Category: Tulalip News

Tribal members and the value of a higher education

Chelsea Orr.

By Shaelyn Hood, Tulalip News

Many tribal members hear elders and community leaders speak of the importance of earning your degree and receiving a form of higher education. It is important to learn the significance behind this advice, the values of earning your degree, and the steps to getting there.

One key advantage to receiving your higher education, is an increased access to job opportunities. College graduates will typically see 57% more job opportunities that non-graduates in their area. It also opens the gate for more specialized careers. Higher education offers a substantial platform for someone to build their expertise. Those seeking additional education while continue to work can gain necessary training, and the opportunity for promotions within their field.

Another more sought-after reason as to why people earn their degrees, is the potential to earn a higher income. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, on average, someone who earns their bachelor’s degree will earn $17,500 more a year than someone with an associate degree, and $25,000 more than a high school graduate. 

Additionally, being able to give back to your community. As we know, there are positions that do not require a degree, however, there are very specialized positions that our tribe occasionally needs and are at risk of needing in the future. As we often hear from our elders, and community leaders, they are looking for tribal members to eventually replace them in their positions.

Chelsea Orr felt that same passion to give back. She is currently a senior at Washington State University and earned both her high school degree and associates degree in June this year. Her passion for Human Development began at the tribe, and she decided that she would eventually use her skills to help her people. 

“I was doing Summer Youth at Tulalip Early Learning Academy, and a lot of kids there needed a little bit of extra help,” said Chelsea. “Eventually, I wanted to be the kind of person to help them.” 

Once graduating with a 3.95 GPA from Lakewood High School, Orr found out that she had also won Tulalip Senior Girl of the Year. She spoke about her heritage and how it has helped her academically, “I feel like it’s made me more strong-willed and has helped me persevere. Knowing that our people have been through so much, I want to be able to come back and work for the tribe to help our people. We need to stay together”. 

Unfortunately, a trend that some universities are seeing, is an overall attendance decrease from Native youth. According to the Postsecondary National Policy Institute, currently only 16% of Native Americans attain a bachelor’s degree or higher, and only 9% attain an associate’s degree. Other studies show that undergraduate enrollment among Native Americans, ages 18-24, have gradually decreased since 2016-2017. But as this is continuing, there is hope in knowing that non-traditional students’ attendance is growing.

Lena Hammons.

Non-traditional students are those who did not seek higher education right out of high school. Lena Hammons, tribal elder, was such a student for many years. At the time, she had a family and children to focus on and decided that she would pursue a higher education later in life. Since then, she has earned her associates, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree. 

Hammons said, “I tell everybody, I didn’t get my degree to become better than anybody else. I got it to become a better me, so that I could be a better mom, grandma, community member, tribal member, employee, to gain better insight to behaviors, and how the various federal laws impacted our behaviors”. She talked about how it’s not everyone’s path to start right out of high school, “it’s about knowing when it’s the right time and place. Don’t stress because you’re not ready. Detours aren’t necessarily a bad thing”. 

Many non-traditional students worry about the balance of schoolwork and life’s responsibilities, “I tell the students all the time, I never missed family time to do homework. I take my homework with me. If I could go to a family event and read a chapter, then that is what I did. Balancing family life and schoolwork is very important,” Hammons said.

Currently, the Tulalip Tribes Higher Education Department has accounted for 362, 18+ year students enrolled throughout the 2020-2021 school year. Their goals to help these students are to increase enrollment, increase graduation rate, reach out to younger students, and offer support and guidance, and expand with internships with college students and graduates.

The Higher Education Department offers a variety of support to help tribal members seeking their degree. They currently offer a substantial amount of funding towards tuition, books/supplies, a stipend, and room/board and transportation allowance for those that qualify. 

Outside of financial support, they recognize graduates or completion of certificates, train staff to assist students with their educational needs, assist with the Native American Career & Technical Education Program (NACTEP) and provide information and guidance to college planning. 

For anyone that is interested in pursuing their academics further, please contact the Higher Education Department at: 360-716-4888 or highered@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov.

From walk-on to scholarship recipient, Zues Echevarria latest Tulalip athlete to compete on collegiate level

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Tulalip history is filled with stories of athletic achievement. Ranging from grandiose tales told by elders reminiscing about their glory days, to standout high schoolers showcasing their skills in front of adoring families, to proud parents posting on social media about how amazing their child’s latest bitty ball performance was.

Sports have become as valuable to passing on traditional teachings as any other element of Tulalip culture. Think about it. Passing down knowledge and insight from one generation to the next, check. Learning invaluable lessons about patience, determination and hard work, check. Teaching the importance of mind/body connection with an emphasis on balancing nutritious foods with physical activity, check. Each generation of Tulalip youth being able to connect and participate regardless of family ties, check. An entire community being able to unite and root for the success of an inspiring tribal member, check. 

