Tag: Tulalip Tribes

Tulalip youth shine at ‘Living Breath’ Symposium

Tulalip Tribal members Jacynta Myles-Gilford, 7th grader, and Kaiser Moses, 8th grader, bravely conducted a 40-minute presentation, with little assistance, in front of a jam-packed Intellectual House audience on Friday, May 5.

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Over the weekend of May 5, the University of Washington’s longhouse, dubbed Intellectual House, held its 5th annual ‘Living Breath’ Symposium. This year was highlighted by Native youth grades 7th-12th who were willing to give a presentation or conduct an interactive workshop that aligned with Indigenous knowledge and tribal sovereignly.

After sifting through many deserving applicants, the Intellectual House advisory committee accepted a one-of-a-kind presentation from Tulalip youth who offered to share their experiences and knowledge gained as participants in Tulalip’s Mountain Camp program. Tribal members Jacynta Myles-Gilford, 7th grader, and Kaiser Moses, 8th grader, bravely conducted a 40-minute presentation, with little assistance, in front of a jam-packed Intellectual House audience on Friday, May 5.

Jacynta and Kaiser’s presentation was titled ‘Swedaxali: Huckleberry Fields Forever’. The young, prideful tribal members worked as a team and took turns on the mic describing their many experiences from their two summers participating in Mountain Camp. They shared critical details like how the camp is located in our ancestral mountain areas, which are now part of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Tulalip Tribes has reserved treaty rights to continue to hunt, fish and gather on these ancestral lands in the mountains, like Swedaxali (Lushootseed for “place of mountain huckleberries”). With a base camp at about 5,000 feet elevation, the area is very remote and beautifully untouched by the deconstruction that comes with urban areas.

They spoke of the many different kinds of plants that our ancestors used for medicinal purposes and as nourishment for their ever mobile bodies. Jacynta reminisced about walking in her ancestors’ footsteps while learning to make a traditional berry picking basket out of cedar bark from our grandmother cedar tree.

“My first summer at Mountain Camp was the first time I ever ate huckleberries. That was two years ago during a drought in that area, so they weren’t as ripe. The shrubs were dry and it was sad to see this usually lush green area look like that,” described Kaiser. “We still did all as planned and was still fun and enjoyable to pick the berries, eat them, make baskets and so on. At last year’s Mountain Camp adventure, there were so many berries, all of them were ripe and the taste was spectacular!”

As part of Mountain Camp last year, campers launched the very first work that is part of our Tribes’ 10-year plan to make sure huckleberries continue to grow in this area.  The work they began in the huckleberry fields involved work to enhance the huckleberries’ growth by cutting down competing species that were shading out the berries and could prevent the mountain huckleberries from flourishing.  This was a team effort by all the kids, camp staff and a few more volunteers. A highlight of their presentation, pictures and video were shown detailing the huckleberry stewardship work.

Concluding their presentation there was a question and answer segment provided for the many inquisitive minds in attendance. The huckleberry stewardship being diligently done by the Tulalip youth was further asked about. Jacynta provided an awesome response to one such question, “Working with the huckleberries and being taught how to take care of them like our ancestors once did is such an amazing experience. I feel we continue to gather berries in the area and take care of the plants in a good way like our elders teach. It’s really important to share our experience with others because then that means we are helping to spread the message behind Mountain Camp and what us youth are trying to do for the better of the Tulalip Tribes community.”

Dr. Charlotte Coté (Nuu-chah-nulth First Nation), chair of the UW’s Intellectual House Advisory Committee and co-founder of the ‘Living Breath’ Symposium, was among the audience who listened intently to Jacynta and Kaiser’s presentation.

“It was really inspiring to see young people from these Native nations understanding their culture, their traditions, and understanding it’s more than just about health. It’s about culture, community, family, and spirituality,” remarked Dr. Coté about the Tulalip youths’ presentation. “It’s all tied into connecting or reconnecting to your traditional foods and we really saw that in their presentation. You could tell they were speaking from their heart. It’s so important because this event focuses on youth so that we can inspire each other, but to also emphasize listening to the next generation. They are our future leaders, and here they are at such a young age understanding the importance of living their culture, while sharing their beautiful experiences with us.”

