Recently, Tulalip Tribes was awarded Best Road Reconstruction for the pavement rehabilitation on 28th Drive NW, 81st St NE, and Totem Beach Road. The recognition from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) surprised the Tribes’ transportation department team, highlighting the significant strides made by the department since 2019.
“It was sprung on us; we didn’t even know the award was being submitted,” said Christina Parker, Division Manager.
Senior Project Manager Ross Bichel, echoing the sentiments of the BIA, remarked, “The BIA was impressed with our innovative approach. Our team’s ability to conceptualize and execute projects has been commendable.”
The team, comprising Judith Colina, Project Management Coordinator; Nicole Smith, Senior Project Manager; and Doug Bender, Inspector/Observer, has effectively utilized BIA funding to enhance infrastructure and safeguard the environment. Their innovative projects, such as the stormwater filtration system on 81st Drive and the updated storm treatment on Totem Beach Road, have not only improved the quality of life for the community but also demonstrated their unwavering commitment to excellence and community well-being.
“Our journey began in 2019 when the previous transportation manager left,” Parker shared. “Since then, our team has brought about significant changes in the department. Our accomplishments go beyond winning an award and gaining recognition from the BIA; it’s a testament to the collective effort of our team and a significant achievement for Tulalip.”
Ross Bichel elaborates, “We took projects where the stormwater and road surfaces were not the best. We were able to, with the help of funding from the B.I.A. and Tulalip, get these projects to a point like 28th Drive, where the stormwater goes through a filtration system that can pull stuff out of the stormwater before it is released into the wetland buffers, and then it filters through vegetation in the wetlands, then off to the salmon streams. This was nice because they never had anything before; water ran up and over the curbs; it was a mess. A lot of what we put in you won’t see; it’s capturing the water before it enters the roadways.”
This award underscores the dedication and innovation of the Tulalip Tribes’ transportation team, whose efforts have improved local infrastructure and set a new standard for environmental stewardship and community safety.
Tulalip is the proud home of countless courageous service men and women, from as far back as the first world war to this very day. Throughout the generations, hundreds of tribal members answered the call to duty, endured rigorous training, and bravely fought to defend our nation and our freedoms.
Each Memorial Day, the families of those Tulalip soldiers and veterans who have passed on collectively join together to pay tribute to their loved ones. Keeping with the yearly tradition, the Tribe once again held two beautiful Memorial Day ceremonies on the morning of May 27, at the Priest Point and Mission Beach cemeteries.
Vietnam Veteran, Mel Sheldon, returned as this year’s Master of Ceremony and helped uplift the spirits of the community by providing some good-natured humor throughout the two services. He also took some time to reflect on the lives of his fellow brothers-in-arms who died in combat.
Said Mel, “When we think about today, what it really means – we remember so we don’t forget, as te-at-mus (Raymond Moses) said. I think about my flight school classmate, John Sparks, he was from Idaho. We both had high hopes of becoming pilots when we got to Vietnam. We end up going our own way, I ended up flying scouts, he ended up flying Charlie model gunships. And in one battle, his ship was shot down and his body was never recovered. To this day, my brother is still over there. And I think about him, and I think about the other fellas in our unit that we lost when we were flying into Cambodia. It was a lot of action that we saw, and it had its causalities. Today, I am thankful for them for stepping up to the plate, going out on missions where they didn’t know if they would live past noon, but they went out and did their best. And it’s important we remember those men and women who have given their sacrifice.”
As this Nation’s original caretakers, defending this land may have a more significant meaning to tribal members across the country. It may be the reason why there are approximately 31,000 active Native American men and women serving today, and why there’s over 140,000 living veterans who are of Indigenous descent, according to the Department of Defense.
At Tulalip, mini flags were placed along the gravesides of nearly 300 Tribal members, all of whom served and paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country, as well as for those veterans who made it back home but are no longer with us today. Each of their names were read aloud, and families listened intently and waited patiently to hear the names of their fallen heroes as Tulalip veterans Cy Hatch III and Sara Andres performed roll call.
