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Winning the fight against tobacco and drugs, one step at a time

Tulalip Walk Against Tobacco and Drugs — Tulalip Tribal members, William McLean III, Tisha McLean, and Angela Davis show their support at the Walk Against Tobacco and Drugs.

Article and photos by Jeannie Briones

TULALIP, Washington – Tulalip Tribal members and community members joined together on December 19^th for a walk to honor loved ones lost to tobacco and drug-related illness and to support the many efforts taking place to reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, and raise awareness of the health impacts of using drugs.

The first annual “Walk Against Tobacco and Drugs, ” organized by Tulalip Tribal member Tisha McLean and friends, began at the Tulalip Longhouse and spanned almost 2 miles, finishing at the Northwest Indian College Tulalip site. Despite the cold and rain, people showed their support, sending the message that they care about each other and share in the common goal of saying no to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

“I am walking, in part, for my son who is an addict. He has the same problem as a lot of tribal members. I am a spiritual person and our ancestors are walking with us and they’re thankful that somebody’s paying attention to the problem we have. It doesn’t have to be leaders; it has to be our community, our kids that are here today. Tobacco is the leading killer, it tops alcohol and drugs,” said Tulalip Tribal Board Member, Marlin Fryberg.

“It’s truly an epidemic. We all care so much for everybody in our community and want to help everyone,” echoed Tulalip Tribal Board Member, Mark Hatch.

Halfway through the walk, community members where greeted by the Tulalip Police Department, who rallied together to show their support, offering warm beverages.

Wrapping up the event at Northwest Indian College, participants took in a visual display, created by Tulalip police officers, outlining the dangers of addiction. Community members also enjoyed a light lunch, while sharing stories of family members and friends who are addicted to drugs, and the affects this has on their loved ones.

“I have dealt with it my entire life. My parents were addicts, my dad got better, but my mom is still an addict. And I have siblings that followed in their footsteps,” said Tisha, who went on to say that tribal members need to take the first step in wanting help and that people such as herself want to help them embrace a healthy lifestyle and say “no” to drugs, alcohol, and tobacco use.

Jeannie Briones: 360-716-4188; jbriones@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Santa Run collects food for families in need

Santa greets children in the Tulalip area.

Submitted by Peter Spawn, Tulalip Fire Department

Tulalip Bay Fire Department recently held their annual Santa Run/Food Drive. Off-duty firefighters come together and volunteer their time to escort Santa around the district, spreading holiday cheer and collecting food for the local food bank. This year was a success as we gathered over 600 pounds of non-perishable food items. We would like to thank our community for the continued support we receive each and every year during this event.

Credits: Eric Berwick photographs, fire dist. 15 photographer, Peter Spawn

Tualip says “Hell no to Coal”

Article by Monica Brown and Photos by Francesca Hillery, Public Affairs

Nearly 2500 concerned citizens gathered Dec 13^that Seattle’s convention center for the last Coal meeting in order hear others thoughts and ideas and voice their own opinions about the coal train proposal. Tulalip Chairman Mel Sheldon was one of many that were able to speak to the crowds.

“The Tulalip Tribes support job creation. We are one of the largest employers in our area,” Sheldon said. “But we will not tolerate anything that poses threats to our cultural resources, our health and our treaty rights to fish, hunt and gather. The tribes and local, state and federal governments have worked hard to improve the environment, but it won’t mean much if we find coal dust in fragile waters of the Salish Sea.”

The proposal is to transport tons of coal by railway, eighteen trains a mile and a half each, from the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming through our backyard to Cherry Point for tanker shipment to Asia. Cherry Point, a sacred site for our neighbor tribe the Lummi nation, have vehemently stated their position against the Cherry Point proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal which would be detrimental to the current ecosystem at Cherry Point which harbors not only a fragile herring population but also a sacred burial site of the Lummi nation.

“Never will Tulalip support the degradation of our ancestral burial grounds as would in this project. Whether they be here at Tulalip, or on Lummi burial grounds at Cherry Point, we stand in solidarity with our Coast Salish relatives in our solemn responsibility to our ancestors and to our sacred lands” Stated Mel Sheldon

The proposed coal exports to china would mean millions of dollars in revenue and new jobs that would be available for years to come. The negative impacts on the environment from the use of coal outweigh the positives with the damage mining causes to its place of origin, the dust that comes off seeps into everything from water to our lungs and the burning of coal emits CO2 which depletes the ozone layer.

Mel Sheldon finished with, “From whitecap to whitecap, or the peaks of the Cascade Mountains to the Salish Sea, it is our responsibility to our ancestors, our elders, and to future generations to protect and preserve the air, water, fish and other resources that we depend on.”

Recently, tribal members from the Northern Cheyenne Reservation along with the National Wildlife Federation and conservation groups have started protesting the coal mining in the Powder River Basin stressing that the mining is destroying the habitat and polluting the Otter River which connects to the Tongue River and Yellowstone River.

