Culture on Campus

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

On October 14, the University of Washington hosted a Tulalip-led coastal jam as part of it’s back to school celebration. The mission was to empower the university’s Native American student population, while embracing the rich culture and traditions of local Coast Salish tribes. 

Tulalip tribal member Chenoa Henry, former manager of the Grants and Self-Governance department, was announced as the new director of UW’s wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Intellectual House back in August. The 30-year-old husky alum wasted no time in coordinating the campus-based longhouse’s first ever coastal jam.

“After an inspiration lunch with Puyallup tribal member Danica Miller, where we pondered different ways to bring music, drumming, singing and all that kind of life and medicine into this UW longhouse space, a coastal jam just made sense,” said Chenoa, wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ director. “I started the planning phase by reaching out to my cousins Thomas and Cary Michael Williams. They helped me out so much during this entire process by announcing and posting about the jam at other gatherings. The turnout was better than I could’ve imagined.”

The Intellectual House is a longhouse-style facility on the UW Seattle campus. It provides a multi-service learning and gathering space for Native students, faculty and staff, as well as others from various cultures and communities to come together in a welcoming environment to share knowledge. Its purpose came to life during the coastal jam as cohorts of tribal members from Tulalip, Lummi and Puyallup gave the longhouse a drum heartbeat and enchanting voice that rang out to anyone within earshot.

During the three-hour coastal jam, Native culture bearers from four different generations drummed, sang, and shared their culture to those who sat inside or stood outside looking onward in complete amazement. The seemingly endless supply of energy from the elementary and middle school aged Native dancers was contagious to the older generations who happily shared the floor.

“In bringing a coastal jam here to the UW, I’m healing my past version of myself who did not have access to such events or community as an undergrad,” shared Chenoa. “To witness our Native students and other minority students who showed up because they felt like they are a part of something, actually embracing our sense of community on campus, it just shows how much the university, it’s students and our culture has grown.

“For the future generations and all the young ones who helped express what it means to be Coast Salish, I want them to keep coming back and to know they belong here. I want that sense of belonging to be ingrained in them long before its time to apply for college.”

The University of Washington is estimated to have less than 1% Native student population, according to Data USA, yet with so many casino tribes in Washington State paying near full tuition rates for their tribal members seeking a college education, that number should be much higher. It’s the hope of student advocate Hailey Enick, First Nations @ UW co-chair and Tulalip tribal member, that hosting more culturally relevant events while being more welcoming to the original stewards of this land could cause UW to see a significant increase in its Native student admissions.

“To me the Intellectual House feels like a piece of home on campus. Hosting a coastal jam is only appropriate then with our mission to make our Native students feel comfortable and let them know our culture is celebrated,” explained Hailey, a fourth-year undergad student studying Education. “It was important we make this event coastal specific because we don’t have many events that are actually geared to our coastal traditions. We are on coastal lands, the traditional lands of Coast Salish people. Showcasing our space and traditions while building community with new students is how we bridge cultures and understanding. 

“UW First Nations does host a big powwow every year and that’s cool, but these coastal songs are the sounds that I recognize, these are the sounds that I grew up with from home,” she added. “Powwow music is amazing in its own right, but it shouldn’t be synonymous with the tribes of this area. We have our own music, our own sounds and traditions.

“My fellow students gaining insight to the beauty we have at home in Tulalip is amazing and healing and makes me feel comfortable to succeed as not just a UW student, but a proud Tulalip tribal member as well. It’s still early in the new academic year and I’m already so proud of the Native community we’ve built here. There is so much Native representation and culture on display every day. I’ve seen so many pairs of beaded earrings and vibrantly colored ribbons skirts already. I look forward to seeing many more in the future.” 

As successful as the evening of coastal culture on the UW campus was, it’s even more significant from the standpoint that two culturally grounded and college educated Tulalip women are implementing, in the real time, the changes that so many of the generations before could only dream of.  

Hawthorne, traditional medicine for the heart

Submitted by AnneCherise Ramsey

People throughout the world value the Hawthorne plant as food and medicine for strengthening the heart and blood vessels.  The Lushootseed word for the Hawthorne Plant is čibadac, and is a valued plant ally of the Coast Salish peoples. Čibadac has been used as traditional medicine in Indigenous communities for thousands of years. Hawthorne is best known as a cardiovascular tonic, easing pressure on the heart. It is a very safe plant to consume, with a wide variety of health benefits, aiding in easing instances of both physical and emotional stress. In this article, we will discuss the primary health benefits of Hawthorn, while also providing you with information needed to identify, forage, process and consume Hawthorn as a traditional Coast Salish food. 

Identifying Hawthorne: 

Hawthorne is a large shrub or deciduous tree with branches armored with large thorns. It is a part of the Rose family. Hawthorn trees can be small, ranging only a few feet tall, to up to 30-40 feet in size. Hawthorne is a native plant grown all around the Northern Hemisphere of the world, including America, Europe, Central Asia and even parts of Africa. There are over 280 species. The leaves are serrated, with medium to dark green colored leaves. In the Spring, Hawthornes leaves are soft and edible, with beautiful pinkish-white, fragrant floral blossoms. In the fall, the Hawthorn tree provides us with beautiful light-dark red Hawthorn Berries. The darker and brighter the berry, the richer it is in antioxidants. The flesh of the berries is edible, however the large seed inside is not. 

