like this because our Resort is really nice and it’s good for people not from here to see just how nice it is.”
“It’s so important for Tulalip Tribes to give back to the greater community and local charities,” added Vanessa, Quil Ceda Village operations manager. “Providence could host their Festival anywhere, but they choose Tulalip because it’s centrally located in Snohomish County and guarantees a great, friendly staffed event that everyone can feel safe at. Everyone was so kind and giving for a cause close to all our hearts. This is probably the best event I’ve ever attended at our Resort.”
For two decades now, Tulalip has been an important partner to Providence in the Northwest Washington Region by helping provide critical funding and support needed to care for the health of our growing community. Contributions made by Tulalip to Providence General Foundation since 2002 have totaled close to one million dollars. For their dedication to the Festival of Trees, the Tulalip Tribes were honored with the Spirit of Festival Award during 2018’s Festival.
“The lives of thousands of children, that includes Tulalip tribal children, will be helped thanks to the generosity received from the Festival of Trees fundraising efforts,” said Board of Director Mel Sheldon, seventeen-year member of the Providence General Foundation. “We are very fortunate to have a relationship with Providence Medical Center and to support such an amazing opportunity that really looks at the bigger picture. We all want to do our part to create a sustainable and healthy community.”
One of Snohomish County’s largest and most well attended holiday events, the Festival of Trees has been a beloved community tradition for 37 years. The annual outpouring of community spirit, combined with such a magical setting, delivers a wonderful event that unites so many during the holiday season.
With the arrival of snow, the amazing display of lights at the Tulalip Amphitheater, children on their best behavior in hopes to score big this year, and Mariah Carey blasting from speakers at just about every retail store you visit, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. This time of year is special for local Indigenous families and their students who attend the Marysville School District (MSD) because Tulalip is home to an annual gathering where Christmas and culture collide.
Previously held on a consecutive basis before the pandemic hit, the Tulalip Education Division and the MSD Indian Education Department’s annual holiday powwow makes its official return on Saturday, December 17th. Many are anticipating the sound of jingle dresses and regalia to help celebrate the holiday season, accompanied of course by the deep and beautiful tone of the round drum.
At holiday powwows of Christmas past, hundreds of people took part in this festive occasion. Whether they hit the dancefloor for the fancy, shawl, jingle or couple’s dances, sang in one of the multiple drum circles, visited with St. Nicholas at Santa’s Workshop, perused the numerous vendor stands for the perfect Christmas gift, or participated in the ever popular cake walk, attendees experienced the Christmas spirit first-hand, Indigenous style. And after the event was postponed for two years in a row, everyone is excited to gather for the holiday powwow in all its splendor once again.
“The foundation of our powwow is to uplift the hearts and spirits of our community,” expressed MSD Native Liaison, Zee Jimicum. “Gathering is a very healing tradition that our people deeply value. Being together keeps us connected. The challenge to stay connected during the pandemic was exacerbated for our communities because we couldn’t gather. We are looking forward to reconnecting with our families and community as we gather to celebrate life. I am not the only one looking forward to our 7th annual holiday powwow, our team is excited to bring our community together again!”
The holiday powwow takes place at the Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium and the Marysville-Tulalip Campus from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Grand Entry is set to begin at 6:00 p.m. This is a catered event and food will be available to all who shows. Arlie Neskahi is locked in as the Powwow MC, Rocking Horse will serve as Host Drum, and the honor of Head Man and Head Woman is held by Devon Bluehorse and Isabelle Jefferson respectively. Since dinner will be provided, there will be no food vendors, but if you are interested hosting a vendor stand there is a $40 fee with a limit of one six-foot table (must bring own table).
For additional vendor information, please contact Zee Jimicum at (425) 232-0166 or Zenitha_Jimicum@msvl.k12.wa.us. And for further questions, feel free to reach out to Matt Remle at (360) 965-2100 or Matthew_Remle@msvl.k12.wa.us, as well as Terrance Sabbas at (206) 484-6907 or Terrace_Sabbas@msvl.k12.wa.us.
