Top Story Archives - Page 42 of 156

New year brings new spin on justice to Tulalip

Wellness Court aims to give people the support they need to be successful

Tulalip’s Chief Judge, Ron Whitener, speaks with community members at the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center on the benefits of the Wellness Court versus traditional court.

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

On the first day of 2017, the Tulalip Tribes will begin to heal the community using a new approach to addiction and the court system, the Wellness Court. The philosophy behind the new court system is that by treating addiction as a disease and not a crime, the victim will have an opportunity to take advantages of resources such as counseling and treatment. Therefore, providing addicts the opportunity to slowly and comfortably transition from a habit-led life to a new life where they can begin take control back.

“This has been a long time coming and we’re very grateful for everyone coming together. It shows courage when you come together as a community and you want change. You want to help people instead of throwing them in jail. We know as Indian People that there’s a better way to help our people, a better way to help them find their journey,” stated Tulalip Tribes Chairman Mel Sheldon.

It has been said by numerous officials that the nation is seeing the worst drug epidemic since crack cocaine ruled the drug scene in the 1980’s. Specifically in the state of Washington, heroin and opioids are tearing families apart and are the cause of about 30% of the state’s deaths. In Native America, those numbers are a lot worse. The Tulalip Tribes alone sees 13 times more losses due to the drug epidemic.

Tulalip Board member Les Parks serves on the committee for the Wellness Court and has been very active in getting the system up and running.

He says, “The Wellness Court concept is not new to this country. It’s been around for a long time, back then it was known as drug court. But this program is a completely different animal than the drug courts of the old days. We are adopting this new philosophy of love by wrapping our arms around our people who need us.”

Les explained that the current court system is failing when it comes to helping the people from the Tulalip area who are addicts.

“The addiction in our community is rampant and [the majority] of the people that are coming through the courts are because of crimes that are related to their addiction. We’re just recycling people. You can’t just put them in jail and expect them to get better. They do their crime, go to court, then to jail. They get out and repeat their crimes and it keeps going over and over until it’s too late. What we’re doing is not working,” Les urged.

In most cases an individual can spend anywhere from two days to six months in jail. Tulalip’s Chief Judge, Ron Whitener, stated that the jail time is not a factor in the recovery process for most addicts, and holding a person who is battling addiction in jail for six months is not cost efficient. The end result for a user fresh out of jail remains the same, they will relapse and sadly, this is when many people overdose.

For this reason, the Wellness Court’s average jail time will be two days. After the individual is released, the Wellness Program is immediately put into effect. Judge Whitener explained the difference between the traditional court system and the Wellness Court.

In traditional court, the judge remains neutral and enforces jail time. At the Wellness Court, the judge is extremely interactive and rewards positive behavior and takes the time to talk to an addict who is struggling, helping them stay on their path to sobriety.

The Wellness Court is a two-year program that will assist users by providing resources and encouragement. Resources include access to counselors in behavioral health, mental health and chemical dependency, as well as overall health care. Another service Wellness Court offers is advisement for education, job placement, and housing.

Judge Whitener states the epidemic is requiring nationwide change and that the process has to adapt to the needs of today’s society. “The courts are now moving away from the old way of business. It was this idea that when people choose to commit crimes, the way you deter them from committing more crimes is by throwing them behind bars. What we are now finding is the reason they are committing crimes is because of an addiction. They’re either trying to get money to be able to pay for the drug or they’re doing something like driving a motor vehicle while impaired by the drug,” he explains.

“By breaking the cycle we can save one of our young people that’s an addict. We can’t keep sending them to jail and giving up on them. They need us. We can’t give up on them.”

– Marie Zackuse, Tulalip Tribes Board of Director

Chief Carlos Echevarria also serves on the council for the Wellness Court and has been working tirelessly to find a resolution for his people. He explained the heartbreaking reality that his team sees every day, addicted members of his community that have burned all their bridges with friends and family, now have nowhere to turn.

The Chief stated, “One of the most horrific things my officers have to deal with on a regular basis is when they come into contact with one of our members who has an outstanding warrant and is addicted. The jail refuses them because they are full. We attempt to reach out to their family members for additional resources for them and, because of strained relationships caused by the drugs, there aren’t any. We have to watch them walk out of our police department. It’s the absolute worst thing. We don’t know what’s going to happen to them as they leave our custody and head back to the streets. This program allows us to use a number of new resources to help those individuals and get them on the right path. We need to starve the addiction and through this program we can. Recovery is contagious.”

Katie Lancaster-Jones shared her experience with the Snohomish County Drug Court located in Everett. Katie became addicted at age 12. Her drug of choice was Meth. After being in and out of the court system, she realized that the system was not working for her. She desperately wanted to become clean so she attended the 21-month long drug court program and has been clean ever since.

“Drug court saved my life. It taught me structure. Now I am a Northwest Indian College Graduate. I am clean! And most importantly my two kids are happy and healthy,” expressed Katie.

