The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks basketball team was 16-0 with three regular season games remaining on our last check-in. Let’s recap those final three games.
On Tuesday, January 26, the girls traveled to Eastsound, WA to take on the Orcas Christian Saints. The Lady Hawks made quick work of the one-win Saints, winning 65-22.
Then on Friday, January 29, we welcomed the Grace Academy Eagles to our gym. It was a game the Lady Hawks had been preparing for, as the 2nd place Grace Academy are the only team in the Northwest 1B league who have given us a competitive game all season. This game also had significant meaning for senior Adiya Jones, as there were several college scouts and coaches in attendance to watch her performance versus a competitive program.
In the 1st quarter, the Lady Hawks came out primed for another blowout. They pounded the ball in the post and were able to convert on several shots at the rim, while making it very difficult for the Eagles to get quality shots up. At the end of the quarter the Lady Hawks led 18-8. But then the game tightened up. The Eagles went on an 8-0 to start the 2nd quarter, cutting the Lady Hawks lead to only 2 points, 18-16. Coach Bubba Fryberg called a timeout to get his team refocused on the game plan. From that point, the game turned into a typical Lady Hawks beat down.
A 15-4 run to close the 2nd quarter gave the Lady Hawks a 33-20 halftime lead. The entire 2nd half saw the Lady Hawks turn loose on offense and go to a whole new level defensively. It seemed liked nearly every Grace Academy pass was either stolen or deflected, to the point the Eagles looked completely out of sorts on offense. The Lady Hawks led 55-26 going into the 4th quarter. What was once only a 2 point game midway through the 2nd quarter turned into a 71-30 blowout victory for the 1st place Lady Hawks.
Adiya Jones, fully aware of the college scouts and coaches in the building, upped her game and had a game for the ages. She had a career high 18 steals, which is very impressive in its own right, but it gets even better. Adiya finished with her first ever quadruple-double stat line of 22 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, and 18 steals. For those who follow the NBA, there have been only five players in league history to ever achieve the super rare quadruple-double, the latest one being achieved by David Robinson back in 1994.
After the blowout victory over Grace Academy, the Lady Hawks were 18-0 and only had one final regular season game remaining. On Monday, February 1, the Lady Hawks hosted the Highland Christian Knights. This game doubled as Senior Night for senior players Kaenishia Herrera, Adiya Jones, Michelle Iukes, and Desirae Williams. Cheered on by their families and friends, the Lady Hawks went on to win 52-23 and finish the regular season undefeated at 19-0.
Next up for the Lady Hawks is the District 1B basketball tournament, where they will be going in as the #1 overall seed.
On Tuesday, January 26, the Heritage Hawks traveled to Eastsound, WA to play the league’s 1st place team, the Orcas Christian Saints. It was a big game for the Hawks, who were looking for a statement win after losing their previous two matchups vs. the Saints. It was a highly competitive game from the opening tip, but just like the last two matchups the game would slip away from Hawks down the stretch. Saints point guard and leading scorer Michael Harris continued to give the Hawks’ defense matchup problems and made timely plays for his team. The Hawks would lose 58-71 and fall to 0-3 vs. the league’s best team.
The Hawks bounced back in a big way when they hosted the winless Grace Academy Eagles on Friday, January 29. From the very beginning onlookers knew it was going to be a blowout, as the Hawks executed flawlessly on both ends of the court. At halftime the Hawks held their largest lead of the season, 46-2. In the 2nd half, with such a massive lead, the coaching staff pulled their starters and let the reserves get in a lengthy run. The Hawks finished the game with a 58-18 win. They were led by Josh Iukes and Samuel Fryberg in scoring, both had 13 points.
On Monday, February 1, the Hawks held their final regular season game at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasiums when they took on Providence Classical Christian. The Hawks had beaten Providence by at least 20 points in their previous two matchups. This would be no different. Willy Enick led all scorers with 18 points, as his Hawks won easily, 66-35.