By Kalvin Valdillez; photos courtesy of Kalvin Valdillez, Chef Pyet and Faith Iukes
Meet Chef Pyet
At the beginning of 2022, a new cooking show by Gordon Ramsay debuted on the Fox network called Next Level Chef. In this primetime show, fifteen chefs compete against each other and are placed on one of three tiers; the top kitchen is equipped with all the latest cooking gadgets, the second kitchen features standard equipment used in kitchens nationwide, and the bottom kitchen has limited and outdated equipment making the challenges all the more difficult.
At the end of the eleven-episode season, Chef Stephanie ‘Pyet’ DeSpain of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Tribe was crowned the very first winner of Next Level Chef. Throughout the show she incorporated her Native American and Mexican heritage into each plate and simultaneously brought Indigenous teachings, knowledge, and history to homes all across America. In addition to a 250,000-dollar cash prize, Chef Pyet also won a one-year mentorship from each of the esteemed Next Level Chef judges – Nyesha Arrington, Richard Blais, and Gordon Ramsay himself.
Chef Pyet was also listed as one of the top ten best private chefs in Los Angeles in 2021. And from the exposure of Next Level Chef, she has elevated her brand. During the first week of October, she was the guest chef at Ramsay’s very first restaurant in Chelsea, London, the Lucky Cat. Recently, she utilized her platform to help raise funds for the UNITY scholarship for Native Youth, and just this week she announced her first cookbook deal with HarperCollins Publishers.
On an Instagram post she stated, “I can’t wait to share this book with you all. I am setting intentions to celebrate Native American culture with curated recipes that tell my story of how I’ve found healing and comfort returning to my ancestral food ways.”
As mentioned earlier, Chef Pyet collaborated with UNITY and is a strong advocate and supporter for Native youth. In fact, this was not her first time working alongside UNITY. Back in July, she served as the keynote speaker at the UNITY Conference in Minneapolis, where she shared her story with the youth and encouraged them to always be their true selves on their personal journey throughout life. No doubt, her words made a huge impact on the kids who flocked to her for selfies after her speech and were starstruck to see a young Native woman making huge waves in her desired career path.
Meet Faith
Faith Iukes (right)
In attendance of the 2022 UNITY Conference was none other than Tulalip’s own social media influencer Faith Iukes, who was invited to the conference for media coverage. Faith had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing several of the keynote speakers and panelist at the conference.
At the young age of 13, Faith has been making big moves on the social media circuit over recent years. Currently she boasts 12.2k followers on Instagram, 11.3k followers on TikTok, and 1k followers on her Twitter and YouTube pages respectfully. And with a strong team of supporters backing her as she follows her dream, Faith is just getting started.
Faith also hosts her own online radio station on Soundcloud and www.FaithIukes.com, which features music and conversations from Native artists throughout the nation. She is always hard at work, creating content on a daily basis and has numerous endorsements and partnerships with Indigenous brands such as Rise Above and Generational Trauma. And she also steadily promotes other Natives, whether it be music, fashion, comedy, film/tv, culture, or art, Faith is quick to share and support the work of her fellow Indigenous creators in the entertainment industry.
At the latest Mariners Native American Heritage Night, Faith was asked to be the special guest announcer for the game and was seen calling the ballgame on the jumbotron. She has also done some great work with the Seattle Kraken, a partnership that was developed before the newly established NHL hockey team even hit the ice. Most recently, she helped bring an Indigenous Fashion Show to the Pacific Northwest along with her mom Alexis and NSO Entertainment and was featured as one of the show’s models. And although she is a big supporter of Native athletes, she wants to serve as inspiration to other Indigenous youth and show that you can follow a successful journey and make a name for yourself outside of the sports realm.
As her viewership and followers continue to grow, Faith is taking in as much as she can and learning from other Natives in the entertainment game. In just two years, she has cultivated a following and has done all the camera work, interviewing, DJ’ing and editing on her own.
