Category: Top Story

Honoring King Salmon

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

Last year, for the first time in over four decades, the Tulalip Tribes made the difficult decision to cancel the Salmon Ceremony to help limit the spread of COVID-19 at the height of the worldwide pandemic. During the yearly event, not only does the Tribe pay respect to the entire salmon species but they also provide the tribal fishermen with a blessing for a plentiful and safe season out on the water, while also sharing good traditional medicine along the way. 

After nearly two calendar years, smoke billowed once again from the longhouse overlooking Tulalip Bay on the morning of June 5, as Tulalips gathered in traditional regalia to immerse themselves into their culture, practice the teachings of their ancestors and most importantly recognize, honor and celebrate yubəč, the king salmon. 

To really get an understanding of the significance of this ceremony and what it means to the Tulalip people, one must first delve into the Tribe’s history and learn of their stories passed through the generations. As you may know, salmon are integral to the Tulalip culture, diet, and tribal lifeways. Pre-contact, and prior to the current decline of the salmon population, this delicious source of nourishment swam through the Salish Sea, through local rivers and lakes, in abundance. The Tulalips have a traditional story that explains why the salmon returned each year in such great quantities. Back in 1993, Bernie ‘KyKy’ Gobin provided a fantastic retelling of the story Salmon Man, as told by Harriette Shelton-Dover, for the Marysville School District and it goes as follows:

This is one version of the Salmon Man. You might have heard about the Tulalip Salmon Festival. The Salmon Festival was something that was practiced for hundreds of years by the Snohomish people, the sduhubš people. They are also called ‘the salmon people’.  And the story’s extremely important because it links to the present day.

And 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 homeland. 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.

The salmon scout will arrive out in the middle of Tulalip Bay there. And the people send out a canoe to meet him. And they put the salmon scout inside the canoe, where a cradle is filled with fern leaves and other soft leaves for a bed for him to come in on and keep him fresh. And he’ll come in by canoe to the cliff right below our longhouse, and, there, the whole tribe will be there on the water to greet him. And they’ll walk him in with songs of honor and just greet him in a special way. Then, he’ll be carried on that cradle up into the longhouse, where he’ll be taken around the fires three times and special songs will be sung in his honor. And they will show him the proper respect he needs as the high chief visitor from the Salmon people. And they will go through some different ceremonies there. Then, they will go up into what is now the tribal center, and prepare the feast. Before the feast, everyone will share in a tiny piece of the salmon and drink a glass of water with it, a little water.

That’s what is done. And then, everyone sits down and feasts and enjoys the salmon and visits with friends and neighbors.

At the end of feast, they get up. Maybe a speech will be made, and, hopefully, it won’t be too long. Then, a song is sung and they bring the remains that are left of the salmon back into the longhouse and thank him for coming and again honor him for the chief that he is and take him back down to the canoe, follow him back down there. And they take him back out and lay his remains back where they picked him up, out in the middle of Tulalip Bay. And, if they have treated that chief properly and showed him the proper respect, and treated him like the king he is, he’ll go back to the Salmon People that live under the sea and he’ll tell them that, “Hey, they greatly honored me. They treated me like I should have been treated. They gave me all the recognition I needed.” And he’ll recommend that the Salmon People return back in abundance.

And the reason to tell this story is because it concerns the environment. And to show that the Snohomish people practiced this for hundreds of years. They gave thanks for many things. One of the things was to honor this great chief from the Salmon People and try to protect his environment and have a place for him to come home to. It’s hard to imagine nowadays this visitor going back and telling them, “Hey, things are all right.” Because he has to tell them, “I’ve been up there, and I entered around Admiralty Head, and I started getting a headache.” And he says, “As I traveled further in I become confused and had a hard time finding Tulalip Bay this time.” And he says, “Worse than that. When I went up the Stillaguamish River my home was gone. Where I was born and raised, it’s not there.” 

So, you know, it tells us something, that’s been told a long time: to conserve and keep things and honor all things because they’re alive. The trees are alive. Everything we eat was alive at some time. And we should give thanks and respect these things as living spirits and show them respect appropriately. And if we don’t, we’re going to lose everything as we know it today. The salmon are about gone. The forest is all but gone, and other resources are gone because of greed and mistreatment. We don’t know if we’ll ever be able to restore any of these things. So, this is an important story, the Salmon People story.*

As Bernie mentioned, the Salmon Ceremony was actually practiced for hundreds of years pre-colonialism. During the assimilation era, all Indigenous traditions, ceremonies and even the use of traditional languages were outlawed by the US Government across the country. For several generations, there was no Salmon Ceremony celebration at Tulalip. That is, until 1976 when a group of elders, led by Harriette Shelton-Dover, brought the tradition back.

