Clayton Willis Alexander Sept. 26, 1965 – March 3, 2020 The Lord blessed us with the life of Clayton Willis Alexander on September 26, 1965 born to Leora and Warren Alexander. The Lord took Clayton gently to heaven with him on March 3, 2020. His life may not have always been easy for Clayton, but nothing ever slowed him down. He lived life to the fullest. He loved all of his family and friends the same way he lived. And his family loved him the same way. Clayton loved hanging out with his family and being outdoors. His biggest hobby was spending time with his siblings. He enjoyed being outside cutting firewood and harvesting cedar bark. He never missed a family gathering. Now that he is with The Lord, he has joined his father, Warren Alexander, grandmother, Bernice Williams, grandfather, Walter “Sambo” Alexander, grandfather, Irven O’Harrah, grandmother, Corrine Steele; uncle, Jerry Alexander, aunt, Clara O’Harrah, aunt, Joanne Runyan, and Uncle Mike O’Harrah; cousins, Robert Cleary, Robin Perry, Dave Hunter; niece, Tara Taylor, great-nephew, Jaymen Taylor. He is survived by his mother and best friend, Leora Vandertie; sister, Tina (John) Crolley, brother, Warren Alexander (Warrine), Tammy Taylor (Lance), brother, Alan Alexander (Angela), brother, Jeff Nissell (Collen); special cousin, Justin Wahlsmith, aunts, Eleanor, Florence, uncle, Harry, aunt, Marlene (Painer), uncle, David, Lynne; daughter, Felicia, granddaughter, Rajalion (Raja) Holland whom he loved unconditionally, and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and many friends. Clayton was a proud member of the Tulalip Tribes and will be loved in memory to all who has shared his life. Visitation will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at 9am at Schaefer-Shipman Funeral Home. Funeral services will be March 7, 2020 at 11am at the Tulalip Tribal Gym with burial to follow at Mission Beach Cemetery.
With so much information about the novel coronavirus, it’s challenging to decide what is accurate and useful. The Tulalip Emergency Management Department, in collaboration with the Karen I. Fryberg Health Clinic and Snohomish County Public Health District, is committed to updating you about the virus regularly. We will plan to release our updates Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, as well as when new information becomes available. For the latest accurate information, we encourage people to visit the following websites: CDC (Center for Disease Control) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html, Snohomish County Health District https://www.snohd.org/, or the Department of Health https://www.doh.wa.gov/.
The following questions have come up in the last few days. Please let us know if you have additional questions you’d like us to answer—email questions and concerns to Ashlynn Danielson, Emergency Management, adanielson@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov.
Q: How do I know if it is COVID-19 or the flu?
A: COVID-19 and the flu have very similar symptoms. The COVID-19 includes cough and fever, particularly a fever that goes away and returns. Most people can overcome COVID-19 without medical intervention. If you suspect you have the COVID-19, please contact your regular medical provider via phone. If you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms, please call 911.
Q: What can I do to stay safe?
A: Wash hands frequently for 20 seconds with soap and water. Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, then throwing the tissue in the trash and washing your hands. If you develop symptoms, reduce the stress on the healthcare system and your risk of exposure by staying home and calling the doctor. Make it a habit to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. It is easy to transfer germs from surfaces to your body when you touch your face.
Q: Are there any COVID-19 cases at Tulalip?
A: There are likely possible positive cases that have been identified at Tulalip. A possible positive case is a patient who exhibits the signs and symptoms and is presumed to have the disease. These patients are then tested if they show moderate to severe symptoms. Testing capabilities are limited, and patients with mild symptoms are generally not checked to protect the supplies for the most critical patients. The Emergency Management Team, in collaboration with Community Health, local Tulalip Bay Fire District 15 and Marysville Fire Department, and Tulalip Police Department, have a plan in place to track presumptive positive cases to keep our public informed and reduce the spread of the disease. Presumptive positive is a term which means that while local testing has produced a positive result for COVID-19, the sample is still awaiting confirmation from the CDC.
Q: Does handwashing work better than hand sanitizer?
A: Soap and water are better than hand sanitizers at removing specific kinds of germs, especially on dirty hands. However, for people who have mobility issues or lack of access to clean running water, hand sanitizer is useful in a pinch.