About her time spent at the UNITY Conference, Faith shared, “I’m working with the organization and bringing light on the social media scene and doing work with the keynote speakers and doing interviews. My experience has been great. It’s very exciting. I love the people and the chaperones. I made a lot of new friends. I’m gaining a lot of inspiration from them. I look up to everybody who I interview because they all have good energy and a great mindset. UNITY invited me and that’s pretty cool because I really want to inspire our youth, and I am the youngest person to be invited. This is my first time traveling on an airplane too and it’s without my family, so they are all kind of nervous. And I was pretty nervous myself but it’s really exciting.”
A conversation with Faith Iukes and Chef Pyet:
Faith got an exclusive interview with Chef Pyet following her keynote speech at the UNITY Conference. A special moment took place in a conference room of the Minneapolis Convention Center as two young up and coming Native women met for the first time and shared a quick conversation after complimenting each other on their Indigenous jewelry, ribbon skirts, and fly kicks.
Faith: Can you give me a brief history of who you are?
Hello, my name is Chef Pyet. I’m a member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Tribe and I’m also Mexican American. I grew up in Kansas City and now I live in Los Angeles as a private chef. I just recently won a Gordon Ramsay cooking show and I specialize in Indigenous fusion food where I highlight Indigenous foods of the Americas.
That’s great! What’s the first app you open on your phone in the morning?
The first app I open is my calendar. I have a Google calendar and it really allows me to know my timeframe in the morning to get settled in and get my meditations or my prayer in.
Cool. What are some words of encouragement you can leave for the youth and our future generations?
I think for me, it’s really important for our youth to focus on being their true authentic selves. The reason why I say that is because a lot of Indigenous people in this country have felt kind of ignored or maybe looked passed, as if their lives don’t matter, and it’s hard to show up and be your true authentic self when people are saying your life doesn’t matter. I think it’s important there’s representation in the world for people like them. You never know who’s watching you, you never know who’s going to be inspired by what you’re doing or what you’re saying. So, I think it’s important for people to show up as themselves and give people who are watching permission to also be themselves because authenticity is something that we’re missing.
That is amazing! If I pray for you, what should I pray for?
Well first of all, thank you for asking that question. I also wanted to say before I answer this question that I think it’s incredible that this is one of your questions. I never had someone ask me that question in an interview. When I saw that, I thought wow, this girl is going places. Thank you so much for asking that. If you were to pray for me, I would definitely say please pray for strength because the line of work I am in requires a lot, and a lot of work. It requires a lot of emotion, whether that be internally for myself or for other people. The work that I am doing requires me to go inward and be really intentional with what I’m doing, so strength is something that I could utilize.
Be sure to follow these two amazing ladies on all your social medias!
On November 29, the ?ál?al Café by Chief Seattle Club (CSC) opened in the heart of Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood. Unlike the other 300+ cafes in Seattle, ?ál?al Café disrupts this metropolitan lifestyle by reclaiming and reintroducing traditional Indigenous foods in a modern café setting. CSC’s ideologies and the basis of their work are to uplift our culture across North America and support unhoused Natives in Seattle.
In addition to the Café’s full espresso bar, ?ál?al offers quick-serve cuisine highlighting Indigenous ingredients from all over North America. The café strives to use elements that predate colonial descent, including Great Plains’ bison, the Southwest’s Three Sisters, the Northwest’s salmon, etc. These Indigenous foods have been carefully procured by selected indigenous-owned companies and suppliers across the continent. Some ingredients and food products were displayed and available for purchase, along with Indigenous-made cookbooks for customers to take home and try for themselves.
So often in the modern world, we see restaurants, cafés, grocery stores, and markets covering various cultures, yet Indigenous culture is still often overlooked and ignored. But as many cultures across the US proclaim, representation matters.
The café manager Anthony Johnson agreed, saying, “We want to decolonize the food industry. You look at areas like Chinatown and see a massive district full of vibrant culture and community. We believe that as this land’s first peoples, we should be no different. It is important to have representation and for our people to be seen. We want Native folks to come in, feel like they control themselves, and can call this place a home.”