When and How to Harvest: 

Though the flowers, leaves and berries are all edible, in this article we will primarily focus on the Hawthorne Berries. Their prime foraging season starts in September and typically ends mid-November, all depending when the first frost hits. When scavenging for Hawthorn, look for trees with bright red clusters of berries. They are bright in color, ranging from a light red color to dark burgundy. These trees can be found along river beds, forests, meadows and ocean shores. In fact, there are currently a plethora of both large and small Hawthorn trees growing alongside the Tulalip Bay, with thousands of beautiful ripe Hawthorne Berries, eager to be discovered. The berries can easily be plucked, but be careful as the branches contain thorns. As you forage these beautiful berries, remember to only take what you need, giving thanks for its many blessings. 

Hawthorne Food: 

Hawthorn leaves and flowers can be added to salads in the springtime. In the fall, the leaves become stiffer and lose their palatability. The Hawthorn tree produces beautiful red edible berries come September. These berries taste semi-sweet, with a mild flavor, but contain a large seed that should not be consumed. Like cherry pits and apple seeds, the seeds contain cyclic acid, which should be avoided unless cooked or dried. Freshly picked, you can eat the outer flesh of the berry and spit out the seed.  

Hawthorne Berries have an oily texture, and naturally contain pectin, a thickening agent used in making jams and jellies, making an excellent addition to any jelly recipe. Hawthorne Berries can be boiled in water and made into an extraction. They can also be dried and used into teas, or dried and ground into a powder. These are popular methods as Cyanic acid dissipates once the berries are cooked or dried. In the Hawthorne Honey recipe provided, we will be cooking the berries to create a Hawthorn Berry water extraction. 

Hawthorne Nutrition / Medicine: 

The heart is one of the most important, if not the most important organ in our body. It is continually pumping blood throughout our veins and arteries, delivering nutrients and removing waste products from trillions of cells. In traditional healing practices (Indigenous, Chinese, Ayurvedic, European), Hawthorne has been used as a plant ally to strengthen and open up the heart. It contains a wide variety of nutrients and antioxidants that make it a powerful medicinal food. 

Hawthorne Berries are high in trace minerals such as selenium and chromium. Selenium is important for proper immune function, while chromium helps enhance the function of insulin – a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels (GoodGrub). 

Hawthorn is packed with Antioxidants and Flavonoids: these are the plant compounds that help give food their color. The darker the berry, the more antioxidants and flavonoids are found. These compounds help support the overall vitality of the heart and cardiovascular system. They strengthen the blood vessels and  help heal damaged vessel walls. “If it is used regularly, it can help balance both high and low blood pressure through increasing the heart’s ability to contract while gently relaxing outer blood vessels. Hawthorn also relaxes the smooth muscles of the coronary artery walls and allows more blood to flow into the cells of the heart. This means more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to heart cells and waste products are removed. It is therefore supportive for acute conditions like angina (chest pain). Hawthorn is also helpful in treating or preventing atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), which contributes to angina and heart attacks (GoodGrub)”.

Improved Circulation: Hawthorne is used to improve circulation, thus assisting in better brain health, mood and memory (Chevallier). Hawthorne should be consumed regularly to optimize its potential health benefits 

Hawthorn čibadac Extract  & Hawthorn Honey

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup fresh Hawthorn Berries 
  • 1 cup filtered water 
  • 1 cup honey 
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon or Lime Juice 
  • Utensils: 
  • Basket 
  • Measuring Cup 
  • Saucepan 
  • Potato Masher 
  • Fine Strainer 
  • Fork 

Step 1: Forage Hawthorn Berries off of the Hawthorn Tree. See harvesting & identification   instructions above. Be sure to properly identify berries from multiple sources before consuming wild foods.   

Step 2: Remove berries from stem and leaves, leaving only the berries. Rinse and dry in warm water. 

Stem 3: Boil berries in filtered water. Use a 1:1 ratio. For every 1 cup of berries, boil in 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil for 5-10 minutes, then reduce to low heat. Simmer for another 45 minus – hour, until the berries are soft. Berries should turn to a dull yellow/orange color from a bright red color. 

Step 4: Once berries are soft, begin the mashing process by using a potato masher. Mash the berries to separate the edible portion of the berry from the seed. This process can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on the quantity of berries cooked. Note, the berry portion of the berries are edible, but the seeds are not. The objective of the mashing process is to extract the edible berry fruit from the seeds. 

Step 5 – Hawthorn Extract: Take mashed Hawthorne berries and run them through a fine-tuned strainer. Use a fork to mash out the maximum amount of juice from the seeds. This process takes time. Final product of hawthorn berry should look like a ketchup-like substance, it should naturally be a thick liquid due its naturally occurring amounts of pectin. From here, the hawthorn berry extract can be made into jams, jellies, soups, and in this recipe, added to honey. 