It should be no surprise then as to why recent success stories of homegrown athletes like Tysen and Bradley Fryberg (Salish Kootenai College basketball), Adiya Jones (Skagit Valley Community College basketball), Collin Montez (Washington State University baseball), RaeQuan Battle (University of Washington basketball), and Mikail Montez (Everett Community College basketball) have spread like wildfire on the Tulalip Reservation. Their stories stretch the imagination of what’s possible for a rez kid with a sports dream, while also giving parents a clear cut example that all the long practices, tournament-filled weekends, and substantial financial investment is worth it. 

Enter 6-foot-2, 290 pound Jesus “Zues” Echevarria Jr. The latest Tulalip athlete to compete on the coveted D1 collegiate level. A former team captain of the 2016 state championship winning Archbishop Murphy, Zues made the bold decision to attend Washington State University the following fall and endeavored to make their football team as a true walk-on. His prowess on the grid iron, focus during film study and tenacity in the training room earned him a spot as a redshirt freshman.

“The key is to be patient because every athlete that goes to the college level learns that you have to start all over. No matter how big of a high school star you were or how many programs were recruiting, once you get to college you have to earn your spot every day and work for every opportunity,” said Zues. “Gotta keep your head down and keep working, knowing that the patience will pay off when given the opportunity. A lot of times it comes down to the simple things like eating the right foods, getting enough sleep so your body can recover, and having the discipline to do the little things every single day knowing that you gotta stay ready for whenever opportunity presents itself.”

Unfortunately, injuries derailed his college career before he had opportunity to shine under the bright lights. He suffered a gruesome leg injury that forced him to miss most of the 2019 season and made it difficult to regain a top position on the depth chart in 2020. Instead, of taking the easy road and quitting on his football dream, the headstrong defenseman shifted his focus on rehabbing his body and conditioning in a way to minimize future injuries.

“Injuries are always gonna be a part of sports, especially at the higher competition levels, and I’ll admit the recovery process is more a mental challenge than anything else, but at no point did I think of giving up,” reflected Zues of his near 15-month recovery and rehab from a devastating leg injury. “I’ve worked way too hard to get to this point. My dream of playing football at the highest level is something I’ve had since being a little guy. My support system of my mom, my grandparents, and my teammates kept me up when I was down. The whole process just fueled me to want to get back on the field even more.”

The determination that fuels him as a defensive tackle combined with the mental strength to preserve over injury, to not give up, and to keep on working at his craft was something his coaches took notice of.

“Even when he was unable to practice with the team because of injury, Zues was coming out of the training room just as sweaty as our players who had gone through a two-and-a-half-hour practice,” explained WSU D-line coach Ricky Logo. “That’s how he showed us his commitment to coming back and getting healthy. When he finally got his chance to step back on the field and see game action, it was like he didn’t miss a beat. That’s what I love about him most. His will to fight through adversity and overcome separates him on and off the field.”

All the countless hours of rehabbing through injury, conditioning to keep his body at peak performance, and film study to ensure when his opportunity presented itself he’d be ready came to fruition on Saturday, October 9. It was WSU’s homecoming game and the stakes couldn’t have been higher as the Cougars hosted the Pac-12 North’s leading team, Oregon State.

On the field pre-game, the now 5th year senior and recent scholarship recipient warmed up with the same tenacity and vigor that his coaches had anxiously been waiting to unleash on their opponents. With a near packed house cheering on their home team at Martin Stadium, Zues got his chance to seize a meaningful role in the Cougar defense. He was on the field for twenty defensive snaps and came up with two crucial solo tackles that were met with a thunderous roar from the WSU faithful. His impactful play helped his team secure a huge 31-24 upset win over a Pac-12 rival. 

In what may have been his most extensive playing time in any game of his collegiate career thus far, his head coach offered praise for the 22-year-old Tulalip tribal member. 

“It’s good to see [success from] young people who have gone through some adversity and worked hard to get something,” said WSU head coach Nick Rolovich postgame. “[Zues] was really productive before getting hurt. He’s a hard worker and attacked rehab the same way, and we knew he was going to add to our defensive-tackle play as he got healthier. If he didn’t get hurt, I think he would have had a big part in all of our games this year.”

Zues intends to climb the depth chart further and become a fulltime defensive stalwart for the Cougars, whether that happens this year or next is of no concern because he understands the process is part of a much larger picture.

When asked if he still dreams of playing in the NFL, Zues responded without hesitation, “Absolutely! That’s my number one dream. Everything I do in practice, film study, and in games is geared towards continuing to get better, developing my skills to dominate on the college level. Then maybe NFL scouts will take notice. That’s the dream anyway.”