At the Mission Beach Service, Chairwoman, Teri Gobi, shared a little bit about her father, Stan Jones, who was a Marines Veteran, “I want to thank each and every one of you who are here today – a lot of people think this holiday is about taking a three-day weekend and going on vacation. We always knew of its importance when we were young because our dad used to bring us here. My dad was a very proud Marine who served in World War II. When we were young, the Marine Hymn was our family song in the car. He had so much pride in serving his people, serving his country. I’m proud of each of you who served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. And I thank each and every one of you for being here and honoring our vets.”
Two tribal veterans, Mara Hill and Dean Ledford, shared their personal experiences of time spent in the military, while also taking the time to honor their friends and family members who didn’t make it back to their homelands. Guest speaker and Vietnam veteran, Francisco Ivarra, shared the history of Memorial Day. He also spoke directly to the veterans in attendance about the importance of taking care of their mental health and dealing with PTSD. Each speaker was sure to give shoutout to the groundskeepers for their work in beautifying the cemeteries and placing the flags throughout the properties in preparation for the services.
Both ceremonies ended with a 21-gun salute in honor of those who enlisted and have since passed away. Once the ceremony at the Mission Beach cemetery concluded, the families visited the final resting places of their loved ones before they headed to the Gathering Hall to share some healing medicine together, in the form of a hot meal and good company.
“I wanted to share some information on the intern program that Ty has been coordinating at Tulalip Tribes design. He has had two tribal members, both interns from Heritage High School, for the majority of the year. They are finishing up their final week of internship and we thought it could make for a very good share. They have helped with all types of projects, including an order of 100 unsanded clapper kits for our events department and an additional 4 paddles that will all be gifted to students at their upcoming graduation.”
– Mytyl Hernandez, Hibulb Cultural Center manager
“These two young men have been doing some wonderful work, both of which are due to graduate. Adrian Jefferson and Taryn Fryberg have been really working their tails off through their own challenges, along with prepping for graduation. I’m just hoping we can inspire them to continue bettering themselves.
I’m proud of how driven this graduating class is. It takes a lot of strength and drive to talk about your passion and even more strength to follow your dreams. It always seems that once u speak on your goals people are quick to put you down, but these young men keep moving forward!”
By Tulalip News intern and Heritage student Lilly Jefferson
My name is Lilly Jefferson, I am the syeceb intern. Unfortunately, the school year is almost over, which means my internship will soon end. So, let’s go out with a bang! Here is my final article for the 2023-2024 school year. To date, I have written about myself, the ‘Free Palestine’ movement, and connections between Tulalip and Hawaii. Now, I’d like to cover a heavier topic.
Over the last few weeks, there have been individuals and even some families in our Tulalip community that have been policing each other about where and when we can or can’t wear regalia. These cultural gatekeepers are forgetting that regalia can mean anything to any one of us.
There’s not one definition for what regalia means. It can mean whatever you want it to mean. It can look however you dream it to be. It can be however your spirit chooses to express itself. Regalia can be Salmon Ceremony style, smokehouse style, or powwow style. It can be a ribbon skirt and paddle vests. It can be cedar hats and cedar skirts, or wool skirts and wool vests. It can even be as simple as moccasins and a beaded medallion. Then there are all kinds of regalia that can be made from animal skins, furs, and feathers.
I think a lot of this recent conflict is because we are still in trauma from Tulalip Indian Boarding School. The reason I say this is because we are still fighting each other instead of helping each other. There’s still so much shame and hatred and blame being passed down through generations. Our people never came from that. Our people valued self-regulation, were loving, and caring, and were just for the people. All this other stuff came from the trauma directly rooted in the boarding schools.
Healing is important because when we sit in our bad feelings for too long it can start to take over our lives. It can turn into depression, bipolar-like behaviors, and addiction, and it can take us into a really bad place. Now, just because it can turn into that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t feel emotion. During boarding school times, the kids who would cry or show emotion got beat and thrown into jail. Our elders were those kids.
The definition of trauma is when we experience very stressful, frightening, or distressing events that are difficult to cope with or out of our control. Our elders were shown that emotion and being themselves wasn’t okay. They were not allowed to wear regalia, speak their language, nor practice their traditions. It was like everything they ever knew was not okay anymore, and they were alone in it too. They didn’t have their aunties or uncles or moms and dads there for them. They had to go through traumatic events on the daily all alone.