Step 6 – Hawthorne Honey: Add 1/3 cup of Hawthorn extract to 2/3 cup of honey. Continue to add 1 Tbsp of Lemon juice for extra flavor and preservation. Stir Well. Store in the refrigerator. Use as an ingredient in your favorite teas for a healthy beverage sweetener. 

Sources: 

  • 1. https://www.goodgrub.org/post/plant-of-the-month-hawthorne
  • 2. http://wildfoodsandmedicines.com/hawthorn/  
  • 3. https://tulaliplushootseed.com/?s=plants 
  • 4. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine, Andrew Chevallier. 

This institution is an equal opportunity provider. This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication or program information or reasonable accommodation, please contact Annie Ramsey at 360-716-5632 or ajensen@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov.

Bring the holiday spirit to at-risk tribal youth

By Shaelyn Smead, photo courtesy of Tea Marquez

The beda?chelh department is looking for ‘Christmas Elves’ and sponsors to help fulfill the wants and needs of Tulalip’s foster care kids during the holiday season. People can get involved and impact the kid’s lives by changing their Christmas mornings.

Each kid receiving these gifts is a Tulalip tribal member and part of the placement home foster care system that beda?chelh has set in place. Currently, around 150 children between newborn and 18 are on the list to receive gifts, and only about 50% of the kids have received sponsorship so far. Beda?chelh hopes to fulfill every item on each child’s list and will continue accepting donations until they do.

Each child can add whatever they want to their list, giving sponsors context of what to shop for. With the encouragement of Placement Specialist Tea Marquez, she tells the kids to ‘aim high and shoot for the stars.’ The lists are also reviewed with their Placement Specialist to add any items they feel the child needs and edit any requests based on the safety and well-being of the child. Some lists include essential items like diapers, clothes, and gear for young babies. For a little older children, their lists could request toys, school supplies, or new shoes. And for a child about to age out of foster care and preparing for college, it could be items like a new laptop, cell phone, or tv. Every child’s needs are different, but the possibilities are endless with various donations and sponsorships.

Currently, beda?chelh is fortunate enough to maintain large donors like Nike, Under Armour, Tulalip Resort Casino, the Arlington Lifeway Church, and others. These donors help support some of the more costly and name-brand items on the kids’ lists. But as Tea said, they are looking for anyone to help sponsor at any dollar amount. Tea explained that every donation is appreciated, no matter how high or low.  

Beyond reaching out to their re-occurring sponsors, beda?chelh is also looking for more Natives and sponsors within the community to get involved. “To know that your community is helping one another and supporting our youth that needs it, says a lot about the community. Some of these kids feel like their community has turned its back on them, and it would make such a difference knowing that tribal members are willing to step up and help them in these ways,” Tea said.

The department is also planning a Christmas Party for the kids to gather together, receive their gifts, and spend time on tribal land with other tribal children. Because of the confidentiality of the beda?chelh department, the party will not be open to the public. The party will still consist of plenty of cultural activities to maintain each child’s connection to the community and our people.

“The party is an added bonus for [foster] families. We know it’s hard for some of these kids to be away from their families or parents, and we know we can’t make up for that time. But we are doing our best, doing what we can to make sure they feel loved and supported and giving them a great holiday experience,” Tea explained.

In many ways, providing a holiday experience is one of the reasons that the beda?chelh department differs from state-sourced foster care systems. Beyond providing placement homes for the children, beda?chelh strives to keep tribal youth involved in cultural activities, engage with other tribal youth, and offer childhood experiences that every child should have.

“I’m excited to get our families engaged and have everyone interact with the other families and staff. I love that we can put a smile on their faces. We always try to stretch our funds to the max so we can make the most out of experiences like the Christmas party, the best. We want them to have the fun and exciting experiences that the holidays bring,” Tea explained.

Children who cannot attend the Christmas party or pick up their gifts will still be able to receive them in the mail.

Even when every sponsor spot is filled and the holiday season is over, beda?chelh will continue to accept donations. Anyone wanting to get involved can give a monetary donation or donate gifts like clothes, school supplies, toiletry items, and toys. Beda?chelh requires any donated physical items to be new, with tags, and unopened. Beda?chelh is also still looking for more respite care and placement home volunteers.

If you or someone you know would like to get involved or help donate to tribal youth, don’t hesitate to contact Tea Marquez at 360-716-4047 for the remaining list of children.

Empowerment through Self-Defense

LOH and TPD team up to bring safety tactics to the community during DV Awareness Month

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

“I feel confident now. A lot more confident,” reflected Tulalip tribal member, Carlotta Davis. “I feel like if somebody came at me, I’d be able to not freak out and apply what I learned in this class tonight. There’s a lot of weirdos out there. Even going to the grocery store, we have to be alert and be able to protect ourselves.” 

Empowered is the word that best describes a group of ten ladies, all hailing from the Tulalip community, who attended the Legacy of Healing’s (LOH) self-defense class on the evening of October 13. 