In the meantime, the student-athlete understands that he has to prepare for a career outside of football. Zues is close to earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Digital Tenchology that will allow him to continue his family’s longline of tribal artistry in the digital realm. 

Zues’ grandmother, Judy Gobin.

Zues’s grandmother Judy Gobin is his self-described #1 fan. She and her husband Tony make the five-hour drive from Tulalip to Pullman every home game to cheer on their grandson. Their support has proved to be instrumental, as has the support Zues receives from his Tribe in assisting with college related expenses.

“We are so fortunate as Tulalip because our kids have the opportunity to go to any school in the nation and excel,” said Judy at a postgame dinner, where her grandson was approached by random WSU fans applauding him for his efforts. “They can study to become whatever they want knowing our Tribe will pay for the vast majority of costs. We have so many great success stories because of the resources our tribal gaming allows us to access. Yet, so many of our children don’t do it. Stories like Zues show them what’s possible and can incentivize the next generation to take their education seriously. When they see Tulalips succeeding at college it breaks the stereotypes and lets them know they can accomplish great things in academics and sports.”

Because of the pandemic, Zues has gained two extra years of eligibility to play college football. The WSU football program hopes to see him accomplish great things with the extra years and awarded him with a scholarship as a sign of further commitment in his potential. Two extra years is plenty of time for him to become a Cougar legend. To this point, he’s already a Tulalip legend. 

Vote for Ray Sheldon Jr., MSD 25 District 1, a voice for Tulalip

By Kalvin Valdillez; photos courtesy of Ray Sheldon, Jr.

It has been one full term. Four long years since Tulalip tribal member Ray Sheldon Jr. first ran for a position on the Marysville School District (MSD) school board in 2017. Although he wasn’t elected on his first go-round, Ray’s desire to hold that position and make a positive impact for his community has never faltered. 

With Tulalip students and families in mind, Ray has decided to run once again for a seat on the board. If elected, he would represent District One, which is largely comprised of the Tulalip Reservation. He intends to be a strong voice advocating for the needs of tribal students and families who live within District One’s boundaries.  

“There are five board members and four of those positions are open this year,” said Ray. “I live at Hermosa; I’ve been here for a long time and I would really love to have the position. I graduated from MP. I started at Tulalip elementary, went to Liberty, Pinewood, and Marysville Middle school and Pilchuck; in ’75 they fused the two schools together. So, I’ve been around.”

He continued, “I am a Tulalip planning commissioner and a Snohomish County planning commissioner and I belong to a few committees here in town, with the tribal education committee and as the bond levy chair for the past few years. I will work as hard as I do with my two planning commissions. Sometimes I think that by being on both planning commissions, people are starting to see how we feel as a tribe. And the people in the school district need to understand how we feel out here.”

It has been reported that throughout MSD’s twenty-two schools, they serve nearly 12,000 students. And according to the district’s Indian Education webpage, more than 10% of those students are enrolled tribal members either with Tulalip or other federally recognized tribes throughout the nation. 

As a tribal member who went through the Marysville School District during his academic career, Ray believes that he has valuable input that will ultimately be in the best interest of those Indigenous students, who otherwise might be overlooked when the school board makes major decisions. In fact, that is one of the reasons why he chose to throw his name in the hat once more, because many tribal families feel unheard, as though their needs and desires are not being factored-in and met throughout the entire district. 

Ray echoed many sentiments that tribal parents often voice and have voiced for well over a decade. The main concern is that there is practically no relationship between tribal families and the current MSD District One representative, Chris Nation, who has held the position for the past three terms. 

Although Nation is not running for re-election, Ray fears that much of the same would continue should his opponent, Connor Krebbs, get into the position come election time. Ray notes that Connor is relatively new to the area and has lived in Marysville for the past couple of years after moving from Texas. Whereas Ray has lived in District One nearly his entire lifetime, and has excellent and established relationships with both the communities of Marysville and Tulalip. 

Prior to Nation, Tulalip tribal elder Don ‘Penoke’ Hatch served in that position for a total of 16 years, or four terms. During his tenure, Penoke would often reach out to families within District One, visiting students and families at their homes or at local gatherings to get their input and perspective on several issues happening within MSD at the time. He would then take that information and any concerns to the next board meeting, before any votes were cast and any big decisions were made. Unfortunately, this practice did not continue after Penoke retired from the board. Ray is looking to repair that broken relationship between school district and tribal families, and is backed by Penoke himself who serves as Ray’s original inspiration and the reason he wishes to be an elected MSD board member.

