The Tulalip Tribes Family Services Women’s Healing Circle –Relapse Prevention Treatment Group, is a cultural based approach to supporting Native women in their efforts to address relapse prevention within the context of community, family and individual. The Women’s Healing Circle meets twice a week (10:00 am-12 noon) Tuesdays/Thursdays for 6 weeks at TFS. We include Native perspective, worldview and culture specific exercises and activities which build on strengths, and supports a holistic approach for wellness and health. Our Women’s Healing Circle group is designed to incorporate traditional universal Native values and beliefs for enhancing identity and fostering healthy relationships. You must be enrolled in TFS chemical dependency treatment program for participation in Women’s Healing Circle group. Please contact TFS for more information at 360-716-4400
From a research boat on Oct. 12, Tulalip Tribes treaty rights commissioner Terry Williams points out a steep hillside near Mission Beach that has been gradually eroding for years. (Ian Terry / The Herald)
TULALIP — From the deck of a 30-foot research boat owned by the Tulalip Tribes, Terry Williams pointed out the remnants of a bulkhead along Mission Beach where not long ago there was a string of beach houses.
In 2013, the leases on the tribal property weren’t renewed and the homes were removed. The main concern was erosion of the beach and the bluffs overhead damaging the fragile marine environment below.
Williams, who is the Tulalips’ treaty rights commissioner, said increased rainfall and stronger windstorms would saturate the sandy bluffs and cause them to slide down onto the houses below.
“It gets to the consistency of a milkshake and tends to fall,” Williams said.
On a bright fall day, several parts of the bluff showed clear evidence of slides. Houses were visible above.
Coastal landslides tend to silt up the nearshore environment, which is considered a critical piece of the salmon ecosystem.
“Those areas are really important for forage fish for threatened and endangered salmon,” said Joshua Meidav, the Tulalip Tribes’ conservation science program manager.
The beaches were created and rejuvenated over millennia by the gradual erosion of the bluffs. Development along the shore, including bulkheads, docks and clifftop homes, interrupted that natural process.
Now when the bluff slides, it tends to come down all at once, Williams said.
“The reality is that this is all changing,” he said.
An issue of rights
Climate change is a concern to Williams and the Tulalips in ways that go well beyond the usual worries about flooding and slides. It’s an issue of treaty rights.
While treaty rights are most commonly understood in the context of dividing the salmon harvest, their reach extends beyond the fishing grounds to tribal relationships with local, state and federal governments, said Ray Fryberg Sr., the Tulalips’ Executive Director of Natural Resources.
Most commonly that manifests in cooperative work with federal, state and local governments, and even private landowners, on many kinds of projects designed to restore salmon habitat.
On other occasions, the tribes have sought redress in the federal courts when they felt government wasn’t living up to its obligations.
“We’re like the last vanguard,” Fryberg said. “They have policies and procedures but there’s no enforcement.”
Most recently, that manifested in the “culverts case.”
In 2001, 21 tribes argued successfully that Washington state violated their treaty rights because culverts that carried streams under roads harmed salmon runs.
It was a significant advancement of treaty rights into the realm of habitat restoration.
“The culvert case is the case that says there has to be a restoration so that ongoing harm doesn’t continue,” said Robert Anderson, a law professor and the director of the Native American Law Center at the University of Washington.
In this case, the state of Washington was found to have damaged habitat for salmon, and was ordered to make repairs.
Habitat protection and restoration were key elements in the second phase of a landmark decision by U.S. District Court Judge George Boldt.
In 1974, the first phase of the Boldt decision provided the basis for the co-management system, in which tribal and non-tribal fishermen divide the salmon harvest each year. The second phase, decided in 1984, focused on the habitat for the salmon.
“Phase II said that there’s not going to be a treaty resource of the salmon unless the environment is protected,” Fryberg said. “We get a certain amount of say-so in that.”
The part of the Phase II Boldt decision that obligated the federal government to restore habitat was overturned on appeal. However, the federal appeals court still said that the state of Washington and the tribes needed to take steps to protect and enhance the fisheries.
What those steps should be was left unstated.
“It’s difficult to argue that the federal government has an obligation to restore the ecosystem to, say, pre-treaty conditions, or treaty-time conditions,” Anderson said.