Over the past several years, the LOH has taken part in a national initiative known as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Through this initiative, the program has brought attention to a problem that plagues Native communities across the nation, while also providing resources, support, information and help to Tulalip tribal members, other tribal members, as well as parents, guardians, and spouses of Tulalip members who are experiencing DV in the household.  

TPD officer Justin Lee instructing the class on self-defense techniques.

Through a 2016 study conducted by the National Institute of Justice, it is apparent that Indigenous women and men are faced with DV situations more than any other race or community in the U.S. The official statistic shows that 84% of Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime as well as 81% of Native men. That same study stated that more than four in five American Indian and Alaskan Native women and men experienced DV in 2016 alone. 

To say that the LOH is active during DV Awareness Month is an understatement. During each week of October, the LOH team, along with the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) team, can be found out in the community, imparting knowledge to the people about what DV is and how it affects the home and community at large.

This year, LOH is hosting a total of four classes to raise awareness. The first event was an eye-opening and moving workshop dubbed Resolving Trauma that was taught by Director/Consultant of the Midwest Trauma Services Network, Frank Grijalva MSCC, MSPH. And to follow that event, LOH partnered with the Tulalip Police Department (TPD) for the first self-defense class at Tulalip since the pandemic hit.

“A few years ago, we put together some self-defense classes for one of our awareness months and there was a lot of interest from the community,” explained LOH and CAC Director, Jade Carela. “And so, the idea came up within our staff about doing another one. I reached out to TPD Chief of Police, Chris Sutter, to see what he thought about it. The chief is extremely supportive of our two departments and thought it was a great idea. This is so good for our community, and another way of promoting something within our community to teach them ways of protecting themselves.”

The hour-and-a-half class was led by TPD Officer Justin Lee, with assistance from Officer Cheyenne Bear and Detective James Cabras. After taking some time to stretch out, the group circled up in room 162 and were taught a variety of techniques including stances, breakaway and blocking maneuvers, as well as kicks, strikes, and punches. The class leaders also spoke about the importance of knowing the vulnerable areas of an attacker and carrying personal protection such as pepper spray, mace, and tasers.

Although the attendees took the lesson very seriously, they still found time to share a few laughs together throughout the beginner’s course. The TPD officers showed the ladies each self-defense move at 20% speed, then they walked about the classroom and gave them the opportunity to correctly demonstrate the techniques back on them. Once the class got the moves down pat, they partnered up and tried their newly acquired skill on each other.  

Said Officer Lee, “We all have been affected by domestic violence. We all have experienced it in one way or the other. So that’s why it’s important for us continue with this training and continue this awareness, so that we as a community can continue to better ourselves, empower ourselves, and not be victims anymore. Having the police department actually teach the class versus hiring a company, which they have done in the past, didn’t really work out, because I think the heart is not there. For us, we serve Tulalip, this is our community, this is our police department, this is our people. We want to empower our people, and we want to give them tools and also the confidence.” 

 “It was an awesome turnout, everybody was really engaged,” added Detective Cabras. “I think the goal of this class was to empower the women of the community to take back their individuality and make connections with other people, and they received it well. We talked about the difference between self-defense and defensive tactics, we spoke on the difference between what law enforcement does as far as defensive tactics and what private citizens can do. We also equipped them with some tools to defend themselves when they’re faced with situations, and we talked about the mindset that they should have. We tried to focus on the fact that they’re no longer victims; they’re strong, independent women who can handle themselves if needed.”

Following the self-defense class, attendees were provided a sandwich-spread dinner and learned about the DV Awareness Month raffle. Prizes include a custom-designed hand drum, beaded earrings, tribal member artwork, Under Armor shoes, and much more. Raffle tickets can be purchased at any of the remaining DV Awareness month events or during their pop-ups at the ti kuphihali café at the Tulalip Admin building on Fridays between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20. 

 “This event was extremely important,” Jade stated. “A lot of people, even people who don’t experience DV necessarily, were able to learn different ways of protecting themselves in safe ways, because we never know what is going to happen. You could be put in a dangerous situation at any second of your life. This class provided more tools to keep themselves safe.”

She continued, “I think it was important to have TPD teach the class because it gives the community the opportunity to see them in a different light. It helps them feel safer and learn from them in a different type of space and bond with them. I love seeing that interaction and it makes me so happy to know that we have community members coming together to support these activities. At the end of the day, it shows that we have people supporting our victims and survivors of DV.” 

DV Awareness Month continues with the last two events held on Thursday October 20 and Tuesday October 25 respectively. The next event is a film screening of the Indigenous film, Sisters Rising, and the last event is a Beading as Healing class. Both events begin at 5:30 in room 162 of the Administration Building. And if you would like to show your support for DV victims and survivors, be sure to wear purple on October 25th. 