Said Tulalip Vice-Chairman Glen Gobin, “after the treaty signing and after the boarding school era, much of our teachings were taken away. We were not able to speak our languages. We were not able to live with our families. Much of what we had as a culture was disappearing quickly. Some of the elders remembered certain aspects and would share those memories of how things used to be. The elders in 1976, Harriette in particular, said we need to revive Salmon Ceremony, we need to bring it back. She gathered up different elders and they pieced together what each of them knew about the Salmon Ceremony from either things they personally witnessed or things they heard their grandparents talk about.”

He continued, “Harriette always said that so much was taken from us and what we do today may not be exactly the same way it was done two hundred years ago. But as long as we do it with good intentions and with a pure heart, our elders will receive it in that manner. So, we hang on to those bits and pieces that we have and we’re thankful for them.”

Ever since the revival, with the exception of 2020, the Tribe has turned out in large numbers, adorning cedar woven hats and headbands, traditional shawls, and beaded jewelry to welcome the guest of honor, the representative hailing from the underwater village. They sing passionately in the language of the ancestors, they keep time with elk and deer hide hand drums. They dance and feast in honor of the salmon people. And they keep the traditions and teachings of their own people alive and strong. 

* Bates, Ann and Karen Bayne. 1993. Tulalip History and Culture: Supplemental Class Materials. Marysville: The Tulalip Tribes, Marysville School District, Catholic Community Services of Snohomish County. https://www.tulaliplearningjourney.org

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

Ducati’s, Harley’s and Suzuki’s revved to life on the morning of May 30. They zoomed out of the parking lot of the Tulalip Justice Center, getting set in formation behind a cohort of Tulalip Police Department (TPD) Fish and Wildlife pickup trucks, leading a giant trailer which featured the photos of 338 police officers who died in the line of duty over the past year. A warm, loving bright smile, that many Tulalip community members knew so well, and will continue to fondly reminisce of, can be spotted on the trailer, on the passenger side near the front. 

A community still hurting, many Tulalip tribal members and citizens were amongst the procession of about 100 motorcycles, ATVs, police vehicles, cars, trucks and vans, rallying behind the family of Fallen TPD Officer, Charlie Cortez. It’s been over a-half-a-year since the tragic accident occurred on local waters, which claimed Charlie’s life at the young age of 29. As Charlie’s remains still have yet to be recovered, organizations and multiple police departments have reached out to his family, offering support and ensuring his legacy lives on for years to come. In the past few months, Charlie’s name has been read aloud during roll call at virtual memorial tributes and etched into marble memorial walls. Charlie recently received a posthumous award, a medal of honor for his sacrifice to his people and community.  

With everyone in position the motorcade was off. Sirens wailing and headlights flashing, the vehicular ensemble traveled the length of the reservation from the court house to the marina, receiving support from commuters along the way who honked, waved and pulled to the side of the road during the honoring parade.

The moving tribute to Officer Cortez is a project that spans across the Nation called End of Watch – A Ride to Remember, arranged by a non-profit known as Beyond the Call of Duty. The organization has one sole mission; to honor the legacy of all the fallen police officers throughout the country. Tulalip was just the second stop on an 84-day, 22,500-mile journey around the U.S.

“This is our second year, we have six motorcycles and we plan on keeping it going,” said Beyond the Call of Duty Founder, Jagrut ‘J.C.’ Shah. “It was something I was thinking about for a number of years, and it’s something that should be done as far as letting the Nation know versus just the state or local city. I wanted all the departments to know that we’re all together in the same boat. I wanted the survivors to know that they aren’t alone. That’s really been our mission since last year and we’re seeing it today. We we’re able to bring a survivor from 2019 to talk to the Cortez’s. He lost his son; it is difficult, but they speak the same language because we can’t express that hurt, that loss.”

Upon arriving at the marina, a number of local leaders spoke about the Tulalip hero, about how he gave his life defending his Tribe’s treaty rights as both a Fish & Wildlife officer as well as a tribal hunter and fisherman. 

“Charlie was a peacemaker, he was a loving, wonderful young man who came to work to do his duty always with a smile,” recalled TPD Chief of Police, Chris Sutter. “Charlie laid down his life for his tribe, protected treaty rights that were negotiated 150 years ago to preserve a way of life and a culture. He was out doing his duty as a fish and wildlife officer for the Tulalip Police Department and was taken in the line of duty. Charlie Joe Cortez will always be a hero in our community. Always remembered and never forgotten. We love you, we love the family.”