During the month of October, the Tulalip Tribes is hosting a series of community meetings explaining in further detail, and answering all of your questions throughout the Tulalip Community. The remaining meetings will be held on Wednesday October 19 at the Tulalip Gym at 5:00 p.m. and on Wednesday October 26 at the Kenny Moses Building at 5:00 p.m. For additional information be sure to attend one of the upcoming community meetings.

Tulalip Board of Directors member Marie Zackuse urged her community to take action stating, “By breaking the cycle we can save one of our young people that’s an addict. We can’t keep sending them to jail and giving up on them, they need us. We can’t give up on them.”

Contact Kalvin Valdillez, kvaldillez@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Gov. Inslee issues order on fight against opioid abuse

The order calls for efforts to prevent overdose deaths, including expanding access to naloxone, a medication used to counter overdose effects.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee speaks Friday at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle. Inslee announced an executive order to fight the rising abuse of opioids in Washington state. (Ted S. Warren/The Associated Press)

Source: Peninsula Daily News

SEATTLE — Gov. Jay Inslee has issued an executive order to boost efforts to prevent and treat opioid abuse in the state.

Inslee ordered state agencies to work with local public health, tribal and other officials to prevent unnecessary prescribing of addictive painkillers and expand treatment for those addicted to opioids.

The order issued Friday calls for efforts to prevent overdose deaths, including expanding access to naloxone, a medication used to counter overdose effects.

Last year, 718 people died from opioid overdoses in Washington state, according to state officials.

More people die in accidental deaths from heroin and prescription painkiller overdoses than from vehicle or firearm-related deaths, they said. Prescription opioid drug deaths have gone down, but fatalities from heroin overdoses are rising, particularly among young people.

Inslee announced the executive order at a news conference at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, where he was joined by medical providers, law enforcement officials, patients and family members who have been affected by opioid abuse.

“We all have an important role to play in the statewide movement to fight one of the most devastating crises facing our communities today: the public health crisis of opioids and heroin,” Inslee said in a prepared statement.

Inslee also called for using data to better detect misuse and monitor for overdose deaths. The Department of Health, working with others, will monitor prescribing practices to spot variations in how often painkillers are prescribed so that health providers and others can intervene.

“Opioid use disorder is a preventable and treatable chronic disease, much like diabetes or heart disease, and needs to be treated as such,” Secretary of Health John Wiesman said in a prepared statement.

The state agencies must submit a progress report by the end of the year.

Youth Perspectives: Suicide

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Talking to adolescents and teens about sensitive issues can be a daunting task, let alone trying to start a conversation about youth suicide. However, it is of vital importance that the conversation be had and the youth allowed to speak freely on the subject. It’s imperative there be no judgement, no pressure, and no expectation. The goal is to create a comfortable space where conversation flows naturally. During these times the youth can be very enlightening and provide insight to a topic we may not have considered before.

Over a period of weeks, this comfortable space where conversation could flow freely was created with several Tulalip youth who are highly vested in their community. These are youth who range in age from 8^th grade to recent high school graduates, with the majority being current high schoolers. It was made clear that their perspective on suicide would remain anonymous and be contributed to a collaboration article with several of their peers. The focus of conversation was on the recent coverage and response to community suicides over the last few months, their thoughts on what leads Native youth to contemplate suicide, and what they feel would be effective programs and developments to prevent teen suicide.

“As Native youth, we have endured so much loss and pain when it comes to losing family members or close friends or even just stress within our family. We are still suffering from the impacts of the genocide to our ancestors. Even today, almost on a daily basis the outside world still tries to strip us of what’s left of our culture. We’re like 50 years behind on education, we are more prone to addiction, alcoholism and using drugs. Let the youth know that we don’t have to continue that cycle. We can break those cycles of being addicts and uneducated. We can focus more on education, sports, and being culturally and community oriented.”

“Often partying is glorified. We should try to have more programs to go against all the things considered cool to do as a high school students. The underage drinking, smoking, ditching school, and things like that. We need prevention programs that actually speak to us, keep us busy, and focused on what’s really important. Let’s teach the youth to aspire to something greater…than just being on the Rez living paycheck to paycheck.”

“When you’re a teen you think it’s cool to look older or act older or do adult things, but you’re still just a kid. You’re still in high school. Why not learn to be a cool kid but in different ways? We try so hard to fit in but really in the world after high school its cooler to stand out.”

“There are definitely cycles that have been created. We all know and are told everything about suicide. We’ve seen the statistics that show we are more likely than other cultures to commit suicide. We know that’s there. Even when you’re in the moment, you know that’s going to be passed on, you’re going to become another statistic, but it still happens anyway. It’s hard to get out of that thinking that life just isn’t worth it anymore. Creating programs that help us to aspire, to know that whatever it is we’re going through doesn’t have to define us, that this isn’t the end of our journey, but the beginning, is critical to us breaking those cycles.”

