“The main purpose of this barbeque is to get out in the community and introduce ourselves to the community members and try to connect with them. We need to establish friendly communication on a positive note, not just in their time of need,” said Tulalip Tribes Chief of Police, Rance Sutton.
The Tulalip Police Department gathered on September 5th at the housing community known around the reservation as the church site, for the second in a series of barbecues that welcome the community to meet with police officers and voice their concerns.
“The only way we are going be effective in resolving crime is if we connect with the community and work together, that way we have more eyes and ears listening and observing for criminal activity,” said Rance.
The Tulalip community is dealing with ongoing issues such as underage drinking, illegal drug use, and speeding vehicles.
One of the concerns that the police department is looking into is child safety. Residents would like to see more playgrounds installed to keep children off the streets and stay active. They even suggested hosting a bake sale to raise funds.
Residents also agree that they as a community should look out for each other.
“We need to get the community more involved and be more responsible. We need to watch what is going on; it is our responsibility too,” said resident Terra Perrin.
“We are continuing investigations and we are trying to attack the drug problem from several different angles. One is direct drug investigations, second is when our patrol officer stop cars, they are alert for drug paraphernalia that can lead to a drug arrest, and third, through property crimes. We have had success,” said Rance.
For more information, contact the Tulalip Police Department at 360-716-4800
The Horseless Carriage Club of America members paid a visit to the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center on September 13th. They are currently on a five day annual club tour, driving around Western Washington.
Tulalip Boys and Girls Club kids have a blast shooting hoops with the Seattle University mens and womens basketball team who paid the club a visit on September 13th.
The Orca Ballroom at the Tulalip Resort Casino was filled with the sounds of music from the 50’s and 60’s, setting the tone to twist the night away and kick off the annual Wellbriety Rocks celebration on September 7th.
The evening was about celebrating sobriety, as family and friends listened to the success stories of boot camp and talking circle graduates.
“I went through boot camp in January, 2011; I was addicted to heroine and meth. I got one year and ninety three days, today, clean and sober,” said Tribal member Cyrina Williams. “If I can do it, I think anybody else who wants help can do it.”
“The healing [talking] circle, if they didn’t have that, I wouldn’t be here as far as I am now,” said Toniena Adams, Tribal member. Toniena says that the talking circle has also helped her granddaughter to realize her abilities through recovery.
Also on the evening’s agenda, Tulalip Behavioral Health introduced the new Aftercare Wraparound Recovery Extension Program (AWARE) program, while also bidding farewell to the Alternative Resource Management (ARM) boot camp program.
AWARE is replacing the ARM program, and offers after care services to help tribal members and their families maintain a healthy and drug-free life.
“The AWARE program is an extension of services for after care, so that we can begin to help our people learn how to live sober and clean; learn how to have fun and laugh and start connecting with each other so they are not alone,” said Helen Gobin-Henson, Aware Program Manager.
“We are going to do a new workshop called the ‘Real Workshop’ that will continue to teach our people about recovery tools, enabling, co-dependency, hard facts of drugs and alcohol, and how it’s killing our people,” continued Helen.
The evening was packed with exciting events that included hula hoop, twist dance, karaoke, and bubble gum blowing contests, along with a comedian and guest speakers. Tulalip Tribes General Manager, Sheryl Fryberg, won first place with her cool dance moves in the twist contest, and tribal member Pauline Jones placed first in the hula hoop contest. Cool prizes were given away throughout the event.
For more information on the AWARE Program or the Talking Circle, contact program manager Helen Gobin-Henson at 360-716-4022.
John LaPointe speaks on the importance of the Lushootseed language
Article and photo by Jeannie Briones
John LaPointe, a Swinomish Tribal member, held a discussion at the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center on the Lushootseed language and how it is a crucial part of Native American heritage. The Coast Salish Lushootseed language is a link to the past, where stories are lived and retold from generations to generations, keeping Native American history and culture alive.
John, a graduate in Theology from the University of Washington, has spent a tremendous amount of time researching the Lushootseed language and understanding key words.
“Through this research, I have gained a profound understanding for this language,” said John.
The arrival of missionaries in 1838 to the Pacific Northwest introduced the Coast Salish people to the English language, and in turn the missionaries learned to speak Lushootseed. The missionaries also told stories of their culture and beliefs, stories the Native Americans found to be similar to their own culture and beliefs.
“I honestly believe the native people understood [these stories] better than some of the missionaries. They understood these stories ultimately aligned with who they are, that you love and care for each other no matter how hard or difficult times were,” said John.
John’s ancestor lived in a time when they took care of their people first before their own needs.