After starting the season off with a 1-5 record, the Hawks finished the season strong by winning 11 of their final 14 games. Now, with a 12-8 overall record (11-4 in their league) the Hawks have earned a top 3 seed in the upcoming District 1B tournament.
Here are the facts. The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks sit atop the Northwest 1B league with a 16-0 record (12-0 within their league). The Lady Hawks score an average of 60.2 points per game, while holding their opponents to an average of 30.7 points per game. They win their games by an average margin of 29.5 or basically 30 points per game. The starters usually don’t play into the 4th quarter of games because there is no reason to when the victory is all but assured. The Lady Hawks are dominant.
Because of their dominance this season, they’ve been climbing up the Associated Press’s Girls State Basketball Poll. In the latest edition of the weekly poll, the Lady Hawks are ranked #3 in the state for all 1B programs.
Over their last handful of games, opposing defenses have completely sold out to try and take senior stand out Adiya Jones out of games. In some instances, teams have doubled and even tripled teamed her off the ball. For those who don’t know, this means teams are choosing to leave one or two other Lady Hawks wide open so they can minimize Adiya’s scoring. This strategy employed by opposing teams has only helped to speed up the development of Adiya’s teammates. In particular, Aliya Jones and Keryn Parks have benefited from the open driving lanes and uncontested jumpers. As they continue to grow and develop, the Lady Hawks are able to get more and more creative with their offensive sets.
At their current rate, it’s a foregone conclusion the Lady Hawks will win their final three regular season games and go into the 1B District tournament as the #1 overall seed. Only one time this whole season have the Tulalip girls even been giving a competitive game (a 5 point victory at Neah Bay back on December 21). It’s likely they won’t see another competitive game until the Tri-District tournament. So what are the girls to do until then? Continue to practice to get better and remain dominant.
The Lady Hawks (10-0) made short work of the Orcas Christian Saints (1-4) in a home game played on Monday, January 11. Coming into the game, the Lady Hawks were riding a 10 game win streak and remained unbeaten, while the Saints were just hoping they’d have five girls to play. Due to injuries the Saints only dressed five girls, but one had so much tape around a sprained ankle it looked like a cast.
From the opening moments of the game observers could tell it was only a matter of how much the Lady Hawks would win by. The Saints only had one player who could handle the ball and find some clean shots against the Lady Hawks stingy defense. Meanwhile, the home team fielded five starters who were all able to find quality shots and, a lot of time, wide open looks after a couple quick dribbles.
The Lady Hawks led 19-1 after the 1st quarter and pushed that lead to 35-6 at halftime. If that’s not dominant enough, the Lady Hawks starters went on a 20-0 run to open the 3rd quarter that hardly took more than five minutes of game time. Up 55-6, with the result clearly not in doubt, coach Bubba Fryberg took the starters out for the remainder of the game. In the end, 9 out of 10 Lady Hawks’ players scored in the game as they earned their eleventh win of the season, 63-10.
Adiya Jones finished with a game high 22points, while Aliya Jones scored 15points, and Keryn Parks chipped in 10points.
On their road to perfection, the Lady Hawks have beaten teams by an average margin of 31 points per game and have only won a single game by less than 15 points, which was a five point victory over Neah Bay on December 21.
The Lady Hawks next home game is Friday, January 22, when they host their rivals, the Lummi Blackhawks.
On Monday, January 5, the Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks (8-0) hosted the Lopez Lobos (2-4) at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium. For the Lady Hawks, it’s been smooth sailing through the first eight games of the season. Owners of an undefeated record and winning by an average margin of 24 points, the Lady Hawks are on a dominating form of cruise control.
The dominance has been showcased on both ends of the floor, as they are averaging a league high 52 points per game while holding their opponents to a measly 29 points per game.
In the 1st quarter of Monday’s game, the Lady Hawks displayed everything that’s been working for them thus far. They were able to work the ball inside to Adiya Jones and Cyena Fryberg at will, their ability to draw a double team opens up wide open looks for wing players, and those wings have been knocking down the good looks. Then on the defensive end, the Lady Hawks use a nice combination of 2-3 zone and full court press to either force their opponents into a highly contested jump shot or a turnover. The home team led 17-9 at the end of the quarter.