Said Tulalip Vice-Chairman Glen Gobin, “Charlie became a part of each and every one of you in his walk. When Charlie lost his life that day in the line of active duty, he gave it all doing what he signed up to do, with the greatest honor and respect that he had for what he believed in when he put that badge on, what he stood for – to stand up and serve his community, his people. Charlie’s birthday was yesterday, he would’ve been 30 years old today. Forever 29 in our hearts, forever 29 in our memories. In whatever way you walked in his life, whatever you shared in his life, you carry that with you.”

Charlie’s parents, Paula and Alan Cortez also spoke, thanking those in attendance for their continued support. 

“Seeing you guys all ride in and watching the Beyond the Call of Duty memorial come in was an amazing feeling that is helping us heal,” expressed Paula while fighting back tears. “We still have yet to have our son’s service. We’ve been active as parents to let the media know that we will not give up. We have had people volunteer. Our police department, while they’re working on other fishery related matters out on the water they are keeping their eyes open. We have had people contact us who raced with him while he was in motocross and they are wanting to help, they are divers and have sonar equipment and they want to be here for us. I want to thank all the agencies that came that night on November 17, 2020, my hands go up to you, you were out there that night, the next night and beyond. I want to extend the deepest gratitude for the honor that you are giving to not only my son, but to my family, his children, our community members and the police department he served.”

Alan then took a moment to gift a hand drum to J.C., which he made from elk hide that both he and Charlie harvested together. The ceremony ended with a song and blessing from a group of Tulalip singers, many of whom rode along in the convoy; some on their ATVs and in their everyday vehicles, some a part of the Tulalip motorcycle club, the Sacred Riders, who escorted the procession throughout Tulalip. 

A belated BBQ birthday celebration was planned to coincide with the End of Watch ceremony, as May 29^th would’ve been Charlie’s 30^th trip around the sun. While TPD officers worked the grill, the people wrote personal and heartfelt messages to Charlie on a large End of Watch banner, and took photos next to his picture on the memorial wall. 

The Cortez family is determined to bring Charlie home and they believe that his return can bring some much-needed peace, healing and a closure to the Tribe, the law enforcement community and most importantly Charlie’s loved ones. 

Thank you for keeping Charlie’s family and the Tulalip Police Department in your prayers. As always, please send any potential evidence, information or your own informal searches to us by texting 360-926-5059, or emailing bringofficercortezhome@gmail.com, or leaving a voicemail at (909) 294-6356.

To keep up with the traveling memorial wall as it journeys across America, please visit the Beyond the Call of Duty Facebook page for nightly video recaps and photos of each of their stops. 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

A large crowd of community members welcomed the Red Road to D.C. story pole journey during its Tulalip visit on May 17^th. Designed with Indigenous precision by Lummi Nation’s House of Tears carvers, the 400-year-old western red cedar lay front and center while embodying an unwavering message to protect the sacred.

“We are all coming together, like figures in a story pole, to produce an end vision – the protection of Native American sacred sites,” explained head carver and Lummi activist, Jewell ‘Praying Wolf’ James. “Native America has endured hundreds of years of oppression, yet our spiritual practices and beliefs have not been exterminated. We are still connected to Mother Earth spiritually, and our sacred sites are extremely essential to our native belief systems. 

“Working on story poles opens up a path to the spirit,” he continued. “It is my hope that this pole will transmit that spirit to Washington D.C. and allow the Biden Administration to follow through on their treaty obligations. Many of us believe that the United States owes it to us to listen. They entered into a sacred relationship with us, some people call it a treaty. But they use their voices to promise. To us, when you use your voice, it takes the sacred wind and the Great Spirit gives you the energy to talk. Your verbal commitment is one of spiritual significance to Native Americans. We hope by bringing this story pole to Washington, D.C., we’ll also awaken the sacred commitment the United States has to Native American Nations.”

It took over two months and fourteen pairs of hands working in synch to transform the nearly two ton, old-growth cedar log into a symbol of our collective ancestral responsibility to protect sacred lands, waters, and wildlife for generations to come. At twenty-four feet, eight inches tall and three feet wide, it tells a story of connectedness and asks for accountability by the humans who call this planet home. Skillfully etched in the pole are a moon, a diving eagle, two Chinook salmon, a sea bear, a sea wolf, a grandmother with her grand-daughter, and a number of spiritually strengthening elements chiseled throughout. 

Featured on the pole are seven tears to represent the seven generations of trauma passed on from colonialism. Also included is an image of a child in jail in reference to the U.S. – Mexico border issues and the bloodline relationship of immigrants seeking entry to the country whose lands they once occupied. No to be overlooked are the numerous blood red hands from top to bottom that symbolize the silenced voices of missing and murdered Indigenous women. 