The Fast and Furious War Canoes

By Kalvin Valdillez

The Tulalip Tribes hosted the Annual War Canoe Races during the weekend of May 6, 2017. The two-day event attracts several Native communities including many Coast Salish tribal members as well as numerous First Nation band members from Canada. Racers, some as young as seven years-old, paddle rapidly through the waters of Tulalip Bay, in friendly competition, for a shot at the greatly desired first place title. Throughout the weekend races were held for singles and doubles as well as six and eleven-man teams.

Traditionally, canoes were made as a form of transportation for Northwest Natives as they navigated the waters to other tribes for various ceremonies. Canoes were also used during fishing and whaling trips as well as for raids. Due to the need for speed, traditional canoes were modified into faster models as tribes engaged in wars amongst each other by raiding villages.

Today, tribal nations gather in Tulalip once a year to cheer on their loved ones as they take to the waters, with their fellow racers, in war canoes. The races were on an extended hiatus and were recently revived during the summer of 2015. Tulalip tribal member and War Canoe Races Coordinator Natasha Fryberg spoke on the history, revival and importance of the races.

“Canoe races have been happening for many years. As far as Tulalip’s canoe race, we are not sure exactly when the last year Tulalip hosted the races [prior to the hiatus]. I was speaking with Art Humphreys during the canoe races and he was sharing with me that he remembers being here in the early 80’s, racing. Bringing the races back into our community was something that our uncle Herman Williams Sr. really pushed for. He pushed for our community to bring these canoes back to our people, ensuring that part of our history and identity is not forgotten. Thankfully canoe races are something that I feel very passionate about. I’m blessed by having the chance to coordinate the races and work with all the surrounding communities and travelers that come into our community and waters.

For many of us, we look at being in these canoes and learning about this way of life as a spiritual healing and blessing. We teach our youth at a young age that our canoes are live spirits and how to love and care for our canoes. That those trees that our canoes came from, gave themselves up for us to be able to go out on the water. Most importantly we use canoe racing as a way to promote a healthy lifestyle. To be able to give the children a place to go each day, to steer them away from what bad they may or may not get into,” stated Natasha. “Overall it is a humbling experience and I absolutely love it. I am only young and still learning myself, but I am more than willing to share what I have learned thus far.”

For those interested in racing and for additional information about the Annual War Canoe Races, please contact Natasha Fryberg at (425) 422-9276.

Celebrating 100 Years of Water for Our People, Salmon and Future

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The usually vacant lot across from Boom City was anything but as hundreds of community members, tribal employees, and partners in interest gathered to celebrate the completion of the Tulalip Water Pipeline Project, affectionately called ‘Big Water’, on Friday, April 28.

The historical moment was treated as such with a traditional welcoming ceremony provided by the Tulalip Salmon Ceremony singers and drummers led by Glen Gobin. There was an open invite for all tribal members to join in with their drums and singing voices to perform a song passed down by Harriet Sheldon Dover, as well as a personal song belonging to Glen. Following the songs, Natosha Gobin gave a traditional prayer in both Lushootseed and English to bless the special occasion.

“Our ancestors knew that our survival as a people depended on the natural resources of our land and waters,” explained Tulalip Chairwoman Marie Zackuse. “In negotiating the Point Elliot Treaty, they ensured access to salmon were among the rights we reserved. We call ourselves the People of the Salmon. By preserving this precious resource we are defending our lifeways, our culture, and our identity.

Tulalip Tribes Chairwoman Marie Zackuse (center, raised hands) along with other board members, tribal members, and youth council members drink water from the golden spigot in celebration.

“The completion of this water pipeline is an historic event. We have secured water for our people and our future generations for the next hundred years. It took years of planning and years more to build the pipeline, which now carries water from Spada Lake to Tulalip. It will enhance our salmon recovery efforts, habitat restoration, and will provide a source of fresh water for our people now and into the future.”