I come from a long history of powerful women. My mom is Shawnee Sheldon. My Aunties are Theresa Sheldon and Courtney Sheldon. My grandmother is Toni Sheldon, the first woman paddler on Tulalip’s canoe crew. They are very strong women and I am very fortunate to have had these supporters showing and teaching me what regalia means to me. They taught me not to be scared to wear my regalia. They showed me not to be scared to sing and dance and speak my language.
Every aspect of me is because of them. I wear my regalia to feel strength and protection, I wear it to show who I am and where I come from. I wear it as a representation. I wear it to express myself. I wear it to honor my family, spirit, and ancestors.
I’m just a 16-year-old who is passionate and has a voice that speaks loudly. If I said anything you didn’t like or agree with, then I hope you at least heard me because we all deserve to be seen, heard, loved and respected. I hope I inspire Native youth to have a voice and an opinion in more things related to this. I want to let you know that you are powerful and I hear you. Keep going and don’t be scared to learn new things, take healthy risks, and have fun.
But most importantly, always be proud of who you are and where you come from. Don’t be afraid to represent your family proudly. I’m not afraid to be myself and I never will be.
In observation of National Police Week, the Tulalip Police Department hosted the second annual Peace Officers Memorial Day ceremony. The gathering brought together the families of TPD officers William Williams Sr. and Charlie Cortez, who both died in the line of duty while serving the Tulalip community.
The ceremony took place at the Gathering Hall on the afternoon of May 15, and though it was only one-hour long, the event provided a space for the families and community to heal while paying tribute to those two brave tribal members who paid the ultimate sacrifice while defending their treaty rights and homelands.
Said Tulalip Chief of Police, Chris Sutter, “At this ceremony, we honored William Williams Sr. who died in the line of duty on July 15, 1965. He was a fisheries patrol officer. We also honored officer Charlie Joe Cortez, who also was taken in the line of duty on November 17, 2020. It is really important that we, as a police department and a community, gather each Police Officer Memorial Day. Our two fallen officers represent the dedication and commitment to this profession, and their loyalty and their service to their community. And we plan to continue this tradition, to always remember their sacrifice in the line of service.”
Taken too soon, at the age of 29, TPD Fish and Wildlife Officer Charlie Cortez’s End of Watch date in November of 2020 came while on duty, after assisting a distressed boater in rough and stormy conditions. Charlie’s fisheries vessel capsized in the Salish Sea. After a two-day search and recovery mission, Officer Cortez was pronounced lost at sea and his body has yet to be recovered and returned home to his family.
On the Officer Down Memorial Page, a website dedicated to the memory of all of the fallen officers across the nation, Williams’ dedication states that he drowned while patrolling Quil Ceda Creek in July of 1965. He was reported missing after his boat was found unoccupied. His body was recovered along the creek in the days following, just west of the I-5 overpass in Marysville.
Young drummers and dancers from Quil Ceda Elementary attended the Peace Officers Memorial Day gathering to offer medicine through song and dance. In addition to the traditional songs by the young culture bearers, there were live performances of the National Anthem and a bagpipe rendition of Amazing Grace. There was also a streamer ceremony held for Officer Williams.
A special moment took place for Dominic and Peyton Cortez during the ceremony. A couple of years ago, a non-profit motorcycle run called Beyond the Call of Duty, paid tribute to Charlie by customizing a bike in his honor and sharing his story while riding all throughout the country. Allison McCarter, who rode Charlie’s motorcycle during the run, attended this year’s ceremony to present a shroud to Charlie’s children.
Several guest speakers, including TPD’s own Angela Davis and Chris Gobin, as well as a handful of Tulalip BOD members, shared words to uplift the families, while taking time to reflect on the lives of Officer Williams and Officer Cortez. Both of the families found comfort in the showing of support from the community.
“For me, it’s heartwarming. It touches my heart to see people take time out of their day to show their respects and let us know they care,” expressed Charlie’s mom, Paula Cortez. “I think it’s important for the community to take some time to pause and recognize our fallen officers. When the department puts on events for the families, it’s important for the survivors to see that recognition. It provides healing, and it feels good to stand together in unity with the other family as well.”