“Many grandmothers are raising their granddaughter as their daughter because the mother is missing in action,” said Jewell. “Either she got abused by a husband and ran and disappeared for her own safety or she got caught up into drugs, or she’s missing and murdered. It’s a nationwide crisis. We like to dream that we have a perfect relationship, but the fact is the United States, the State of Washington, all our tribes, the counties and cities, everybody has to enact laws to tell the men: ‘Quit beating the women! Leave the women alone. Stop it or we’ll imprison you.’ It’s sad that we have to have the law tell us it’s wrong. It’s a reflection of our attitude, and the way we treat the female in the family is how we treat the Earth. The scars are permanent.”

Mother Earth is covered with scars. Her air is polluted by the burning of fossil fuels, oceans filled with industrial waste, forests replaced by concrete jungles, and arctic shelf continuing to melt away because of global warming. What’s happening is a result of a perspective that sees everything as a resource to be exploited. Its killing Mother Earth and threatening life across the planet. Life, whether it be aquatic, avian or land based is suffering. Mother Earth’s creatures are dying of sickness because her life giving air and water are being poisoned.  

“We look at our children and our heart aches because how do we stop the devastation of what’s happening to our mother? What are we going to leave our children when we’re dust? What kind of lifestyle are we leaving them to inherent?” pondered Lummi master carver Douglas James to the intently listening crowd. “We’re reaching out and asking for all to come together with one heart and one mind because it’s for the children and their future children that we need to be accountable. We must stand up for them now, like our ancestors once stood up for us. Or else our children can look forward to only being able to breathe fresh air through an oxygen tank and drink clear water from a plastic bottle.”

The House of Tears carvers hope to bring a moment of self-reflection across the United States and an acknowledgement of past and present injustices inflicted on Native peoples and lands without consent, as they plan to journey 16,000 miles to share the messages within their story pole. Their cross-country trip is only just beginning as they intend to visit all federally recognized tribes in Washington State before going down the Pacific coast. 

They will make stops at several locations that are considered sacred to local tribes and Indigenous peoples, and are current or potential targets for dams, mining, drilling, or oil pipelines. At each stop, they will display their story pole especially created to honor these sacred sites. They will meet with local tribes and residents to underscore the message that tribes must give their consent before major infrastructure projects are approved. 

“This is a spiritual gift being shared with the people, all the tribes throughout the U.S.,” said Tulalip elder Inez Bill. “I’d like to thank the carvers for including us and acknowledge our Tulalip elders who came here today to represent our people in this historical occasion. This pole serves as an example of what we can do when we unite our hearts and minds in thanks for the blessings we’ve been given. It is a blessing to be stewards of this land. The natural environment is where our spirituality and traditions come from. Our ancestors thought about their future generations and fought to have their usual and accustomed areas accounted for in the treaties. We need to honor and respect our ancestors by taking care of these areas. The way of life of our people depends on the teachings and values that were laid out for us. It is our responsibility to carry them forward.”

Red Road to D.C. journey stops will include sacred sites such as Bears Ears National Monument in Utah; Chaco Canyon, Navajo Reservation in New Mexico; and the Black Hills in South Dakota. Planned visits also include locations where Native-led oil pipeline protests made national headlines, like the Standing Rock Reservation in North Dakota and the White Earth Indian Reservation in Minnesota before finally arriving in Washington, DC on July 28, where the pole will be delivered to the Biden-Harris Administration. Concluding the Red Road to D.C. journey, the story pole will be enshrined as a featured monument in the Smithsonian National Museum. 

The story pole journey is a project that makes visible the struggle for life. It brings awareness to the connectedness of all Mother Earth’s people and our shared history. It ties together communities who are living on the front line of the environmental emergency. It makes the commonality of their suffering visible and strengthens the bonds of solidarity between them.

As the pole travels it draws lines of connection honoring, uniting and empowering communities working to protect sacred sites. It carries the spirit of the lands it visits, and the hopes and prayers of communities along the way. As the pole travels from place to place and comes into contact with more and more people, it grows more powerful. People who touch it give it power, and it in turn gives power to them. 

“This gathering was so special because we honored a story pole that will be traveling to D.C. to be presented to the White House. I’m thankful we were able to share our welcoming song and bless the pole in our own traditional way, with youth and elders as witnesses,” reflected Tulalip Chairwoman Teri Gobin. “This pole recognizes our relationships we’ve created with the federal government and the many broken promises we’re trying to have corrected, to make things better for our people. 