Big Water has been heralded as the righting of a wrong committed against the Tribes long ago by the City of Everett, specifically when Everett built a diversion dam and tunnel to move water from the Sultan River to Lake Chaplain in 1916. The way the diversion was managed, there were times of the year that the Upper Sultan River was completely dry. Although the Lower Sultan River received enough water from other tributaries to allow salmon to spawn, miles of Upper Sultan River were no longer accessible to spawning fish resulting in massive population losses.

After years of court battles and lawsuits regarding the diversion dam and loss of waterways and salmon spawning habitat, the Tulalip Tribes and City of Everett began mending the long history of opposition and obstruction in 2003. The two governments have since moved towards a new era of consultation and compromise.

“What this was about more than anything was trust [between the City of Everett and Tulalip Tribes],” said Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson while recalling his father teaching him about the many injustices that happened to Native American people. “I never thought in my lifetime that I would have the opportunity to right a wrong, and this agreement really helped right a wrong.”

In 2016, the Snohomish County PUD created a fish passage around the old City of Everett diversion dam that made possible for 5-miles of spawning habitat to once again be available to salmon. Already fisheries staff have seen Coho and Steelhead in the area and are anticipating Chinook will return in the upcoming season. On Reservation, the Tulalip pipeline will supply approximately thirty-million gallons of water per day for the next one-hundred years.

Pictured (l) to (r): Staff members of the original Joint Water Pipeline team: Deborah Parker, former Project Lead and Policy Analyst for the Tulalip Tribes; Pat McClain, former Executive Director for Governmental Affairs for the city of Everett; Terry Williams, Treaty Rights Commission Officer for the Tulalip Tribes; and Jim Miller, Engineering Superintendent for the city of Everett.

“Today’s celebration meant a completion of an agreement between the City of Everett and the Tulalip Tribes. It means potable water will be flowing to our homes to serve the needs of our families for the next 100 years and our streams will be augmented for our salmon and natural habitat,” stated Deborah Parker, Tulalip Tribal member and former Joint Water Pipeline Lead. “Our partnership reflects when two governments come together to work towards a solution. Many hours were spent meeting, negotiating, lobbying, and formalizing plans until final construction. The Joint Water Pipeline staff and leadership deserve a great deal of appreciation. It was truly an honor to be a part of this process and to witness the flow of water through the water line. Water is indeed an important part of our everyday life.”

Everett Mayor Ray Stephenson with former Chairmen Stan Jones and Herman Williams, Jr.

Highlighting the Big Water celebration was the ceremonial opening of the taps. The Board of Directors were joined by former Chairmen Stan Jones and Herman Williams, Jr. and Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson as they each turned a golden spigot to free a new source of life-giving water. Tribal Design provided hand carved ladles in the shape of a canoe for leadership to drink out of.

Concluding the celebration was a salmon bake feast cooked by Cy Fryberg and his family. Many attendees could be seen filling their gifted water bottles with water from the honorary golden pipes.

While Big Water is the culmination of many mission statements and priorities of the Tulalip Tribes, there are also plenty of ties to the ‘water is life’ slogan that has become omnipresent in Native communities across the country. Those sentiments were not lost on the diverse group of attendees, and in fact, it was a member of Tulalip’s younger generation who really summed it up best.

“Water is humanity’s basic need. Water affects everything from education to health to our future generations. They are the ones who will continue our legacy and our culture. The installment of the water pipeline will be innovating in our future by taking pressure off the water table. This will assist in the care of our ever-growing tribal community,” proclaimed Keely Gobin, vice-chairwoman of Tulalip’s Youth Council. “Prior to European settlers in the 1800s, the salmon returned to our area annually in huge numbers. Salmon and green life were the number one food source for our community. Settlement and the increasing population in the United States led to the development of dams and factories, which destroyed our local ecosystems, including our natural salmon runs and habitat. As sovereign people we must stand strong in the preservation of our Mother Earth, for she along with my great-great-grandchildren our counting on us to keep our waters pure. t’igwicid.”