“Don and I were talking when he was on the board,” Ray shared. “One time at breakfast, he told me I was supposed to take over. I’m about 15 years late, but I’m ready to do this work.”

Penoke stated, “Ray is a strong person who utilizes his voice. I feel he would be a tremendous person in there.  He’s coached sports and knows a lot of people in Marysville. Ray has been to many school board meetings and committee meetings in the last several years. There’s nobody that’s running for the board now, who has been there as much as he has in the last few years.”

Continuing, Penoke expressed, “Each school board member counts for 20% of the big decisions like boundaries, school names, mascots, school colors. So, when we have something big coming up, he would have a vote in that. If they dump the Tomahawk, he would be one of the ones helping make the decision of what the mascot will be. We got to make sure we have a voice.”

Ray wishes to see the Tulalip culture, language and history taught at each school, noting that Lushootseed is currently only offered at select schools such as Heritage and MPHS. There are a lot of tribal students who attend other schools like Getchell High School, who he believes should be afforded the option to learn more about their local tribe. 

He is not only passionate about tribal youth within the school district, but advocates for representation for all students including those living with special needs. He was sure to comment on the lack of representation for Hispanic students and those youth involved with the BLM movement, and stated he will work to make sure those students are supported. Ray has also urged the school district to hire more teaching staff and faculty members of color and was pleased to report that he now sees more people of different ethnicities when visiting the schools and the district office. 

 “There’s been a lot of changing in the past year, that I’ve harped on, that’s happening. And those things are slowly happening because they are getting tired of me saying the same thing over and over again at the board meetings,” said Ray. “We also need to change how the behavioral system is handled because we have a lot of tribal kids in those situations. We have a lot of kids with special needs who need to be taken care of. We need to work on better policy to help keep the schools and students stay safe, which we haven’t done in a while.”

As Ray mentioned previously, he is the current chairperson for the bond levy that would increase property taxes in Marysville in order to raise funds to repair or rebuild a number of outdated schools within the district. 

He stated, “There’s a lot of schools, four of them, that really need to be changed. The floors are rotting out at Cedarcrest, Liberty and Cascade. And we all know how old the high school is now, that’s where Totem Middle School is. Even the Quil needs changes because they have the portables, our kids are going to classes that are separate from the schools. If we can’t keep the schools up, if we don’t approve this for the schools, no one will want to live here. They’re going to want to go to Lake Stevens, Arlington and Lakewood where the schools are newer and they will gladly pay the tax.”

Over the last few weeks, Ray has been campaigning with Vanessa Edwards who is up for re-election in District Four. He wants every eligible voter to also support her on election day. Her opposition, Wade Reinhardt, has some radical views and has shared some controversial statements while on the campaign trail, most notably his opposition to teach Critical Race Theory curriculum in schools. 

“Vanessa is in District Four,” he explained. “She’s been supportive of tribal students for quite a while. Last Friday, in Wade’s statement against Vanessa, he said he will not support any curriculum that places value on any race, color, gender, or national origin above another. That’s why we need your support.  That’s why it’s important to get her in there because he can really throw a wrench into everything. If you live off the reservation, you don’t have to vote just for your district, you can vote for everybody. You can vote for everyone on the ballot.”

Ballots will be mailed on Friday October 15, to begin the eighteen-day voting period. Online and mail registrations must be received by October 25, eight days prior to this year’s Election Day of November 2. The deadline for in-person voter registration is also November 2. Ballots must be placed in an official drop box by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day in order for your vote to count. 

“I praise Ray and I’m hoping and praying he gets in there,” shared Penoke. “If we don’t go out and vote for one of our tribal members, then we’re not going to be able to get the things we need for our children and parents. We have to go out and start campaigning for him. Ray needs help passing pamphlets out from our young people. And if you see a sign that is down, help put it back. We need a lot of help from our people out here. We need to take care of our schools and take care of our kids.”

Ray added, “It’s really important that if we, as a community, are upset with how the district is being run, it’s time. It’s time that we all stand up and say, this is the guy, we’re going to put him in there. We can make a change for our students now. This is exciting and enjoyable for me and I’m really hoping to get in. But if it doesn’t happen, I’ll still be here. I’ll be fighting for our students for a long time.” 

For more information and to follow Ray’s campaign, please be sure to join his Facebook group, Ray Sheldon Jr. for MSD 25 District 1. 

Tribe breaks ground on Village of Hope

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

With the rainy season officially upon us again in the Pacific Northwest, the worrisome drought conditions are quickly a thing of the distant past. It only makes sense then that September 30th’s downpour was a welcome sight as the topsoil for an all new tiny homes project aimed at combating homelessness, was softened for an official ground-breaking ceremony

“We definitely experienced challenges during this past year. It was in the middle of a global pandemic and the project was almost put on hold,” said Teri Nelson, executive director of tribal services. “There was a reduction in work force and government closures, making for an uncertain future. But as we navigated through uncharted waters, we continued to plan for this project remotely with Zoom meetings.”