 If you or anybody you know is experiencing an abusive relationship, please do not hesitate to call the LOH at (360) 716-4100 for assistance. And if you are in a crisis or an emergency situation, the LOH provided a list of three additional hotline numbers that you can utilize during your time of need: 

  • The National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
  • Strong Hearts Native Helpline: 1-844-762-8483
  • Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County 425-25-ABUSE (22873)

Ten years of videography and culture

By Shaelyn Smead, Tulalip News

Filmmakers, creators, and artists gathered at the Hibulb Cultural Center on October 8 for the 10th Annual Film Festival. With nine Native and non-Native films, ranging from animation, music videos, drama, and documentaries, the festival delivered a diverse collection for all to enjoy. 

Created in 2012 by Hibulb Cultural Center Education Curator Lena Jones, this year’s film festival theme was Healing Generation to Generation. It is a concept centered around generational healing and recognizing those that provide hope for the future.

Honoring the theme, a couple of standout films were ‘We Still Live Here’ by Anne Makepeace, which follows Wampanoag social worker Jessie Little Doe and her journey to reviving the lost language of her people, and ‘From Programs to Pilgrims’ by Simme Bobrosky. The film portrays Simme’s discovery of her Ukrainian roots and familial journey into America. She used old photos of her family and animated them to look alive as if they were speaking into the camera.

Film festival emcee Faith Iukes and Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Eero Johnson.

Two cinematographers were honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, Robert Lundahl and Eero Johnson, during the event. Each award winner shared information about their works and the different inspirations they derived from.

Robert received recognition for his role in regional, cultural, and environmental sharing. His film “The Burden of Proof,” based on the use of Agent Orange in national forests, was used as a demonstration screening for a U.S. Senate subcommittee about the environment. He also created “Unconquering the Last Frontier,” which was filmed in Washington and based on the salmon crisis within the Pacific Northwest. It centered more specifically on the Elwha River and its removal.

Eero received recognition for Coast Salish cultural sharing and storytelling. Throughout his career, Eero has maintained a close connection to Indigenous people. He has worked closely with Tulalip Media and Marketing and worked for Northwest Indian News. He spent several years following the canoe journey and shared the many stories of canoe families. He produced many pieces centered around popular Native artists, painters, performers, and carvers. He also created films involving issues like Treaty Rights, the Boldt decision, and Residential Boarding Schools. His countless efforts to share the perspectives and stories of Native American people made him an ideal candidate for the theme and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

In his thank you speech, Eero said, “Twenty years ago, when I started working with Indigenous people, it was a turning point for me professionally and personally. It was a chance to visit a place I ordinarily wouldn’t have gone to, be involved in events I wouldn’t have known about, and meet some amazing people. One of my first stories was about the Cushman Boarding School, and it’s sad to say, but in my non-Native upbringing, I didn’t know any of the history until I found myself doing this work. This has been a journey of learning about pieces of history that deserve to be talked about.”

Film festival judges Robin Carneen, Antonia Ramos and Mike Van Luvan. 

The Film Festival judges consisted of film advisor Antonia Ramos (Tulalip), filmmaker Mike Van Luvan, and Native radio Host/Producer Robin Carneen (Swinomish). Each submission to the film festival was reviewed by the judges and nominated for an award. The awards varied from best feature, best music composition, best acting male/female, best experimental, best directing, etc. Judges are asked to pay close attention to and judge based on script, creativity, coherence, meaningfulness, and editing.

In addition, a special emcee was introduced to this year’s festival, “This year, we were very fortunate to have Tulalip’s own Faith Iukes emcee our event. We’re very grateful there are youth willing to help make our film festival successful,” Lena said. 

Hibulb staff encourages all filmmakers to participate in the film festival. If you or someone you know is looking to submit for the next film festival, please call the cultural center at (360) 716 – 2600.

2022 Film Festival submissions:

  • ‘It Gets in Your Blood’ by Ed Hartman
  • ‘Starlight’ by Ed Hartman
  • ‘From Programs to Pilgrims’ by Simme Bobrosky
  • ‘Tough Love’ by Ryan Craig
  • ‘Dreams on the Duwamish’ by Elke Hatula and Michael Kleven
  • ‘The Train I Missed’ by Elke Hatula and Michael Kleven
  • ‘We Still Live Here’ by Anne Makepeace
  • ‘For Sale’ by Melinda Raebyne
  • ‘Walrus Skin Boat’ by Robert Lundahl

Resolving trauma with Frank Grijalva

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

Recently, the Tulalip Tribes held the second annual community gathering in recognition of National Residential Boarding School Awareness Day. This year, the event brought out hundreds of tribal members and community members in an effort to bring attention to the truth about the terrible actions that occurred during the boarding school era. And equally important, the gathering presents an opportunity to start the healing process from that trauma, which has been passed down through the generations.

Now that many are beginning to understand what generational trauma is and how it affects Native America, as well as themselves personally, they want to take action. There has been a concentrated effort amongst tribal nations to identify what their people’s traumas are and how to address it now, so our future tribal leaders do not have to live through the number of struggles that came before them. 

Frank Grijalva

Generational trauma affects not only the community, but the individual homes of each tribal member as well. Our habits, behaviors, decision making abilities and trigger responses are all results of our trauma, as is our physical and spiritual well-being. As Native people, our trauma might look like substance abuse, depression, suicide. Trauma does not only affect the individual, but also the people they are surrounded by, such as their children, spouses, and their extended family, and community. And although not always, trauma can often lead to domestic violence (DV) situations inside the household. 