“There’s a program at Behavioral Health that’s so amazing, but not a lot of people know about it. They offer counseling, someone for you to talk to about anything. Even if it’s something as simple as wanting to voice your thoughts they’ll listen. It’s located in the old Montessori building. They offer transportation so they can pick you up from school, will take you to appointments if your parents can’t. This program is so readily available, you just have to take the first step of reaching out to them.”

“I have cousins whose parents try to deny the fact they need help, that they have depression, and are suicidal. They need help from people who can support them and help them with what they are thinking and feeling, but their parents want to push it all under the rug. That doesn’t help anyone. It’s that old style of thinking that some of our parents still have and we need help breaking that cycle, too.”

“There’s a slippery slope that comes when discussing overdoses and deaths related to drugs and alcohol. Suicides is a part of that. The lines get blurred when it comes to a teenager who is driving drunk or high, crashes, and dies as a result. To some that’s considered not a suicide, but to others it is. Sometimes those of us closer to the situation know the true intent even if people want to deny it. If we count some of the drug and alcohol related deaths as suicides then that statistic for Tulalip looks a lot worse.”

“We hear a lot about generational trauma and the importance of our culture. After Jaylen, there were a lot of outsiders brought in and our space was no longer ours. In a way the response to bring in those outside professionals triggered more trauma in us. What do they know about our generation? What do they know about our culture? It’s hard enough for us to talk about sensitive subjects with family and friends. How were we expected to talk about these subjects and our thoughts and feelings with people we never seen before and didn’t know? It happened again after Dontae. It’s hard to talk about sensitive issues with strangers. Bringing outsiders to our spaces isn’t effective and doesn’t help us to heal.”

“When they had people who we didn’t know posted at the Teen Center it’s like you guys are messing with somewhere we feel safe, where we feel like we don’t have to be afraid or sad. Having those people there made some of us be elsewhere because we go to the Teen Center to be comfortable around our friends, not to be judged by people who don’t know us. It’s our safe haven and for that time we weren’t allowed to feel safe there.”

“I think that people find comfort in those they know and are familiar with. Starting our own teen support group is a good start. We want a place to talk about our feelings with people who understand what we’re going through. If you’re feeling suicidal or feeling like you don’t have anywhere else to go, then a peer-to-peer support group would be there for you.”

“Over the last couple months, since Dontae, there has been an increase in teens attempting suicide. I know of four or five attempts and that most likely isn’t all that have tried. I know a lot of people who feel so lonely and have suicidal thoughts, but there’s nothing I can do to help them. It’s hard because our youth are so stubborn. Trying to help someone is really hard if they don’t want to be helped. So we, as a community, need to work together on finding out what the emptiness is and how we can fill it.”

“A lot of why we are so apart as a community is we’ve lost so much of our culture. We are so disconnected from values are ancestors had. We really need to push our culture, like to an extreme extent to make up for all that we’ve lost. We hear so much talk on the importance of family and community, but it seems we are more divided than ever. Families vs. families, old feuds, and people fighting over who gets what. It’s like we need to learn to be a true community again. At the end of the day, all of us are Tulalip family.”

“There are so many of us who don’t even know who their family is because everyone is so caught up in their own day to day life. The support that should be there isn’t and we don’t know who to turn to. It’s sad. That’s where the loneliness comes from.”

“It’s interesting that when threatened by outsiders our people band together like no other. The tribal mentality and need to protect one another is super strong then. So why don’t we have that mentality all the time? Something that has stuck with me is at a community potluck put together by Natosha Gobin and Malory Simpson, it was geared towards the youth but a lot of families came together, and they said we should come together in the good times, not only the bad times like funerals. I think there should be more of a push to go to community potlucks, community gatherings, and having the youth get together. We find comfort talking to people that we know. Having events or community dinners where the youth can come and have a good time then our parents would be able to catch up with their friends, too.”

“We know the odds are against us. It’s up to us to work against these stats and cycles we hear so much about. Suicides, lack of education, alcoholism, addiction…all these things are working against us, all the percentages are negatively in our favor. We can’t just get stuck in what we know, we have to be open to what we don’t know. We have all this possibility in front of us and in our future. Why not try to turn that possibility into something positive? There’s so much more out there for us than just the stats and cycles. There’s a whole world of possibility out there, beyond this Rez. It’s up to us to realize that and not be afraid to journey on our own path. We decide what our story will be.”

Unity and Wellness Month jam-packed with activates

Photo courtesy of Tulalip Youth Services

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Tribes has teamed up with the Marysville School District to officially declare October 2016 as Unity and Wellness Month or #TMUnityMonth. The Tulalip Youth Services, Behavioral Health, and Boys and Girls Club are among the several tribal programs banding together to promote healthy living for the youth of the Tulalip/Marysville community.

The month of October is jam-packed with activities. Nearly every day the youth have the opportunity to take part in events such as a movie night, a color run, and a field trip to the corn maze.