The US is the second largest coal producer, producing and estimated 1004 million tons in the year 2011, with Wyoming being the top coal producing state, mining 438.5 million tons (mt) in the year 2011. China is the largest coal importing and coal producing country, importing an estimated 190mt and producing 3471mt in the year 2011.

Thousands of comments from residents of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana addressing their concerns of the coal trains environmental impact can be viewed here,

http://www.eisgatewaypacificwa.gov/get-involved/comment/all

To view the Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal/Custer Spur visit this sight,

http://www.eisgatewaypacificwa.gov/about/overview

Comments can be submitted until January 21, 2013 here,

http://www.eisgatewaypacificwa.gov/get-involved/comment

Statistical information from; World Coal Association and Bureau of Land Management

Chairman Mel Sheldon speaks at coal meeting.

Lummi tribal member protesting Coal Exports.

The coal prostesters wore red to the meeting and carried signs.

Tulalip Resort Casino first tribal hotel to be honored with “Outstanding Property of the Year” award

Press Release, Ken Kettler, President & COO, Tulalip Resort Casino

TULALIP, Washington –Tulalip Resort Casino is honored to be the first tribal hotel to receive the “Outstanding Property of the Year” award from The Washington Lodging Association (WLA). With the receipt of this accolade, Tulalip will qualify to be considered for the “National Outstanding Property” award by the American Hospitality Lodging Association.

“This tribute really belongs to our incredible hospitality team, for their passion and continuing dedication to creating an exceptional experience for our guests,” says Kenneth Kettler, Tulalip Resort Casino President and COO. “The WLA’s recognition is a perfect complement to the acknowledgement the hotel has received from AAA with the presentation of the Four Diamond award.”

Tulalip Resort Casino is located on the Tulalip Indian Reservation near Marysville. The 12-story, luxury hotel opened August 15, 2008 and includes 370 guest rooms with numerous specialty suites, such as the 3,000 square-foot Tulalip Suite, the 2,000 square-foot Player’s Suite; the Technology Suite; and two Asian-themed suites. All standard rooms at the hotel sport granite countertops, dark African wenge-wood trim, 47-inch flat-screen TVs, iPod docks, triple-headed showers and floor-to-ceiling windows. Authentic tribal art, valued at more than $1 million, is incorporated into the hotel’s interior design.

The Washington Lodging Association, incorporated in 1920, is the non-profit trade and professional association dedicated to the interests of the lodging industry in Washington State. They are a resource for news and events, member benefits and programs, directories and publications. WLA members are represented by hoteliers and hospitality professionals from the Pacific Northwest.

For more information about Tulalip Resort Casino visit www.tulalipresort.com. To learn more about the Washington Lodging Association, visit www.walodging.org.

About Tulalip Resort Casino

Award winning Tulalip Resort Casino is the most distinctive gaming, dining, meeting, entertainment and shopping destination in Washington State. The AAA Four Diamond resort’s world class amenities have ensured its place on the Condé Nast Traveler Gold and Traveler Top 100 Resorts lists, as well as Preferred Hotel & Resorts membership. The property includes 192,000 square feet of gaming excitement; a luxury hotel featuring 370 guest rooms and suites; 30,000 square feet of premier meeting, convention and wedding space; the full-service T Spa; and six dining venues. It also showcases the intimate Canoes Cabaret; a 3,000-seat amphitheater; and Seattle Premium Outlets, featuring more than 110 name brand retail discount shops. The Resort Casino is conveniently located between Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. just off Interstate-5 at exit 200. It is an enterprise of the Tulalip Tribes. For reservations please call (866) 716-7162.

By Kim Kalliber; photos by Matika Wilbur

SEATTLE, Washington – Photography can have such an impact on our lives. Discovering nature’s beauty and exploring new cultures and opening minds to new ideas, these concepts are all found in the work of Matika Wilbur. Her emotionally complex photographs examine how Native people face cultural dualities and the connection between their culture and contemporary pop culture.

Matika is from the Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes. Her work has been shown in regional, national and international venues, such as the Royal British Columbia Museum of Fine Arts, the Nantes Museum of Fine Arts in France, the Seattle Art Museum and the Burke Museum.

Now you can find Matika’s latest project on Kickstarter, a funding platform for creative projects. Kickstarter is an online site full of independent, ambitious and imaginative projects that are brought to life through direct support of others.

Matika’s project on Kickstarter, 562 A Photo Project Documenting Native America, is currently accepting donations. The goal is to create a publication, exhibition, and lecture series documenting all 562 Tribes in the United States, although the ultimate goal is education. Matika will be traveling the United States in a photo studio equipped RV, paying a visit to all 52 states, and all 562 Federally Recognized Tribes. She will be using these donations for travel expenses, film and darkroom supplies and website development.

“I am so excited about my upcoming journey,” said Matika. “I feel as though all of the work that I have done up until this point has prepared me for a project of this magnitude.”