Q: How do I decide whether to stay home from work, go to a clinic, or go to the hospital?
A: If you have a fever and cough, as well as any flu-like symptoms, please call your regular health care provider. They will do a phone triage, or a series of questions to determine if it is likely that you have contracted COVID-19. Based on your doctor’s recommendation, you should self-isolate and limit your exposure to others, visit a healthcare facility, or, if you are experiencing life-threatening symptoms including shortness of breath or chest pain, call 911.
Q: I need to be seen, but my doctor told me to stay home. Why are they treating me like this?
A: Your doctor may ask you to self-isolate, or stay home and limit your exposure to others, to protect you and the people around you. In many cases, patients are putting themselves at risk for contracting the disease by going to a medical facility when they do not need to. In other cases, you may risk infecting others. Lastly, in situations like this, health care facilities can become overwhelmed with minor illnesses, which reduces their ability to take care of those patients who do experience life-threatening symptoms from the disease.
Q: What is Tribal Government doing?
A: Tribal Government administration has briefed managers about the situation and is encouraging staff to be diligent about sanitizing high-touch areas, including keyboards, doorknobs, and handrails. Tribal government is encouraging staff who have COVID-19 symptoms to stay home from work for at least seven days and/or 72 hours after symptoms resolve, whichever is longer. The Pharmacy will be holding a seasonal influenza clinic at the Administration building to provide staff with a seasonal flu vaccine. This is a protective measure. This vaccine does not protect against COVID-19. When a person contracts seasonal influenza, it can raise their risk of contracting COVID-19, so flu vaccines are being recommended. Some policies are being temporarily relaxed to allow employees to take sensible precautions. For example, supervisors may waive the requirement for a doctor’s note before returning to work. We are doing this to reduce the non-emergent workload for medical facilities.
Q: What are our casinos doing?
A: Leadership is putting strategies in place to both sanitize the facilities more thoroughly and protect staff and clients by encouraging team members who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 to stay home from work based on current medical recommendations. Leadership will be flexible about employee leave to take care of the health of our community.
Q: Will our health clinic close if it gets worse?
A: Staff at the Karen I. Fryberg Health Clinic have been involved in planning and are putting precautions in place to make sure that staff stays healthy, and the clinic remains operational. As you enter the clinic, a staff member will ask you to sanitize your hands. If you show any signs of a cough or upper respiratory infection, you may be provided a mask and asked to wear it to contain your cough. Another new procedure is phone triaging. This means that patients who exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 will be asked a series of questions to determine if it is likely they have contracted the disease. Patients with mild symptoms will be advised to isolate, to protect them from contracting the illness if they do not have it, and to prevent them from spreading the illness if they are ill with COVID-19. Patients with moderate symptoms may be asked to come in and call when they arrive. At that point staff will **
Q: Why do emergency personnel need masks if they don’t work?
A: Masks will not stop you from contracting COVID-19 since they do not cover your eyes and do not filter out viruses. However, if you are already sick, a mask can limit the distance that droplets travel when you cough or sneeze. Medical professionals ask patients exhibiting symptoms to wear a mask.
First responders and emergency personnel will wear full personal protective equipment if seeing a client suspected of or infected with COVID-19. They wear both masks and goggles to protect the eyes, nose, and mouth. They may also wear disposable gowns and foot covers that can be disposed of in a medically safe manner to reduce transmission of COVID-19.
Q: COVID-19 isn’t the flu, why should I get a flu shot?
A: Although the seasonal flu shot will not protect you from COVID-19, it can reduce your risk of getting the flu. Coming down with any illness can increase your risk of catching a second illness, which is why we recommend people get a seasonal flu vaccine if they have not already.
Q: What is the incubation period?
A: This virus is new; we are learning more about it every day. The current medical recommendation is that if you show symptoms to isolate yourself. Encourage family members to stay six feet away to reduce the transmission of the disease. Do not return to work or school for seven days or 72 hours after all symptoms have resolved, whichever is longer.
Q: How can I talk to my kids about COVID-19 when I am scared that it won’t be all right?