Photo/Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
In the 2nd quarter, guard Keryn Parks caught fire from 3-point land, making three straight 3-pointers. Aliya Jones chipped in a 3-pointer of her own, while Adiya started to have her way inside scoring three fields goals in the paint. Defensively, the Lady Hawks were putting on a clinic. It seemed like every other possession they would come up with a steal or block. Forcing so many turnovers left the Lobos dazzled and they weren’t able to do much scoring. At halftime the home team had a 20 point lead, 38-18.
During the 2nd half, with such a large lead, coach Bubba Fryberg was afforded the opportunity to give his bench players some heavy minutes. It was good a learning experience for the Lady Hawk reserves as they tried to run their offensive sets while remaining active on the defensive end.
When the final game buzzer sounded, the Lady Hawks had moved to 9-0 on the season with a 58-38 win. Keryn led all scorers with a career best 21 points, while Adiya filled the box score with 13 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals and 5 blocks.
After a disappointing 1-5 start, the Tulalip Heritage Hawks have turned their season around with a 3-game win streak. Their latest win came at home on Monday, January 5, when they hosted the Lobos of Lopez Island.
Defensively, the Hawks opened the game with active hands and constant movement. They contested every Lobos shot and forced several turnovers that they were able to turn into easy transition points. The Hawks rode the hot hand of Josh Iukes, 13 points in the first half, and their suffocating team defense to the tune of a 30-9 halftime lead.
The game would tighten up in the 2nd half. However, seniors Robert Miles, Jr. and Willy Enick put the offense on their backs and combined to score 21 points down the stretch to secure the victory. The 59-33 win moved the Hawks record to 4-5 on the season and only 1 game below .500.
On Wednesday, April 1, 2015 the Associated Press announced their All-State basketball teams for boys and girls high school players, as voted on by sports writers and editors from around the state. La Conner High School junior and Tulalip tribal member, Adiya Jones, was named to the First Team for all Class 2B girls’ high school players in the state.
Prior to this past year Adiya was the face of the Heritage High School girls’ basketball team. She was part of a successful season in her freshman year, followed by being the focal point of the team’s offense in her sophomore year as she led the team in scoring and rebounding. It was expected she would again be the team’s star player in her junior season, but in a twist she opted to transfer out of Heritage and play at La Conner High School. Adiya and her mother, Charlotte Jones, relocated to the small town of La Conner in order for her to attend the local high school.
Over the next several months Adiya would become part of a new community and lead a new group of teammates on the basketball court. In fact, Adiya excelled at La Conner, both on and off the court, resulting in her being named co-MVP of the Northwest 2B Basketball League and leading her team to a 3rd place finish in the 2B State Tournament. Adiya sat down for an interview with the See-Yaht-Sub to tell her story to her tribal membership.
When did you first start playing basketball?
“I honestly didn’t like basketball when I was younger. I was a long-time cheerleader and loved to dance. Then before 7th grade I hit a growth spurt and being taller now I decided to try out for the basketball team. It didn’t work out. I was cut from the team, but decided at that moment I was going to come back and try out again next year. I worked out that summer and trained with Tori Torrolova, the Tulalip Boys and Girls Club athletic director. She really worked with me on improving my game and teaching me the fundamentals.”
So you’ve only been playing organized basketball for a little over four years then?
“Yeah, looking back I’m still surprised that I’ve accomplished what I have, being that I haven’t played basketball nearly as long as other girls I know. It came to me naturally after working out with Tori and getting help from my coaches along the way.”
Why did you transfer out of Heritage H.S. and why did you choose La Conner H.S. to transfer to?
“I’ve always wanted to go to a much better school academically. I miss Heritage, but I feel like moving up here was huge for me because I have many more opportunities available to me now. Originally, before making the decision, I met with [La Conner basketball coach] Coach Novak to talk about how I’d fit in and what our goals would be. After meeting with him I knew La Conner is where I wanted to go.”