Some of the damage to habitat had already been done by that time, he said. Also, it’s a lot harder to assess the damage done by small changes, such as a single tide gate on private land, compared with the cumulative effects of the state’s culvert construction.
Momentum for restoration work can be created, however, when treaty rights are considered in tandem with the Endangered Species Act’s listing of various populations of salmon and steelhead.
“I think there’s a strong argument with the federal government to take steps to restore habitat,” Anderson said. “Maybe not a legal argument, but a treaty trust obligation to do it, and that they should do it.”
A seat at the table
In practical terms, that means that the tribes have been aggressive in forming partnerships to pursue environmental projects.
Tribes also have broad leeway to take on projects of their own that help restore habitat, or at least halt the progress of degradation.
It’s not a blanket authority to do anything anywhere, but it means tribes have a seat at the table whenever a treaty trust resource is affected.
As a coordinating body among the 20 treaty tribes of Western Washington, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission has a role supporting restoration programs to have a greater impact.
A lot of the commission’s work focuses on the marine nearshore environment, said Fran Wilshusen, the NWIFC’s habitat services director. That also means studying how the marine environment interacts with estuaries, river systems and the upland watersheds.
“We’re trying to pull the lens back and look at how the whole system is connected,” Wilshusen said.
That includes small projects, such as the Tulalips’ 2013 pilot study to release beavers in the western Cascades, where their activity of building dams is expected to help return the upper reaches of streams to their natural state, which happens to be better spawning territory for salmon.
The ongoing Nearshore Restoration Project focuses on restoring beaches and marine environments damaged by beach erosion. It’s a Snohomish County project, and local tribes have a place at the table, serving on the boards of several organizations that provided money for the project, including the county’s Marine Resource Committee and the Northwest Straits Commission.
One project under way is an agreement between the Tulalip Tribes and the U.S. Forest Service to maintain a 1,280-acre tract in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest as a source of wild huckleberries.
There aren’t that many places left in the mountains that are accessible by road that still provide habitat for the berries, which are important to tribal culture, said Libby Halpin Nelson, a senior environmental policy analyst with the Tulalips.
“They are healthy and they are a traditional food that is always looked for in ceremonies,” Nelson said.
The project includes removing small conifers that could “shade-out” the berries. In essence, the tribe is mimicking the effect forest fires used to have before fire suppression became standard response, she said.
Rights at risk
For all the work that’s been done to protect and restore salmon habitat, the fish runs continue to decline.
In spring, projections of low numbers of returning salmon, especially coho, led to a breakdown of negotiations between the tribes and the state. Tempers flared and fishermen protested when tribes were given permission to catch a small number of spring Chinook while the non-native sportsmen had to wait.
The challenges looming on the horizon are even more formidable.
A poster on Fryberg’s office wall has a picture of the late Nisqually leader Billy Frank Jr. and his warning to all Native American tribes: “As the salmon disappear, so do our tribal cultures and treaty rights. We are at a crossroads, and we are running out of time.”
With each new study, it becomes clearer that changes are elapsing at an increasing speed.
“Ten, 15 years ago, what we said would happen in 50 years is already happening,” Fryberg said.
“Collectively, we have to be making some effort,” Fryberg said. “We have a responsibility to the future to try and do something.”
The quote from Billy Frank was from an essay he wrote in 2012, and it’s the next sentence that points to what needs to be done: “That’s why we are asking the federal government to come to align its agencies and programs, and lead a more coordinated recovery effort.”
Williams’ entire career has been focused on building bridges between tribal, state and federal governments.
Shortly after the Boldt decision, he was involved in setting up the co-management regime in the state, and then negotiating the Pacific Salmon Treaty with Canada and its First Nations, backed by research developed by Tulalip staff scientists.
In the 1990s he was tapped to open the Indian Office in the Environmental Protection Agency. But many efforts to restore salmon runs were coming up short.
“We were putting tremendous amount of money into restoration and we were losing ground,” Williams said.
He realized that many federal and state agencies operated in their own silos, and often they might set regulations that aren’t in line with each other or broader goals.
“It’s the authority of each individual agency, federal, state or local, that gives them the ability to create rules and standards,” Williams said. “Eleven agencies have independent programs and authorities in Puget Sound. Most are not geared toward Puget Sound recovery goals.”