Tackling the issue head-on, following the healing experience from the September 30th community gathering, the Legacy of Healing (LOH) hosted a two-and-a-half-hour workshop on October 6th at the Tulalip Administration Building. The workshop was focused on resolving trauma and served as the kick-off event for National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and approximately twenty community members took part in LOH’s first event of the month. 

“The traumas that we experience are a direct link to the domestic violence that people also experience in their lives,” said LOH Director, Jade Carela. “I believe that a lot of it stems from the trauma that we’ve had in our lives and the things that we learned growing up.”

The informative and insightful workshop was led by the Director/Consultant of the Midwest Trauma Services Network, Frank Grijalva MSCC, MSPH. Frank has been in the Tulalip and Marysville community for several years and has worked with the Tribe’s education division, the community health department, and also the Marysville School District.

Frank’s presentation gave an in-depth look at what trauma is and how it rewires our brains and central nervous systems. He spoke about how trauma plays a role in the early childhood development stages and how some traumas are passed along before the birthing process. Throughout the workshop, he took plenty of time to pause to see if the people were following along and if there were any highlights or topics they could relate to in their own homes and families.

Frank said, “What we did in the boarding schools three generations ago, is we fractured all the families. So, auntie wasn’t there to pick up the baby when the baby was too much for the mom. Or sissy, cousin, grandma, or whoever wasn’t there to take over, to pass the baton to, so their mom could get some rest. Everywhere I go, it’s grandparents who are taking care of the kids because so many kids in this generation have lost themselves, lost their ability to attach and stay in rhythm and be vulnerable, and to stay in love and stay connected.”

After taking time to discuss what trauma is, and what it looks like at Tulalip, Frank explained that people can begin the work of healing their trauma wounds, and over time they can rewire their brains and central nervous systems, essentially becoming an entirely new person with a new outlook on life.  

“Indigenous practice knows more about what it’s doing than the colonized practice,” he stated. “Colonizer practice wants to use pills, talk therapy, and all these cognitive engagement processes. The human being who is traumatized is compromised and changed; their central nervous system, their brains, the way that they perceive the future, their access to narrative, their access to comprehension, the way they think about things linear and logically, those are all altered. And the practice of wrapping around, nurturing, ritual, connection, consistency, and nourishment, all of these things that are meant to address the whole human being, are actually the things that are most useful in trauma resolution.”

Frank continued, “For a lot of people, I ask what your baseline heart rate is. It’s too high if it’s over eighty, unless you’re on some type of medication. The only way you bring your baseline heart rate down is by doing a grounding practice, an internal practice. It could be drumming, dancing, sweats, smokehouse, it could be sitting and looking at nature, it could be yoga. The metaphor I always use is driving a car. Remember when you first learned how to drive and how scary it was? Merging into traffic at 70 mph, all of that. And now, you’re probably driving to work, and you don’t even think about it. You didn’t get that way by avoiding it, you got that way by going head-on with it and working on it.”

Workshop attendees were treated to a spaghetti dinner while Frank gave his presentation, and upon entering room 162, they received notebooks with resources for DV victims, and LOH heart-shaped stress balls. They also had the first opportunity to enter the LOH’s DV Awareness Month raffle, which includes prizes such as an 18-inch hand drum by Les Parks, art and photography by Tribal member Monie Ordonia, beaded earrings and much more. 

And just as an FYI, the LOH will be holding pop-up events on Fridays throughout October at the Tulalip Administration Building from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. by the café, ti kupihali. All proceeds from the raffle will go towards supporting survivors of intimate partner domestic violence and the tickets are $5 each or five for $20.

To end the workshop, the LOH asked several individuals what they took away from the workshop. Each person who volunteered to share received a sage and smudge kit.

“I find a lot of what Frank talks about really interesting,” said Tribal member, Marc Robinson. “What I try to do personally is to understand what everybody and their reactions are, and how they walk about in their everyday lives. I am a student advocate at two middle schools and two elementaries. What I like to do is build that relationship and try to understand the triggers the students may have for their behavior outbreaks. I try to be that person who bridges the gap between admin, teachers, and the staff so I can advocate for the student. Understanding trauma for me is really interesting and helpful both personally and professionally.” 

  Following the workshop, Frank expressed a desire to hold more trauma classes in the community. He stated, “I think we need to do it more frequently because human beings who are struggling, they don’t often hear the message the first time, second time, or third time because they got their own stuff going on. We have to make sure that we are doing this with a frequency that more people can come to the table and bring their own lived experiences because we are a learning community, we are learning about this together. I don’t know the Tulalip tribal trauma, I know the science of trauma and I know my own journey through it, and the more people I can learn from here, the better practice I get to help build the program. My office is at the youth center, and I meet with people individually as well as with families; psycho-educating, problem solving, coaching, I do a variety of things.”

As Frank mentioned, he can be reached at the Tulalip Youth Center at (360) 716-4909. Please reach out to him for further details regarding trauma and how to begin your healing process. 

