Category: News

Tribal members get creative during coronavirus

Meet the mother-daughter team making  powerful and educational jewelry

By Kim Kalliber, photos courtesy of 

Michelle Myles 

Well known around Tulalip for teaching Lushootseed, the traditional Coast Salish language, tribal member Michelle Myles is also recognized for her beautiful artwork. Some of her hand-crafted paddles have been hot ticket items at the Annual Tulalip Boys & Girls Club Auction, where she often donates them to benefit the younger generation. 

Lately, Michelle and her teenage daughter Jacynta have been honing their artistic skills on a new craft; Native earrings. Constructed from wood and hand painted, many of the earrings feature Lushootseed words. 

The mother-daughter duo has created a bright space in what many consider a gloomy time. During the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, their colorful designs shared on social media give local and non-local residents something exciting to view and even purchase. As Michelle says, “We’re not going to be cooped up forever, get your sexy ready now,”

Michelle agreed to an interview with syeceb staff. The following is an inside look to their craft and how to purchase their earrings. 

SYS: What are your artistic backgrounds?

MM: My artistic background stems back to Jerry Jones and his training in 2001. He taught our [Language] department how to carve paddles and I’ve been dabbling ever since. Jacynta has expressed an interest in the artwork and she has always been willing to learn. She has a better eye for what might work and her youth brings a creativity that transcends traditional boundaries. 

SYS: What inspired you to make earrings?

MM: To be honest, Covid-19 inspired me to make earrings. When the shutdown started, I was looking for something simple to do with the kids. I have been experimenting in different mediums and shaved cedar was something that I had dabbled in. When we first did it, we hadn’t thought about earrings as much as just doing small crafts. We finished the first couple, Jacynta got our jewelry kit and suggested we make earrings and pendants.

SYS: How long does each pair of earrings take to make? 

MM: The earrings that I’ve started promoting take about an hour each. Some of the other mediums were experimenting with take a couple of days each.

SYS: Do most of the people buying your earrings understand the language? Are some learning first-hand from you?

MM: So far, all of our earrings have been sold to tribal members. Most of these women recognize the symbology and language that we’re using. For example, the Missing Murdered Indigenous Women campaign has grown in strength thanks to women like [activist] Debbie Parker, who has passionately championed on behalf of our sisters who have been neglected or forgotten. We wanted to follow her lead in the promotion of strong Indigenous women.

SYS: How has art helped you through the stay-at-home situation? How has your culture helped? 

MM: The time at home has allowed me to actively participate in my kids’ life, which I appreciate. As a teacher, I’m typically busy during their education, so it’s nice to be around for their curriculum. 

 My culture has always kept me grounded. We’re so westernized as Tulalips that we treat this hiatus as an intrusion. I think of it as our ancestors giving us a hiatus to reflect. That’s why I appreciate my colleagues like Thomas Williams, who are using this time to educate our people on traditional remedies and healing.

SYS: Have you noticed an upswing on artistic and interactive posts on social media?

MM: I don’t really see a difference online in artwork. Most of the people I’m following are full-time artists who are simply continuing to promote their craft. The difference that I see is in my own time to try out things that I spend the day thinking about, but never have the time to pursue. 

SYS: What advice can you offer to those that may be going stir crazy?

MM: For people who may be going stir crazy, I encourage them to set life goals and explore ways to accomplish them. I want to be a better artist and historian, so I’ve been spending my time learning about our history, and experimenting in different mediums. I have to listen to [my partner] Lee constantly complaining about the stock market and politics, which takes up way more time than I’d care to admit. 

SYS: How do we purchase your earrings and pendants? 

MM: All of my art business has been conducted through Facebook. I’ve been so successful through word of mouth that it’s never made sense to run a website. I have my hands in so many different things, art wise, that I would not have even got to this if it wasn’t for the hiatus from work. 

You can find Michelle on Facebook at Michelle Myles, where she posts items for sale and how to purchase them. She also wishes everyone to stay safe and healthy. 

If you have artwork, stories, article ideas or photos you’d like to share with us, please email Kim Kalliber at kkalliber@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov or Micheal Rios at mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov. 

Once a suggestion, ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ now a full on directive

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

On March 23rd, Governor Jay Inslee announced his order for Washingtonians to stay at home. The rationale was simple: by staying home the chances of spreading coronavirus is minimized and, in effect, everyone abiding would be doing their part to ‘lower the curve’. Hours later, the Tulalip Tribes issued an emergency proclamation for all citizens on the Tulalip Reservation to ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’.

