Author: Kim Kalliber

National Night Out: Tulalip joins in community-police partnership building event

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

It was a gorgeous afternoon, clear skies and just a little over eighty degrees, on August 7. The tide was high and the waters of Tulalip Bay appeared more blue than usual, providing a spectacular view for the Tulalip community as they gathered to celebrate the 35th Annual National Night Out with the Tulalip Police Department (TPD). Held in the Tulalip Youth Services parking lot, the event attracted several families of many generations who they came to have a good time and thank local law officials for protecting the community. 

“National Night Out is an annual event that most law enforcement agencies throughout the United States hold for their communities, typically in the month of August,” explains Tulalip Interim Chief Sherman Pruitt. “The police department and other tribal departments come together to provide resources, that way people can see the services that are offered and provided to them within their community. It’s always a great time. The kids come out, we have jumpies, we have our K-9 officer, we have the police vehicle that kids can go in and out of. Just spending that time so they can see the police officers in a different, positive light.”

That summertime barbeque aroma filled the air while officers grilled up hot dogs for their guests. Attendees visited the many stations at the event, learning about services offered at programs like the Tulalip Child Advocacy Center, the Betty J. Taylor Early Learning Academy and the Legacy of Healing. The Tulalip Office of Emergency Management was also in attendance and provided local citizens with safety information, as was the Tulalip Lions Club who donated numerous books to the youth.

The Tulalip Bay Fire Department was sure to make an appearance at National Night Out to re-spark an old on-the-court basketball rivalry between the two emergency response teams. This year, however, the Fire Department and TPD decided to mix things up, literally, by creating teams consisting of players from both departments on each team. A terrific display of camaraderie as Chief Pruitt passed the ball to Tulalip Bay Fire Department Chief Shaughnessy, exclaiming, ‘hit that Ryan!’

“We’re here to show our support for our local law enforcement and also be here for the community,” says Chief Shaughnessy. “It’s a fun night; the community gets to see their firefighters and their police officers and get in touch with them when it’s not a 9-1-1 call. It’s a great night for everybody to meet up, play some basketball, do some BBQ-ing and see the fire trucks and police cars. We appreciate TPD extending the invitation to us, we’re glad to be here.”

TPD officers gave the youth an up close look at their squad cars, showing them all of the cameras and gadgets they use while on the job. Officers were seen socializing with community members and laughter could be heard from all directions of the parking lot. 

“It was a great turnout,” states TPD Officer, Aissa Thompson. “Everyone brought their families and I enjoy meeting new people. It’s good getting acquainted with the community you don’t always get a chance to interact with on a day-to-day basis. It was great playing basketball with a few of the girls from the community as well. I appreciate everybody coming out.”

As young Tulalip tribal member Kaiser Moses visited each booth, he took a moment to take in all of the good vibes his fellow community members seemed to be exuding. 

“I like to see everybody talking, having fun and getting to know each other a little more,” he expressed. “It’s really important for the law enforcement and community to get together and talk because that’s what makes a strong bond. It’s important to have good communication between the law enforcement and the community because the law enforcement is what protects the community. And you don’t want the community to be afraid of the law enforcement, you want them to be like friends.”

  Another successful National Night Out is in the books for TPD as this year’s event was a smash yet again, strengthening the relationship between the community and the police force that much more. 

“My favorite part is the kids,” says Chief Pruitt. “Seeing them come over to see us and ask questions, because they’ve got an abundance of questions to ask, regarding law enforcement and showing an interest in that. Some of them even expressed that they want to be police officers when they grow up and I love to hear that.”

Election Committee Opening

 

Please submit your letter of interest by August 10-24, 2018 to the Board of Directors

Questions regarding the term and duties please contact Rosalie Topaum, Election Chairwoman, 360.716.4298 or rtopaum@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

  • Must be a Tulalip Tribal Member
  • Must be over the age of 18
  • We meet twice a month, during an election we meet weekly
  • This position may require time away from your job bi-annually
  • Lifetime appointment

Duties include:

  • Administer and conduct elections within the Tulalip Tribes boundaries in a manner that will ensure fair and honest elections.
  • Creating and distributing notice for the General Council Election(s);
  • Publicly posting and distributing the list of qualified candidates for upcoming Elections; 
  • Recordation of petitioners, absentee ballots, election results, and related documents;
  • Ensure that elections are conducted fairly and are within the requirements of the Constitution and by-laws; 
  • Safekeeping of Election documentation, materials and results; 
  • Working closely with various Tribal departments or entities 
  • Being impartial and unbiased
  • Maintain confidentiality