Along with consuming delicious foods and drinks at their live edge spruce-made tables, patrons also enjoyed the handcrafted and curated Indigenous artworks displayed all over the café. The art is also set to change seasonally throughout the year and feature different artists. Shown on the center wall of the café is a 3-D mural collage of Chief Seattle, an eagle, Mt. Rainier, a canoe, basketry, salmon, etc. Additionally, on the street-facing windows, a display of translucent salmon artwork is visible for bypassers to see.
In the background, customers will hear singing, drums, and various Indigenous music. With this idyllic atmosphere, decolonization expands from food and drink to Indigenous conversations, artwork, and spaces. Their website says, “Connection to traditional dishes goes beyond taste and conversations around the dinner table. Food connects us to our culture; to our Indigenous roots and identity.”
Anthony also spoke about how the storefront acts as a bridge from Native communities to the public, “It opens up a broader conversation for people. If they see some characters, glottal stops, or linguistics marks from our language that they don’t understand or don’t know how to pronounce, it opens up new discussions. People will become more curious about the language of the Puget Sound, how we speak it, and what it means.”
The name ‘?ál?al’ derives from the Lushootseed language that is Native to this land, and the definition of it means ‘home.’ Currently, the café employs an entire Indigenous staff with a few job openings still available. ?ál?al Café is located on the ground floor of their landmark Native urban permanent housing complex that CSC constructed with 80 units in January earlier this year. The residence provides housing for struggling Native Americans to find connections and stability. According to CSC, in 2022, Native Americans face the highest poverty rate than any racial group in King County, with over 15% of the homeless community being American Indian or Alaskan Native.
Being involved with CSC for over 12 years, Anthony said, “A vast majority of Seattleites ignore or turn a blind eye to the housing security crisis. But we want our communities to take action. This is just one of the ways to help. Come in, have a cup of coffee, and think deeply about the issues that the city and our people are facing.”
100% of the Café’s net profit will go back into the 501(c)(3) organization and support the work for unhoused Native people. Private donations are a significant source for the non-profit; they always look for donors and people to get involved. You can visit ?ál?al Café at 122 2nd Ave S. Seattle, WA 98104, Tuesday-Friday from 6:30 AM – 2:30 PM. For more information, please visit their website at: www.alalcafe.org.
Millions of dazzling Christmas lights make Quil Ceda Village (QCV) impossible to miss for an endless number of passers-by driving along I-5 this holiday season. The beautiful illuminations, which span the entire color spectrum, provide a timely electric décor wrapping towering trees and ground level shrubbery at the Tulalip Resort Casino, Tulalip Bingo and Tulalip Amphitheatre properties.
“This is years is in the making,” explained QCV general manager Martin Napeahi. “We’ve been thinking of different events we could have at our Tulalip Amphitheatre for families. Last year, we partnered with Blue Line Entertainment to sponsor a skating rink at the Everett waterfront. After seeing the success of that rink, we decided to bring it here to Quil Ceda Village.
“The atmosphere is electric. It brings added excitement for our customers at the outlet mall and guests at the casino to have another way to experience the holiday season,” continued Martin. “This Ice & Lights event is really geared towards our families and is a fun, festive experience for all to enjoy. Between the food vendors and craft vendors, this is an opportunity for our tribal entrepreneurs to make some extra cash. It’s a really great feeling to be able to bring this to our community and help boost the local economy.”
An additional boost of excitement invigorated the local community during the debut of an ice-skating rink at the amphitheater, located between the Resort Casino and Seattle Premium Outlets. Tulalip families and friends were afforded the privilege of first skate on the evening of November 21st after a proper opening ceremony held by Tulalip and QCV leadership.
While some ventured around outside in search of the perfect family Christmas photo, others sought their first ever experience at ice skating. The enthusiastic naivety of Elementary-aged children rushing to put their skates on and hit the man-made glacier provided smiles, candid photo moments, and a laugh or two by elders seeing the kids quickly plunk to their butts on the ice.
Present to witness the ceremonial switching on of the lights was Patrick Walker of Gig Harbor, owner and operator of P. Walker Inc. who was contracted to install QCV’s electric atmosphere.
