Tulalip Archives - Page 25 of 63

Summer meal program for kids

By Mara Hill, Tulalip News

Whether people realize it or not, many parents and guardians depend on an important outside resource to help feed their kids. That resource is located at places most are familiar with such as early learning centers and elementary, middle, junior high and high schools. Some families rely on the school system to keep food in their kid’s bellies during the day but summer brings a different set of challenges to meal time and family schedules.

Through a partnership between the Marysville School District and the USDA, the summer meal program is offered at nine different sites, including Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary and the Tulalip Boys and Girls Club. Kids and teens 18 years and younger are offered a free snack and lunch at all nine locations through August 21.

Please see flyer for times and locations. For more information please contact the Marysville School District at: http://www.msvl.k12.wa.us/contact-us or 360-653-7058 with any questions or comments.

Lighting fireworks banned on Tulalip reservation land due to fire danger

Lighting of fireworks are banned on all Tulalip reservation lands due to increased fire danger.

Source: Tulalip Forestry Department

All outdoor burning is banned with the exception of recreational fires in approved fire pits

Recreational fires must:

· Be built in a metal, concrete or rock fire pit, such as those typically found in designated campgrounds; and not be used as debris disposal;

· Grow no larger than three feet in diameter;

· Be located in a clear spot free from any vegetation for at least 10 feet in a horizontal direction, including at least 25 feet away from any structure and allow 20-foot vertical clearance from overhanging branches;

· Be attended at all times by an alert individual and equipment capable of extinguishing the fire.

· Cultural fires are exempt but must Be attended at all times by an individual and equipment capable of extinguishing the fire .

All outdoor burn permits are suspended until this ban is lifted. This ban will remain in effect until there is a sustained period of rainfall and the fire risk returns to low.

As the season progresses and fire danger continues to get higher additional restrictions will be implemented.

Revised Tulalip watering schedule for the 4th of July

Due to the hot weather and the 4th of July coming up, Tulalip residents are able to water from now through the 4th of July. On July 5th everyone will resume to the original watering schedule. Happy and Safe 4th.

Have a happy and safe Fourth

It’s been a beautiful summer and with Independence Day right around the corner, I want to encourage everyone to make safety your first priority. With the Sleepy Hollow Wildfire devastating our neighbors in Eastern Washington and the series of fires intentionally set along I-5 June 30^th, as well as the home that burned on 27^th Avenue recently, the potential for fire is at the forefront of my mind.

Boom City has become a beloved part of the Tulalip landscape over the last four decades. Ask an elder and you’ll hear about its humble beginnings when a handful of shacks were constructed every year to sell firecrackers, then torn down after to Fourth. Now this iconic summer village is transported one stand at a time from yards across the reservation to Quil Ceda Village. Boom City is an entrepreneurial incubator featuring over a hundred small businesses, each with their own character and panache.

How many of you received your first training in business working at a fireworks stand? You learned to bargain, to understand the value of goods and to make sure you got a return on your investment. While fireworks have played an important role in creating business savvy in our community, they’re also a potential source heartache. Every year the hospital emergency room sees countless injuries related to fireworks, and the fire department works countless hours trying to keep our homes and lands safe. Unfortunately, they’re not always successful, which is why I’m asking you, our citizens, to take control of your safety and be extra careful this year.

Tulalip, like the entire State, is experiencing the effects of our drought. Our salmon hatchery is struggling to supply enough water to keep smolts alive and healthy. Our utilities department has instituted watering schedules to conserve water. Everywhere you look you see dry grass and wilted greenery. The Reservation is currently observing a burn ban. Add our current heat wave and not only is it fireworks season, it’s fire season.

There are many ways to safely enjoy fireworks. One of my favorites is a professional fireworks display. The Seafair Summer Fourth on the shores of Lake Union is a favorite, Renton, Kirkland, Bainbridge Island and Bellevue are also hosting shows. If you want to stay a little closer to home the City of Arlington holds a fireworks show as part of their Frontier Days celebration. Everett hosts a downtown parade, festivities and the ‘Thunder on the Bay’ fireworks show on Grand Avenue park at 10:20 p.m., and for those of us with family in Darrington, you can look forward to family activities, a parade and fireworks at dusk.