Throughout the planning process the project continued to grow. From a group of tiny units to a village of miniature homes with all the accommodations one would expect from a proper residential area. Options will include one and two bedroom layouts with a kitchen and full bathroom. Plans include a central community building with laundry facilities and a computer lab. Resident aides and a number of support services will also be located on site.

Located next to the homeless shelter, this project is named Village of Hope. With 17 tiny homes planned to make up the village, tribal leadership intends to offer a sense of stability and hope for a better future to its future occupants. Village homes will be made accessible to individuals, couples, and families. 

“Every situation and story is different,” said Teri. “Our mission is to help our people and provide a place where families can have a place to reconcile, reunite…a place where they can recover, reclaim, and rebuild their lives.”

With last month’s completion of the Place of Transition, this latest project to combat homelessness comes as the Board of Directors continues to prioritize creating housing solutions for an ever-growing membership and rising number of families who find themselves without a stable roof over their heads.

“Understanding that homelessness creates lifelong generational traumas, we’re trying to reach those tribal members stuck within those traumas,” explained board member Misty Napeahi. “These [tiny homes] will help us make those necessary connections. 

“Intergenerational trauma is what all of us suffer from as tribal members,” she added. “The only way through that is through our community and with love and support for each other. When people have homes we know they become constructive citizens of our community.”

  Updates as to estimated competition of construction and the application process to be a Village of Hope tenant will be announced in the near future. 

Columbus Day and the evolution of Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Tulalip Tribes Salmon Ceremony, 2021. Photo by Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

By Shaelyn Hood, Tulalip News

Columbus Day was first declared a national holiday in 1934 and became a federal holiday in 1968.  But as the country continues to develop a better understanding for Native history and culture, the movement to instate Indigenous Peoples’ Day as a holiday continues to grow across the nation. Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a day to honor and celebrate Indigenous people in our society, the wrongs that have been done upon them, and commemorate their history as being the first inhabitants of North America. A group of Native Americans first proposed the day at a United Nations conference in 1977. Nonetheless, it wasn’t until 1989 that South Dakota became the first state to switch Columbus Day to Native Americans’ Day and celebrated it for the first time in 1990. Berkeley was the first U.S. city to transition from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. However, for many years, the government and our education system has failed to recognize the dark history that took place in order to construct America.

Since 1934, this is the first nationwide recognition, where we have seen governors, school-board leaders, and institutions unite and acknowledge this day. President Joe Biden recently released a statement saying, “We must never forget the centuries long campaign of violence, displacement, assimilation, and terror wrought upon Native communities and Tribal Nations throughout our country”. 

Many Native Americans are still in pain over this holiday, and over America’s history of treatment towards Natives. They feel Columbus Day fails to acknowledge the genocide and the violent colonization of Indigenous people, and rather only focuses on the perspective of celebrating Christopher Columbus’ journey. 

“We are really strong people. We have gone through genocide and racism, and we are still here. The strength in our culture, strength in our community, and in our families, are all really strong protective factors against so much of the darkness.”

– Amanda Boyd, WSU associate professor, Edward R. Murrow College of Communication

Logs that were written by Christopher Columbus are seared into the brains of natives, “They … brought us parrots and balls of cotton and spears and many other things, which they exchanged for the glass beads and hawks’ bells. They willingly traded everything they owned … They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome feature … They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane … They would make fine servants … With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want.” 

Many similar horrific statements by Christopher Columbus were documented and illustrated the derision he had towards Indigenous people and the covetousness towards the land that belonged to them.

For many Native Americans the question remains, why do we still recognize Columbus Day? For some Americans, they believe it is important to honor the courage and determination that the immigrants had to seek freedom in what is now known as America. For others, they view the holiday as a way to commemorate their Italian-American ancestors, and recognize a time where Italian-Americans were receiving mistreatment. 

Across the nation, it remains a debate of whether to celebrate one versus the other, or whether it is okay to celebrate both. In any case, it is widely discussed that Indigenous Peoples’ Day should be recognized as a federal holiday. 

Amanda Boyd, a WSU associate professor for the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, and Métis and Dane-zaa tribal member from Treaty 8 territory in Canada, talked about how Indigenous Peoples’ Day benefits students, “I would love to see every American on Indigenous Peoples Day take some time to understand whose land they’re on. To learn something about the history of the people who lived here and learn about our past, even if there’s darkness there. But also, to learn about our resiliency. It’s one more day. One more step to recognition, and to understanding our past.”

