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Category: Tulalip News
July 1 2015 syəcəb
Tulalip Family Services Family Fun BBQ, June 30
Tulalip Beach Life at Spee-Bi-Dah, July 18
Living Wise and Living Strong
Photo/Micheal Rios
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
Tribal elders from several different tribes have joined together to promote healthy lifestyles. These participants earned their medicine pouches and meet on a monthly basis, sometimes weekly, to maintain their goals and support each other with health goals to keep them living strong. Sponsored by Tulalip’s Diabetes Care and Prevention Program, this program and these tribal elders who make it possible are affectionately known as the Wisdom Warriors.
The Wisdom Warriors program was created as a means to successfully link Native American elders with services and information on aging in a healthy and positive way. This valuable program ensures services to elders with a focused outreach method that centers on using culturally appropriate materials and a culturally relevant approach to make services available and effective. The goal is to provide an ongoing, incentive driven program that provides elders with the education, the support and the tools to make healthy choices resulting in lifestyles that promote self-care and longevity.
Photo/Micheal Rios
During the spectacularly warm and sunny afternoon of Tuesday, June 23, the Tulalip Wisdom Warriors held their monthly provider class at the demonstration gardens located within Jennings Memorial Park in Marysville. They were joined by the Tulalip Health Clinic’s very own Dr. Kimberly Kardonsky, clinical specialist in Family Medicine, who spent valuable time with the Wisdom Warriors to discuss and actually perform exercise.
The exercise discussion was all encompassing, covering topics from why people exercise, why people don’t exercise, countering excuses people come up with to not exercise, and learning chair exercises that anyone can do from home without needing any special equipment. Dr. Kardonsky and the Wisdom Warriors talked about what exercise looks like, what a pedometer is used for, and then discussed the many health benefits of proper exercise. Everyone agreed that exercise for elders is a mood booster, increases energy, decreases disability and hospitalizations, and overall increases health.
Following their discussion on exercise, Dr. Kardonsky led the Wisdom Warriors in several exercises that were performed while sitting in their chairs for a full minute at a time. Sit-down exercises included arm raises, chair walking and leg raises.
“Sometimes people tell me, ‘I don’t feel so steady on my feet’ or ‘I’m worried I’m going to fall’, so these are exercises you can do while sitting, while watching TV even,” says Dr. Kardonsky to the group of exercising Wisdom Warriors. “Some people think you can’t build up a sweat while sitting down, but yes you can. There are different kinds of exercises. There’s the cardio kinds that get your blood and heart pumping. There’s strength, where you build up muscle. And then there’s flexibility and balance, things like stretching or yoga or Tai Chi. All of those different kinds of exercising have a role and I think as long as you are getting some of each your overall health will greatly benefit.
“You can talk to a hundred different health care providers and you’ll probably get a hundred different ideas, but my thought is getting some exercise in every day or close to every day is really important. Even if you haven’t exercised in a long time it’s not too late to be physically active and you will benefit greatly from that. Whether it’s going for a walk with a friend where you can catch up or doing some bursts of exercise while you watching your favorite show or working in your garden…it’s all exercise that will promote a healthier lifestyle.”
After the series of sit-down exercises, the Wisdom Warriors replenished their bodies with a healthy and energy filled lunch consisting of an assortment of fruits, coleslaw and turkey and chicken sandwiches.
Every elder who becomes a participant in the Wisdom Warrior program is committed to living a healthier lifestyle. The number of participants continues to grow as more tribal elders come together to prioritize health and wellness.
You are invited to join Wisdom Warriors and start your path to better health, with the support of your community. Class locations can vary. Please call 360-716-5642 or go to the Tulalip Health Clinic for more information.
Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov
Bright future for Tulalip ballfield
By Niki Cleary, Tulalip News
A major facelift is underway on the Alpheus “Gunny” Jones ballfield. The Tulalip Construction Department began turning dirt on June 1st and the work will continue through the end of November. Once complete, the field will be blanketed in synthetic turf similar to the product used in the UW Stadium and Century Link Field.
“The Construction team is excited to bring an exciting project to the community,” said Construction Manager Dave Boehme.
The all-ages field will be available for more than just baseball, the field will be multi-use, marked for football, soccer, baseball and softball. The artists rendering outlines the full vision for the multi-use fields. Future phases may include basketball courts, batting cages, and a walking trail as funding becomes available.