Additionally, each week of October will have a themed topic and every event held that week is based on that topic. For example, the third week of October is Bullying Prevention Week, during which the First Annual YANA (Young Active Native Americans) Conference will be held and hosted by the Tulalip Youth Tribal Council. The conference will include guest speakers, workshops, and activities that focus on bullying and suicide prevention.

#TMUnityMonth celebrates life and heal by bringing the youth together for events, support groups and conferences.

October 1-9

#TMUnityMonth Kick Off Week

Events to Remember:

10/06/16 Youth Center Peer Support Group (6^th-12^th Grade) 7:30pm-8:30pm

10/07/16 Friday Night Lights (All) 6:00pm

October 10-16

#LoveIsRespect Domestic Violence Prevention (Healthy Realtionships) Week

Events to Remember:

10/11/16 Youth Center Open House (All) 5:00pm-8:00pm

10/14/16 Healthy Relationship Workshop & Corn Maze Field Trip (6^th-12^th Grade)

October 17-23

#KindnessMatters Bullying Prevention Week

Events to Remember:

10/18/16 YANA Conference (6^th-12^th Grade) 8:00am-2:00pm

10/19/16 Movie Night at the Boys and Girls Club (Kindergarten-5^th Grade)

October 24-31

#BeDrugFree Substance Abuse Prevention Week (Kindergartern-5^th Grade)

#SaySomething Suicide Prevention Week (6^th-12 Grade)

Events to Remember:

10/28/16 Harvest Fest (All) 2:00pm-5:00pm

10/28/16 Color Run (All) 5:00pm

For a complete schedule and further details visit www.TulalipYouthServices.com

Opioids and Heroin Forum helps inform and heal communities

Tulalip Tribal Chairman Mel Sheldon speaks about healing from addiction. Photo/Kalvin Valdillez

by Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

“Out of curiosity, how many folks here have someone they know who has an opioid addiction?” asked Tulalip Tribes Chairman, Mel Sheldon, at the Opioids and Heroin in Snohomish County community forum. In response, nearly everybody in the Orca Ballroom of the Tulalip Resort and Casino raised their hands.

“I’ve been to too many funerals supporting families who lost a loved one due to an overdose,” Mel continued. The first time he saw the effects of heroin was in the service. Mel witnessed G.I.’s fall victim to ‘China White’ the popular street name for the drug at the time.

Mel stressed that the forum was designed to inform and heal. He understands the difficulties of addiction and spoke of his many years of sobriety from alcohol.

Before introducing guest speaker, Dr. Gary Goldbaum, Mel expressed that sharing is a part of the road to recovery and understanding, and that community is stronger by working as one. “When we share, we may hear something that inspires us, something that helps us. So when a friend says ‘I need some help’ we can give them the resources they need, and make a difference.”

Dr. Gary Goldbaum spoke about the epidemic that is destroying communities nationwide. He explained that is extremely difficult to quit once you have started using opioids. He showed side-by-side chemical structures of the prescription opioid OxyContin, prescribed for pain, and of heroin, revealing the two structures are nearly identical.

Because heroin produces the same effects to the human body as OxyContin, many people turn to heroin once their prescriptions run out. The price is cheaper and the demand is so high that the drug has become easily accessible. In recent years, deaths caused by heroin overdose have hit the community of Snohomish County extremely hard. For this reason Dr. Goldbaum believes that a major key in preventing people from trying opioids is education, and suggests that educating children at a young age would tremendously help stifle the epidemic. “This is beyond any one person,” he expressed. “This requires all of us.”

Goldbaum explained in detail what happens during the downward spiral of someone who is addicted to opioids. “Once a person becomes biologically dependent they are driven so hard to get the drug, that it comes at the expense of everything else in their life. Nothing is as important as getting the next fix, because withdrawal is painful.”

He went on to explain that the ‘miracle drug’, Naloxone, should be carried with addicts and friends and family members of addicts at all time. Naloxone saves lives by reversing an overdose in a matter of minutes.

Chief Carlos Echevarria of the Tulalip Police Department stated he shares the frustration and anger the community feels. He said that nearly every crime responded to is heroin related.

“It’s our number one concern,” Chief Echevarria said. “When I was about fifteen I lost two uncles. Last year I lost my brother due to an overdose, so I understand.” He shared that he felt the ‘what ifs’ and that he shared tears with parents in his office who were making funeral arrangements for their children.

Tulalip Health Program’s Annaliese Means and Tulalip community activist Rico Jones Fernandez both spoke of the epidemic ways to help the community.

The health clinic and community health program provides intake exams and counseling for recovering addicts, though treatment and most counseling takes place at Family Services. The program also helps expecting mothers who are using to get and stay clean during pregnancy.

Rico was instrumental in the passing of Tulalip’s Good Samaritan Law and he also worked hard to get the health clinic’s pharmacy to distribute Naloxone. Rico is also known for running Tulalip’s Clean Needle Exchange Program, where he personally walks throughout the Tulalip Community picking up used needles. The exchange also makes clean needles easily accessible, preventing diseases such as HIV for addicts who would otherwise share needles.