“In our culture today, with “pity,” there is an underlying implication of inferiority. ‘I am a little better than you, you pitiful thing.’ When they used the word, usebabtxw, even though it works in English it doesn’t work in a cultural context,” said John. “How would usebabtxw translate? Someone who is unfortunate and who needs our prayers is what usebabtxw means, they are not pitiful or below you, they are suffering through a hardship and they are in pain and need our prayers. It’s an extraordinary word.”
According to John, our Native American ancestors lived in a world with no political structure or authority, they cared for the poor and everyone was treated with respect.
“In their minds, the way they grew up, they had no concept of prejudice, they didn’t have categories,” John continued. “You lived in a society where nobody was homeless and hungry; why do you need government, why do you need police? We lived in a mad world; we lived in a world that was so crazy that we made sure everyone was taken care of.”
Our ancestors shared their food and resources; everyone helped each other and shared knowledge and wisdom. John described a Poltlatch ceremony.
“Potlatch was not a way to boast and brag how wealthy you were, it was a public demonstration of how you cared for the poor. We cared for usebabtxw, we gathered and we invited everybody,” said John.
By the early 1900’s, Native Americans were in the midst of the boarding school experience where they were forbidden to speak their language. Native Americans were forced to live on reservations and were stricken with poverty, but they found ways to benefit from the boarding schools.
“Learn everything you can and help your people because the old world is gone. It is a white man’s world now, you will never gain if don’t know the rules,” said John. “Our elders could see the wisdom in their teachings from another culture far away.”
In the mid 50’s, the decline of the Lushootseed language was evident. People who still spoke the language felt isolated in a changing world, and they were witnessing, the loss of their language and culture.
“Everything they [Native Americans] knew and lived for was disappearing, and they felt that when they died there would be no more Indians,” said John.
According to John there are recordings of the Lushstoodseed language that have been translated into English, restoring history and culture for future generations to hear and learn.
John was invited to the Hibulb Cultural Center as part of the lecture series on August 23rd. The next lecture series, on September 13th, features John McCoy; he will be discussing his life’s work. For more information and a schedule of upcoming events, visit their website at www.hibulbculturalcenter.org.
In the 2012 Heritage Hawks football opener, a home game played at Quil Ceda Stadium on the Maysville/Pilchuck High School campus, the Tulalip Heritage Hawks hit the field looking strong and determined. The weather was still quite warm for the 5pm kick-off on Saturday, September 8th and both teams looked fired-up and eager to play. The Heritage Hawks scored first, within the first minute of play, and never looked back. By Halftime the Rainier Christian Mustangs managed to put only 6 points on the scoreboard against the 20 points earned by Tulalip Heritage.
After the half the Hawks dominated the Mustangs and won the contest with a final score of 60 to 14. D.J. Kidd, twelfth grade tailback for the Hawks, ran for 135 yards and scored three of the touchdowns for the team. The Hawks scored twelve points in the first quarter, eight points in the second, twenty for the third and another twenty for the fourth quarter. Let it be noted that the Heritage coaches didn’t intentionally run up the score. Heritage just dominated Rainier Christian, and short of stopping and waiting to be tackled, the scoring came as part of normal play. It’s a nice start to their football season; let’s hope they keep their momentum going.
You can watch the Heritage Hawks game on-demand at www.kanutv.com. Click on “Sports” at the top right of your computer screen and navigate to Heritage Hawks Boys FOOTBALL vs. Rainier Christian Mustangs 9-8-12.
Stop by the Hibulb Cultural Center on the first Thursday of every month and receive free admission.
Article by Sarah Miller
The first Thursday of every month, the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center has free admission for anyone interested in soaking up some cultural knowledge. If you’ve never been to the cultural center before, this is a perfect time for anyone to stop on by and check out some of the exhibits.
Walking through the hallways of Hibulb, you’ll find display cases full of historic artifacts and you’ll get to see a few old canoes as well. Remember, no touching!
Other exhibits include Warriors: We Remember. This temporary exhibit offers a look into the warriors of Tulalip who served in the armed forces, and the positive and negative experiences that tribal members endured.
Another fun and educational exhibit is the Longhouse room. Built to replicate Tulalip longhouses, this room even has a faux fire pit where you can relax and listen to recordings of past stories.
The Hibulb Cultural Center is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On Saturdays and Sundays, they are open from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information on events, you can call 360-716-2600 or you can visit the website at http://www.hibulbculturalcenter.org/.
If you are thirsty for more cultural activities, there is the First Thursday Seattle Art Walk in Pioneer Square. Considered the center of Seattle’s art scene, this event began in 1981 when art dealers would print handout maps, do small scale promotions, and on the first Thursday of every month, they would paint their footprints on the sidewalk.
This event lasts from noon until 8:00 p.m. There are many pieces of art to immerse yourself in like totem poles and bright red sentinels. For more information on this, you can visit the website at http://www.firstthursdayseattle.com.