 

 

 

 

Art of the Future Generation

Tulalip Youth Services hosts Annual Native American Student Art Festival

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

Excitement filled the air of the Don Hatch Youth Center, which was briefly transformed into an art gala, on April 20, for the annual Native American Student Art Festival. Various works were on display including poetry, self and family portraits as well as an array of traditional Native American art including paddles, blankets, beaded regalia and cedar woven baskets.

The festival is open to all Tulalip tribal members between kindergarten and the twelfth grade, as well as students of other tribal nations who attend the Marysville School District. Students are able to submit one art project for each category – culture, mixed media, painting, sculpture, digital art, writing, new media and drawing. Awards are presented for first, second and third place, as well as for honorable mentions, to each grade for every category.

Art has been an essential necessity to the Native American culture since time immemorial. Coast Salish ancestors utilized their natural resources to create art such as masks, blankets, drums and rattles for ceremonial purposes; as well as for tools, for everyday use, like hats, baskets, canoes and paddles.

With over a whopping one thousand art submissions this year, the event continues to provide the young Indigenous Picassos with the opportunity to express their creativity and showcase their talents to their community. Often participants will submit a project for each category, like Taylee Warbus, who was awarded six ribbons in total – three of them being the highly coveted first place blue ribbon.

10th grade student Selena Fryberg reconnects with her ancestry while drawing a portrait of her late grandmother Catherine Rivera.

Many students reconnect with their culture while preparing their projects for the festival. This year, tenth grade student and multiple prizewinner Selena Fryberg reconnected with her ancestry while drawing a portrait of her late grandmother Catherine Rivera. Selena states, “She passed away before I was born, but people always say I get my talent from her. I feel like I got to know my grandma a little better while drawing her for [the art festival].”

If you missed the opportunity to experience the student art exhibit, don’t fret because the winning masterpieces will be on display exclusively at the Hibulb Cultural Center until Friday May 5, 2017.

Celebrating athletic accomplishment

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News; photos courtesy Heritage H.S.

Tulalip Heritage High School faculty and coaches honored their Fall and Winter sports participants with a joint celebration and banquet-style potluck on Wednesday, March 29 in the Heritage Commons.

With friends and family in attendance, the players took center stage and received recognition for their dedication to practice, constant improvement and teamwork during the sports season.

Bringing cheer and halftime entertainment to every home and playoff game were the Heritage cheerleaders. They always kept a positive attitude, smiles on their faces, and were determined to keep the home crowds upbeat.

 

The Hawks football team was short on eligible players this past season, but that didn’t stop them from showing up come game day and leaving their all on the field. After a narrow 2-point loss in their opening game, the football program showed out the very next game for a 51-26 victory in front of the home crowd.

 

Lady Hawks volleyball had another productive season under coach Tina Brown. The girls opened the season with five straight victories on their way to a 9-6 regular season record and a trip to the postseason. At the 1B District playoffs, they dropped their first match before bouncing back with back-to-back Ws and earning a trip to Tri-Districts.

 

Coaches Marlin and Cyrus “Bubba” Fryberg made the best of a rebuilding year for their boys basketball program. With so many new faces on the team there was a steep learning curve. The Hawks opened the season 1-6, but soon after found their identity and went 7-5 down the stretch to clinch a playoff spot. In the postseason, the boys played their best basketball and defeated two teams with better records to earn a Tri-District berth.

 

The Lady Hawks basketball program achieved the most this year. The girls carried a stellar record all season long on their way to battling for the NW1B regular season crown. Led by their Big 3 (Aliya Jones, Keryn Parks, and Deandra Grant), they finished the regular season 16-3. With two decisive victories to open the playoffs, the Lady Hawks matched up with inner-league foe Cedar Park Christian for the third time in the NW1B championship game. Back and forth for nearly the whole game, Cedar Park pulled away in the final minutes. It was a heartbreaking game for the Lady Hawks, but they bounced back admirably to win two more games at Tri-Districts and clinched consecutive trips to Regionals.

Coach Bubba Fryberg was recognized as Coach of the Year in the Northwest 1B League, while three of his players (Aliya, Keryn, and Deandra) were named to the All-League 1st Team. Additionally, Aliya earned All-State recognition with an honorable mention by the Associated Press.