The Tulalip Tribes Open Flagship Retail Cannabis Store

Remedy Tulalip aims to set a higher bar for retail cannabis and customer experience

TULALIP, WA—August 6, 2018 —The Tulalip Economic Development Corporation (TEDCO) is opening the doors to Remedy Tulalip, its flagship retail cannabis store, and among the first cannabis dispensaries in the United States to open on a reservation.  Remedy Tulalip joins the bustling retail sector in Quil Ceda Village, the Nation’s second federally-recognized city, and a consolidated borough of the Tulalip Tribes.

9226 34th Ave NE, Tulalip, WA 98271

Open to the Public: August 10th, 2018 9:00 AM-10PM

Regular Store Hours: Mon-Sun 9:00 AM-10:00 PM

Remedy Tulalip aspires to provide a curated cannabis experience designed for both the connoisseur and the tourist alike, with a focus on offering a unique, informative customer experience.  As one of only four tribes in Washington State in retail cannabis, Remedy Tulalip aims to be the top-performing retail store in Washington, and a symbol for the role that Indian Country will play in this rapidly expanding new industry.

“Indian Country is poised to become leaders in the emerging cannabis market,” says Les Parks, Tulalip Tribes Board of Directors.  “Three decades of experience in entertainment and hospitality, and an I-5 location, give Tulalip an advantage. We have built a cannabis retail model that brings the same level of engagement, knowledge, and professionalism that we offer at all our properties.  We are also partnering with emerging and affiliated Native American cannabis suppliers to help bring new values and voices to the forefront.”

Remedy Tulalip aims to be the busiest, most technology-driven retail cannabis store in the region with an interior design that integrates the unique natural and traditional aspects of Tulalip into the retail experience. The Remedy Tulalip model prioritizes staff engagement and education, a unique customer experience, and buying practices that reflect the value of diversity, sustainability, collaboration, and transparency.

  “We are lifting the industry by expecting and supporting excellence from all of our suppliers.  While much of the industry works from a bottom up model, we have intentionally flipped that to focus on high-quality and hand-curated products that reflect the Tulalip brand,”  said Jonathan Teeter, Assistant General Manager for Remedy Tulalip.

www.remedytulalip.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Special Needs Field Day a great time for all

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

There was no shortage of laughter and joy on the sunny afternoon of July 29, as the Tulalip community gathered for the second annual Special Needs Field Day held at the Kenny Moses Building. The summertime event, hosted by Tulalip Youth Services, caters to the local children of Tulalip who are living with learning or physical disabilities, providing a fun-filled day for the kids and their families. 

The community turned out in large numbers as around seventy people showed up for the field day event to create everlasting memories as well as an assortment of crafts such as slime and glitter bottles. Two big bouncy houses were setup next to the longhouse overlooking Tulalip Bay. The kids enjoyed snow cones as they posed for caricature portraits and received henna tattoos and face paintings. 

The fan favorite gold-panning station returned, which is a hands-on experience that allows the special needs children to explore and engage in sensory play that is both fun and not too overstimulating for them. This year, Youth Services added a new activity, a foam pit, which easily became the new favorite amongst the kids as they enjoyed escaping from view of their peers, popping in and out of the bubbles during hide-and-seek. 

“This year really came together because I wanted to build off of what we did last year,” says Youth Services Special Needs Advocate, Joe Boon. “We added a foam pit. The kids can go in and run around in a bunch of soapy foam and they love it. Some of them come out and are just soaked and covered in bubbles, it’s great. A lot of the activities they are doing requires them to work with their hands and that helps with that fine motor skill need that they have. All of the activities we planned are related to sensory and their needs.”

Upon arriving to Special Needs Field Day, young Chris Ring was ecstatic to see some of his friends and counselors at the event. 

“Mom, mom look who it is, you’re not going to believe it,” he happily exclaimed when seeing one of his friends. “I can’t believe he’s here, this is going to be so good.”

“Bringing the community together for Special Needs Field Day is very important,” states Chris’ mom, Katrina Ring. “It helps the kids feel embraced and the sensory play teaches them in a fun and comfortable environment. It’s very open and inviting for them because they just want to have fun like everyone else.”

 Fresh off an undefeated season with the Battle Creek PGA Jr. League, young tribal members and brothers Braiden and Brodie Kane were in attendance. Decked out in face paintings and tattoos, the brothers visited every station throughout the day.