The LOH’s DV Awareness Month continues with weekly events that are scheduled to be held in room 162 of the Tulalip Admin Building. All the events begin at 5:30 p.m. and are listed below.  

  • Thursday, 10/13: Self-Defense Class (ADULTS ONLY – limited to first 20 people only. E-mail CRae@TulalipTribes-nsn.gov to register)
  • Thursday, 10/20: Sisters Rising Film Screening (ages 14+)
  • Tuesday, 10/25: Beading as Healing Class (Wear Purple Day)

After witnessing the turnout for the first DV Awareness Month event, Jade expressed, “This shows that our community is ready. They’re ready to heal and ready to learn. They’re ready to start being vulnerable with each other and ready to start learning how we as a community can heal together. I’m really excited for this month, and I hope more people can join the different events that we have going on.”

If you or anybody you know is experiencing an abusive relationship, please do not hesitate to call the LOH at (360) 716-4100 for assistance. And if you are in a crisis or an emergency situation, the LOH provided a list of three additional hotline numbers that you can utilize during your time of need: 

  • The National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
  • Strong Hearts Native Helpline: 1-844-762-8483
  • Domestic Violence Services of Snohomish County 425-25-ABUSE (22873)

Charles Lawrence Vassar

January 1, 1957 – October 8, 2022

    Charles Lawrence Vassar was born a New Year’s Baby on January 1, 1957 in Everett, Washington to Magdalen L. “oudy” Monger. He passed away on October 8, 2022 and was preceded in death by his mother, siblings Totums, Ernest, Joey, Anita, Daryl, Robert, Tina, Mark and his first grandson Dallas Kane Taylor. 

Growing up he was known by all as Chuck. He was raised in Everett, in the Riverside neighborhood, where he met many of his lifetime friends and made many trips home to be with family on the Tulalip Reservation. At the age of 12, he moved to Idaho as part of the Indian Child Placement Program through the LDS church. Chuck lived with a few families there, even working on a chicken farm where he lost his sense of smell. He yearned for home and it was time to return. At the age of 15 he met his one true love, penny who was 14 at the time. One year later they were wed in penny’s parents home, just 12 short days before their first daughter, Anita Kay was born in 1975. Always having open doors, chuck and penny helped raise chucks brother Mark and well as his special nephew Jamie for many of his younger years. Family was EVERYTHING and being rich in family was worth more than any amount of money! Chuck was a plumber for many years spending most of those years at Robinson plumbing. In April of 1981 they were blessed with their one and only son Adam Richard. Chuck, penny and the kids lived all over Everett but never too far to make sure their kids never had to switch schools or friends. They spent many years living and loving with their family and friends. Many trips traveling to Oregon to be with his sisters Anita and Rose’s families, dance party weekends with Craig and Vickie Jean and many others. In 1994 when his only daughter met her husband Scott and told him she was moving to Tulalip, he quickly moved right after getting his forever home on the reservation where’s he’s lived for 28 years. In 1995, his world changed forever when his first granddaughter and new best friend Brooke Laccie was born. From the second she was born he never left her side, their bond was like nothing anyone could explain! This is when he became papa and his world forever changed. Papa traveled for every softball game near and far, both in Washington and elsewhere. In 2003, he was blessed with his first grandson Kavan Andrew and a whole new love. Taking his grandkids for so long, we had to beg for our kids to come home for a day or two! In 2004 his (never say step) granddaughter, kirsty came home and made 3! In 2009, Keegan Adam was born, and became his best buddy for life and the bond was sealed! Keegan and papa did EVERYTHING together! From camp outs in the yard, watching shooting stars, chasing down classic rock CDs, stopping by his daughters work or families houses to check in, they were together! In 2016 Adam met the love of his life Caurie and papa gained two more granddaughters, Emma and Lilly. Also In 2016 he became a great grandpa to his baby Kyla. This year Brooke brought home his newest grandson, Jere who he already loved tremendously.

Papa had a very special bond with his son in law Scott and spent much of his time with him or calling him!

Papa enjoyed the company of his small circle and ate dinner at his daughter’s house every single night for over 20 years!

Papa loved with all he had and had so many adopted grandkids, Shaylene, Jenny (Lenny) Abbey-do, Kristen, Chloe and Lauren, Kahryn and Summer along with many other softball girls including his special friends Steve and Lynn, Matt and Lisa, and Donna. He had special bonds with his nieces Dushaine and Dani and his nephew Joey Lee and many other Nieces and Nephews that he loved.

Papa loved his Seahawks and NASCAR and you know where you would find him any given Sunday, in his Jammie’s eating fried chicken watching his tv!

He is survived by Anita and Scott, Adam and Caurie, Brooke (Jere), Kirsty (Luis), Kavan, Keegan, Emma, Lilly and Kyla.

Celebrating Indigenous Peoples, the Daybreak Star way

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

For the eighth consecutive year, the greater-Seattle area and its tens of thousands of proud Native American citizens celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day. Replacing the former misbegotten holiday dedicated to a slave trader and lost Italian navigator, the commemorative day to honor the past, present and future of Indigenous culture takes place annually on the second Monday in October.