Was it difficult adjusting to a more traditional curriculum?
“The quality of education is a big difference maker. The curriculum at La Conner is completely different. At first it was really hard to adjust. The first week I didn’t think I was going to make it. There’s homework every night. Here, they are prepping us for college. It’s a really good school. I’ve learned so much during this school year. I’m really happy I made the change because I’m learning every day.”
At La Conner you mentioned they have curriculum that really challenges you and helps you to succeed. How so?
“They have TAs and parents that come in to help students get homework done or particularly tough assignments. For me, at one point I had a tutor come in and help me for like four weeks with homework and writing papers. When I first came to La Conner I didn’t even know how to type up a full paper and edit because we didn’t do that at Heritage. At La Conner they have people who are there to help you and to support you to make sure you are understanding and able to do the work. The first week I felt like this wouldn’t be the place for me because I wasn’t used to this kind of environment and the curriculum was completely different. I kind of felt dumb at first, but after a few weeks I become more comfortable because I was getting the help that I needed. The faculty and tutors helped me to adjust. They wanted me to succeed and that made all the difference.”
Do you feel you’re getting better prepared for college life?
“Yeah, because they really hold you accountable for your homework and deadlines for assignments. They want you to succeed and recognize when you need one-on-one attention to understand the curriculum.”
Adiya Jones, center. photo courtesy Adiya Jones.
How does the style of play differ from what you were used to at Heritage?
“There’s a big difference. Coach Novak is really about structure and bases our game off of defense and set plays. The first week all we did was conditioning, other than that, the rest of our practices were focusing on our sets. At Heritage it was basically a few plays and half the time we didn’t run them. It was a huge change because back at Heritage it was mainly like, ‘get the ball to Adiya.’ Most of the plays were based off me, whereas here at La Conner it feels really good to have support and not be relied on to carry the offense all the time.”
How is the competition different playing in a larger league?
“Our league isn’t the best, but it’s an improvement competition-wise. We get more good competitive games, and for me I get to match up with girls who are my size or bigger with skill. At Heritage, district 1B, there weren’t that many girls bigger than me or taller than me so I wasn’t challenged in the ways that I am playing for La Conner. Being challenged makes me play better and improve my game.”
What was the adjustment period like playing with a brand new team?
“It helped a lot that Coach Novak had us all play fall league together before our high school regular season started. At first it was kind of hard to adjust, but we learned each other’s games pretty quick. Our point guard, Kamea Pino, was also a transfer student and new to the school like me. It helped me and her bond, both being the new players on the team. It really showed how we came together in a short amount of time by starting the season like we did.”
Before your first basketball game for La Conner, did you have any doubts about your skills in a different league?
“Yeah, I had doubts. I didn’t even know if I was going to be a starter. Coach Novak was really good about working with me to calm my nerves in the very beginning. “
But then you went on to be a starter and had a great season. You even averaged 16.3 points per game. Did that validate your skills as a basketball player?
“Oh yeah, fitting in as quickly as I did and taking on a good portion of our offensive sets really let me know that I could find a way to play in any league. Being able to score on better competition and then winning the Skagit Valley Herald Girls’ basketball player of the year was one of the best feelings.”
You guys got off to a really good start and in fact went undefeated during the regular season. At what point did you realize you had a real shot at winning the state title?
“I think it was towards the end of the regular season when we knew we’d be league champs. There was a week where we won our league and then came together, as a team to overcome some challenges at the district tournament. Really coming down to it, it was at that time that as a team we recognized we could win state.”
Going into the semi-finals at State your team was 24-0 and had a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter, but ending up losing the game. What happened?
“The easy answer is I fouled out with a few minutes to go. If I don’t foul out then I 100% believe we would have won that game. It was late in the game and I was exhausted from all the ball we’d been playing and I picked up some errant fouls that ended up being the difference. It was a really tough loss.”
But then your team bounced back in the 3rd place game, right? That’s still a nice accomplishment in your first year with La Conner to go 25-1 and place 3rd in the state tournament.