Two speakers, Debbie Warfield and Jim Hillaire, each shared their heartbreaking stories of how heroin stole their children at young ages.

Debbie described her son, Spencer, as a normal kid who loved sports but hated school. Before Spencer started high school they noticed he started to display more aggressive-like behavior. Thinking it was just a phase and the growing pains of adolescence, Debbie didn’t look too far into the behavior at first. However, by the time Spencer reached high school he was diagnosed with depression and ADHD and was prescribed medication. The medication caused him to become distant in both his home and social lives.

Spencer graduated and attended Washington State University where he was diagnosed with anxiety, and this time, opioids were prescribed. Spencer then tried heroin. He went to treatment for 28 days, but eventually died from an overdose.

Jim recently lost his daughter Angelina. She fought a long hard battle with her heroin addiction. She would often get clean for extended periods of time, and then relapse. Each time she relapsed she made strong efforts to get clean again by going back to treatment.

Hillaire stated the entire staff at one of the treatment facilities loved Angelina so much, they invited her to stay and work for them. Ultimately, Angelina decided against staying because she wanted to be with her family. Angelina lost her heroin battle this past summer. Jim stressed that this epidemic is a sickness, similar to a zombie apocalypse, and urged “these people are not dead but are valuable. They are worth our time and our help.”

The major keys that Jim stressed repeatedly are that the entire community needs to be more involved in each other’s lives in order for change to happen, to revisit some of the traditional teachings and practice them at home, and the community also needs to understand what addicts are going through. “I never met one person that wanted to continue to be an addict,” Jim stated.

Chief Carlos Echevarria of the Tulalip Police Department.

Chief Echevarria said the Tulalip Police Departments priority is to bust the small time dealers in the Tulalip community. The Chief will also continue to assist, in any way possible, with the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department. Commander Pat Slack states that the Sheriff’s Department is focusing on catching the suppliers who are importing the heroin from Mexico.

The forum concluded with a Naloxone training to better equip attendees with the knowledge of how to revive a person who has overdosed.

Another forum will be held on October 13, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Edmonds Community College.

New behavioral hospital to focus on youth and Native Americans

Tulalip Tribes General Manager, Misty Napeahi (2nd from the left), joins local community officials at the hospital’s July groundbreaking ceremony.

By Kalvin Valdillez

In the summer of 2017 behavioral healthcare company, US HealthVest, will open it’s doors to a new behavioral hospital in Smokey Point. The new hospital offers 115-beds and will serve the community of Snohomish County.

US HealthVest prides itself on being innovative and for redefining the psychiatric hospital space. By offering specialized services for their patients, the company creates a safe environment to grow and heal. Services include programs specifically for the youth, seniors, and women who are in need of help with substance abuse and mental illness’. The hospital will have dedicated in-patient beds for children, military veterans and Native Americans from local tribes.

“Smokey Point Behavioral Hospital intends to collaborate with the Native American communities and agencies to define a program that embraces the Native American culture. The program will be designed to allow patients to move past their mental health [issues] and addiction and grow spiritually; rebuilding the bonds they have with their culture,” states US HealthVest Senior Vice President, Randy Kaniecki.

Smoky Point Behavioral Hospital rendering by CollinsWoerman, Architects. — Smoky Point Behavioral Hospital rendering by
CollinsWoerman, Architects.

The two-story 70,000 square-foot building is the first in-patient hospital in Snohomish County and will provide services for patients of all ages. US HealthVest aims to aid a community, which unfortunately sees many of its members fall victim to substance abuse, depression and suicide.

Private patient rooms, a pharmacy, outdoor recreational activities and both outpatient and day clinics will be available to the Snohomish community when the facility is complete. US HealthVest states the new hospital will accept all forms of insurance, and offers Charity Care for qualifying patients who are without healthcare. Free mental health exams will be offered 24/7 so anybody in need of help can be evaluated at their convenience.

Currently the nearest behavioral hospital is located in Seattle and is only available to eligible King County residents, meaning patients are either required to travel further distances for assistance or spend the majority of their time in and out of emergency rooms when in need of support.

Accessibly located off of I-5, at 3955 156^th St., the hospital will also have an Intensive Care Unit for individuals in crisis that require immediate attention. Education, religion, and culture are areas of focus that the company exceeds in, providing tutors, chaplains and therapists for their patients.

The company held a groundbreaking ceremony in late July for the new hospital. In attendance were US HealthVest executives, city of Marysville and Arlington officials and members of the Tulalip community including Tulalip Tribes General Manger, Misty Napeahi.

Kaniecki states, “In working closely with the Native American community we intend to incorporate many culturally impactful elements into the program to help the individual.”

For more information on the Smokey Point Behavioral Health Hospital visit: www.smokeypointbehavioralhospital.com

Empowering our Native girls

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

“Every day I ask, what are your goals?” said Sasha Smith, Family Haven Project Coordinator, about her Girls Group. “And one day they asked in return, ‘OMG Sasha why are you always talking about goals?’ And I told them if you don’t have goals, you’re not thinking about your future. Your future can be tomorrow, six months, or a year away so you need to be setting little goals such as graduating or buying your first car while focusing on the bigger picture like your career, buying a house, do you want to get married? Do you want kids?”