As Chief Sutter mentioned, the Tulalip Police Department plans to hold the Honoring Our Heroes event every year on Peace Officers Memorial Day to bring healing to the community and recognize fallen officers who died in the line of duty while protecting Tulalip.
“We had a really lovely experience at the Gathering Hall,” said Chief Sutter. “As a police department, we’re striving to give exceptional police services to our community. I have high confidence in the men and women of the Tulalip tribal police department, and I really stress the importance of our core operating value – that as we go out to serve, that we’re peacemakers and problem solvers, and that we’re going the extra mile to help our Tulalip tribal members. And oftentimes our interactions are not criminal in nature, it’s more helping people and finding resources for people. I’m just very proud of the great work that we do.”
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Family of Officer Cortez unveils headstone memorial
Photo courtesy of Teri Nelson
This coming November will mark the fourth year since Tulalip tribal member and Fish and Wildlife Officer, Charlie Cortez, was pronounced lost at sea. And ever since that stormy night when Charlie’s vessel was capsized, his presence has been greatly missed by his loved ones, his fellow TPD officers, and the community who watched him grow up on the reservation and on the local motorcross circuit.
Through the initial period of shock and grief, the Cortez family found comfort in the support from both the Tulalip and law enforcement community, who ensured that Charlie’s memory will live on through the passage of time. Charlie’s name can be found etched on memorial walls in Olympia, Spokane, and Washington D.C. And the Tribe also dedicated the new Marina building in his honor.
This past weekend, on May 18, Charlie’s loved ones, Tulalip board members, and several TPD officers, gathered at the Mission Beach Cemetery as the family unveiled a beautiful memorial headstone for Officer Cortez.
Prior to the unveiling, Paula got the first glimpse of the memorial stone, and she admitted that she was initially upset because the headstone was facing the wrong direction. However, she decided to leave it as is after her mom pointed out that Charlie’s photo is facing Salish Sea and that ‘he’s keeping an eye out on the water to make sure everybody stays safe’.
The headstone shares the message, ‘you will always be remembered’ as well as his End of Watch date, November 17, 2020. The memorial also features an image of an elk, as Charlie enjoyed exercising his treaty rights and hunting with his dad. The unveiling included a blessing from tribal drummers, as well as some encouraging words from Tulalip BOD members and TPD officers.
Said Paula, “I just want to thank everybody who has been there to support us all along the way. It really touched my heart this last weekend to see those who came forward to support us. I felt like placing the stone at the cemetery would provide the kids a more private place for them to visit. It gives them the opportunity to be alone with him and place a little trinket on his stone. I just felt we needed a place for the family, and any of his friends or the community, and I wanted it to be placed by our family.”
Tulalip hero, Charlie Cortez, continues to live on in spirit – in the hearts of his loved ones and in the memories of his fellow brothers and sisters in blue. As mentioned before, in addition to the new memorial stone, Charlie’s name is forever displayed on memorial walls throughout the entire nation. And therefore, his legacy and story of valor will be shared for generations into the future, from Tulalip all the way to Washington D.C.
For one year, a master carver and his pride of wildcats sawed, whittled, and chipped away at a 4,000-pound redwood log. Their combined force of will and strenuous efforts are permanently affixed on the Arch Bishop Murphy High School campus, residing in the spirit of a fully-grown wildcat emerging from a mountainous forest.
This stunning symbology is what brought so many people together on May 15 as the entire student body, school staff, local school district officials, and representatives from the Tulalip Tribes gathered within Terry Ennis Stadium to commemorate the official debut of a one-of-a-kind healing pole.
“A little over a year ago, we began carving the healing pole in the spring of 2023. Most of the hands here in the audience today – our students and staff – helped carve this beautiful pole – complete with student signatures across the back,” explained Principal Alicia Mitchell. “We are so grateful to Mr. James Madison for serving as our first ever artist-in-residence. The goal of this project was to provide a source of healing, while rebuilding and strengthening our community from all of the disruption caused to schools throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“At the same time, students had a unique opportunity to learn about Coast Salish art and Tulalip culture. This project has complemented our faculty professional development, which has included visits to the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center and hosting Dr. Stephanie Fryberg on our campus. As a result of this learning, our U.S. History classes now make trips to the Hibulb Cultural Center, our English classes have sought to include even more Native American voices in their readings, and our Science and Social Studies Department chairs have personally met with the education coordinator for the Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources Department in the hopes of extending the learning beyond our classrooms.”