While a court has allowed some of that work to start up again, the government’s order came with an announcement that the federal government would consult with tribes on major infrastructure projects in the future.
The consultation process already existed since President Obama created a cabinet-level position to coordinate government-tribal relations, Anderson said.
“Here the Obama Administration seems to be signaling that, ‘Hey, maybe we ought to be doing more,’” he said.
That may lead simply to more federal agencies talking to each other and more often with tribal governments, which is still a step forward.
From the Tulalip research boat, Williams pointed out a section of Hermosa Point where he’s lived since the 1970s. Here too, the bluffs have slid, and some of the houses are perched on the edge, hanging over the lip.
“When I bought my house we were looking at getting closer to the bluff, but decided that wasn’t a good idea,” he said.
If stronger regulations are enacted, it would prevent some houses from being built, and that would translate into lower insurance costs for government. That would also help protect fragile ecosystems.
“The more we can understand it, the better we can prepare,” Williams said.
“What we’re seeing in climate impacts right now is just the beginning.”
An eroding hillside near Hermosa Point on the Tulalip Reservation. (Ian Terry / The Herald)
Evidence of a recent slide along a hillside near Arcadia Road on the Tulalip Reservation on Oct. 12. (Ian Terry / The Herald)
Fishermen in Tulalip Bay with the Olympic Mountains looming in the background. (Ian Terry / The Herald)
This past August the second annual Tulalip Mountain Camp kicked off. This year seven Tulalip tribal members participated in this one-of-a-kind adventure. Three camp leaders guided the middle students on a five-day, four-night outdoor experience. After their backpacks were filled and ready to go, their first stop on the journey was at the Hibulb Cultural Center for a special opportunity. Phil Solomon along with Inez Bill, Virgina Jones, and Joy Lacy all came together to teach the youth how to make a cedar bark basket for berry picking.
“Basket making isn’t so that these young people get to have a basket or learn to make a basket. This basket process is a means to incorporate their cultural connection into this experience. We have so many young people who are struggling with their cultural connection. This is an important part of the week to remind them that this is something their people would have known how to do. This is a basket they can carry with them if it is meant for them. This is one of the things their people would have brought with them if they were doing a trip similar to this hundreds of years ago,” stated Inez. Every student finished their basket and carried it to their journey.
The campers then took a long ride out to the Skykomish watershed area. This is where the backpacking portion of the camp would begin. Inez also traveled to the trailhead to instill in the youth the importance of their experience and how special communicating with nature is. The participants tackled the hike with a great attitude. Travelling almost 800ft up in elevation, over nearly two miles with filled backpacks containing supplies they would need over the two night stay, was no small feat but they finished the hike together in good spirits. The time spent hiking in this area was educational. The campers learned to live in the backcountry, how to step lightly to not make an impact on the wilderness.
The group made their way up to swədaʔx̌ali, or Mt. Huckleberry, where the youth would continue their cultural connections.
On their first night camping the future of Tulalip, led by Michelle Myles of the Tulalip Language Program, told stories over campfire. They also learned the important history of the Lushootseed language. Once the sun went down and it was dark enough, the campers witnessed a meteor shower with giant meteor trails in a sky full of stars. Many participants had never seen so many stars or meteors so spectacular.
The second day was full of events. The campers started the day by becoming the first to help with the huckleberry restoration the tribe is implementing at swədaʔx̌ali. The group worked hard and finished their tasks before the day became too hot.
Patti Gobin and Daryl Williams spoke to the participants about their culture, the mountains, and the importance of the work they did at camp. Joe Neil, from the National Forest Service, joined the group to provide insight on the co-management the Forest Service has with the tribe of the swədaʔx̌ali area. The long day of hard work and learning concluded with a plant scavenger hunt.
The trip ended where it began at the Hibulb Cultural Center, with a final ceremony involving families of the participants. Tulalip Mountain Camp 2016 was another great accomplishment for the participants as well as the staff involved.