If you can’t give up your tradition of lighting fireworks, consider lighting them the same place you buy them. Boom City features an expanded lighting area this year. To make sure things stay safe, there are two staffers on duty and a water truck to extinguish any fires before they can expand. The other advantage to lighting fireworks at Boom City is that you don’t have to deal with the mess. Boom City employs a clean-up crew every year to take out the trash.

If you’re lighting at home, please be careful, use common sense and be safe. Some of the worst offenders for starting fires are unpredictable fireworks like jumping jacks. One of the popular buys this year, is a 500gram cake called ‘Feed the Beast’ in tribute to Marshawn Lynch. Fireworks like this are safer for a number of reasons, first, you get 24 shots by lighting a single fuse, which means there’s less chance of personal injury. Second, the display is high in the air, and the spark is gone by the time it reaches the ground.

If you are lighting fireworks at home, prep the area. Make sure that you’re lighting on bare earth or pavement, not a dry grass field. Have a charged water hose ready. You might feel silly, but wear safety glasses to protect your eyes. Never allow children to light fireworks unsupervised and remember, fireworks and alcohol don’t mix.

Last, remember that fireworks aren’t the only source of fire. Barbecues and campfires, lit cigarettes and even sparks from welding can start fire. To quote my good friend Smokey the Bear, only you can prevent wildfires. I want to wish everyone a happy and safe Fourth of July full of family, friends and great times.

Mel Sheldon

Tulalip Tribes Chairman

Surdna Foundation Grant Awarded to Northwest Artist Matika Wilbur

Source: Tacoma Art Museum

Tacoma, WA – Seattle-area photographer Matika Wilbur, Swinomish and Tulalip, in collaboration with Tacoma Art Museum, has been awarded a 2015 Artists Engaging in Social Change grant from Surdna Foundation. The foundation received more than 1000 grant applications, and Wilbur is one of just 15 artists awarded through the program, receiving a grant of $157,000 (the largest award). The grant will support Wilbur’s Project 562, a nation-wide endeavor documenting contemporary Native American culture through photographic portraits and narratives from each federally recognized Native American tribe. Project 562 is the basis for compelling exhibitions, presentations, articles, books, and curricula that creatively surmount stereotypical representations, historical inaccuracies, and the absence of Native American images and voices in mass media and the national consciousness.

The inaugural exhibition of Project 562 debuted in spring, 2014, at Tacoma Art Museum, receiving rave reviews from museum visitors and in regional and national press. More than 18,000 visitors saw the exhibition. TAM served as Wilbur’s fiscal sponsor, which enabled her to participate in the highly competitive grant program.

Wilbur’s beautifully rendered portraits and stirring recordings from select sitters examine the Indian image across socioeconomic and intergenerational spectrums, from tribal to hardcore urban, traditional elders to assimilated teens, conveying the diversity among Native communities and individual experiences. Her provocative work exposes the strength and richness of contemporary Native life, and is profoundly shifting consciousness toward Native Americans. The project conveys the cultural diversity among Native communities and individual experiences.

The Surdna Foundation grant is an affirmation of the power of Wilbur’s work. “I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the Surdna Foundation’s support,” Wilbur said. “Their contribution will fundamentally improve our team’s efficiency and dramatically increase public access of Project 562. For hundreds of years, our ancestors have been calling for authentic stories of our people to be told. I believe that Project 562 is being guided and protected by our ancestors, and we raise our hands to the Surdna Foundation as a source of strength and for believing in our mission to change the way we see Native America.”

To date, Wilbur has driven over 150,000 miles across the United States and visited about 300 of the 567 federally recognized tribes in the United States. She has been welcomed into rare experiences and allowed images, voices, and ideas that have never before been represented.

Rock Hushka, TAM’s Chief Curator, affirms Wilbur’s role as an inspired and unprecedented messenger: “We are grateful to Surdna Foundation for recognizing the quality and power of Matika’s work with this grant award. She has a rare combination of immense creativity, tenacity, and tremendous sensitivity. Project 562 provides crucial cultural understanding, capturing with unparalleled clarity the vibrancy of contemporary culture along with political and social issues of primary concern to Native Americans across the nation. We look forward to a continued relationship with this remarkable artist and future iterations of Project 562.”