Elder’s luncheon emphasizes triumph over addiction

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Tribes Problem Gambling Program continued their month-long Lifting Our Community Through Recovery concept, in recognition of March as Problem Gambling Awareness Month, by hosting a special elder’s luncheon on Friday, March 24.

Held at the Senior Center, close to 50 elders were in attendance as the program celebrated the wisdom and strength our elders share in the Tulalip community, while acknowledging problem gambling as a disease that can be defeated. A delicious buffet style meal was catered by Ryan Gobin’s Rezipes for the elders to enjoy while listening to members of the gamblers anonymous community share their personal experiences with problem gambling and their victories over it.

In the mainstream, compulsive gambling can often be portrayed as an issue of morality, creed and lack of willpower; something that is a personal choice. However, science has proven compulsive gambling is much more than a decision made from lack of willpower. It is in fact a disease.

“Gambling addiction is a real disease, and impacts communities at the individual, family, extended family, community and society level,” explains Sarah Sense-Wilson, Problem Gambling Coordinator. “Older adults have a number of additional vulnerabilities and risk factors, such as medical conditions and health problems. These issues can render some older adults less active, thereby limiting their social and recreational activities. Isolation, grief and loss, boredom, and having more time (in retirement) can all be additional factors that contribute to older adults being more vulnerable to a gambling disorder.

“The impact of gambling addiction on the extended family and partners is stressful, painful and often leads to crisis (financial, health, mental/emotional, relational and spiritual). Treatment and the 12-step program can help restore wellness and health.”

Gambling addiction has been recognized by the mental health and medical community for nearly 40 years now. There are brain changes that explain why people can’t stop gambling and feel a need to be in a casino sitting at a slot machine or playing a table game. Like asthma or diabetes, there’s no permanent cure for compulsive gambling, but it can be controlled to the point that you are not worrying about it every day.

Tulalip tribal member and elder, Toni Sheldon, understands this all too well from her own battle and triumph over the addiction.

“Recently, over the past few years I started to gamble. It started with going to the [Quil Ceda Creek Casino] for lunch to socialize with friends and former co-workers. While socializing, I’d make my way over to a slot machine and play forty-cent bets,” recalls Toni. The betting amounts began to increase little by little, while her trips to the casino became more frequent. Eventually, the losses were adding up and becoming noticeable to those closest to her. The tipping point came when Toni’s caregiver reviewed a copy of her win-loss statement with her just to show how much money she was putting back into the casino.

“Seeing the financial damage it was bringing to my life, my caregiver suggested doing a self perm bar. I didn’t even know you could do that,” says Toni. A self perm bar is the process by which an individual goes to casino security and has themselves permanently barred from the gaming properties. After being voluntarily barred, if you are caught on the gaming property you will be escorted out and can be cited and/or arrested for trespassing. “With the support of those closest to me, I perm barred myself. It’s now been a full year since I’ve last gambled. My life is much happier, and I have money to spend on life’s necessities once again.”

Following the shared stories and experiences with gambling addiction, the atmosphere continued to be uplifted by the Grammy-winning musical talents of Star Nayea. Tribal elders danced in their chairs and sang along as Star performed their favorite songs to end the luncheon.

For those who may be wondering what the options are for someone with a gambling problem, Sarah Sense-Wilson and Problem Gambling Program is here to help in any way they can.

“Steps a person can take is to call Tulalip Family Services for an appointment or contact me directly for consultation at 360-716-4304. All services are free, confidential and supported by licensed and certified professional staff,” states Sarah. “We provide an array of services including interventions, couples counseling, Family Therapy, group and individual counseling. We believe in a holistic client-centered, culturally responsive approach for supporting the healing and recovery process. We encourage anyone with questions or concerns to contact us. We are here to serve the Tulalip Tribes community.”

 

TELA focuses on good health, produces lots of smiles

Article/photos by Micheal Rios

On Thursday, March 9, the Betty J. Taylor Early Learning Academy (TELA) hosted a mini health fair in collaboration with local physical, mental, and spiritual health experts. It was a great opportunity to engage students, staff, families and the community about healthy eating, physical activity, health services, and other local wellness resources.