“People ask, ‘Why Indigenous Peoples Day and why not American Indian Day or Native American Day?’ It’s only appropriate that we honor the legacy of work that’s been done,” explained educator Matt Remle (Lakota). His efforts, along with many other Native activists, were instrumental in getting a proclamation voted on by the Seattle City Council and signed into law by then-mayor Ed Murray in 2014. “It’s not only honoring legacy, but when we say ‘Indigenous peoples,’ it’s referring to more than just the tribes of the colonized United States. We’re talking about all Indigenous peoples who’ve been impacted by settler colonialism around the world.”

Since its inception into Puget Sound lexicon, the Indigenous Peoples Day movement has spread to hundreds of cities across the nation. It’s been formally adopted by 19 state governments, and even universities and entire school districts are now indoctrinating the day to celebrate global Indigenous cultures into their holiday calendars. 

On Monday, October 14, Native people and their allies from around the Pacific Northwest gathered at Westlake Park, on ancestral Duwamish land, for a march and rally to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Seattle. The dedicated early morning group proudly wore cultural garb and traditional regalia while traversing from Westlake Park to Seattle City Hall, where a rally of celebratory song and dance was held. 

“I love this moment. Feeling my drum vibrate through my soul, out of my feet into Mother Earth, and back up into my body,” shared Sarah Hart (Tulalip) after marching through Seattle’s urban landscape. “Empowering is an understatement. Being who we are as [Native] people is a way of life, it’s every aspect of who we are and it’s in every fabric of our being. We don’t celebrate the genocide of our people, we celebrate who we are as people. We celebrate together. One heart. One drum. One voice. Together.”

Hours later, the festivities continued at Daybreak Star Cultural Center with a host of activities intended to celebrate all the sovereign nations that comprise the Puget Sound region, known colloquially as Coast Salish territory. Sponsored by the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, the Daybreak Star gathering included hundreds of urban Natives, culture bearers from a variety tribal community, and non-Natives who wanted to share in the memorable event.

The American Indian Movement honor song was an appropriate opening the evening’s event. 

Quick history lesson. Daybreak Star was built on what was formerly a decommissioned Fort Lawton army installation. On the morning of March 8, 1970, a convoy of vehicles reached their destinations, both the north and south sides of Fort Lawton, when the occupants of the cars launched a coordinated effort to occupy the fort and establish it as a cultural and social services center for Seattle’s growing Native American population. In the midst of the ensuing struggle, the occupation’s principal organizer Bernie Whitebear stated, “We, the Native Americans, reclaim the land known as Fort Lawton in the name of all American Indians by right of discovery.”

The Native activists who invaded Fort Lawton that day were ultimately successful in their goal of establishing an urban Indian cultural center at the site. While similar centers already existed in San Francisco, Minneapolis, and New York, what was to become Daybreak Star Center was the first to be established through militant protest. *

Fifty-two years after that legendary occupation, the American Indian Movement (AIM) anthem rang out on the reclaimed grounds of what is today Daybreak Star. Elder Randy Lewis (Colville) is one of the last remaining ‘fence jumpers’ who protested side by side with Bernie Whitebear. He took to the mic following the AIM anthem and said, “Why are we here? Take a look around you. See all the beautiful people wearing their traditional regalia and symbols of their ancestors. See all the happy children running around outside. They are living resistance and don’t even know it. That is why we are here.

“For those of us who occupied Fort Lawton on that day in 1970, this was our dream. To claim a space, a piece of this land, for Native people. To create a house where we can come together and be in community through our shared culture,” he continued. “The wood used to build this building come from local Tribes. The first wood logs brought in were from Colville, then Red Cedar from Quinault, and cross beams made from Snoqualmie spruce trees. Some of the trees go back to the year 1268. Let these trees be a reminder of the sacrifices required by so many that allow us to thrive today.”

A series of high-energy cultural offerings, representing Indigenous communities across the Americas, kept the multi-generational audience engaged well into the evening. There were many tribal songs with accompanying drum, the digital beats of DJ Big Rez and a mesmerizing Aztec fire dance One particularly standout performance occurred when the overflowing Daybreak Star crowd was treated to several songs and stories offered up by enchanting flute player George Montero (Tlingit).

There were gift bags of traditional medicines, artworks of all mediums, and an appetite quenching plate of salmon accompanied on a bed of wild rice pilaf given to event attendees.  

“At its core, Indigenous Peoples Day aims to celebrate and honor the past, present and future of Native peoples throughout the United States. It also served to acknowledge the legacy of colonialism that has devastated Indigenous communities around the globe historically, while continuing to negatively impact them today,” summed up Remle. “More importantly, Indigenous Peoples Day moves beyond the classic narrative of oppression and instead honors the histories, cultures and resiliency of contemporary Native peoples.”

Every day is a great day to be Indigenous. It’s just a little more meaningful when surrounded by family and friends united in common cause – celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day. 

Source: https://depts.washington.edu/civilr/FtLawton_takeover.htm