A: Viruses have been around for all of human history. We can work to limit our exposure and contain it. COVID-19 doesn’t appear to have the high fatality rates of viruses like Ebola or Hemorrhagic virus. Most healthy people have mild symptoms, and their immune system deals with the virus. We can take care of ourselves and the people around us, especially elders and those with compromised immune systems, by letting people know if we are sick and staying away from others who are sick. We care about one another, and even though this is a scary time, we’ll get through it together.
“It’s so widespread, but the societal norm is that it’s not accepted as a disease,” said Tulalip Problem Gambling Counselor, Robin Johnson. “A lot of people who come and see us will say that they feel like they don’t have a real problem, so this is raising awareness about the fact that problem gambling is a disease and also of the detriments that it causes in real life. There is help. You are not alone.”
The Tulalip Tribes Family Services Problem Gambling Program invites you and yours to a special soiree on the evening of March 7th. A popular community event, and highly anticipated within the recovery circle, the annual Problem Gambling Awareness Gathering promotes healing, education and awareness about an addiction that nationally affects approximately six million individuals and their families each year, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling.
“In most Indigenous communities there’s higher risk of acquiring a gambling disorder,” explained Problem Gambling Coordinator, Sarah Sense-Wilson. “That’s because of co-occurring disorders, mental health, addiction, proximity to gambling establishments and trauma issues. Those things all factor into why Indigenous populations tend to have vulnerability for a gambling disorder.”
For half a decade, the Tulalip Problem Gambling program has actively taken part in a countrywide initiative, Problem Gambling Awareness Month, by hosting local events and providing support to those in need each March. The campaign originally began over fifteen years ago in response to the amount of sports betting surrounding the NCAA March Madness college basketball tournament. Since Tulalip’s involvement in the awareness month, recovering gambling addicts who live at Tulalip, or in nearby cities, have found a sense of community and people who they can relate to and confide in during their journey to recovery.
“The theme for this year’s Problem Gambling Awareness month is ‘Seeds of Hope Through Recovery.’ That comes from the problem gambling recovery community, they’re the ones who conceptualized the theme,” Sarah said. “It impacts everybody in the community at some level, especially in our tribal communities, because we’re so small and tight knit. When I first started here, there was a real void in any collective effort to promote health and wellness around this issue of problem gambling, throughout the region not just at Tulalip. And really, there are no collective efforts or campaigns in Indian country to spotlight this as illness or disease.”
As a people, Native Americans are at the highest risk of developing a gambling habit. A 2019 study conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol and Related Conditions showed that 2.3% of the entire Indigenous population are currently battling the gambling addiction, one of the highest percentages in the nation. Recognizing that this is an issue affecting our tribal people, several Northwest tribes are addressing problem gambling by developing programs to help their people from within the community. Many of those nations, whose programs are still in the infancy stage, often send representatives to participate in events at Tulalip to get a better understanding of how the tribal people are interacting with the program.
Sarah explains, “Our program is a national model program because of the comprehensive services we provide and the expansive work that we’ve created here developing not just treatment, but also prevention, education, community outreach, all of those aspects. Usually, you don’t see that continuum of support services in any other addiction field program. This is also a great opportunity for cross-cultural understanding because we serve non-Natives too. In fact, our services are free and we work with everybody.”
The 5th Annual Problem Gambling Awareness Community Gathering takes place Saturday March 7, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Hibulb Cultural Center. Medicine will be offered all evening in the form of laughter provided by comedienne Adrianne Chalepah, traditional drum circle led by Terrance Sabbas and family, personal testimonials from recovering gambling addicts, as well as soothing tunes from Native violinist, Swil Kanim, who also doubles as the event’s Master of Ceremony.
“We’re trying to keep the same formula, bringing healing through comedic relief and raising awareness, trying to destigmatize the illness so that people are more open to receiving help or seeking services. We want people to understand that this is a disease, a disorder just like diabetes, high blood pressure, there’s no shame in it. We just want to see people get well and live healthy. It really does take a community to make it happen and that’s our goal. These events are not just about calling attention and centering on those in recovery; it’s also about reaching those who are still suffering.”
For more information, please contact the Problem Gambling program at (360) 716-4304.
Native Vote is a nonpartisan campaign initiated by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). It is designed to encourage Native Americans throughout the nation to exercise their inherent right to vote. With the heightened political participation of Native people, Indian Country has become an increasingly powerful voting bloc. In recent years, the Native vote has been publicly acknowledged as making a pivotal difference in national, state, and local elections.