“We’ve been very clear on the need for everyone to stay home. The less time we spend in public, the more lives we will save,” explained Governor Inslee. “We know [this] announcement affects millions of our livelihoods and means life will look different in Washington. But these necessary restrictions will protect us and our loved ones so that we have a livelihood to come back to.”

Fast forward two-weeks and while most Washingtonians are doing their part, some still don’t grasp the seriousness of this global pandemic. The numbers boggle the mind. As of April 1st, there have been at least 905,000 total confirmed cases in 192 countries, with the most alarming number, the death toll, continuing to rise at an exponential rate. Globally, more than 45,200 deaths are now attributed to COVID-19.

Yet, locally on the reservation it was still a common occurrence to see children, teenagers, and adults casually out and about, partaking in leisurely activities. Gathering at Mission Beach? Yup. Games of pick-up hoops at the outdoor courts? Sure. Energetic youth roaming free on the ball field and neighborhood parks? Of course.

Social disobedience is nothing new. Ask any parent and they’ll attest to the fact that once you tell a child they can’t do something, regardless of what it is, that something becomes the only thing they want to do. That is until the consequences become severe enough that it’s no longer in their best interest to be disobedient.

And no, this type of behavior isn’t only on the reservation. The entire state is witnessing social disobedience from individuals and businesses, alike. 

“Since I announced the ‘Stay Home, Stay Healthy’ order for our state, we have seen social distancing and other compliance from businesses and residents across Washington for the good of the public health,” Governor Inslee recently said. “But thousands of calls are also pouring in to state and local agencies from concerned residents, with reports that some individuals and businesses are not in compliance.

“The actions of those who willfully violate this order may ultimately drag out the COVID-19 crisis even longer.”

Tulalip leadership has responded to this woeful behavior by implementing a new tribal code authorizing the enforcement of stay at home quarantine orders. To further reinforce the ‘stay home, stay healthy’ directive, all reservation parks, outdoor basketball courts, Youth Center skate park and ball field, and Mission Beach public access points have been permanently closed until further notice. 

Once a welcomed sight to all, now these recreational areas are sealed off with bright yellow CAUTION tape. Impossible to miss, the message is loud and clear. Similar to the Tribe’s adult playgrounds – Tulalip Resort, Quil Ceda Casino and Bingo – the outdoor community areas are officially closed for business, pending a must needed flattening of the curve when it comes to COVID-19 cases.

“The safety of our community is of the utmost importance,” said Chairwoman Teri Gobin. “We want people to stay home. [By doing so] it is slowing the curve and lowering the number of deaths. The Board of Directors will continue to adapt and make the best decisions we can for our community and our Tribe.”

Schools are closed, but education continues with Chromebooks

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

All schools are closed in Washington State for at least another month, as part of a state-wide response to the coronavirus pandemic. It’s been over three weeks since students in the Marysville School District (MSD) have been in their classrooms and received formal education from their teachers.

While schools will remain closed for the foreseeable future, education must continue. That is why the dedicated staff and educators of MSD are doing their part to bring learning opportunities into the home of every MSD student household.

“Our main purpose is to make sure our students receive a Chromebook to continue their education even though they aren’t attending school right now,” explained MSD Superintendent Jason Thompson. “We also have an assortment of school supplies, hygiene kits and grade-level activity packets for kids to work on. It’s so important to make sure our kids are still learning every day.”

During the fourth week of March, the District held two drive-up, K-5 Chromebook checkouts for its elementary students. Because sixth graders on up to high school seniors were already assigned Chromebooks earlier in the school year, these drive-up style distributions were only for households with Kindergarten through fifth grade students. 

“These two distribution events took a lot of work to put together, but knowing our students will benefit immensely makes it all worth it,” said assistant superintendent Scott Beebe. “With these Chromebooks our students will now be able to video chat with their teachers and fellow students. It’s a big undertaking, but the results will be amazing.” 

Each Chromebook was individually inspected by tech-savvy personnel to ensure they were updated with the right software and programs to meet students’ needs for the new normal: distance-learning. 

On Thursday, March 26 the second Chromebook checkout occurred at the MSD’s Service Center. Originally slated to begin at 2:00 p.m., vehicles started to line-up much earlier with concerned parents who worried about a limited supply and wanted to make sure their student received a coveted Chromebook. As cars continued to show, the line got longer and longer. At one point the line of vehicles spanned multiple city blocks, running down both State and Cedar Streets.