“Yeah, we were shocked after losing our first game of the season, but we came together and wanted to still finish the season strong. I was so mad at myself for fouling out in the semi-finals and was determined to end the season with a good game. In the end, whether we took 3rd place or not we were all happy as a team to be one of the top teams in the entire state.”
Now you have that extra motivation to come back even better next season and to hopefully win it all at state.
“Definitely. We have three returning starters and will be even hungrier to win the state championship. For me, it was my first experience playing on that level and now I know what it takes to take that next step. I’m all about basketball right now and focused to win a state championship. I’m not even playing a spring sport right now so that I can play spring league basketball. Plus, it’ll be my senior year, my last season of high school ball, so that’s even more added motivation for me to get better for myself and my teammates.”
Outside of school and basketball, how are you liking living in La Conner?
“It’s a very uplifting atmosphere and easy to get adjusted to. Over here there is definitely less drugs, so it’s good to be away from that type of environment. It’s so friendly here, like everyone is friendly and it’s very peaceful. I could walk to the store and people who I don’t even know recognize me as a basketball player and say ‘Congrats’ or ‘good job!’ and it feels really good to have people I don’t know acknowledge me like that.”
Who are your favorite basketball players to watch?
“On the professional level I don’t really watch WNBA, but in the NBA my favorite player is Kevin Durant. On the collegiate level my favorite player is Breanna Stewart at the University of Connecticut. I’ve been watching her the last couple years and try to copy some of her moves.”
I hear you plan on playing some ball in Europe during the summer. What’s that about?
“It’s such an exciting opportunity. I’ve been invited by the ACIS program to play basketball in Italy from July 15-21. I’ll be able to learn about the game on a whole new level and learn about that culture. I’m kind of scared to be in a new country, but I’m more excited for the opportunity to showcase my skills. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
What areas of your game are you going to focus on improving before the start of your senior season?
“Really working on better post moves is my main goal. I’ll be working on my conditioning too so that I’ll be in the best shape possible to be quicker on the court. Now, I know what it takes to the next level, to the championship game and I want to become a great player so that I’m prepared to take that next step.”
You averaged 16.3 points per game this past season as a junior. What is your goal to average in your senior season?
“My goal is to average at least 20 points per game. I think I can do it and being my senior year that would be a good goal to accomplish, along with winning a state title.”
The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks (0-9) hosted the Lopez Island Lobos (4-2) on Tuesday, January 6. This would be the second meeting of the season for these two teams; the first was played at Lopez Island where the Lobos won 56-20.
From the opening possessions it was apparent that the Lady Hawks would be in for a very challenging game. The Lobos were applying a full court defense and double teaming guard Michelle Iukes, the team’s offensive leader, whenever she would bring up the ball. Moving the ball with accuracy when they are going against heavy ball pressure has been a season long struggle for the Lady Hawks. For what seemed like the entire 1st quarter the Lady Hawks were under duress trying to move the ball against the Lobos press defense. When the quarter came to an end the Lady Hawks had committed 15 turnovers and were trailing 0-20.
In the 2nd quarter the Lobos ball pressure continued to frustrate the Lady Hawks. The turnovers continued to come as errant passes were resulting in easy buckets for the Lobos. Coach Cyrus “Bubba” Fryberg called a timeout to tell his players to focus on executing good solid, chest passes and that the offense would immediately get better once they started making better passes. Shortly thereafter guard Myrna Red Leaf scored the first Lady Hawks bucket of the game, with an assist from center Nina Fryberg. The passes were improving but the quick handed Lobos guards were still finding ways to come up with steals, forcing 10 Lady Hawk turnovers in the quarter. Going into halftime the Lady Hawks trailed 2-37.
During the halftime intermission the Lady Hawks were urged to not pay attention to the scoreboard. Even though they were trailing the focus would be getting better as a team and making better passes. Defensively they were urged to hustle, hustle, and hustle.