Surdna Foundation’s Artists Engaging in Social Change grants are designed to support individual artists, culture bearers, and nonprofit organizations whose work helps to inform, engage, or challenge people around specific social issues. Projects receiving funds were selected for the quality of the artistic practice and dedication to exploring critical themes that arise from, or impact a community; and for the project’s capacity to enable social change.

Surdna Foundation’s President Phil Henderson commented, “In an era of accelerated and often dramatic social and demographic change, artists and culture bearers play critical roles within our communities helping us understand and challenge pressing issues. Their visions, communicated through film, performance, text, spoken word and other forms can help communities achieve a sense of connectedness and common purpose.”

Image Credit: Matika Wilbur, Mary Evelyn Belgarde (Pueblo of Isleta and Ohkay Owingeh), 2014. Digital silver image, 16 x 20 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

About The Surdna Foundation
The Surdna Foundation seeks to foster sustainable communities in the United States — communities guided by principles of social justice and distinguished by healthy environments, strong local economies, and thriving cultures. For over five generations, the Foundation has been governed largely by descendants of John Andrus and has developed a tradition of innovative service for those in need of help or opportunity. The Foundation’s support arts and cultural projects through its Thriving Cultures grantmaking program which is based on a belief that communities with robust arts and culture are more cohesive and prosperous, and benefit from the diversity of their residents. Surdna believes that artists and cultural organizations can help us explore shared values and spark innovation, imagination and advancement for our communities.
Contact: George Soule, Director of Communications, Surdna Foundation
212.557.0010, gsoule@surdna.org, www.surdna.org

Artist Matika Wilbur:
e: m@matikawilbur.com
w: www.matikawilbur.com
w: www.project562.com

About Tacoma Art Museum
Celebrating 80 years, Tacoma Art Museum has become an anchor in the city’s downtown and a gathering space for connecting people through art. TAM’s collection contains more than 4,500 works, with an emphasis on the art and artists of the Northwest and broader American west. The collection includes the world’s largest retrospective museum collection of glass art by Tacoma native Dale Chihuly on continued view; the world’s largest collection of jewelry by Northwest artists; key holdings in 19th century European and 20th century American art; and one of the finest collections of Japanese woodblock prints on the West Coast. TAM recently welcomed a gift of 295 works of Western American art in the Haub Family Collection, one of the premier collections in the nation and the first major western American art museum collection in the Northwest.

HOURS – Tuesdays–Sundays 10 am–5 pm.
ADMISSION – Adult $14; Student (6-17), Military, Senior (65+) $12; Family $35 (2 adults and up to 4 children under 18).
Children 5 and under free. Third Thursdays free from 5–8 pm. Members always free.
CONTACT – 253-272-4258, http://www.TacomaArtMuseum.org

Tulalip Boom City opens for fireworks season

By Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

TULALIP- Fireworks stands and distributors have taken up temporary residence in the lot behind the Tulalip Resort Casino, which means that fireworks season is upon us and Boom City is officially open for business.

This season boasts 139 fireworks stands, 11 concession stands and 3 arts and crafts vendors. That is 12 more firework stands than last year.

Despite the recent debate on a firework ban in neighboring Marysville, stand owners expect a bountiful season. Many stand owners are fully stocked and ready to barter prices on the first day.

Photo/ Tulalip News, Brandi N. Montreuil

According to Washington state law it is illegal to discharge illegal fireworks, however, this does not include the reservation, which is subject to Tulalip and federal firework laws. This allows stand owners to sell fireworks prohibited by Washington state laws. To compensate buyers, Boom City provides a lighting area where fireworks banned off-reservation can be discharged in safety.

In Marysville residents are limited to discharging legal fireworks on July 4 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. only.

Josh Fryberg who co-owns the 'Josh-n-Rocks One Stop Shop with Rocky Harrison hasn't missed a season since he started as a youth. Photo/ Tulalip News, Brandi N. Montreuil — Josh Fryberg who co-owns the ‘Josh-n-Rocks One Stop Shop with Rocky Harrison hasn’t missed a season since he started as a youth.
Photo/ Tulalip News, Brandi N. Montreuil

Safety is top priority for the Boom City Committee which is responsible for the organization and compliance of stand owners. To ensure safety of stand owners and visitors, security personal are on-site throughout the selling season. Tulalip Police Department also maintains an active presence with K9 units and foot patrols to discourage illegal activity.