Vendors included everyone from representatives from the Tulalip Police and Fire Departments, the schools music therapy and child development booths, to Tulalip’s all new SNAP ED (Eat Smart. Be Active.) program. Overall there were 24 health fair vendors, two health care institute parent trainings, and a photo-booth for a nice family keepsake.

“The Mini Health Fair at the Tulalip Early Learning Academy was a great reminder to encourage both parents and the children to consume the required 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The kids loved their veggie cups and were excited to try an apple fruit salad!,” explains Snap-Ed Coordinator, AnneCherise Jensen (pictured above) of her vendor experience. “Children require good nutrition for proper growth and development. Taking affirmative action towards preventative health care will have a huge positive impact on a child’s health; this is why it is so important to teach kids healthy eating habits at an early age. By maximizing high nutrient foods and minimizing consumption of sugary/processed foods, we can help children develop essential healthy eating habits for a healthy future.”

Targeting the energetic and active audience of 3 to 5-year-old students, the TELA vendors came up with creative setups to make it easier for the easily intrigued minds to approach them. Many of the vendors brought different variations and very colorful handouts, poster boards and prizes. Enticing the kids to come up to the tables for prizes and delicious, organic snacks where they would then learn about making good health choices was a successful strategy.

Some of the kids may have been shy at first and hesitant to walk around the setup of booths, but with eye-catching displays they were able to come out of their shells and learn information they might not have known before.

Sheena Robinson attended the health fair with her kids because it offered them a chance to get out of the house to do hands-on activities.

“I liked the nutrition station because it taught my boys what healthy and unhealthy snacks look like,” Sheena said. “I try to teach them about these things at home, but I think sometimes it clicks more if it’s coming from somebody else and learning first-hand through interactive activities.”

ABC Curriculum promotes healing at Tulalip schools

 

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

During a recent visit from the Washington State Board of Education, Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary (QCT) provided an inside look at their ABC curriculum, an acronym for the new approach to the education system within the Tulalip community. ABC stands for the Academic instruction, Behavioral and social-emotional support and Culture based curriculum that the Marysville School District and the Tulalip Tribes have recently began implementing at the elementary.

QCT is one of few schools in Washington State that is integrating traditional Native teachings into school subjects such as music, art, language, math and history. The school often invites tribal members to help teach the children about the Tulalip culture. Each morning the school holds a fifteen-minute assembly where students perform traditional song and dance. QCT holds an annual cultural fair where tribal members are invited to share traditional foods as well as tribal history with the students. The elementary school also observes Tulalip Day every November and holds a fifth-grade potlatch at the end of each year. Most recently the school held a Billy Frank Jr. themed spirit week, honoring the man who dedicated his life to fighting for Native American fishing rights.

“We all had heroes growing up. I remember going to the library and spending all day reading about Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth and Jim Thorpe. You know growing up as Indian People, we don’t have a lot of Native heroes we can look up to, but Billy Frank Jr. is a true Coast Salish hero. He is someone we all look up to because of the amazing work he did for fisheries. Thank you for honoring him, he definitely deserves to be celebrated,” stated Tulalip Chairman Mel Sheldon.

The ABC curriculum puts emphasis on family and community, connections that are often strong in Native America. QCT makes an effort to communicate regularly with their student’s family members. The school also ensures the students stay up to par with the utilization of modern technology, both for research and to create documents. During a classroom walk-through the State Board of Education observed the curriculum in action during an art class as well as a writing class.

 

 

Representatives from the Tulalip Board of Directors, Marysville School District and QCT faculty spoke about cultural assimilation and the affect it left on Native communities. Each explaining to the Board of Educators that assimilation caused trauma that is still affecting the descendants of boarding school victims today, although the events occurred several generations prior. Families were broken and cultures were stripped during the ‘kill the Indian, save the man’ era.

“Our people were [originally] taught in a traditional way at the foot of our grandmothers, not in classrooms but out in nature. When the education system was forcibly put on us, it was done in way that stripped everything away from our children. It was done purposely to take away who we are as Indian People in a very painful way. That was our introduction to education. Since then we’ve had elders try to get this work, our voice and our story, into the public schools to try to heal. I believe we are continuing the work of our ancestors,” states Tulalip tribal member and QCT Instructor, Chelsea Craig.