“Tulalip’s entire Quil Ceda Village display entails 3.1 Million lights. There’s two million at the casino, eight-hundred thousand in the amphitheater and another two-hundred thousand at the bingo hall,” said Patrick. “Timeline-wise, we started on October 3rd and worked seven days a week up until November 22nd. I’d estimate it was about six-thousand man hours in total from an average crew of 15-18 hardworking guys. We had nothing but good experiences working with the Tribe, and I can attest to the fact that in the entire state of Washington there’s not another light display bigger.”
Open to the public now until January 8th, QCV’s ‘Lights & Ice’ is set to feature a variety of food vendors, craft vendors, weekend Dickens Carolers, and even cameos by Santa and Mrs. Clause. For more information and hours of specific festivities, please visit www.quilcedavillage.com
November is Native American Heritage Month. A time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures and traditions, and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. Heritage Month is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and presently, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to overcome these challenges.
Most people should know Native peoples aren’t a monolith. That is to say each of the 574 federally recognized tribes is unique, each with their own set of traditional teachings stemming from treaty rights, connection to regional lands and resources, and level of economic freedom to express tribal sovereignty.
Encompassing each tribe is a beautiful diaspora of tribal citizens who live their lives expressing their own sense of personal identity according to a unique set of cultural values, whether that be traditional or contemporary or some combination of both. For young Tulalip phenom Charlie Contraro, the answer may be both or, better yet, simply something as unique as she is.
For starters, Charlie isn’t just a girl who plays basketball. She’s a hooper. Meaning she has the offensive range to shoot a deep 3-ball just as easily as she could beat her defender off the dribble and score a lay-up. And defensively she’s even better. Willing to dive on the deck for a loose ball, defend her opponent’s best or biggest player, and really, like for real, really looks forward to someone attempting a shot within her vicinity so she can swat that thing outta there like Dikembe Mutombo.
“I’d rather have a game saving block than a game winning shot,” said the defensive minded Charlie as she detailed her October basketball tournament in New York. “Because when my team is up or we’re already winning, then I can really get after it [defensively] and get lots of blocks. Yeah, I like blocks instead of shots for sure. I got lots of blocks in New York. So many that my mom started calling me Charlie Mutumbo.”
Measuring in at 4-foot-11-inches, Charlie is typically one of the tallest girls on the court when she’s playing within her own age group. That level of verticality, plus her swift movement, allows her to soar through the air in pursuit of her coveted blocked shots. However, the recently turned 10-year-old often plays multiple years up against competition older and more physically mature. It’s a welcomed challenge that gives Charlie plenty of opportunity to play her favorite position – point guard.
“Charlie’s been a baller since the womb,” said her mom Annie Jo Parish proudly. She’s well known as Miss A.J. from her years of teaching at Tulalip Montessori. “I played ball until I was at least six months pregnant with her. Then as a toddler she would watch from the sidelines as I coached her older sisters at the boys and girls club. She was at all their practices and at a certain point she started participating in their drills and conditioning exercises. So, really, Charlie has always been immersed in basketball culture, but she had to be patient and wait her time to play because, generally, competitive teams for girls don’t start until 4th grade.”
Now, after years of watching and learning from her sisters, the Jackson Elementary 4th grader has been unleashed to play to her heart’s desire on select level travelling teams. She’s also a regular on the Native tournament circuit, playing with older competition and against the boys.
No matter the competitive setting, whether it be on concrete or hardwood, Charlie is impossible to miss on the basketball court because of a Native asset she’s been growing her entire life, her hair.
Charlie’s near body length, beautiful black hair is a form of cultural expression naturally woven all the way back to her earliest ancestors. There are many teachings and practices that vary from tribe to tribe and generation to generation, but one that is near constant since time immemorial among all the tribes is the importance of hair to cultural identity. A Native American’s hair is considered sacred and significant to who they are as an individual, family, and community.