The ability to make such a pivotal difference is 100% reliant on you, the voter. Historically, the turnout rate of registered Native voters is 5 to 14 percentage points lower than the rate of many other racial and ethnic groups. Add in the fact that nationwide a whopping 34% of eligible Native voters are not registered to vote, according to the NCAI, and the need to empower the entire electorate to register and cast their ballot is a clear priority.
Native Vote’s admirable Rez-to-Rez tour intends to fulfill that priority in Washington State by going directly to Native voters on their reservations, speaking truth to power on issues that impact our people, while encouraging each tribal citizen to vote. The Rez-to-Rez tour visited Tulalip on Tuesday, March 3.
“I’m honored to be here with you all on Tulalip land,” said Larry Cordier (Lakota), coordinated campaign tribal organizer. “It is critical that we get together, register to vote, and let our voice be heard by casting our ballot. Your vote is guaranteed to you by the U.S. Constitution. As treaty tribes, we have joined the United States in citizenship. Our men and women have defended this country. No one has to set that table for us. We did that with our veterans.
“The chiefs negotiated those treaties and it’s our responsibility to make sure those Treaty Rights endure,” continued Larry. “In all my travels I’ve heard so many people say, ‘Why should I vote? My vote doesn’t count.’ But if all those people got out and registered, and cast their ballot, we would have this country exactly where it needs to be. We need everyone because everyone counts. So let’s mobilize and make them feel our united power.”
Larry Cordier, coordinated campaign tribal organizer.
During the two-hour visit, engaged citizens were welcome to ask questions about candidates, register if they weren’t already, shown how to update their mailing address to insure arrival of voting documents, speak with 2020 Census representatives, and, if they were ready, cast their Washington State primary ballot.
“I saw the advertisement for this event in the Tulalip newsletter and was interested in finding out more about the presidential candidates,” shared tribal elder Joyce Alexander (Haida). “I haven’t decided who I will be voting for yet, but leaning between Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden.
“As a Native American citizen, I’m always curious about how any politician or political candidate feels about Native Americans. [Their platform] affects us and our issues should matter to them.”
According to the U.S. Census, Native Americans have one of the youngest populations of any racial/ethnic group in the United States, with those under the age of 25 making up about 40% of the total Native population. Every four years, about half a million Native young people turn 18-years-old and become eligible to vote. This provides an opportunity to engage almost one in ten Native people as new voters.
In order to maximize the Native vote, it is critical that Native citizens become educated in the political process in order to actively participate in tribal, local, state, and national elections. It’s not only the U.S. President and Congress, but state governors and county and local elected officials who make important policy decisions that affect the everyday lives of Native peoples. Increasing the Native vote and in turn our electorate’s participation in non-tribal elections will lead to better responsiveness to the needs of tribal communities across the nation.
“One of the beautiful things about voting is it is open and accessible to everyone. And every vote matters,” explained Theresa Sheldon (Tulalip), Native American political director for the Democratic National Committee (DNC). “Please know that it’s not too late for people to register to vote. There is a great online resource iWillVote.com
“Anyone can visit that site to register, check if you are registered, and/or update your mailing address. It’s so important to know that if we want to take back the white house, then we have to show up and vote. Please talk to your friends, your family and encourage them to get their ballot in. Sooner is better. Don’t wait until the last minute,” encouraged Theresa.