Goal setting is just one of many life skills that the Girls Group, created by Tulalip Family Haven, practices every day

Girls Group, located next to the Tulalip Boys and Girls Club, is a year-round program designed specifically for Native American teen girls, ages 14-17, from the Tulalip Community. The group meets every week, Tuesday through Thursday, is free to join and transportation is provided. The group offers the girls a safe place to learn life skills, discuss important topics, and just be themselves. Not only that, Girls Group also gives them the necessary tools and resources for every situation the girls may face during those trying adolescent years.

Based on June LeMarr’s curriculum created for Native youth, Canoe Journey, Life’s Journey, Girls Group is customized for the girls in the program. Life skills are practiced daily and allow the girls the opportunity to learn a variety of new efficient techniques for cooking, budgeting, and being active in the community, transforming them into healthy successful leaders of tomorrow.

Who Am I? is a section at the beginning of LeMarr’s curriculum that covers the important topic of cultural awareness. This lesson reminds the girls of the history and values of Native Peoples. The group frequents culturally rich places around the community visiting elders, collecting trash from the beaches, and touring the Hibulb Cultural Center.

“Most of the girls hadn’t visited the museum yet, so it allowed us to revisit our history and to also talk about who we are as natives, women, and as a society in general,” stated Sasha.

Other life skills that Girls Group practices is the art of communication and the importance of your emotions. Effective communication equips the girls with skills in listening, expressing yourself and coping with negative moods. This skill teaches the girls how to overcome obstacles in relationships at school, work, and home in a positive way.

It was when studying communication that a group of girls, who weren’t particularly fond of each other, began to work on a problem solving poster board together. The poster board required the girls to work as a group and come up with alternatives to fighting, consequently teaching the girls about conflict resolution. Sasha states the girls expressed real life situations and feelings they were going through and the project resulted in the biggest lesson Girls Group has to offer, the importance of friendship.

“In the beginning we had booklets and PowerPoints, the girls weren’t really into it because it was like they were leaving school to come to school,” Sasha said in regards to the first year of Girls Group.

Eventually working out the kinks, Girls Group hit a stride and has been running smoothly ever since. By customizing the curriculum Sasha has attracted more girls to the program. The most noticeable and notable change being paperwork is no longer a requirement. Instead Sasha creates handouts daily and has open discussions with the girls, allowing them to speak honestly with a group that they feel safe talking to. This subtle change made it possible for the girls to build and experience trust with each other.

With the girls’ best interests at hand, the group helps its participants with both job and college prep. Sasha, having previous experience in the employment department, teaches the girls what to expect during an interview and why picking the right outfit is crucial to the interview process.

The group helps young native women create their own paths by offering them the opportunity to discover who they are through fun and inspiring activities. Arts and crafts, Pokémon Go, and outdoor field trips are a few of the many activities Girls Group has to offer.

Once a month the Girls Group hosts a family night, and the girls are encouraged to bring their families as well as their friends to show them projects they have been working on and share the memories created while at the program.

Other than countless activities the group has to offer, the program gives the girls the opportunity to travel to attend conferences. This past February two girls from the program had the opportunity to travel to Washington D.C. to attend the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America’s Annual National Leadership Forum and Prevention Days, where attendees learned how to actively decrease the drug and alcohol usage within their communities. Another conference the group recently attended was an All Native Women Conference held in Chehalis.

Members of the Girls Group were also in attendance at Tulalip’s Annual Wellness Conference, where the youth of the community learned about native activism. “After that conference we were able to talk about activism, being a woman today versus ten to thirty years ago, and not depending on significant others to take care of you. It’s important for them to know they can succeed on their own,” stated Sasha.

One of the greatest things Sasha loves about her job is watching the process of evolution the girls go through. Most girls begin the program quiet and reserved until they become comfortable and start to come out of their shells.

The program consists of about twenty girls throughout the year, however, around half of the girls are involved in extracurricular activities such as sports and attend Girls Group whenever they have the opportunity to join in on the fun. As for the other ten girls, Sasha states they are present and ready to participate every night that Girls Group meets.

“The girls who aren’t interested sports, this is their team. They come here to learn, grow, and laugh with each other and they are still able to create that really close bond with each other.”

Topics that young girls in today’s society need to be aware of and know how to respond to when in particular situations such as bullying, depression, sexual harassment, domestic violence, and drug and alcohol abuse are discussed throughout the year.

Heading in the right direction, Girls Group is becoming a beloved program and is giving the Youth Center and the Boys and Girls Club some friendly competition. Although all three offer amazing programs, Girls Group provides a little something special with its customized curriculum, and the bond the girls created with the Family Haven team members is incredible.