Boyd went on to say, “We are really strong people. We have gone through genocide and racism, and we are still here. The strength in our culture, strength in our community, and in our families, are all really strong protective factors against so much of the darkness.”

At a time when the world is awakening to the devastating history of America, Indigenous people are joining together. And even though for many Native Americans, Indigenous Peoples’ Day is an important first step, many people believe there is a long way to go.

A day of rembrance, a day of healing: Orange Shirt Day run raises awareness

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

Following a downpour of rain on a Thursday afternoon, approximately twenty young adults met at the gravel lot overlooking Mission Beach. Everybody in attendance wore orange shirts, designed by Tulalip artist Marysa Sylvester, with a hummingbird and a flower in traditional formline. The message on the t-shirt read Every Child Matters. Circling up, the group shared a prayer together, thanking the Creator for temporarily pausing the wind and precipitation, so that they could perform important work on a day of recognition, a day of remembrance and a day of healing.  

“When you guys are running, your ancestors are with you,” said Tulalip Youth and Family Enrichment Manager, Josh Fryberg. “It’s something bigger than us, it’s sending strength the best way that we can to the other side. We are running for our kids. Running for our ancestors. Running for our future generations.”

Kicking-off a moving ceremony hosted by the Tulalip Education Division on Residential Boarding School Awareness Day, the collective of Tulalip youth laced up their sneakers and held their banners high, as they set out on a 1.7 mile run through the reservation from Mission Beach to the Tulalip Dinning Hall. 

The descendants of boarding school survivors, the runners ran with purpose, delivering a message to the world that we as Native Americans and First Nations people are still here despite the government’s attempt to erase our identity, traditions and culture. 

Upon arrival to the former Tulalip boarding school, the youth prepared for an evening of healing and good medicine through traditional song and dance as the community gathered to honor the residential school survivors and in memory of the thousands of young children who did not survive the horrific boarding school era. 

Reflections in a Medicine Wheel

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

September 30 was Canada’s first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. A recently created holiday to honor the victims and survivors of our First Nations relatives who experienced forced assimilation at residential schools. Truth and reconciliation have been trending topics for months now, as bodies of Indigenous children being found by the hundreds in unmarked graves at previous residential school sites continues to make global headlines.

It started with the remains of 215 children being discovered on the former grounds of Canada’s largest residential school. That was in May. Since then, thousands of unmarked gravesites have been found at similar sites across Canada. A rising tally of these graves – more than 6,500 so far – has triggered a national reckoning over Canada’s residential school legacy.

Here in the United States, Native Americans know all too well the paralleled legacy of forced assimilation, stolen children, and untold horrors occurring for generations at federally sanctioned, church operated boarding schools. 

As historian and Hibulb Cultural Center collaborator Carolyn Marr explained in her Between Two Worlds exhibit, the underlying goal of Indian education from the 1880s through the early twentieth century was to assimilate the Indians into the melting pot of America. The twenty-five, off-reservation boarding schools operating in the United States sought to “bring the Indian to civilization and keep him there,” immersing children in white ways far from the influences of traditional Indian life. 

Reservation boarding schools like Tulalip’s, in operation from 1905-1932, aimed to strip Native children of their language, family, ceremonies and culture.

Doing his part to bring attention to National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, while honoring the past, present and future of a thriving Tulalip, elder Harold “Juju” Joseph created a gigantic medicine wheel out of thousands of hand-made prayer sticks. With the assistance of his family, they set individual prayer sticks one by one until they had created the 100ft wide medicine wheel. In the center, the sticks formed the number 6509 in recognition of each Indigenous body uncovered thus far at Canadian residential school sites. 

“My goal was to hold a ceremony in our traditional ways, free of any politics, to honor the kids who were taken from their families, their land, their tribes and never made it home,” explained Juju. “What better symbolizes our connection to each other than the medicine wheel? It’s a symbol used by our people all across the United States and Canada to represent the natural cycles of life and are connection to [Mother Earth]. It means as much now as it did before colonization. Within this circle everyone, no matter your age or background, can come together in ceremony and offer prayer.”

An intimate gather of close to 40 Tulalip tribal members and Native relatives within the local school district joined Juju within the circle. Everyone was encouraged to share their thoughts and feelings with the group. Youth culture bearers Image Enick and Tarynn Fryberg shared a song composed by Antone George in honor of those lost at the residential schools.

Following their song offering, Tarynn said, “I drum today for my ancestors who weren’t allowed to drum when they were alive. I encourage all our young ones to pick up the drum because our ancestors couldn’t. Every time we drum, we honor them. They couldn’t practice their traditions, but we can today. Our ancestors are watching us and they are happy to see us in the circle honoring those who never made it back home.”