Beverly J. Echevarria {1948-2020} Beverley Jean Echevarria died on February 28, 2020. Jeannie was born to parents, Norma Genevieve (Shelton) Rivera and John Vargas Rivera in Tacoma, WA. She started out as a hairdresser. She worked most of her life as an accountant in the financial department in several companies around Seattle, but most recently at Tulalip Tribes Quil Ceda Village for over a decade. Jeannie worked very hard her whole life for the love of her family. She attended and earned her degree at Everett Community College and the University of Washington. She met her husband, Carlos Echevarria in 1968, they then moved to Puerto Rico, Alaska, and the remainder her life in the Magnolia area of Seattle for 40 years. Carlos and Jeannie would have celebrated 52 years married this year. Jeannie was the big sister and mother to her siblings, brother, John Jr. and Carlos and sister, Lydia. She had three children, Carlos Jr, Jesus and Juan Echevarria. They were the true loves of her life. Her joy was sprung up by her grandchildren, having special relationships with every one: Mekalani Lynn, Jesus Antonio, Alexzes Jeannie, Raihan Shibly, Gia Marie and Cameron, as well as one new bundle of joy on the way. She loved shopping for them and spoiling them. She loved sewing, and traveling and studying. A Celebration of her life will be held on Thursday, March 5, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. at Greg Williams Court, 6700 Totem Beach Road and Friday, March 6, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. at Greg Williams Court. Burial will follow at Mission Beach Cemetery. She was preceded in death by her son, Jesus Antonio; her parents, Norma and John; her brothers, John and Carlos; and her sister, Lydia. She is survived by her husband, Carlos Echevarria of Seattle; Carlos Echevarria and Katie Moore of Tulalip, WA; Juan and Nazmi Echevarria of Kirkland, WA; daughter, Heather Gobin of Tulalip, WA; and her grandchildren: Mekalani, Jesus, Alexzes, Raihan, Gia and Cameron.
President’s Day. A day historically marked by United States citizens looking back through history and remembering all former Presidents. This year’s President’s Day was quite different. Instead of looking backwards, thousands looked forward to a new, hopeful future led by presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders.
The Vermont Senator and current frontrunner for the Democratic presidential candidate came to Washington State and held an awe-inspiring rally that drew 17,000+ people to the Tacoma Dome. Understanding he was visiting the traditional homelands of the Coast Salish people, Sanders’ team invited the area’s first inhabitants to not just attend the rally as honored guests, but to be seen and heard on a campaign trail captivating audience members by the masses.
“For too many years, the needs of the American Indian have been ignored, treaties have been broken and lie after lie has been told to you,” stated Senator Sanders. “The time is long overdue, perhaps hundreds of years overdue, for the Native American people to be treated with respect. The pain and the lies and the broken treaties, it should never have happened, but our job together is to end those terrible things, to bring our people together and to treat the Native American people with the dignity they are entitled to.”
Answering the call was a coalition of Northwest Natives including tribal members from Tulalip, Puyallup, Lummi, Muckleshoot, Swinomish, Nisqually, Yakama, Alaska, and even some First Nations relatives from Canada.
“This is a sign that politicians are recognizing the important roles that Tribes play not just in politics, but in protecting the environment,” said Puyallup Chairman David Bean. “Bernie Sanders is a champion for protecting Mother Earth and bringing awareness to the realities of climate change that threaten our homelands and natural resources. It’s so significant to have a presidential candidate reach out to the Tribes to recognize he’s on our homeland and allow us to share our messages regarding climate change and missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW).”
Freddie Lane, Lummi council member, added “It’s so important for any presidential candidate to reach out to Indian Country, not for the fact that we have $33 billion dollars going through Indian Country every year and that some of the strongest economies in our states are within Indian nations. It don’t matter if it’s California, Oklahoma, Florida, Washington State or Connecticut, Tribes must step up and utilize their positions to get tribal-friendly people elected to public office. We have to set aside our differences, get out and vote, in order to make our voice heard. Our communities are stronger together.”
Unified strength is exactly what the inclusive gathering of Northwest Natives displayed by journeying from so many different reservations with a common mission to share culture and perspective.
Upon arriving to the Tacoma Dome, hours prior to the scheduled rally start time, the tribal cohort nearing 200 strong were led through a private entrance by Sanders representatives to the Tacoma Dome’s main floor. While thousands of excited rally attendees stood outside in a long line wrapping around the stadium, some as long as six hours waiting to be let in, the tribal members were given a full VIP treatment.
The stadium filled with eager rally-goers of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds, eventually reaching near maximum capacity with an official headcount surpassing 17,000. When the rally was officially underway, the Northwest Native coalition took to the stage to share their powerful message as only they can, through a remarkable culture.
Wearing traditional regalia over vibrantly red fabrics, the group drummed, sang, and danced in unison to honor the MMIW movement. Faces painted with a red handprint, a sign peacefully bringing attention to the inability of victims to speak for themselves, captivated the rally’s attention during a nearly ten-minute song intended to bring awareness and raise support.