“As tribes, we have been fighting much of the same fights since treaty times, and we’ve shown over and over again that when we come together we are strong,” she added. “Being able to have our people touch the pole and put their prayers into it, knowing that tribal members from all across Indian Country will do the same, is extremely powerful. It lets us know that we are in this fight together. We are fighting for our environment. We are fighting for our treaty rights. We are fighting for our future generations.”

To follow the pole’s journey and see a list of tour stops visit www.redroadtodc.org Events will be live-streamed via the group’s public Facebook page – Our Shared Responsibility: A Totem Pole Journey.

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

“I want our newest officers and staff to know that we value each and every one of you,” said Tulalip Chief of Police Chris Sutter. “You have worked hard to get this far and we want you to be successful. We welcome you to the department. We all look forward to seeing you progress in your career.”

Natural sunlight beamed throughout the illustrious new Tulalip Gathering Hall, on a gorgeous May afternoon. Approximately 150 people, consisting of family, friends and local citizens, came together to celebrate a momentous occasion for eleven individuals who are embarking on a new journey with the Tulalip Police Department. 

In total, nine officers received a warm welcome to the squad; seven officers who recently graduated from the U.S. Indian Police Academy in New Mexico as well as two lateral officers who transferred from other departments. The newly appointed Sex Offender Registration Program Manager, Alyshia Ramon, and the latest tribal recruit, Kanoe Williams, were also honored at the ceremony.  

Said Kanoe, “I wanted to join our tribal law enforcement to serve the community that I live in. I grew up here, I know most of the people on the rez. This is kind of my way to give back to them. I know it’s going to be a lot of hard work. I’m going off to New Mexico in the summer, and I’m excited and anxious and just ready to learn and start the process.”

A number of Tulalip leaders were in attendance including Tulalip Chairwoman Teri Gobin and Vice-Chairman Glen Gobin who commended the new officers for pursuing a career in law enforcement and offered their best wishes to both the officers and their families. 

Respects were also paid to fallen TPD Officer Charlie Cortez who was announced lost at sea last November. In a special moment, Charlie’s family shared a few words and a gift with all the new officers. The Cortez’s were escorted by Charlie’s lifelong best friend and fellow TPD officer, Beau Jess, and the family was sure to recognize him for being a source of strength for the family during these inexplicably hard times. Each officer accepted a gift bag from the Cortez family. In return, the new officers supplied them with loving hugs. 

“I wanted to be here today to witness our new officer’s swearing-in and blessing ceremony,” expressed Charlie’s emotional mother, Paula Cortez, before saying a prayer for the officers. “Our family prays every day for our own healing from what happened to Charlie and we pray that no other family has to experience this type of loss ever again.” 

TPD Commander Jim Williams provided a bit of advice and wisdom to the officers, which he garnered from his many years of experience on the force. Then Angela Davis, the department’s Professional Standards Manger, officially introduced Darbi Boggs, Justin Coker, Michelle Kekoa-Oshiro, Christian Kentch, Angel Sotomayor Jr., Josephine Stoker, Elizabeth Vides, Joshua Tannen and Jesse Wright to the community, while also sharing a short personal biography about each officer. 

Tulalip Attorney, Michelle Sheldon, held the honor of swearing-in the new officers. Following Michelle’s lead, the officers raised their right hands in the air and vowed to protect and serve the Tulalip community. After officially taking the Oath of Honor, TPD called upon the officers’ loved ones to pin their badges to their new uniforms. The ceremony concluded with a song and blessing from Tulalip singers, as well as a longstanding tradition amongst police agencies throughout the Nation, the enjoyment of cake and company to cap-off a swearing-in ceremony. 

“It’s pretty surreal,” shared new TPD Officer and Upper Skagit Tribal Member, Justin Coker, who is most excited about defending Tribal treaty rights. “The academy was really challenging, it took everything in me to pull through it and now that I’m here it’s pretty amazing. I’m thankful my family has been behind me the whole way. I grew up out here. I come from a family of fishermen and I just wanted to do my part and keep it alive, to make sure my kids have something to look forward to. I’m looking forward to meeting the community on a different level, letting them know that I’m here for them and getting to know everybody and the environment a lot more. It’s really exciting and it was a beautiful ceremony today. If this is something you want to do, follow your dreams.”

To pursue a career with the Tulalip Police Department, please reach out to Angela Davis to begin your new law enforcement journey. For further details, visit www.TulalipTribalPolice.org or call the non-emergency line at (360) 716-4608. 

Before parting ways, Chief Sutter stated, “My charge to our newest officers is to go out be fair, be objective, be kind, demonstrate compassion for others, always remember to treat everyone with respect and dignity, and treat others the way you would want your family members to be treated. Lastly, always be safe, take good care of your partners and also yourself and your loved ones.”