By Josh Fryberg, Tulalip Youth Services Activities Coordinator
On Friday, October 14, Tulalip Youth Services and the Youth Cessation program had a youth gathering with guest speakers Chance Rush, Theresa Sheldon, Summer Hatch and Youth services staff. The topic of discussion was healthy relationships and setting and achieving goals. Over 115 youth/ teens showed up. It was an amazing turnout with great food and drinks for all of the youth and guest speakers that attended. At the end of the gathering singers and drummers sang a song for everyone that was there, followed by a surprise happy birthday song for Clara Foster. Everyone loved it especially Clara. The goal was to bring all of the youth to the stalker farms haunted corn maze. However, the weather prevented everyone from attending that night so we opened the gym for community basketball and had Friday night lights flag football games on the Alpheus Gunny Jones Sr. fields. Afterwards, we provided rides home for all those who needed it.
The Don Penoke Hatch Youth center is open six days a week for the youth and community. The hours are as follows:
Monday-Thursday: 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Saturday: 6:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m.
Van rides are provided for youth members
Monday-Thursday: 7:00 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 9:00 p.m.
Daily programs available:
Computer lab
Arts and crafts room
Gym
Weight room
Games room
Debra Barto memorial skate park
Alpheus Gunny Jones Sr. ball fields
Culture programs
Food and drinks are provided daily after school all youth that attend. Must have a membership form and parent permission slip completed. The Youth Services team is working hard to keep everyone busy with programs and activities for you.
Let’s continue to bring our Youth, Community and Tribes together in a good way.
We want to thank all of the past and present leadership for providing all that you do for our youth and community. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to give me a call or send me an email thank you. Also, feel free to contact Executive Director of Youth Services, Teri Nelson, with any questions or concerns as well.
The Tulalip Heritage Hawks volleyball program’s scorching hot (5-0) start seems like a distant memory after losing four of their past five matches. Their latest loss came at home when they hosted the (4-5) Arlington Christian Knights on Wednesday, October 12.
Game 1 was a lackluster effort from the Lady Hawks. They went through the motions of playing, but the effort wasn’t there and they dropped the opening game 16-25. During intermission, they tried to talk strategy and came to the conclusion they just weren’t pumped up to play. During game 2, the home team fell behind 3-9 before putting together a few rallies and got the score to 14-15. The crowd got into it and the Lady Hawks looked to be getting their groove back. The Lady Hawks played as a team with energy and grinded out a 27-25 win.
Their momentum continued in the 3rd game, as they took a 9-3 lead and extended it to a 20-14 lead before the Knights called a time-out. Following the timeout the Knights took momentum back and left the home team reeling. After being up 20-14, the Lady Hawks were unable to close out the game and lost 23-25. They were unable to muster a comeback and dropped game 4, resulting in a 1 game to 3 match defeat.
With the loss the Lady Hawks are now (6-4) and find themselves in 3rd place in NW 1B standings. They have work to do and it will start in practice to rebuild their team chemistry. The next two games are against the winless Skykomish and Lummi Nation teams. Hopefully the girls can right the ship, get those Ws, and figure out how to sustain their energy for a full match in order to clinch a spot in the postseason tournament.
Photos courtesy of Libby Nelson, Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
Back in May, the Tulalip Tribes and the U.S. Forest Service signed a 10-year co-stewardship plan for swədaʔx̌ali. For those who may not remember, σωəδαʔξ̌αλι or “Place of Mountain Huckleberries” is a 1,280-acre parcel in Tulalip ancestral lands in the upper Skykomish watershed. This particular location is one of several co-stewardship areas throughout the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest where the Tribes are collaborating with the Forest Service to preserve and maintain important cultural resources. The Huckleberry Enhancement Project is the latest initiative to come about as a result.
The Huckleberry Enhancement Project aims to restore and enhance the swədaʔx̌ali area, allowing Tulalip tribal members to continue exercising their treaty rights. This area is one example of how the Tulalip Tribes is working to reclaim traditional areas. The co-stewardship with the National Forest Service stems directly from the Point Elliot Treaty, which secured claims to gathering roots and berries in all open and unclaimed land.
“The huckleberry co-stewardship work is one of the ways we are partnering with the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest to help sustain huckleberries on the forest, and ensure that tribal members will continue to have the opportunity to gather important resources and practice traditions central to their culture,” says Libby Nelson, Project Coordinator and Tulalip Environmental Policy Analyst. “Treaty rights encompass more than an opportunity to pick berries, hunt game or harvest fish. Having a meaningful role on the ground, in the stewardship of these resources, helps reconnect tribal peoples to these lands and the teachings of their ancestors.”