From young Kindergartners to veteran 5th graders, many students were ecstatic to see their teachers and school staff as their parents drove them through the checkout process. In their excitement, several kids were witnessed unbuckling themselves and nearly climbing out their backseat window to wave and say hello to their favorite teacher. 

The majority of Tulalip K-12 students attend schools within Maryville School District. Tribal member parents and kids were among those who waited upwards of 90-minutes to checkout a Chromebook. They could also take advantage of the additional school supplies and in-demand hygiene kits being offered.

“We waited in line for a strong hour-and-a-half to get our boys a Chromebook,” said Carlos Ancheta. “Stores are low on supplies right now, so getting these basic essentials for school and hygiene will come in handy.”

Not every household has a home computer, setup for video chatting, and access to the internet or WIFI. During checkout if a parent submitted paperwork for their student saying they did not have internet access at home, then they received a Chromebook with built in cellular data provided by Sprint. By dispersing these specific Chromebooks to MSD students the opportunity gap normally created by lack of internet access has been filled.

“We’re really blessed to have a school district that cares so much about our kids,” shared Sheena Robinson after her two sons got their Chromebook and supplies. “We don’t have a computer or the internet at home, so this makes a world of difference for them. They’ll be able to get online for classes through Zoom, conferences with their teachers, and websites they can practice their reading and math. I’m looking forward to them getting back to learning.”

After completion of both drive-up checkouts, Marysville School District staff distributed over 1,000 Chromebooks to their elementary-aged families. Students also received an assortment of school supplies and hygiene kits to reduce the financial burden their families may be going through during this unprecedented school closure. Getting back to a daily routine of these cheerful kids continuing their education can provide a critical sense of stability in these uncertain times.

The Small Business Owner’s Guide to the CARES Act

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration

The programs and initiatives in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was just passed by Congress are intended to assist business owners with whatever needs they have right now. When implemented, there will be many new resources available for small businesses, as well as certain non-profits and other employers. This guide provides information about the major programs and initiatives that will soon be available from the Small Business Administration (SBA) to address these needs, as well as some additional tax provisions that are outside the scope of SBA. 

To keep up to date on when these programs become available, please stay in contact with your local Small Business Administration (SBA) District Office, which you can locate here. 

  • Struggling to get started? The following questions might help point you in the right direction. Do you need: 
  • Capital to cover the cost of retaining employees? Then the Paycheck Protection Program might be right for you. 
  • A quick infusion of a smaller amount of cash to cover you right now? You might want to look into an Emergency Economic Injury Grant. 
  • To ease your fears about keeping up with payments on your current or potential SBA loan? The Small Business Debt Relief Program could help. 
  • Just some quality, free counseling to help you navigate this uncertain economic time? The resource partners might be your best bet. 

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loans 

The program would provide cash-flow assistance through 100 percent federally guaranteed loans to employers who maintain their payroll during this emergency. If employers maintain their payroll, the loans would be forgiven, which would help workers remain employed, as well as help affected small businesses and our economy snap-back quicker after the crisis. PPP has a host of attractive features, such as forgiveness of up to 8 weeks of payroll based on employee retention and salary levels, no SBA fees, and at least six months of deferral with maximum deferrals of up to a year. Small businesses and other eligible entities will be able to apply if they were harmed by COVID-19 between February 15, 2020 and June 30, 2020. This program would be retroactive to February 15, 2020, in order to help bring workers who may have already been laid off back onto payrolls. Loans are available through June 30, 2020. 

Counseling & Training 

If you, like many small business owners, need a business counselor to help guide you through this uncertain time, you can turn to your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Women’s Business Center (WBC), or SCORE mentorship chapter. These resource partners, and the associations that represent them, will receive additional funds to expand their reach and better support small business owners with counseling and up-to-date information regarding COVID-19. There will soon be a joint platform that consolidates information and resources related to COVID-19 in order to provide consistent, timely information to small businesses. To find a local resource partner, visit https://www.sba.gov/local-assistance/find/. 

In addition, the Minority Business Development Agency’s Business Centers (MBDCs), which cater to minority business enterprises of all sizes, will also receive funding to hire staff and provide programming to help their clients respond to COVID-19. Not every state has a MBDC. To find out if there is one that services your area, visit this site. 

Contracting 

If you are a government contractor, there are a number of ways that Congress has provided relief and protection for your business. Agencies will be able to modify terms and conditions of a contract and to reimburse contractors at a billing rate of up to 40 hours per week of any paid leave, including sick leave. The contractors eligible are those whose employees or subcontractors cannot perform work on site and cannot telework due to federal facilities closing because of COVID-19. 