Boom City will close late evening on July 4. Hours of operation are 6 a.m. to midnight. The lighting area is open all hours of operation except when a memorial show or demo show is scheduled.

For more information please visit the Boom City Facebook Page.

Brandi N. Montreuil: 360-913-5402; bmontreuil@tulalipnews.com

Jared Parks co-owner of 'Crazy Deals vs High Times' plans to amp up his fireworks season by including technology to market his products. Photo/ Tulalip News, Brandi N. Montreuil — Jared Parks co-owner of ‘Crazy Deals vs High Times’ plans to amp up his fireworks season by including technology to market his products.
Photo/ Tulalip News, Brandi N. Montreuil

Lapwai edges Tulalip in Junior Nationals b-ball tourney

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

1st place boys team, NimiiPuu Elite (Lapwat, ID)Photo/Lonnie Enick — 1st place boys team, NimiiPuu Elite (Lapwat, ID)
Photo/Lonnie Enick

1st place girls team, Lapwai Wildcats (Lapwai, ID)Photo/Lonnie Enick — 1st place girls team, Lapwai Wildcats (Lapwai, ID)
Photo/Lonnie Enick

As part of the 2015 7^th Generation Mentoring program, Tulalip Tribes held the High School Junior Nationals Basketball Tournament over the weekend of May 16 and 17. The two-day tournament, featuring a boy’s bracket and girl’s bracket, brought out some of the best Native high school teams in the Northwest. The Lummi Blackhawks, Washington State Champions, the Lapwai Wildcates, Idaho State 2^nd place team, and Tulalip’s own Young Gunz team, featuring Robert Miles Jr. and Bryce Juneau, were expected to be the contenders battling it out for tournament champion. On the girl’s side, it was just a matter of time before Tulalip’s team featuring Adiya Jones and Faye Chartraw would be playing Idaha State Champions, the Lapwai Wildcats, in the finals.

It’s worth noting that there were several teams who came from out of state to participate in the basketball tournament. Besides the boys and girls teams from Lapwai, Idaha (of the Nez Pierce), there was also a boys team from Wyoming and a girls team from Nevada who traveled the long distance to represent for their tribe and state.

2nd place boys team,Young Gunz (Tulalip, WA)Photo/Lonnie Enick — 2nd place boys team,Young Gunz (Tulalip, WA)
Photo/Lonnie Enick

The boys Championship game featured the Tulalip Young Gunz vs. the Lapwai Wildcats. The Young Gunz got off to a terrible start and were unable to break the full-court press applied by the Wildcats. A little more than midway through the 1^st half the Young Gunz found themselves trailing 12-27, and at halftime they were down 19-30. In the 2^nd half, the Wildcats went out of their full-court defense and that allowed the Young Gunz to mount a bit of a comeback, getting with 6 points, 48-54 with 4:00 left to play. The Wildcats were just better at executing their offence and seemed to force turnovers at will, which ultimately won them the game and the tournament.

2nd place girls team,Tulalip Elite (Tulalip, WA)Photo/Lonnie Enick — 2nd place girls team,Tulalip Elite (Tulalip, WA)
Photo/Lonnie Enick

The girls Championship game also featured a Tulalip vs. Lapwai Wildcats matchup. The Tulalip team, coached by Charlotte Jones, did their best to keep up with the State Champions from Idaho, but the speed and tempo of the game favored the Lady Wildcats. In the end, the Lady Wildcats won the game, resulting in a Lapwai sweep of both the boys and girls brackets. Tulalip represented and took 2^nd place in both sides of the bracket.

Lonne Enick, tournament coordinator, said of the weekend’s basketball festivities, “Another successful tournament in Tulalip. Thank you to all the people for coming out and supporting their teams.”