In Harriette Shelton Dover’s autobiography Tulalip From My Heart, she goes into great detail of her experience at the Tulalip Boarding School. She describes being just nine-years-old and getting whipped for speaking her own language. It was against regulations for any of the students to speak their Native language. She wrote that anytime a child was overheard speaking in their traditional tongue they’d be strapped; a beating with a horse and buggy harness. The school’s matron would strap the girls from the back of their necks all the way to their ankles for daring to speak their own language. It is of little wonder then as to why Lushootseed reached the brink of extinction after multiple generations of Tulalip students were assimilated to English in such a barbaric way. 

But 100 years after Harriette and countless others of innocent Indigenous children had their language beaten out of them, proud Lushootseed speaker and educator Natosha Gobin led those within the medicine wheel with a prayer, in their traditional language. Her words washed over those in the circle and brought tears of happiness to some as they reflected on Lushootseed’s revival. 

“To speak Lushootseed is to give back voices to our ancestors, the ones who survived and the ones who never made it home,” expressed Natosha. With her fellow language warriors, they’re helping to decolonize the education system by teaching the next generation Lushootseed at TELA, Quil Ceda Elementary, Totem Middle, Heritage and Marysville Pilchuck. “It’s about being able to honor our ancestors by passing on their stories in their language. It’s about empowering our community to honor language, culture and traditions because it all goes hand in hand. Like this medicine wheel we are standing in, we can see how we’re all connected through these sacred teachings. By knowing our teachings and embracing culture and the language we regain the identity that the Boarding School Era attempted to take from our people.” 

Language. Ceremony. Culture. These central tenants to Native American identity thrived inside the medicine wheel as the gathering did their best to honor the 6,509. On National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we know the loss of life claimed by colonization via boarding school assimilation can never be reconciled. The truth is, the best way to honor those who never made it home is to live for them.

Tulalip Tribes declares September 30th as Orange Shirt Day

Remembering the lost lives of Indian residential boarding schools

By Shaelyn Hood, Tulalip News

With the recent discovery of over 6,000 Indigenous unmarked graves, the world is finally paying closer attention to the history of Indian Residential Schools in Canada and the US, and the many innocent lives that were lost. 

During the 19th to mid-20th century, Canada, the United States of America, and various Christian missionaries established Indian Residential Schools. This system was created to “civilize” and assimilate Indigenous youth to a more European-American culture. Often, tribal members were not willing to submit to these efforts, and schools started forcibly removing children from their homes. Along with major efforts to disintegrate Native American spirituality, and overall culture, Indigenous people had their hair violently cut off, were punished for speaking their language, using their tribal names, and forced to wear European-American style uniforms. Indigenous youth underwent decades of abuse, and often lost their lives. 

Canada became the first to acknowledge and mark its first official National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th. However, even though the history of residential schools were just as prominent in the US, they have yet to follow suit, and acknowledge the years of dismemberment of Native American tribes.

Tulalip Tribes passed a resolution and decided to move forward, declaring Orange Shirt Day – A day of Awareness & Remembrance for Residential Boarding Schools. On September 30th, 2021, the Tulalip Tribes Education Division put on the first annual Orange Shirt Day.

Jessica Bustad, Executive Director of Education, spoke about what this day meant to her and what she was hoping to accomplish, “This day means the start of something bigger, the start of healing for our community, for our people, for Indigenous people across North America, Canada, and everyone who has experienced residential boarding schools, colonialism, and genocide.” 

“It’s kind of overwhelming. I couldn’t talk about the event for a while without crying,” she contiunued. “I don’t feel like we were really the ones to put out this event. The event was already laid out by our ancestors, and we are just here to do the footwork for them. But this is long overdue, and it’s time to start bringing out the truth of what happened here so we can start to get to that place of healing as a community.”

The night’s festivities started with a youth prayer and run, that began at Mission Beach and ended 1.7 miles away, at the Dining Hall. As many tribal members know, the Dining Hall holds the last remaining remnants of a residential school located on Tulalip. Kaiser Moses who was one of the participating runners, and the elected chairperson of the Senior Tulalip Youth Council, said, “Even though I was never in a boarding school and my parents weren’t in a boarding school, it still has impacts on our elders and our current generation. When I run, I run to clear my mind, to get things off my chest, and to leave things behind me. So, when I was running, I was thinking about that.” 

Once the runners made it to the Dining Hall, Tribal members gathered, and discussed the evening, while looking over old photographs of their ancestors in the boarding schools, and the candles that represented their lost lives. Orange Shirts and meal boxes were also distributed to everyone that attended.