If you need additional assistance, please reach out to your local Small Business Development Center, Women’s Business Center, SCORE chapter, or SBA District Office. You should also work with your agency’s contracting officer, as well as the agency’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU). 

Small Business Tax Provisions 

Employee Retention Credit for Employers Subject to Closure or Experiencing Economic Hardship 

This provision would provide a refundable payroll tax credit for 50 percent of wages paid by eligible employers to certain employees during the COVID-19 crisis. The credit is available to employers, including non-profits, whose operations have been fully or partially suspended as a result of a government order limiting commerce, travel or group meetings. The credit is also provided to employers who have experienced a greater than 50 percent reduction in quarterly receipts, measured on a year-over-year basis. 

Wages of employees who are furloughed or face reduced hours as a result of their employer’s closure or economic hardship are eligible for the credit. For employers with 100 or fewer full-time employees, all employee wages are eligible, regardless of whether an employee is furloughed. The credit is provided for wages and compensation, including health benefits, and is provided for the first $10,000 in wages and compensation paid by the employer to an eligible employee. Wages do not include those taken into account for purposes of the payroll credits for required paid sick leave or required paid family leave, nor for wages taken into account for the employer credit for paid family and medical leave (IRC sec. 45S). 

  • The credit is not available to employers receiving assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program. The credit is provided through December 31, 2020. 

Delay of Payment of Employer Payroll Taxes 

This provision would allow taxpayers to defer paying the employer portion of certain payroll taxes through the end of 2020, with all 2020 deferred amounts due in two equal installments, one at the end of 2021, the other at the end of 2022. Payroll taxes that can be deferred include the employer portion of FICA taxes, the employer and employee representative portion of Railroad Retirement taxes (that are attributable to the employer FICA rate), and half of SECA tax liability. 

  • Deferral is not provided to employers receiving assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program. 

Community amid coronavirus: 5,000 pounds of food given away in an hour

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to bring a screeching halt to everyday life around the globe, the Tulalip Tribes membership received a moment of relief in the form of a drive-thru style food distribution. The community-led event occurred Thursday, March 19 in the Senior Center’s parking lot. 

Just days prior, Tulalip leadership made the steadfast decision to shut down nearly all tribal-owned business to minimize the impact of COVID-19. This decision included the unprecedented closing of the three flagship gaming establishments – Tulalip Resort, Quil Ceda Casino, and Bingo.  

“When we made the difficult decision to shut our casinos down, we knew there would be excess produce that could be given to our tribal members and elders,” explained board of director Marlin Fryberg during the well-received food distribution. “This is a great thing we’re doing and we have to give credit to the folks who made this possible by coming together last night. They separated all the bulk foods and bagged it up so we could have this giveaway drive-thru style.”  

A community of local volunteers, including the Tulalip Police Department, casino food and beverage employees, Senior Center staff, and Sacred Riders motorcycle group members, came together for the benefit of those most in need of a positive uplifting in the form of fresh produce. The volunteers broke down over 5,000 pounds of food, sorted it by type and then proceeded to spend hours bagging it up for convenient, family-sized portions. 

“This event brought us together and created something positive from a dark set of circumstances,” said event co-coordinator Rochelle Lubbers. “I believe most of our membership knows how blessed and fortunate we are to be such a tight knit community, where we can share resources with those who are most in need. We are serving our community with nutritious, perishable foods that can really be used in this time of uncertainty.”

It took only a single hour to give away all 5,000 pounds of food, distributed in nearly 500 bags filled to the brim with the likes of potatoes, spring greens, carrots, zucchini, lettuce, berries, oranges, pears, and much more to our reservation families. Milk, cheese, pasta, and a variety of breads were included as well.

An additional 1,000 pounds of fresh produce was donated to the Marysville Food Bank to help replenish their low food supply.

“This donation is greatly appreciated. We really don’t know where we’re headed with need and supply, so this help tremendously,” said Marysville Food Bank director, Dell Deierling.

It is a traditional teaching to never let food go to waste. By giving away thousands of pounds of fresh produce to so many families, the hope is the food fulfilled its purpose and made for healthy snacks and meals for those most in need, on and off the reservation.

“The Tulalip Tribes knows that all members of our community and our neighboring communities are impacted during this difficult time,” stated Chairwoman Teri Gobin. “Tulalip has always taken care of our community. We will continue to do what we can, not only for our people, but also for our friends and neighbors.”