BOYS Division:
1^st – NimiiPuu Elite (Lapwat, ID)
2^nd – Young Gunz (Tulalip, WA)
3^rd – Blackhawks (Lummi,WA)
GIRLS Division:
1^st – Lapwai Wildcats (Lapwai, ID)
2^nd – Tulalip Elite (Tulalip, WA)
3^rd – Nevada BallHogs

Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Local schools get increased support through New Dawn Security

By Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

TULALIP – A security operations management firm called New Dawn Security has partnered with Tulalip Police Department to assess risks and develop plans to mitigate risks. New Dawn who primarily works with school districts was approached last summer by Tulalip Police Chief Carlos Echevarria who saw a need for an increased risk assessment plan at the Tulalip/ Marysville School Campus, which includes the Quil Ceda & Tulalip Elementary, Heritage High School, 10^th Street Middle School and Arts & Technology High School.

“I met Sean Spellecy at a meeting hosted by the Marysville Police Department where he was presenting on New Dawn. We have all heard of the statistics across Indian country about violence and crime. So when we look at Indian country violence, and children exposed to violence and drugs, we see there is a need in our tribal communities for our children to be safe and that also includes the one place they spend the most time at. When Sean’s presentation included the 26 Safe School Standards developed by the Department of Justice, I was sold. I knew it was the right thing to do,” said Echevarria.

The set of school safety standards created by the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice can be embedded into day-to-day school operations to make schools as safe as possible. New Dawn has developed a system based off the 26 Safe School Standards to measure a school’s safety rating.

“The first thing we do is a prevention assessment. What is currently in place to be able to prevent all of the risks that you could potentially face. This also goes for medical emergencies all the way down to transportation accidents, all of it. Anything that interrupts education environment or harms kids,” said New Dawn Security creator Sean Spellecy, a retired school principal.

During the tenure of Spellecy’s education career, horrendous crimes committed against his students prompted him to develop a program to keep students and schools safe, later called New Dawn Security.

“Ten years ago schools didn’t have to worry about 90 percent of the stuff that they have to worry about today,” said Spellecy.

Evolving monthly plans are developed according to each school’s assessment risks. These plans include training for educators on medical emergency prevention, active shooter prevention protocols, sexual abuse and misconduct protocols, crisis response and increasing police patrols and hosting law enforcement days where students learn how law enforcement work to keep them safe. Assessment risk plans can also include implementing safer locks and alarm systems, assessing the safety of school grounds, like checking for blinds spots where students may gather, anti-bullying, and what to do in case of food allergies.

Spellecy contacted Marysville School District to discuss including all district schools in a service contract following the discussions with Chief Echevarria about schools located on the Tulalip Indian Reservation. The district declined services last August due to budget concerns.

Ray Houser Marysville School District Assistant Superintendent said, “At the point in the school year when New Dawn approached us, we had not set aside specific resources or have a budget line item reserved for their type of service. Graciously New Dawn offered to conduct some piloting of their services, which we thankfully accepted. Following the piloting of New Dawn’s services, we began researching, and continue to research, their service as well as a number of other organizations that provide such services.”

Despite the decline for services by the district, the proximity of the Tulalip/Marysville Campus schools to the reservation compelled Chief Echevarria to seek funding from the Tulalip Tribes Board of Directors to seal a contract for New Dawn services for the schools.

The contract is paid out of the police department’s annual budget. Chief Echevarria said, “I didn’t want the cost of the program to be a hindrance or a deterrent for us. Once I received the go-ahead, I was going to find the funding. It was that important and that much of a need then that I was willing to do that.”

Tulalip Police Department has signed a two-year contract with New Dawn Security. Evolving monthly plans will be developed based on assessment risk needs.

“Every single staff member at all four schools has been trained on the warning signs of a potentially violent individual and lockdown procedures protocols of the district. They had all been trained on alert, avoid, deny and defend prior to October 24,” said Spellecy.

“Having police in schools helps tremendously. Having cameras in schools helps but that only covers just one or two of the safe school standards that go out throughout the school. There is parent and student education, all this plays a part in keeping schools safe. Each of us shares a piece of this puzzle to make these schools as safe as possible. Times are changing. The role of principals to just focus on education is over, now they have to be experts in every field of safety. If I can alleviate some of that and look at school safety differently, as well as create immediate response plans on what occurs then I believe we are achieving our goals,” said Spellecy.