Matika goes on to describe events in her life that led her to explore Native cultures through the camera lens.

“When I was 17 years old I got sober, and have remained sober for the last 11 years and it was because of this experience that I had the courage to pursue higher education at The Brooks Institute of Photography. After I graduated, I took my first internship with Round Earth Productions photographing indigenous people in South America, where I realized that I hadn’t ever photographed my own people – so I came home, and began ‘We Are One People,’ a series of character study portraits documenting Coast Salish Elders. ‘We Are One People’ hangs in the Tulalip Admin Building, and has been shown at several museums. The success of ‘We Are One People’ catapulted my career into projects that explore our “indian-ness.”

“All of those experiences led me back to Tulalip Heritage High School to teach photography, where I learned so much working with our youth, and really had the opportunity to re-connect,” Matika continued. “I didn’t realize that all of that travel, exhibition and teaching would lead me to this- but I’m glad that it did. I’m so grateful for all of the support that I’ve received from my family and friends, I feel so blessed.”

Funding levels vary on Kickstarter and each pledge level offers the backers specific items in return. For instance, with a pledge of $10 or more, backers will receive a digital copy of the “562” book, while a pledge of $2,500 or more will entitle backers to join Matika on the road for two days as she explores Indian Country, along with receiving the awards offered at the $1,000 level.

Matika will be having an “End of Kickstarter” bash on October 28th in Seattle, with live music performed by Kore Ionz and Bakra Bata. Visit www.matikawilbur.com for more information and location of this event.

This project will only be funded if at least $30,000 is pledged on Kickstarter by Novemer 1st. For information and to become a backer, visit www.kickstarter.com and enter 562 under “search projects.”

For more information on Matika Wilbur, visit www.matikawilbur.com.

Tulalip leader says Native voters help protect treaties

Article and photo submitted by F. Hillery

TULALIP, Washington – Don Hatch Jr., Tulalip Tribes Board of Director, and long time advocate for tribal children and education is appealing to all eligible Native Americans to vote in the general election.

“This is about protecting our Treaty and our future,” said Hatch. “We need to support the candidates who will represent our interests in Olympia and Washington D.C. – by voting we help to maintain our livelihood.”

There are many reasons why some Native Americans do not vote. Some feel that only the tribal political process is important to their interests. Others believe that because Native Americans are such a small percent of the larger U.S. population their votes do not matter. This couldn’t be further from the truth, says Hatch.

Hatch sees the protection of the Treaties as the number one reason why Native Americans should vote. “It has taken some time, but we have built good relationships with our representatives, who know our issues and are willing to defend them, and if we don’t vote for them, it is going to be more difficult to maintain our treaty rights.”

“Everything we do here in Tulalip begins with the Treaty,” said Hatch. “Housing, education, health care – these are all issues that are central to our well-being – and we need to do everything we can to make sure we elect representatives who understand why these issues are so important to us.”

Hatch is motivated to get out the Native Vote because he sees it as protecting future generations of Tulalip people. He would like to see more participation in the political process from young people because the tribe will one day be in their hands. “We need to get our young people to understand how important their participation in the political process is,” said Hatch. “Whether it is a tribal election, a school board election, or a general election – it all matters.”

Hatch has long been part of the local political process and has learned a few important lessons. The most important lesson is that every vote really does count. “One year when I was up for re-election to the school board I won by 113 votes. Afterwards I thought about all the Tulalip people who did not vote – if they had it wouldn’t have been so close.” This is important he said because that year his opponents were not friends of the Tribes and they would not have been advocates of tribal children getting a good education.

Heritage Hawks triumph over Rainer Christian Mustangs

Article by Sarah Miller and Brian Berry

In the 2012 Heritage Hawks football opener, a home game played at Quil Ceda Stadium on the Maysville/Pilchuck High School campus, the Tulalip Heritage Hawks hit the field looking strong and determined. The weather was still quite warm for the 5pm kick-off on Saturday, September 8^thand both teams looked fired-up and eager to play. The Heritage Hawks scored first, within the first minute of play, and never looked back. By Halftime the Rainier Christian Mustangs managed to put only 6 points on the scoreboard against the 20 points earned by Tulalip Heritage.

After the half the Hawks dominated the Mustangs and won the contest with a final score of 60 to 14. D.J. Kidd, twelfth grade tailback for the Hawks, ran for 135 yards and scored three of the touchdowns for the team. The Hawks scored twelve points in the first quarter, eight points in the second, twenty for the third and another twenty for the fourth quarter. Let it be noted that the Heritage coaches didn’t intentionally run up the score. Heritage just dominated Rainier Christian, and short of stopping and waiting to be tackled, the scoring came as part of normal play. It’s a nice start to their football season; let’s hope they keep their momentum going.

You can watch the Heritage Hawks game on-demand at www.kanutv.com. Click on “Sports” at the top right of your computer screen and navigate to Heritage Hawks Boys FOOTBALL vs. Rainier Christian Mustangs 9-8-12.