Indeed, reconnecting tribal peoples to these lands is a significant point of emphasis. That is why the work in our 10-year co-management plan was initiated this past August by the Tulalip youth who participated in Mt. Camp 2016. The energetic youth worked under the diligent supervision of Tulalip Forestry staff to remove conifers that diminish opportunities to gather huckleberries.
Since the youth kicked off the project, our Forestry Division staff worked two very long weeks in the mountains reducing the stocking of trees in the area. By reducing trees stocks, the huckleberry plants are able to prosper in areas they would have otherwise been shaded-out and killed. During the two-week window of intensive work, Forestry received welcomed help from different Natural Resource Department divisions who stepped up and spent a day or two in the field helping out.
“Now that the first year’s huckleberry field enhancement efforts are completed it’s very satisfying to know that all the years of planning and a couple weeks of hard labor will enable current and future generations to enjoy harvesting huckleberries in this beautiful setting for many years to come,” state Tulalip Forestry staff members Nick Johnson and Ross Fenton in a joint statement. “We’ve been able to participate in a collaborative effort to successfully mimic conditions historically managed by Native Americans and nature. By using methods to preserve the productive capacity of this area, it will continue to produce important food and medicine for the Tribes.”
Northwest huckleberries are generally picked in the late summer/early fall seasons, and grow in the damp areas of mountains. The huckleberry, known for boosting the immune system, has always had a strong relationship to the indigenous peoples of the northwest. Coastal Native American ancestors considered the huckleberry to be of the utmost importance because of the medicine the plant contains.
“Huckleberry is a food and medicine to our people. Our ancestors visited certain areas for gathering these berries. They knew where the berries were growing, and what companion plants were growing there too and how to use them,” says Inez Bill, Rediscovery Program Coordinator. “Through the teachings of how we value, take care of and utilize our environment, we pass down our history and traditions, and what is important to the cultural lifeway’s of our people. This connection to the land enables us to know who we are as a people. It is a remembrance. Today, it is not only important that we continue the struggle to uphold our treaty rights, but we need to be involved in taking care of those resources our culture depends on so that they will be available for our future generations.”
The swədaʔx̌ali area, while co-managed by Tulalip and the U.S. Forest Service, remains open to public access as part of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Forest. The Forest Service has worked with Tulalip through our MOA to ensure treaty access beyond a locked gate so that elders and other tribal members can more easily get to the berry patch during picking season. This access has been managed by our Forestry Division on behalf of the tribal membership.
There is a serious need to bring awareness while sharing the significance of swədaʔx̌ali to the Tulalip citizenry. These places of co-stewardship are open to all of Tulalip, but there aren’t many who know how to access them, or that they even have these resources available to them. As Inez reiterates, “This work at swədaʔx̌ali is an expression of Tulalip’s sovereignty regarding our foods, and our commitment to support the dietary needs and the life ways of our people.”
For those who would like to know more about this area, please contact Tulalip Treaty Rights Office at 360-716-4639 or Tulalip Forestry at 360-716-4370.
Unity Month, held in October, was designed by the Marysville School District and the Tulalip Tribes to unite the youth of the community to heal together and raise awareness to topics such as domestic violence, substance abuse, and suicide. During Unity Month many events are held such as Friday Night Lights, a fieldtrip to the corn maze, and perhaps most importantly the Young Active Native Americans (YANA) Conference hosted by Tulalip Youth Council.
Focusing on healing and love, the October 18 conference included raffles, activities, and one insanely fun icebreaker where the youth played an adaptation of musical chairs. Instead of chairs, they were assigned a random partner, and instead of sitting they had to find each other amongst the crowd within five seconds and touch each other (example: elbow to elbow or knee to forehead).
Native American activists Chad Charlie, Calina Lawrence, LoVina Louie, Mylo Smith, and Deborah Parker were in attendance to teach workshops and talk to the youth about leadership, self-care, suicide prevention, healthy relationships, and growing up on the reservation.
Tulalip tribal member Deborah Parker spoke to the youth about domestic violence, sexual abuse and how to have thriving healthy relationships as a survivor.
Tulalip tribal member Deborah Parker spoke to the youth about domestic violence and sexual abuse.