For more information on the New Dawn Security and the 26 Safe School Standards visit the website www.newdawnsecurity.com.

Brandi N. Montreuil: 360-913-5402; bmontreuil@tulalipnews.com

Women’s health spotlighted at health fair

Participants were able to ask questions from professionals and have health screens performed on Friday, May 8, 2015, at the Tulalip Karen I. Fryberg Health Clinic. Popular booths included an alternative medicine booth featuring essential oils, a kidney health booth and the diabetes booth. (Tulalip News/ Brandi N. Montreuil)

By Brandi N. Montreuil, Tulalip News

TULALIP – For the first time in three years women packed into the Tulalip Karen I. Fryberg Health Clinic to attend a health fair tailored specifically to their health needs. On Friday, May 8 the lobby at the clinic was transformed into a woman-only zone that featured over 20 informational booths on women’s health from A to Z.

Funded by the Tulalip Stop Smoking Program due to budget constraints, the fair highlighted the forgotten issues of women’s health, such as routine health check-ups, proper footwear and wearing a good supporting bra.

Health fair organizer Jennie Fryberg, said this year’s health fair was meant to draw attention to the things women tend to put off due to work or family responsibilities.

“The idea was to do something different and have booths that offered information on other forms of health care, such as essential oils and other alternative health care. There is no mammogram bus this year but we have a great booth that has information on breast and cervical health. We have The Bra Shop attending this year and they accept HMA health insurance so you can get a proper fitting and get a good supporting bra,” said Fryberg, whose mother Karen Fryberg started the tradition of health fairs at the clinic 30 years ago.

Deandra Grant, 15, attended the fair in the afternoon and said she learned how important health can be later in life. “I learned don’t do bad stuff to your body and brush your teeth. You have to take care of yourself. The kidney station was my favorite so far and the diabetes booth. The whole fair is informational for me.”

Held in conjunction with Mother’s Day, the clinic organized a special makeover for three ladies chosen by staff following in the tradition of previous health fairs that provided makeovers to cancer patients.

“This year I knew I needed to do something special for three particular women in our community. The Clinic didn’t have funds for the fair so I knew the makeovers would have to be funded in a different way. The Stop Smoking Program kindly donated the funds for the fair and we did fundraising for the makeovers,” Fryberg said.

Health fair makeover recipients Lavinia Philips, Lahneen Fryberg and Nessie Hatch enjoyed a mini shopping spree, manicure and hair styling on Friday, May 8, 2015, as part of the Tulalip Karen I. Fryberg Health Clinic's Women's Health Fair. All three said the makeover was a great surprise. "We didn't expect it and it was great that the three of us could spend a happy time together," said Fryberg. Echoing her sentiments Hatch commented, "A lot of times as moms, we don't take care of ourselves because we put out kids first, so this was great and reminds us that we need to take time for ourselves." (Tulalip News/ Brandi N. Montreuil) — Health fair makeover recipients Lavinia Philips, Lahneen Fryberg and Nessie Hatch enjoyed a mini shopping spree, manicure and hair styling on Friday, May 8, 2015, as part of the Tulalip Karen I. Fryberg Health Clinic’s Women’s Health Fair. All three said the makeover was a great surprise. “We didn’t expect it and it was great that the three of us could spend a happy time together,” said Fryberg. Echoing her sentiments Hatch commented, “A lot of times as moms, we don’t take care of ourselves because we put out kids first, so this was great and reminds us that we need to take time for ourselves.” (Tulalip News/ Brandi N. Montreuil)

Chosen were Lahneen Fryberg, Lavinia Phillips and Nessie Hatch, all mothers of victims from the October 24 shooting at Marysville-Pilchuck High School.

“I wanted them to have something special before Mother’s Day and show how proud we are as a community of their strength and that we are here to support them,” continued Fryberg.

For more information on women’s health check out the website www.healthywomen.org, or make an appointment to see a physician at the Karen I. Fryberg Health Clinic by calling 360-716-4511.