In many tribes, it is believed that a person’s long hair represents a strong cultural identity. For young people especially, a strong cultural identity promotes self-esteem, self-respect, a sense of belonging, and a healthy sense of pride. For Charlie, the constant chatter about her hair from teammates and competition is something she uses to elevate both her game and her culture. In fact, a few of the gyms she’s showcased her budding basketball talents at thus far, she’s been referenced as the baller with the braid.
“Some of the things I hear all the time on the court is ‘Wow, your hair is really long!’, ‘Can I have some of your hair?’, ‘Your braid is so big. I wish I had hair like that’ or even ‘You’re like Rapunzel except your hair is black’,” reflected Charlie with a huge smile. “It’s cool to get compliments about my hair from my teammates and people I’m playing against, too. My mom tells me all the time that my braid is my signature.”
How we as Native Americans relate to our hair is a constant reminder of our connection to our culture and a distinct worldview grounded in the sacredness of relationships. Braiding a child’s hair is the beginning of establishing an intimate and nurturing relationship. For Charlie, it’s her father Mike Contraro who braids her hair before basketball games and practices.
“It makes me so proud to watch her playing the game she loves, running up and down the court with her braid trailing behind her,” said Mike during an intermission between Charlie’s tournament games. “It’s funny, too, because if you watch her, Charlie has a habit of rubbing the end of her braid in between free throws or during timeouts. Almost like it’s a lucky charm.”
Sure enough, during Charlie’s next game she was spotted at the free throw line holding the end of her braid before she swished one in. Maybe its muscle memory from a lifelong relationship with her hair and her parents braiding it before sports, or maybe it’s a continuation of her family’s grounding practices they do during travel.
“When we travel, my older daughters and I practice grounding or what’s sometimes called Earthing,” explained momma bear A.J. “This is something Charlie does, too. We’ll go barefoot in a safe space and take time to ground, reflect and reconnect with the Earth. The intention is to allow the Earth’s positive charges to enter through our feet and reconnect our bodies to our natural world.”
The inspiring 10-year-old hooper and her family have recently returned from a Nike Phenom camp in the sunshine state. Charlie’s mom shared that shortly after landing in California they went on a hike near the Golden Gate Bridge, where they were able to take in the iconic view while grounding themselves.
Her stellar play in California resulted scoring high in all her player evaluations and an exclusive invitation to Phenom National Camp in 2023. Her parents’ dedication to their youngest child, from the countless miles driven to her practices along the I-5 corridor and east side near Issaquah to the hours in the gym rebounding tirelessly as their daughter shoots jump shots, continues to bolster Charlie’s love for the game. She looks forward to filling out her skill set and working on her step back 3-pointers like she sees her favorite Seattle Storm players, Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart, routinely hit on the game’s biggest stage.
“Charlie is a scorer, a defender and an extra point guard. And she can play big. She can pretty much do everything on the court,” said 5th grade Nike coach Chris Nolen. Charlie plays a year up to play on Nike’s Tree of Hope team. “She’s been a huge addition for us. She’s a starter and gets a lot of minutes.
“Any time you have a player playing with older competition that means they have a huge competitive spirit. I can always count on Charlie to compete on both ends of the floor,” her coach continued. “Tree of Hope is an AAU type program and under the Nike banner. We are part of the national recognition level which is really competitive. We want to prepare our players for the next level, and we want to win. Charlie definitely helps us win.”
Winning comes in many forms. There’s the score of the game and the game of life. For Charlie, when asked what some of her favorite basketball memories are, she responded with the most whimsical tales from shooting in the wrong basket once to seeing huge flocks of pigeons while in New York.
However, ask her about being challenged in basketball by boys at her school and her tone changes dramatically. “Oh, they always want to challenge. Most of the time I’m the only girl they’ll pick to play with them, even though others will watch from the side. One time this boy who is a bully tried guarding me and I dribbled between my legs, crossed over and then between the legs again into a jab step…he went for the fake and fell to the ground. Then I made the basket. Everyone watching started cheering and saying things like ‘OHHH!’ That was a pretty cool.
“Some boys say girls can’t play basketball, but they’re wrong,” she added defiantly. “Just look at woman’s college basketball or the WNBA. Those are professional girls getting paid big bucks to play basketball. Hopefully, that’ll be me one day.”