The 3rd quarter was a total team effort by the Lady Hawks that displayed their desire to improve as a team and not to focus on the scoreboard. They hustled back on every time they were on defense, they got their most rebounds of the game, and they made sure every Lobos’ shot was a contested one. Offensively, the Lady Hawks cleaned up on their passing by making straight-line passes and making sure each other were in good position before making a pass. By doing so the Lady Hawks cut their turnovers down and had much more time to setup their offense. With the crowd and their coach urging them the offense started to come. Forward Mikaylee Pablo assisted on fellow forward Jaylin Rivera’s basket to give the Lady Hawks their second made field goal. Then, with 0:13 to go in the quarter guard Michelle Iukes pulled up and hit a 3-pointer. Going into the 4th quarter the Lady Hawks trailed 7-41, but with their effort on both sides of the ball they had managed to win the 3rd quarter by outscoring the Lobos 5-4.
In the final quarter the Lobos caught fire and the Lady Hawks weren’t able to carry over their defense intensity from the 3rd quarter. The Lobos went on a 20-0 run to put the game well out of reach, but just as they have done all season, the Lady Hawks continued to fight until the end. In the final thirty seconds the Lady Hawks nearly doubled their point total when first Michelle scored a 3-pointer and then on the very next possession, Myrna pulled up from just inside half-court and swished a 3-pointer to beat the final game buzzer. The Lady Hawks lost 13-61, but showed a winner’s mentality by playing until the final buzzer.
Shaelynn Sanchey looks to pass the ball in the opening possession for the Lady Hawks. Photo/Brandi N. Montreuil
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
The Tulalip Lady Hawks (0-5) hosted the Orcas Christian Saints (2-1) on December 16, 2014. Coming off a narrow defeat to archrival Lummi in a previous game, the Lady Hawks were looking to rebound with their first win of the season.
Coach Cyrus “Bubba” Fryberg and his Lady Hawks would have their work cut out for them as they would be playing with only 5 eligible players, meaning no bench and no substitutions for the already thin roster.
The 1st quarter got off to a rough start for the Lady Hawks as the Orcas Christian Saints played a full court press defensively the first several possessions that resulted in consecutive turnovers by the home team. To make matters worse, the Lady Hawks looked slow and lethargic while not hustling to rebounds. Because of the lack of energy the Saints collected 5 offensive rebounds on one possession. With 3:00 remaining in the opening quarter the Lady Hawks found there hustle and looked like they were ready to play for real. There was an offensive focus to get the ball to the Lady Hawk bigs Nina Fryberg and Jaylin Rivera. Both were able to get into good offensive position and get off clean shots, but they didn’t fall. The 1st quarter ended with the Lady Hawks trailing 0-11.
Following the lackluster 1st quarter showing, Coach Fryberg urged his players to push the tempo offensively and for the guards, Michelle Iukes and Myrna Redleaf, to be more aggressive while looking for their shots. After giving up a quick bucket to go down 0-13, the Lady Hawks buckled in defensively to force back-to-back turnovers. Michelle Iukes showed her coach the aggression he was looking for by pulling down an offensive board and getting fouled on the put-back attempt. Michelle went one for two at the free throw line to put the Lady Hawks on the board 1-13. On the very next possession Myrna found a wide open Michelle who swished in a 3-pointer. Moments later Myrna forced a Saints turnover and Coach Fryberg called a timeout. He drew up a play that was executed to perfection and resulted in Michelle hitting another 3-pointer. The Lady Hawks were on a 7-0 run and brought the score to 7-13. The Saints responded by hitting a 3-pointer of their own, followed by a Nina Fryberg free throw and a baseline jumper by Michelle. With the score now 10-16 the Saints called a timeout.
Coming out of their timeout, the Saints ran a defense that this basketball enthusiast hadn’t seen before. Later I learned it was called the diamond press or 1-2-1-1 full court press. It’s a trapping man-to-man defense that only works if you have quick guards who can “heat up the ball” in a one-on-one situation. This means getting the ball handler out of control and blinding him from the impending trap, which comes from a secondary defender who’s lurking near half-court. For the remainder of the 2nd quarter, the Saints remained in their diamond press defense and the Lady Hawks committed eight turnovers while not scoring another point. At halftime the Lady Hawks trailed 10-24.