Tulalip artist and master woodcarver James Madison recently received the Richard and Nancy Wendt Award of Excellence, an award given annually to a person or organization that has demonstrated outstanding support of the arts throughout their lifetime. Deepening his connection with the arts regionally, he embarked on this healing pole journey with both his sons and their fellow Arch Bishop classmates.
One of those classmates is Amaya Hernandez. She was one of the commemoration’s student speakers. “I’m so grateful to have the healing pole on our campus. I’m happy to have representation of my culture here at AMHS. Being one out of 15 Native American students here, it makes me proud that we have made such a big impact to campus. I can’t wait for our community to grow even more here. t’ígʷicid huy, thank you and goodbye,” said the 16-year-old Tulalip tribal member.
“Being able to help my dad create this pole and seeing everyone come together today to celebrate it really means a lot,” added Jevin Madison. “My dad allowed all of Arch Bishop students who were interested and willing to work on the pole with us. Through the process of making it over all these months, I think it helped students who didn’t really understand our Tulalip culture or what we’re about to find some understanding.
“I witnessed some students open up and ask questions, others who were really excited to help on certain parts of the pole, and then so many who were eager to carve their name in the back of it,” continued the 17-year-old Tulalip tribal member. “I think that just shows the level of respect for Tulalip culture grew as the pole was made because they were able to help work on it and ask questions. With there only being about 15 Native American students here, I think this process helped us come together and form a larger community here at school…that’s healing.”
On Wednesday, May 14, the Tulalip Heritage High School golf team hosted the 2b/1b Tri-District Golf Tournament for the first time at Tulalip’s Battle Creek Golf Course. The weather was perfect as 62 girls and boys, including Tulalip Heritage seniors Tieriana Mclean and Lincoln Pablo, competed, aiming to qualify for the highly anticipated WIAA State Tournament.
To qualify for the 18-hole match, boys needed to shoot under 55 and girls under 65 on the first nine holes. This target posed no problem for Pablo as he managed to stay in the top 3 at the turn. Although he lost a few strokes on hole ten, Pablo maintained his composure, rallied back, and finished the match with a score of 89. With this score, Pablo would finish tenth out of 34, making the 17-spot cut-off and stamping his ticket to the state tournament.
“Last year, I made tri-districts, but it didn’t go well,” Pablo said. “This year, I worked hard to improve. On hole 5, I hit a great approach shot from the tee box and put the ball within 120 yards of the green. Then I took my nine-iron and hit the ball about 8 yards from the pin, finishing the hole with a par. This tournament has been amazing; the growth I have seen in myself over the last couple of years has been incredible. My family here supporting me has been wonderful.”
With some fantastic shots, Mclean kept it close to the players on the leaderboard. One such shot was on hole number 6, where Mclean sank a ten-foot-plus shot to save a bogey. With a par on hole 9, Mclean would end the front nine with a 54, battling for a tournament spot on the back nine. After a rough start and putting up a 13 on hole 13, Mclean dug deep, strung together a few suitable holes, and shot a 112, putting herself in 12th place out of 28 contestants, placing in the top 14 ultimately qualifying for the state tournament.
Coaches J.T. and Dinesha Kane closely followed the players. Playing on Tulalip’s home turf was a bonus.
J.T. said, “It was a big doing bringing the tournament to Tulalip. We wanted to be the hub for the tournament because we wanted the teams from down south and up north to meet us on our tribe and represent our inaugural season. We’ve worked hard; our kids are ready to show that we are a golf high school and community.”
When asked what he was most proud of, J.T. remarked, “Mindset; if I had one word, it would be mindset. Their ability to overcome the course’s multiple obstacles was remarkable and I can’t wait to see what they have at state.”
The match at Battle Creek Golf Course showcased the talent and determination of the Tulalip Heritage golf team. The team’s ability to host and compete at such a high level marks a significant achievement for Heritage and sets a new standard for the school’s golf program, ensuring that the team will be formidable in future tournaments.