Sasha reflected on the evolution of Girls Group stating, “I remember it used to be like pulling teeth. ‘Come on girls, you should come to group today we are doing this.’ And now three years into the program I get texts hours before group begins asking where I am, if I am still picking them up, and what are we doing today? Girls Group has come a long way. I remember it feeling like it was just a job, but now I love waking up in the morning to come to work to make a difference for these girls. This is for them; this is their home away from home.”

Contact Kalvin Valdillen at kvaldillez@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Colin Ivarra, Tulalip’s Chief for a Day

Article by Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

Photos by Tulalip police officer Joe Dyer

Helicopters, armored trucks, motorcycles, and multiple squad cars rolled into the city of Burien on August 18, 2016. All of these vehicles, some transporting precious cargo, were en route to the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Center. Many passengers in the vehicles were police chiefs hailing from multiple jurisdictions in the state of Washington. The ‘precious cargo’ is in reference to whom those police chiefs were handing over their reigns and titles to: the little chiefs.

Witnessed by police officers, family and friends, law officials held a swearing-in for local children to the honorary role of police chief. Kids who have been diagnosed with chronic illness and life threatening medical conditions were celebrated for the strength, love, and inspiration they show daily to their communities in an event known as Chief for a Day.

Among the dozens of police departments in attendance was none other than the one that protects our community, the Tulalip Police Department (TPD). Chief Carlos Echevarria made the trip to Burien to transfer his authority to a twelve-year-old Tulalip tribal member, decked out in a TPD uniform, Colin Ivarra.

Full of excitement and always sporting a smile Colin has reminded the Tulalip community about the power of optimism. Colin, who is visually impaired, has already won a battle, a battle that most people with similar conditions to Colin often fight their entire lives.

Colin has conquered self-acceptance. A lot can be said about the little chief – all of it positive. Colin radiates so much positivity and good vibes because he never allows being blind to interfere with having fun, being a kid, and most importantly, his values.

Although he might not know it yet, family is one of the values that Colin, taught by his Auntie Sarah Ivarra, practices everyday. A close-knit family, perhaps a main contributing factor, is Colin’s key to success. Sarah and his entire family have stood by his side, supporting him every step of the way in his young life.

Sarah stated that Commander Kenn Johnson personally contacted Colin to recruit him for the Chief for a Day event. In preparation for the event, Colin completed an ‘About Me’ questionnaire and submitted it to the TPD.

The event included police demonstrations, pony rides, face painting, and carnival rides. The highlight of the event was the swearing in ceremony. Chief Echevarria and Commander Johnson presented Colin with an authentic TPD badge and array of gifts personalized for Colin based on his ‘About Me’ quiz. The gifts included an iPod, toys, movies, camping gear, and Colin’s favorite gift, a scooter.

“It was awesome! I was excited cause I got to talk and control a robot, I watched some people get tased, there was a robot boat, and free ice cream,” Colin exclaimed about his experience as little chief of Tulalip. “It was sooo cool, everyone is nice and the gifts are really cool.” His advice to future little chiefs is simply to have fun.

“It was just really nice to see [Colin’s experience] so personalized,” Said Sarah. “It is great to see him honored.

Sarah thanks the TPD, especially Chief Echevarria, Commander Johnson, and Officer Dyer for honoring Colin and accompanying him to the event.

“I really want to be Chief again in a couple years, when I grow up,” expressed Colin. With a goal set in place and a great supporting cast, Colin is now stepping into a lead role, in which he portrays resilience, more exciting and important than any blockbuster on the big screen this summer. A role that promises to grab the attention of it’s viewers immediately. An action-packed story that will involve plenty of good laughs and happy tears, the story of a future Chief, Colin Ivarra.

AbOriginal Soul: Annual Tulalip Wellness Conference (Day 3)

“Got this history in my blood

Got my tribe that shows me love

So when I rise,

You rise.”

–Frank Waln

“It comes down to the decisions you make in your life. Most of the time the right choice isn’t the easy one. It’s easy to run away. To run away to drugs and alcohol and I’m not judging, but I am here today because I’m always making the difficult choice,” stated Native American Hip Hop Artist and Motivational Speaker Frank Waln. Along with Tanaya Winder, Megan Red-Shirt Shaw, and The Sampson Bros, Frank closed out the final day of the Annual Community Wellness Conference at the Tulalip Resort and Casino on August 11.

Frank shared his entire life story with the future of the Tulalip Tribes for one reason: inspiration. The history of Native America isn’t well known to the rest of the world. Our story is often watered-down or not mentioned at all in schools throughout the United States. Growing up as a Native American in today’s society, we always had difficulties finding role models that weren’t appropriated by stereotypes. Frank easily flipped the script by actively advocating Native American rights, and is clearing up any misconceptions during the process.

Now in his mid-twenties, Frank spoke to the youth about everything he went through as a young Indigenous man. From a fatherless childhood to the culture shock of leaving his reservation for college, Frank has seen it all in only 27 years.