The Saints’ diamond press defense continued to stifle the Lady Hawks in the 3rd quarter. Following back to back turnovers, Myrna found an open Michelle who shot and made her third 3-pointer of the game to make the score 13-26. Over the remainder of the 3rd quarter the Lady Hawks would only score two more points, scored by Jaylin Rivera, as the Saints defense continued to slow down the visibly frustrated Lady Hawks. Meanwhile the Saints were getting easy buckets off of 14 forced turnovers. Going into the 4th quarter the Lady Hawks trailed 15-41.
After getting the short break to rest before the start of the 4th quarter the Lady Hawks came out hustling. They were running back on defense and not letting the Saints take uncontested shots. On offense the shots weren’t following until Michelle inbounded to an open Jaylen who made an elbow jumper to make the score 17-41. Unfortunately for the Lady Hawks that would be their last basket of the game as Jaylin soon after fouled out. Having no bench players for this game meant the Lady Hawks would play the rest of the game 4-on-5. This added challenge made it difficult to get any offense going. The game ended 17-49 in favor of the Orcas Christian Saints.
Following the game Lady Hawk Michelle Iukes was very upbeat about the team’s development. “We’ve gotten a lot better at beating the press. We didn’t panic or anything. But we have to look middle more because they [Jaylin and Nina] are open. I think everyone has improved and we are able to look inside more, down low more and not just high post.”
The Lady Hawks remain positive and are determined to get their first win on the season in the coming weeks.
Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary gym was packed wall to wall with students and community members who assembled to celebrate Tulalip Heritage Day. Students were encouraged to wear traditional regalia according to their tribal cultures. Tulalip pride was on full display as many students wore traditional Coast Salish garb featuring cedar headbands, abalone shells and wool. Other students wore traditional pow wow regalia according to their style of dance. Traditional Tulalip song and dance was performed for audience members, including Marysville School District Superintendent Dr. Becky Berg who was in attendance as a show of support for Native students and respect of Tulalip culture.
Students were encouraged to bring their drums. As Co-principal Dr. Craig said, “Some students have never drummed before and learn by attending and drumming with the Tulalip members who attend the morning assemblies. This gives Native students an opportunity to learn their culture in a safe positive environment.”
Children adorned in their tribal regalia danced in the middle of the gym while the Tulalip drummers and singers filled the air with their traditional, enchanting sound.
Photo/Micheal Rios
The proud heritage of Tulalip was best demonstrated when the Tulalip Canoe Family sang their “Happy Song.” All the elementary students are familiar with the “Happy Song” as they sing it with school faculty at every morning assembly. When the Tulalip Canoe Family performed, their hand movements were gleefully mirrored by the students as they sang along. During the “Happy Song” performance, all the students were transformed into Tulalip performers.
Matt Remle, tribal liaison for Marysville School District and Lakota Native from the Standing Rock Reservation, shared a traditional Lakota song about uplifting one another. During the event he took to Facebook to remark on the importance of the even for Native students posting, “It was beautiful to see the tremendous community support, as well as, see so many young ones singing, drumming, and dancing. This is real education, indigenous education, and empowerment.”
The morning’s assembly marks an important change in history for Tulalip students who previously were not allowed to celebrate or practice their traditional customs, which were prohibited during the boarding school era.
Photo/Micheal Rios
Theresa Sheldon, Tulalip Tribes board member, was also in attendance and spoke to the students about the origins of Tulalip Day. As she explained, “In the 1980s, our Board of Directors actually changed the holiday and made the Friday after Thanksgiving Tulalip Day. Tulalip does not actually recognize Columbus Day, we recognize Tulalip Day.”
After the assembly concluded Principal DeWitte commented on the impact of displaying and teaching Tulalip culture to the students. “Because we do it every day it becomes a part of who we are.”
Photo/Brandi N. MontreuilPhoto/Brandi N. MontreuilPhoto/Brandi N. Montreuil