Assuming the helm: Theresa Sheldon talks about the Quil Ceda Village Council
By Niki Cleary, Tulalip News
Quil Ceda Village is far more than the economic arm of the Tulalip Tribes; it’s a municipality in its own right. In fact it’s only the second federally recognized city in the nation. Founded in 2001, the QCV, like any other city, is governed by a city council and city ordinances. On June 16th, the current council, including newly appointed president, Theresa Sheldon, was sworn in along with Marie Zackuse and Glen Gobin.
“Historically the board members who did not hold an executive seat on council where assigned to represent the Quil Ceda Village Council,” Sheldon explained. “Since I have no businesses myself, it makes me extremely unbiased when considering the types of development policies and laws that we should enact in the village therefore making it easier for me to accomplish the role of President of the city.”
The Consolidated Borough of Quil Ceda Village has undergone a metamorphosis in the last two decades. Once a munitions dump, then leased to Boeing, this 2,000 acres is now home to over 150 businesses and sees over 60,000 visitors a day.
“Thankfully our past leaders put this city into motion over two decades ago to ensure we have the prospering economic development of today,” Sheldon continued. “I’m grateful for the confidence of the board to fulfill this duty. Quil Ceda Village President is a one-year appointment, I was appointed with unanimous support from our tribal council.
“The role of the council and the president is laid out really well in the charter. My duties are very straight forward, I preside over the monthly QCV council meetings, I’m the spokesperson of the village council, but I have no regular administrative duties or authority in the day to day operations. However, unlike the chairman of the Board, who only votes in case of a tie, I am a voting member of the Quil Ceda Village Council.”
At the June 16th meeting the discussion ranged over a variety of topics including roads and infrastructure, tribal enterprises, and police and court services.
“We received an update on the 116th overpass construction project which will be an 18 month project and will begin in July,” said Sheldon. “We will begin to replace the existing bridge with a wider bridge to provide an additional through lane in each direction and a double left turn to the I-5 ramps.
“This work includes additional pedestrian pathways across the interstate, will improve LED lighting, new signals and signage. Tulalip has been working on increasing capacity on 116th Interchange since 2001 and the Tribe has put in $23 million for this interchange. We have worked closely with WSDOT to ensure all safety measures will be covered as this project is considered massive with a lot of concrete, dirt, and gravel being brought in.”
The Tulalip Market, formerly a simple gas station located on 116th Street at the North end of the Village, will now become the Tribes’ drive-through smoke shop, deli, and gas station.
“It was interesting to hear about the product choices and details of the enterprise,” said Sheldon. “We take for granted things like point of sale systems. When you go to a store, they just work. There are a lot of logistics that go into placing the systems. We use Chevron’s system for gas sales and a different system for merchandise. All those systems have to speak to each other and seamlessly integrate for accounting purposes.
“I’m so thankful that we have staff in place looking at all the details as well as the big picture; I want to raise my hands to our Quil Ceda Village staff for working together to ensure we have a successful opening and a successful store, t’igwicid. The store will officially be open for business during the second week of July.”
Like many other municipalities, the City pays for police and court services rather than retaining a city police force or operating its own court system. In this instance the Tulalip Police Department and Tulalip Tribal Court provide the services. In May alone, the Tulalip Police Department responded to 532 calls for services and conducted 72 traffic stops within the Village.
“From the beginning of the year until now, a lot of the calls were for suspicious vehicles (242 calls), shoplifting (279 calls), traffic stops (411) and trespass (110),” said Sheldon. “We averaged 3.6 assaults per month and 1.8 hit and runs. Anytime someone is hurt, it’s a big deal, but for the amount of visitors we see (60,000 daily), these are relatively low numbers.
“One of the ongoing concerns for tribal police is the transient encampments. Transient camps are a concern because they often have unsanitary or unsafe living conditions, and property damage can occur when squatters move into vacant buildings and properties. There’s also a safety concern from visitors about aggressive panhandling.
“The Tulalip Tribes and Quil Ceda Village staff believes in offering respect to every person, regardless of their path in life,” declared Sheldon. “We also absolutely support Tulalip Police in making decisions to address safety concerns.”