The tribe, school district and Board of Educators are well aware and prepared for the hard work that will be required, and they started the healing process through the ABC curriculum.

1957: The first military observance of Memorial Day at Tulalip

Ray Moses

 

By Sherry Guydelkon, Tulalip News, May 23, 2007 

According to tribal elder Ray Moses, before 1957 there were no Memorial Day services at Tulalip cemeteries.

Many families did, however, observe the day by walking to one or both of the reservation cemeteries – Priest Point and Mission Beach – where they would pull weeds and lay flowers on their loved ones’ graves.

They would pack lunches and walk along the Tulalip road, said Ray, gathering wild flowers and greens for wreaths as they walked. People who lived along the road would often offer flowers from their yards. And everyone was careful to leave the cemeteries by three o’clock in the afternoon, because after that time spirits might come out.

 

Ray Moses, Korean War photo

 

By 1957, Ray had returned from the Korean War and was doing his best to stay a little drunk. Jobs for Indian men were hard to come by, and he had plenty of painful wartime memories to blot out.

Finally, his mother Marya Moses let him know that she was concerned that he would drink himself into an early grave. ‘You served your country well,” she said. “You’re a good person when you’re not drinking, but when you drink, you’re no dang good.”

Marya, who had been very supportive of the Tulalip soldiers who fought in Korea and had faithfully written to Tom Gobin, David and Butch Spencer, and others who served there, suggested that he do something useful for the vets.

Then Tom Gobin, who played several instruments, gave him a direction. He said, “If you can get a firing squad, I’ll blow the bugle.”

So Ray talked to Stan Schaefer, who, besides being Marysville’s funeral director, was a member of the VFW, about borrowing rifles one day a year. Stan said that Ray could borrow the Marysville VFW’s rifles, but that they would have to be returned by 11 a.m. for the town’s Memorial Day service.

So Tulalip’s observance was set for 10 a.m., and Ray began gathering his squad together. With a few veterans who became regulars and others that he recruited from the taverns, Ray had his first squad. “They were all willing,” said Ray, “but some of them were weaving a little.”

“I used to tease them,” he said, “and call them the F-Troup after the old comedy TV show. I called Kenny Williams “Dog Tag” and Larry Charley “Crazy Cat” after one of the Indians on the show. And I’d say, ‘Chests in, stomachs out” – the opposite of what they say in the Army. I’d get the guys laughing, sort of lighten things up.’

The only problem was that the rifles were left over from World War I and were defective. Sometimes the ammunition would go off and sometimes it wouldn’t.

“One of the guys asked me, what if my rifle doesn’t fire, what do I do?” Ray recalled. “I said, say bang.”

Regardless of the rifle problems, people were pleased with the bugle and the squad. “The old timers thanked us for honoring our warriors,” said Ray. “And they were warriors. They went off to fight, and they were starting to die at home – Doc Jones, Jack George, Steve Williams, Reuben Shelton, Elliott Brown…

“When our last World War I veteran, Ed Williams, died , I felt bad that there was no bugle there. So we started going to veterans’ funerals, too.”

Encouraged by the responses of the Tulalip families, the squad began traveling to veterans’ funerals at off-reservation communities that had no firing squads of their own – Arlington, Granite Falls, even Tacoma and Olympia. “We had no money and neither did the Tribe,” said Ray, “but George Reeves had a van and people would give us a little money for gas.”

When Clarence Hatch became the Tribes’ business manager in the early 1960s, he and Stan Jones, Sr., agreed that the firing squad should have new rifles, and they were purchased by the Tribes. By then, Tom Gobin had passed the bugle on to Bee Bop Moses, who played in the Marysville High School band. And Clarence even found a little money to pay him.

There was still the problem of buying ammunition, but that was resolved through negotiations with the Marysville VFW. The VFW promised to supply Tulalip’s firing squad with ammo if Ray would march with them in the Strawberry Festival parade. So, for several years, Ray marched for ammo.