Charlie dreams of playing for one of the biggest college programs after graduating high school in 2031 before moving onto the WNBA. Which WNBA team? The Seattle Storm of course. Her mom is also planting seeds through all the travel basketball that she could continue her ball is life dream in far off lands like Europe or even China where they have huge followings for professional women’s basketball.
Until that dream comes true, Charlie and her signature braid will continue to work on perfecting fundamentals, beating the boys whenever possible, and being a beacon of inspiration to her Native American peers.
The holiday and gift-giving season officially kicked off with the annual Native Bazaar, held November 11-13. The Tulalip community showed up in droves as various tribal vendors sold their handmade crafts, baked goods, and art pieces.
This year’s event was tied for the largest Bazaar Tulalip has had thus far, with over 50 vendors committed. The event also needed a new place to settle into as the vendor list expanded and their collections grew. Ultimately, event coordinator Tammy Taylor, moved the bazaar from the gym to the Gathering Hall.
Tammy Taylor.
“This year was so successful. We had so many great vendors, and many of them sold out. Many of our membership, customers, and non-Natives were also in awe of how beautiful the Gathering Hall is. There really is no other building like this close to us, it is our sacred spiritual home, and it feels so good to have shared the bazaar there,” Tammy said.
A highlight of Native bazaars is that you find highly sought-after cultural pieces like drums, rattles, dreamcatchers, beaded jewelry, ribbon skirts, cedar hats, etc. Items like these are sacred to our culture and community that you can’t find in a typical retail environment. Even though the event is open to all, it creates a safe place for Native artists to sell their handmade crafts and keep them within our community.
Margaret Henry Hayes.
Specialty goods like salves, lemongrass soaps, and local berry baked goods represent our community’s desire to maintain our traditional ways while adapting to a modern world. Some vendors carried out this thinking style by turning dreamcatchers into crib mobiles, adding small cedar roses to store-bought home décor, transforming cedar dolls into Christmas tree toppers, or simply using acrylic and contemporary materials for their craft making.
Ultimately, curating these crafts, goods, and art stems from our traditional ways. As seen at many of the bazaar booths, these traditional art forms are usually multi-generational. They illustrate the ways of our people, passing down a skill and cultural practice from one generation to the next. Some of these pieces become less about the works themselves and more about the family teachings, cultural preservation, time spent together, and bonds built with our people. Elders and master artists hold a special place in our community because of their experience and expertise; learning from them, purchasing their work, and sharing this time with them helps build room for our culture in the future.
Natosha Gobin.
Tribal member and master weaver Lance Taylor has over 30 years of weaving experience. His work can be found all over the community at weaving workshops, but more importantly, within his home. Lance has shared this art form with his family to preserve weaving and as a part of his legacy.
“Weaving has been a part of my family for some time; my great-grandmother was a weaver and made baskets out of fern and cedar roots. I’m glad my family could pick it back up and pass it down to our grandchildren. That’s what it’s all about, passing it down to the next generation. There’s a sense of pride looking at our community wear our work,” Lance said.
The Kane family.
Tribal member Ronnie McClellan was seen selling handcrafted star quilts at the bazaar but gave full credit to his aunt and her friends. Like many other tribal artists, they consider their work a family business. Ronnie’s aunt and friends spend their days making quilts, and Ronnie will sell them for them at bazaars and community events.
“My family used to buy her quilts as gifts for people. But I wanted to help more. It’s such beautiful work, and there’s a lot of medicine in them. You can feel all the prayer, love, and passion that my aunt and her friends have for their work through the blankets. In our culture, it’s an honor to be blanketed and receive this medicine. It’s humbling, and I feel honored to represent her lifelong work. I love seeing people’s smiling faces when they buy a quilt, and I know they will cherish it.”
If you missed November’s Native Bazaar, don’t fret, you can support these Native artists and more at the next Native Bazaar, December 9-11, at the Gathering Hall. The event will also expand for more tribal vendors to join, so if you have any questions, please call Tammy Taylor at 425-501-4141.