Of the cases filed at Tulalip Tribal Court approximately 28% of criminal cases, 33% of drug cases and 44% of “miscellaneous” criminal cases (mostly theft and trespass) originate in Quil Ceda Village.
“Tribal Court and the Prosecutors Office will be using the funding they receive from Quil Ceda Village to hire additional staff this year. Thankfully our court system runs effectively and our court staff does a great job making sure that all cases are processed and heard in a timely manner.”
Reflecting on the meeting, Sheldon said she looks forward to creating a new strategic plan for the Village and encourages more Tulalip citizens to become involved if they would like to learn more about the cities operations.
“All Quil Ceda Village Council meetings are open to the public,” she said. “We hold monthly meetings, typically the 2nd Tuesday of each month. I want people to know we conduct these meetings in an open and transparent way and that we are constantly thinking of our future generation with every decision we make.”
Celebrating the 4th Safely
by Mara R. Hill, Tulalip News
It’s that time, summer is here and it’s only getting hotter. With the 4th of July approaching, people of all ages will be gearing up to pay a visit to Boom City to purchase bundles of exciting, noisy, eye catching fireworks. It can be fun to watch and light off fireworks, but it needs to be done safely.
According to statistics on the Washington State Patrol Office of the State Fire Marshall website, just last year there were 432 fireworks-related emergency incidents in Washington, resulting in 320,240 in property loss, 277 injuries and 155 fires.
To prevent firework related injuries or incidences pay attention to your surroundings, be aware of where the firework(s) may land, since the weather has been hot, the plant life and vegetation is dry. One mistake and there could be a fire. So be safe, have a bucket of water and a hose on hand, keep 20 feet between you and a discharging firework, light fireworks on flat hard level surfaces, read the instructions, have fun and play safe.
June 24 2015 syəcəb
Third graders present cultural fair highlighting STI curriculum
Photo/ Tulalip News, Brandi N. Montreuil
By Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News
TULALIP – In the midst of summer excitement, third graders from Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary School presented the last project of the school year to their peers, which incorporated the Since Time Immemorial curriculum. On Thursday, June 11, third graders hosted a mini cultural fair where they presented information on six tribes they had been studying. The cultural fair is an example of the unique learning environment cultivated at the school, which serves a large population of Native students in the Marysville School District.
The school’s cultural specialist Chelsea Craig worked with students on a six-week project in which they chose a tribe to study and present what they learned about the tribe. Chosen for study were the Muckleshoot, Nooksack, Tulalip, Spokane, Suquamish and Yakama Tribes, along with Afognak Village located in Alaska.
As part of the project the students were asked to contact their chosen tribe to learn first-hand about the tribe’s history and culture. Many of the students were provided letters of support for the project containing information about treaty rights, economic development and tribal history. One tribe even provided a DVD for students to watch.
Photo/ Tulalip News, Brandi N. Montreuil
Jimmy Faria chose to study Nooksack. Before the project he knew nothing about the tribe of 2,000 members. “I wrote to them and they actually wrote me back. You will learn a lot about tribes here. I learned the difference between how a coastal tribe builds a house and how a plains tribes build a house,” said Jimmy, who handed out brochures on Nooksack he created using the program Publisher.
The project provides a great example of how STI works in schools. STI helps addresses the need for Native representation in class lessons. It provides a basic framework of Indian history and understanding of sovereignty for grades k-12. Lessons can be adapted to focus on tribal history and culture, such as Mrs. Deveraux’s class which completed a writing assignment that focused on canoes. Students learned how canoes were made, cared for, and their importance to Coast Salish tribes. This is a great example of how STI curriculum can be integrated into lessons. Tribal components can be added to each learning subject, for example math students can learn the dimensions of different Coast Salish canoe styles, or in reading students can read about tribes using canoes for transportation or art assignments can include designing mock canoes, as tribal carvers do. This is how STI works.
“They were so thrilled to write to the tribes and wait for a response,” said Craig, “A lot of these students are learning about tribes for the first time while others are learning more about their own tribes. This work is about empowering them. It really is amazing to see how passionate they are about learning this stuff.”
For more information about STI please visit the website www.indian-ed.org.
Brandi N. Montreuil: 360-913-5402; bmontreuil@tulalipnews.com