Since the new rifles did not have to be returned by eleven o’clock, Memorial Day services could be scheduled for both reservation cemeteries – one at 10 a.m. and one at 11 a.m.

“When I started helping at funerals, I really didn’t know what I was doing,” Ray admits. “I had to change as I went along. I had to become more compassionate.

“I’m glad David Fryberg is continuing that work, and I’m glad the Tribe has the veterans’ program. I hope it will continue on.

“In the beginning, we were encouraged by the old timers and the Shaker people, and later on by the families. They’ve appreciated that we are honoring our warriors for their sacrifices.”

In addition to those who did not return from the wars, said Ray, there were those who were physically and emotionally injured and were never the same again – like Steve Williams who was shot in the leg and P.O.W. Jack George. Ray believes it is only right that the Tribes show our past vets the gratitude that they have earned.

 

A Gathering of Coast Salish peoples

 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

Western Washington Tribes and British Columbia First Nations of the Salish Sea came together to speak with one voice at the Tulalip Resort Casino’s Orca Ballroom on February 27.

As one voice, the tribal leaders, activists, and caretakers of the environment spoke for the continued protection of the land and waters of our aboriginal homeland and the preservation of our culture. As brothers and sisters, they shared their culture and concerns for the endangered eco-region, and continued their dialogue on the need for strengthened environmental policies and practices in our ancestral homelands.

These Coast Salish ancestral homelands, the Salish Sea and its people continue to face detrimental damages to the environment and resources based on the pollution based economy, and they will continue to move on co-management and co-decision making on the Salish Sea. The agenda for the 2017 gathering was to discuss:

  • Aboriginal and Treaty Rights at Risk
  • Resource and Environmental Challenges
  • Laws, Policy and Regulation
  • Coast Salish 21st Century Nations and Tribes
  • Federal, State and Tribal Dispute Resolution
  • Decision making, uniform consent

Following the day’s seminars and presentations, attendees were treated to an evening filled with traditional song and dance. The next generation of Tulalip drummers, singers, and dancers opened, led by cultural specialist Chelsea Craig.

 

Tulalip drummers and singers

 

Succeeding the young and spirited Tulalip group was one of the top Native dance groups on the west coast, Git-Hoan.

“We are Git-Hoan, the People of the Salmon. We are a makeup of Tsimshian, Haida, and Tlingit people from southeast Alaska and are proud to be in your territory to sing and dance for you,” stated group creator David Boxley, a renowned Tsimshian artist and carver. “What a beautiful place to dance. Thank you for allowing us to be here.

“This dance group has been in existence since 1996. We use a lot of masks to tell our stories. All of our tribes, including [Tulalip], at one time danced with masks and this form of expression is coming back strong over the last decade. The songs and dances you are about to see are old in their origins, but relatively new in their make-up. Missionaries were very successful with our people. We are trying to change that by [revitalizing our culture] like how it was before the missionaries. We are proud of the fact we try really, really hard to look like the old days, with the masks and telling the stories like our people once did.”

 

 

Git-Hoan performed for nearly an hour to the marvel of gathering attendees. Included in their selection of dances was a brand new song debuted for the Coast Salish occasion.

“We are the People of the Salmon, and so are you. We are all People of the Salmon,” explained Boxley. “Historically, our ancestors’ lives depended on the salmon. The next song we are going to show is a brand new song that shows our pride in being People of the Salmon .We dedicate this song to all of you.”

With the conclusion of the day’s events, Board of Director Theresa Sheldon shared her amazement in watching the performances by several Coast Salish tribes.

“It’s always a blessing to see our young students singing our ancestors songs, especially for this Coast Salish Gathering. A gathering that’s all about our Mother Earth and how we can work together on protecting our waterways. It was truly a delight to witness the Alaskan group perform their traditional mask dances. They had the most amazing raven dance, with the mosquito ancestor dance, and the supernatural eagle dance. It’s truly an honor when our relatives bring out their masks to share with us. Sharing our songs and dances together is the way of our people. I’m so thankful to the parents and teachers who help our young ones embrace this.”