Violence against Indigenous women has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. and Canada, with Native women being battered, raped, and stalked at greater rates than any other population of women. According to the National Crime Information Center, there were 5,712 known incidents of missing and murdered Native American women in just 2016 alone. Additionally, 84% of Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime. These glaring statistics speak for themselves, yet it’s surprising how few people outside of Native communities are actually aware of this crisis.
By being given a platform to be seen and heard in front of thousands, the Northwest tribes were recognized and empowered at the Bernie Sanders rally. Many onlookers could be seen live-streaming the powerful MMIW song via their social media accounts. It’s impossible to know the song’s reach at such an event, but the hope is its message and meaning now resonates in the minds of engaged citizens who otherwise wouldn’t have a clue about MMIW or its heartfelt impacts on Tribes.
“It’s a huge honor to help our people heal from broken hearts for those that never made it home, while giving hope to those who might have given up,” shared MMIW song composer and Snoqualmie tribal member Antone George. “I really wanted this song to have deep feeling and harmony and flow to where our people all over Indian Country would be able to sing it.
“We might not ever meet all of the ones that are hoping and praying that their loved one comes home. They’re not alone with their prayers. They’re not alone with how they’re feeling,” George added, addressing the families of MMIW victims. “To be singing here today we’re letting our non-Native relatives know we are here to be heard. Everything our people have gone through over these hundreds of years to this point, we are still here. Our culture is strong.”
By sharing his campaign platform and central rally stage with a clear representation of the area’s Native population, Senator Sanders proves he clearly understands that as a public and federal official, he has a responsibility to Tribes. When interacting with any federal officials, it is paramount they be vigilant in understanding their trust responsibilities. No other people in the country do they have that trust responsibility over. Those responsibilities are clearly expressed in the treaties signed by Tribes all over the nation.
When a candidate is running for any public office, let alone President of the United States, they have to know they are obligated to fulfill their trust responsibility and honor Treaty Rights. If they aren’t even reaching out, let alone acknowledging their local Tribes then that’s a clear sign they either don’t know about their trust responsibility or, worse yet, they do know and simply don’t care. Bernie Sanders continued to prove he does know of his trust responsibility and in fact does care about the needs of Native American population following the rally when he met with tribal leadership and representatives in an intimate setting backstage.
“The culture of the Native American people should be respected by all people all across our nation,” declared the presidential hopeful to the group of Northwest Natives. “You have enriched the American people, you have educated the American people, especially your respect for the environment. What you have taught us, and it is a lesson that must be learned now or the entire planet will be endangered, you have taught us that as human beings we are part of nature and we cannot destroy nature and survive.
“I want to thank you all for your support here today. We must all stand together to create a nation that belongs to all of us. Transforming this nation is going to be hard, but as everybody here knows real change never ever takes place without struggle. If you think change is easy, then you aren’t talking about real change.
“We’re taking on enormously powerful people who love the status quo,” continued Senator Sanders. “They love the exploitation of the Native American people; the ability to come in to your lands to drill and destroy the land and water while circumventing Treaty Rights. It’s not going to be easy, but we have the moral responsibility not only for ourselves, but for future generations to make that fight. That’s what this campaign is all about.”
His words brought beaming smiles and positive visions for the future to the tribal citizenship fortunate to hear them. Hearing a presidential candidate who not only understands Treaty Rights, but is making the effort to uphold them while honoring tribal nations could be history in the making.
After the much anticipated rally, there was lots of conversation connecting the political ideals of Bernie Sanders with the traditional teaching of Tribes.
“My heart is full having Bernie Sanders here in our homelands because he really lives the values of our people,” reflected Puyallup tribal member Danelle Reed, director of Kwawachee Counseling Center. “What people label Socialism really comes down to caring for all human beings and taking care of everyone, especially those who can’t take care of themselves. For me, his message is really about bringing back traditional values that we all as Native people hold.”
“Bernie’s position, his values, are in line with tribal values,” added Puyallup Chairman David Bean. “We’re taught from a young age that a person will be remembered for what they have done for their people, not what they have done for themselves. That lesson serves to teach us to take care of our community, to think of others before we think of ourselves.