Frank spoke about his own experiences with drugs, alcohol, depression and suicide, so the youth can identify when they are caught up in one of those life-threatening cycles and can ask for help. More importantly, he shared those experiences so the youth, who might be going through a difficult time right now, could relate. He let them know that they aren’t alone, and how finding a healthy outlet is crucially important because it can break those cycles.

Before Frank took to the stage to perform his music, three of his colleagues and close friends shared their uplifting words with the conference attendees. Frank’s long time friend, fellow activist, dancer, and half of The Sampson Bros, Micco, encouraged the youth to follow their passion and to give it everything they got. Poetess, activist, and Frank’s manager, Tanaya Winder, performed poems from her new book Words Like Love and spoke about losing a loved one to suicide. And activist, writer, and founder of Natives In America, Megan Red-Shirt Shaw, talked with the community about finding and utilizing your voice while encouraging the youth to pursue higher education.

In between speeches, airbrush artists from Dzul Ink were at hand, making custom t-shirts for the youth with slogans such as Smoke Salmon Not Cigarettes and Pizza Rolls Not Gender Roles. Each person in attendance had the opportunity to choose a slogan they wanted to advocate for and the Dzul Ink artists created the t-shirt while the youth enjoyed the performance by Frank Waln and The Sampson Bros.

The perfect way to end any conference is with a musical performance. Frank and Company took it a step further by incorporating the message they were expressing with the most influential genre of music in the past three decades, hip-hop.

Frank performed some of his notable songs including AbOriginal and My Stone and debuted a new track, What Makes A Red Man Red, which samples dialogue from the Disney classic, Peter Pan. The inspiration for the new song came from the frustration of how Tiger Lily and Native Americans are portrayed in the movie.

While Frank passionately spit bars over beats he made on his own, the Sampson Bros performed along side him playing the flute and both fancy and hoop dancing. Micco shared the story of how he met Frank followed by spoken word poetry he wrote for his father, Will Sampson, who played Chief Bromden in the classic film adaptation of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.

The event was a success from the first day to the last. Each speaker gave the youth something to reflect upon and let them know they are loved, because sometimes when people get caught up in the everyday struggle it can be hard to overcome the overwhelming pressure of todays society. Sometimes we get lost in depression created by multi-generational trauma, and we desperately search for an escape. The wellness conference not only acknowledged that depression and anxiety are disorders that Native Americans are suffering from on every reservation, but also gave the Tulalip community healthy ways and the tools to help cope with those disorders.

For The Kids: Tulalip Annual Wellness Conference (Day 2)

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

Native American activism is the message that Ashley Tiedeman, Tobacco Cessation Program Coordinator, and her team delivered to the Tulalip youth during the second day of the Annual Community Wellness Conference. The three-day event, held July 28, August 4 and 11 in the Orca Ballroom at the Tulalip Resort and Casino, included a remarkable line-up of speakers. The second day’s focus, Exercising Our Rights, featured The 1491’s, Deborah Parker, and two Tulalip Board of Directors.

The 1491’s

“Everyday we wake up and think of our image. What clothes and what logos we wear, that’s part of how we define ourselves. We are not that stereotype, we are not mascots that is not how we want to be represented,” stated Bobby Wilson of the comedy sketch group, The 1491’s. The group, including members Migizi Pensoneau and Ryan Red Corn, were the keynote speakers for day two of the event.

The 1491’s YouTube channel has nearly seven million views and is filled with hilarious Indigenous satire. The group shared a few videos during the event including an episode from the popular series A Day in the Life of a Pow Wow Emcee. The 1491’s effortlessly filled the room with laughter and were able to naturally transition into serious topics such as racism, mascots, and politics.

Deborah Parker

When you speak about activism for Native America in today’s society, one of the first names that come to mind is Tulalip’s own, Deborah Parker. As many know Deborah has done outstanding work for the community of Tulalip, starting both the Young Mothers Program and the Tribal Tobacco Program. Most recently Deborah played a large role in the Bernie Sanders campaign, and is an advocate for improved access for education and health care for Indigenous people.

A young Tulalip Native American woman with so many accomplishments is the perfect role model for activism. As she spoke, the entire ballroom listened intently. She touched on an array of topics including projects she is working on, and gave advice to the youth on where to start and how to make sure their voices are heard.

Deborah compared Native American activism to a battle stating, “It’s a fight unfortunately, for us to be acknowledged by the United States Government. For us as Native people to be seen on television for our voices to be heard, that’s what we are fighting for.”

Exercising Our Rights

Tulalip BOD member Theresa Sheldon shared motivating words on the importance of making sure your voice is heard through voting. With a moving story Bonnie Juneau, another member of the Tulalip BOD, spoke of the struggle of addiction.

Before the event shifted back to a light-hearted atmosphere with a fun run, Bonnie shared an extremely important message urging the Tulalip community to support and show love to our youth, stating, “We can get to a place that we can work through our emotions, where we can learn to deal with our pain in a healthy way. Let’s honor our children in life; lets encourage them in life. We can’t wait until it’s too late.”