Natosha Gobin and the Lushootsheed youth – otherwise known as the Language Warriors, performed an opening prayer. It was an amazing way to commemorate the language Native Americans fought so hard to keep alive. 

Following, opening words came from members of the Board of Directors. They all spoke of the grief they were feeling and the pain they know our tribe and many others were going through. Tulalip Tribes Chairwoman, Teri Gobin, shared how her father was a member of the schools and hospitals, “The historical trauma lives on, you could see it in my dad.” She sympathized with other tribal members feeling that same pain, and expressed how it deserves to be recognized. “I’m glad that we’re looking at legislation that’s going to be coming forward, that’s going to help do the investigation and find out what happened to our loved ones and to bring them back to their families and to their homelands. But it just touches me. We haven’t gotten the apologies from the government like they did in Canada. We haven’t got them from the churches on what they did to our people.”

On September 24, 2021, Canadian Catholic bishops released a public apology for residential schools. The Native Women’s Association of Canada called upon the Premiers of all provinces and territories to recognize the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Marysville School District, which holds a lot of native children, also released a proclamation to observe “Orange Shirt Day” in remembering the children who died in the Residential Boarding School System. 

Youth and Family Enrichment Manager, Josh Fryberg, followed with, “Tribes need to follow and do the same thing. Pass this resolution to honor our survivors, to honor our kids that never made it home. To create that healing the best way possible for the future generations”.

After hearing from the attending Board of Directors, the night continued with various traditional tribal prayers, drums, songs, and dances. Tribal members spoke of this opportunity, and how our ancestors didn’t have that same privilege during the days of residential schools. One of the songs was a Snohomish War Song, where the elders were sat in the middle, and performers danced around them and sang to protect them. Tony Hatch spoke of his gratefulness that the elders had joined the event, and reminded them that if anyone has any scars, all of Tulalip is here for them, and behind them. 

After hearing from the attending Board of Directors, the night continued with various traditional tribal prayers, drums, songs, and dances. Tribal members spoke of this opportunity, and how our ancestors didn’t have that same privilege during the days of residential schools. One of the songs was a Snohomish War Song, where the elders were sat in the middle, and performers danced around them and sang to protect them. Tony Hatch spoke of his gratefulness that the elders had joined the event, and reminded them that if anyone has any scars, all of Tulalip is here for them, and behind them. 

Though many tribal elders were not able to make it to the event, others that were in attendance were given the opportunity to speak to the tribal community. Some passed along stories of loved ones that were affected, some expressed gratefulness towards our leaders, and others shared wisdom from their experiences, and what they want for the community. Overall, each speaker spoke of the pain that they felt for our community and the hopes for the future. 

Ray Fryberg was one of the speakers. He told stories of how our culture has been mistreated by outsiders through the years and how we can once again become whole. “Teaching language and being able to teach things in our culture that they took away from us, those are the things that are going to heal us. The things that we lost. These are the things that we regain, and that help build self-respect through self-identity, and our own cultural values and our own cultural teachings. To be good to one another. Culture means, how do we take care of each other? One person at a time, that makes up the tribe, and that’s how we move forward. Taking care of ourselves and exercising our sovereignty”. 

The event paid a special tribute to Tulalip, Native American Activist, Deborah Parker. She was a speaker that was unfortunately not able to make it that night. Members spoke highly of her efforts to working towards legislative reform. They spoke of the platform she has made for Native American voices and how she has become a strong representative of Tulalip Tribes. Many were praying for her and were grateful for her tireless endeavors to lift Native culture.

Towards the end of the night, the community heard from two residential boarding school survivors. Each shared the horrors of what the schools and hospitals held. They also talked about how it affected them mentally for the years following, and the demons that haunted them in adulthood. 

Wayne Williams was one of these survivors. He talked about the irony of the title, “National Day for Truth and Reconciliation,” and he quoted something so profound, “there can’t be reconciliation for a relationship that did not exist. This relationship with all the people that forced us into the boarding schools didn’t exist. Because we didn’t choose it. We didn’t choose it”. 

The night concluded with a Costal Jam, with spirited songs, drums, and dance.

For many Indigenous people, this is a difficult time. We grieve the loss of our ancestors and mourn over the endless pain that they had to endure. Very few survivors are still alive to tell their stories and about the tragedies that took place at residential boarding schools. But tribal members can always find support in our community. 

As Jessica Bustad said, “we see you, we feel you, and we’re here for you. We’re all on this journey together, and we will continue to be on this journey together.” And for any tribal youth that are still trying to understand this day, “Learn your history, understand your history, your family roots, and honor your ancestors. It’s going to be such an emotional time. Take care of yourselves, take care of your families, and do what you need to do to heal”.