“His values also line up with taking care of Mother Earth. Being fishing people, we have a strong connection to the land, water and salmon. Another lesson we’re all taught as children is what happens to Mother Earth, good or bad, happens to us. We have a responsibility to take care of her. If we take care of Mother Earth, she will take care of us. Bernie may use different words, but he’s broadcasting the exact same message.”
At the start of 2017, the Tulalip Tribes and the Tulalip Justice Department introduced a new system to address the drug epidemic that was overtaking the entire nation at the time and claiming many lives of Indigenous people all across Native America. For a point of reference, that year over 70,000 deaths resulted from heroin, fentanyl or opioid overdose in the United States alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The number of overdose related deaths did decrease, however, dropping to a recorded 67,000 deaths in 2018. Which is still alarmingly high.
In an effort to help guide those wishing to get clean and escape the battle of addiction, as well as set them on the road to recovery, the Tribe took a chance by tailoring the standard state drug court to the needs of their Tribal people when developing the Healing to Wellness Court. This new approach originally drew skepticism from the community, perhaps due to failed drug court experiences in the past. But fast forward three years and the program has two prominent graduates who are actively inspiring from within the tribal society, and over twenty participants who have anywhere from a week to hundreds of days free from the grip of their addictions, as the program takes about 18-24 months to complete depending on the individual’s personal journey.
The wellness court has often been attributed by many of its participants as a ‘lifesaver’. Dozens have shared about the healing they receive during local gatherings like the monthly Wellbriety celebration dinners sponsored the Tulalip Problem Gambling program, or at weekly meetings, cultural events and during ‘give back’ hours while working at the smokehouse or with the Tribal elders. Most importantly, wellness court creates a community-like environment amongst its participants, and in many ways a support system where the people hold each other accountable and offer encouragement and support while working on their own sobriety.
Although their focus is the people of Tulalip, word about the work the wellness court is conducting has spread nationwide. On the afternoon of February 25, an official from the National Drug Court Institute, Karen Cowgill, flew across the country to hand-deliver a plaque recognizing the wellness court for their effective system.
“The award we received today was the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) Mentor Court,” stated Interim Wellness Court Program Manager, Ashley Utz-Cook. “We were awarded to be a part of the Mentor Court Network, which means under the NADCP they’ve deemed us as one of the best of the best. So far, we are one of two tribal courts in the network and I believe there are nine other courts in the network.”
As an added bonus, Karen witnessed firsthand the inner-workings of wellness court. Such as how the judge interacts with the participants; how those who are in compliance are recognized for their accomplishments and challenged to continue striving forward. And those who aren’t in compliance are still offered encouragement in addition to a stern talking-to and the appropriate sanctions.
“I came out today because the Healing to Wellness Court applied to become a mentor court,” said Karen. “For the next two years, when we have courts that are learning how to be a tribal drug court, we can send them here and they can observe the judge and meet the team and talk to them and actually see what this all about. This [system] is really going to be an example across the United States for tribal courts to see how to do the job. It’s a different way of doing drug court; we can help get people back on track and make sure they succeed in the long run.”
The wellness court has done a great job of turning the perception of their system around, so much so that drug court teams will be flying in from all around the nation to see the healing aspect of drug court take place in real life.
“It feels awesome,” expressed Ashley after her team received the award. “It was a lot of work put in by every single team member, as well as the people before us and of course the participants. It feels great to see everything we do every day, the daily operations, recognized on such a high scale. We appreciate everyone’s hard work from the staff to the participants.”
Before concluding wellness court and the award celebration, the court team decided to pay it forward by extending love and recognition to a Tribal member who dedicated her life to assisting recovering addicts. Helen Gobin-Henson was gifted with a certificate of appreciation for the support and guidance she offers to the local recovery community.
“This means so much to me because this is my calling,” Helen said with tears running down her cheek. “I’ve been doing this work for about thirty years, helping my people get into treatment and doing whatever I can. I sung for all the funerals for over fifty years and it really hits me hard when we lose our young ones, even our old ones, to this addiction, to this disease. I hope that I can be a blessing to my people and show them that recovery works if you work it.”
For additional details about the Healing to Wellness Court, please contact (360) 716-4773.