She states, “When you’re young, having good positive self-esteem is difficult especially if you’re a survivor of sexual abuse. I think in this generation we’re finally now openly talking about both sexual abuse and domestic violence. We’re now talking about the importance of having a healthy relationship not only with yourself but with others as well.”
Deborah continued by informing the youth of the recent findings of sexual abuse in Native America. She stated that this past April, research showed that 87% of young female Natives were abused and 83% of young male Natives were abused. She urged the kids to be aware because the abusers are usually people they know.
“I’m no longer ashamed to say I’m a victim of child sexual assault. I was embarrassed until I was 24 years old. Not often are the perpetrators unknown to us. Sometimes it’s going to be someone you love and trust like family. It’s could be a cousin, uncle, grandfather, and yes sometimes it’s even aunties. Do not be ashamed if it’s happened to you. That’s how we are going to break the silence and stop this. We’re going to speak the truth. Victims should not be shamed or blamed. We are going to raise our voices and raise awareness so the perpetrators who hurt us, won’t hurt others. We need love. That’s the foundation we need, and it begins by loving yourself. Self-love is so important. Believe in what you have, only you know what it is, and take care of it. And please take care of your spirit.”
Deborah’s speech prompted two tribal members, a youth and an elder, to share their stories.
Velda Gobin, Tulalip Education Manager and Tulalip Elder drew from her past experiences with abuse.
“[Sexual abuse and domestic violence] hasn’t changed since my generation. Its still happening and the same type of people are still doing it. When I was young I grew up in a dysfunctional family, there was a lot of drinking. My stepfather was violent and used to beat my mom all the time. I was the oldest so I had to hide my brothers and sisters.”
Velda went on to explain that although her stepfather physically abused her she was never sexually abused. She continued, “but I was molested by a cousin, a girl. It’s people you love and trust who usually do this. If it’s happened to you, I hope you speak to somebody because you shouldn’t have to go through this alone.”
Young Tulalip tribal member, Perfecto Diaz, had to express his thoughts and feelings to his peers. Deborah’s words sparked something inside him that made him take the microphone and address what he believes is a division between the adults and youth.
Perfecto stated, “I’ve been having a tough life so far. I know you guys talk a lot about love, but when you come around I don’t feel it. We don’t see it. I want to be a role model to these kids. I write music and poetry in my free time. I have things to say. I am a survivor and I’m still going through the struggle every single day. I went through beda?chelh and the system. I am angry but we need a positive role model, so that’s what I am going to be. There’s wicked people out there. They’re not playing games. I pray for every kid here going through the struggle because I’m out here grinding every day, going through it with you.”
Perfecto’s words resonated throughout the rest of the conference. Each speaker congratulated and thanked him for speaking his mind, including Comedian/Activist Chad Charlie.
Chad Charlie, Native American Activist, speaks to the youth of Tulalip about suicide prevention at the first annual Young Active Native Americans (YANA) Conference.
Chad stated, “I want to say I have a lot of respect for [Perfecto], he spoke his truth. We need more young people to stand up and utilize their voice and speak on the reality of our world as Indigenous People.”
Chad has spent the last two months in North Dakota protesting alongside the Standing Rock Sioux against the Dakota Access Pipeline. He talked about finding his path in life. Over the past five years Chad has been making a name for himself as a stand-up comedian. He states because of the name he built for himself, he was able to use his voice to reach a larger audience regarding this much bigger issue. Chad spoke to the conference attendees about suicide prevention.
“I want to remind every single person that you all have a purpose. Regardless of how small or large those purposes are; they all mean something. It could be cooking, singing, writing poetry, making people laugh. Those purposes can change the world,” expressed Chad.
LoVina Louie, Native American Activist, gathered everybody and faced them towards a handmade sign that read We Choose Love. She then called Perfecto to the front of the crowd and had everybody place a hand on each other’s shoulder. “Perfecto said he heard a lot of talk about love but doesn’t feel it. I want to make sure that he and everybody in this room know they are loved.” LoVina then led the group in prayer, asking for a cleansing throughout the Tulalip community.
Tears were shed but there was no shortage of laughter. Serious topics were discussed and entertaining games were played. Both hugs and prizes were handed out. As the first annual YANA Conference came to an end, the youth of Tulalip began the healing process together.