Brandi N. Montreuil: 360-913-5402; bmontreuil@tulalipnews.com

NEW Exhibit: Roots of Wisdom opens at the Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve

Mytyl Hernandez, Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve

Tulalip, Washington – Overcoming environmental and cultural challenges can make for unexpected partnerships that result in extraordinary outcomes. At Roots of Wisdom, the Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve’s latest exhibit opening to the general public May 16th from 12:00–5:00 p.m., the knowledge of native peoples and cutting-edge Western science are explored, providing insight into how we can improve our relationship with the natural world.

Roots of Wisdom features stories from four indigenous communities, giving visitors real life examples of how traditional knowledge and Western science, together, provide complementary solutions to ecological and health challenges facing us today. Through the voices of elder and youth, engaging video interactives and hands-on games, visitors will gather resources, examine data, and take part in the growing movement towards sustainability and the reclamation of age-old practices.

“We are so pleased to have had the opportunity to develop an exhibit through a collaborative process which is a new experience for us. We are so excited that we get to be its hosts”, says Tessa Campbell Senior Curator. “Roots of Wisdom allow our guests an inside look into Tribal communities throughout the country and see how they are managing and preserving their natural and cultural resources”.

Traditional Knowledge/Western Science

Visitors are invited to explore the unique relationship between Western science and native ecological knowledge. From everyday items like duck decoys to surfboards, popcorn to chocolate, guests will learn how native knowledge impacts our daily lives, and recognize the great contributions that indigenous peoples have provided over centuries.

Re-establishing a Native Plant (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)

The river cane plays a prominent role both in revitalizing cultural practices and restoring ecosystems. Guest will learn how this hardy plant affects water quality and how Cherokee elders are teaching new generations about the traditional craft of basket weaving. Visitors are invited to experiment with river environments and even try their hand at basket weavings.

Restoring Fish Ponds (Hawaii)

Guests are given a chance to act as a caretaker of a fish pond or join a droplet of water on an incredible journey down a Hawaiian mountainside in these popular hands-on interactives. Visitors learn how native ecosystems have been disrupted and what is being done to restore these innovative forms of aquaculture, which could be a critical component to food sustainability for the people of Hawaii.

Rediscovering Traditional Foods (Tulalip Tribes)

Through a clever computer interactive, hands-on activities, and recorded stories, guests learn how Tulalip Tribes are striving to find a balance in their need for natural resources against the loss of land rights and environmental degradation. Visitors learn about traditional practices of wild harvesting and gardening. They will discover through Western science how these techniques are beneficial to human health.

Saving Streams and Wildlife (Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation)

Seen as a pest in some areas of the country, the lamprey is an eel-like fish that is important both ecologically and as a food source to many indigenous people. In this fun interactive, visitors can pick up a replica lamprey as would a scientist. Visitors learn about the traditional stewardship of the lamprey and how the fish is a critical component of the ecosystem that the Umatilla Tribes depend on. Find out how traditional ecological knowledge and Western science are being applied to bring this amazing little fish back from the brink of extinction.

Roots of Wisdom opens Saturday May 16, 2015 at 12:00 PM and closes September 13, 2015.

The Hibulb Cultural Center is open Tuesday through Friday 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Saturday and Sunday 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM, closed on Mondays. Pricing: Adults $10, Seniors (50yr+) $7, Students $6, Veterans & Military $6, Children (under 5) FREE. “Family Pass” (2 adults, 4 children) $25. Visit www.hibulbculturalcenter.org for more information about the museum.

Funded by the National Science Foundation, Roots of Wisdom is specially designed for visitors ages 11-14. The exhibition was developed by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), the Indigenous Education Institute (IEI), the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Tulalip Tribes, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Waikalua Loko Fishpond Preservation Society in Hawaii, and was made possible through funds from the National Science Foundation.

About the Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve

The Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve is dedicated to those who have gone home before us and those who remain to keep the cultural fires burning. The Hibulb Cultural Center features a fully certified collections and archaeological repository. The Center features a main gallery, a temporary exhibit, two classrooms, a research library, an interactive longhouse and a gift shop featuring Coast Salish and hand made products.

Directions: From I-5 take exit 199 Marine Drive NE in Marysville. Go west approximately 0.5 miles, then turn left on 23^rd Avenue NE.