“Years and years ago,” fondly recalls Tulalip Elder Don ‘Penoke’ Hatch. “When I was walking along Hermosa where I grew up, if I heard that bell ring, I knew I had to hurry up and run because that meant mass was about to start. The bell let people know they had fifteen minutes to get to the church, it was a fun heads up.”
For over a century the bell of the St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Mission Church rang out a deep resonance throughout the Tulalip reservation at approximately 5:15 p.m. every Saturday, or fifteen minutes prior to each weekly vigil. The gorgeous cathedral overlooks Tulalip Bay and shares a long history with the people; and its bell is a familiar sound to many ears of the Tulalip people, which several Tribal elders of the church associate with reservation adolescence.
Originally founded in the late 1800’s, the church moved from the banks of the Ebey slough to its current post following an alleged act of arson in 1902. Prior to the fire, according to research conducted by HistoryLink.org, the church was the first ‘contracted Indian School’ in the nation, even before the establishment of boarding schools. It is said that the mission instructed over 130 tribal youth in its time and that the founder, Father Chirouse, took the time to learn Lushootseed and frequently used the language within his teachings. The church relocated and finished construction within a two-year-span and has been holding services for the community ever since. In 1976, St. Anne’s was recognized and placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“We’re all very proud of our church and work hard to maintain it,” said Tulalip Elder and St. Anne’s Churchgoer, Bill Topash. “It is a national historic monument and we want people to come visit. In fact, we do have tourists come by from time to time who want to know more about the church and we always gladly share our history, and now the bell’s return makes our story much more special.”
As you may have speculated, the upkeep of a church of that age, around 116 years, is not an easy task. Over time, the church has dealt with basement flooding and lack of heat circulation, on top of decades of wear and tear. However, the church has been proactive in regards to repairs, aiming to preserve as much of the original building for as long as possible, which included a recent installation of a rain garden to solve the flooding issues.
The bell rang out for 109 years, but unfortunately the church steeple could no longer support the weight of the bell. In 2013, the bell was removed and stowed away in the garage of the Marysville St. Mary’s Catholic Church for safekeeping. And the next seven years went without the reverberating, low-tone chime of the bell on Saturday evenings, that is until the night of February 22.
After an evening of worship, the congregation turned its attention to the entrance of the cathedral where the priest was making his way up a ladder, with the word in hand, to officially bless the bell. Down below on the steps of the church, Penoke held the honor of literally ringing in a new age for the church and its followers. A line formed behind Penoke as youth, elders and church staff took a turn at ringing the bell as well, joining in on the celebration.
“It felt great. It’s really an honor because I’ve been going to this church close to 70 years,” said Penoke. “I started going here when I was 7-years-old. All the ones who helped make this church into what it is today have passed on, so this felt really good because this is for them, our elders who helped build this church.”
Many of the churchgoers put in personal efforts to see this project through to completion and on the night of the celebration, they could hardly hold back their emotions during the bell’s first ring as happy tears and smiles were shared amongst all.
“The bell is kind of the symbol of our community and it could be utilized for a lot of events out here. I’m curious how far we can hear it,” said Tulalip community member and St. Anne’s attendee, Mark Brown. “We’re ecstatic, this has been a long time coming.”
Aside from notifying the people about the start of weekly mass, the bell seems to have significant ties to the followers of St. Anne’s, a certain pride amongst families that was immediately evident when young Tribal member and altar boy, Jayden Joseph spoke of the bell. In one word, tradition.
“It felt pretty good ringing the bell,” he said. “I know that the bell represents the church. That’s important to me because when I hear it, I’ll know it’s time for church and I really like coming to church. But what’s really cool to me, is that my uncle rang that same bell when he was my age, and today, I got to ring it too.”
The St. Anne’s Roman Catholic Mission Church invites the people to come and check out the historic building and hear the bell reverberate in real time. That, however, may just have to wait a little while longer.
“We’re hoping our community will hear the noise, hear the music and come and see what’s going on in church, but Ash Wednesday is coming up this week,” Bill explained, fighting through a bit of laughter. “We don’t ring bells in the Catholic Church during the 40 days of lent, so it looks like we’ll have to wait again until Easter to ring the bell. But from then on it will signify that it’s time for mass.”
For more information, please contact St. Anne’s at (360) 653-9400.