“My favorite part was everything!” exclaimed Braiden.

“Yeah, I had fun,” adds Brodie. “I got a snow cone, I went and jumped around in the Mickey Mouse bouncy, but the mining was the best. I found a bunch of different jewels, coins, crystals – all kinds of stuff!”

After an exciting day, the kids were tired out as they said goodbye to their pals and began to journey home.

“Hopefully tired enough for a nap on the ride home,” joked Braiden and Brodie’s mom, Dinesha Kane. “It was a good day, for real though. I want to thank Amy [Sheldon], Joe, Youth Services and Leah’s Dream Foundation. Everyone volunteers their time to these youth and the kids have a blast. These events are special to the community because it brings us together as a tribe, as a people. Our kids get to know each other, they get to meet new friends and see their cousins and family and it’s just a great time for everyone.” 

For additional information, including upcoming special needs youth events, please contact Joe Boon at (360) 716-4912.

Keep drugs off our Rez: Youth participate in drug prevention walk

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States recorded 42,249 deaths in the year of 2016 due to opioid overdose, surpassing the amount of deaths caused by breast cancer which is estimated at 41,070 each year. Between July 2016 and September 2017, the amount of deaths by opioid overdose increased by thirty percent. The opioid epidemic is still escalating throughout the nation and has claimed more American lives in 2017 alone than the Vietnam War, which reported 58,220 causalities over the course of twenty years. Although the CDC has yet to officially release the 2017 statistics, the projected amount of deaths by heroin, prescription opioids and fentanyl is said to be close to 70,000 fatalities. 

The crisis is hard to ignore, especially when it’s happening within our own community. The Washington State Department of Health reports that approximately 3,000 deaths can be credited to drug overdose annually, which is thirty-one percent of all deaths statewide. Snohomish County, namely the Everett-Marysville-Tulalip area, sees perhaps one of the largest amounts of drug-related casualties in the state with around seven hundred deaths per year. 

Over recent years, the Tulalip Tribes has fought back strongly against the opioid epidemic, implementing several programs, departments, forums, and events as well as the wellness court system. The tribe has been actively dedicated to healing their people who are battling with addiction and continue searching for a solution to the crisis. Most recently, during the mid-morning of July 26, the Tulalip 477/TANF department organized a walk against drugs with their Summer Youth Community Service program, comprised of thirty local kids between the ages of eleven and thirteen who wanted to spread awareness for those struggling and help bring an end to drug addiction. 

“We worked on our signs all day yesterday, just for the walk today,” says community service participant, Stanley Nguyen. “We walked from the old school all the way up to [the Tulalip Administration Building] and we’re trying to stop drug abuse and get drugs off the rez because they can kill people.”

Drivers emphatically honked their horns for the kids as they proudly displayed their handmade posters during the prevention walk. Their signs displayed a variety of strong messages such as ‘your family needs you’ and ‘heal the hurt, don’t hide the pain,’ attempting to spread their words to local addicts. A few kids also used their signs to urge any drug distributors to ‘stop selling drugs to my people’ and to ‘keep drugs off our rez!’

“My sign says, drugs equal death so stop!” expressed young Taleen Enick. “I felt people needed to know to stop doing drugs, it can harm them and they can probably die from it. If they keep doing it, they can overdose. That’s why I want people to know we need to keep drugs off our rez and that we need to help our people to stop doing drugs.”

The six-week community service program helps kids prepare for the Tulalip Youth Services Summer Youth Employment Program which is open to kids between the age of fourteen and eighteen. Throughout the community service course, the young adults learn about their treaty rights, Tulalip’s history and future, bullying prevention, suicide prevention, drug and alcohol prevention, healthy habits and financial education. The program is currently in its second year and dedicates every Thursday to a community service activity such as beach clean-ups and the prevention walk.

“There’s a lot of people driving by, hopefully it gives addicts some hope that live around here,” says TANF Case Manager, Danielle Hill. “The kids all created their own posters and a lot of them had some good words to share. We’re hoping this helps them steer clear from drugs and alcohol in the future especially when they’re dealing with peer pressure.”

The kids ended the prevention walk at the newly constructed walkway below the Tulalip Admin Building and held their posters up high for passersby to see while on their daily commute. The youth posted up through the lunch hour, waiving their signs and received great response from the tribal employees on their way to appease their appetites. 

 “I think our message will help people, I really do,” says Taleen. “If they see our signs today, maybe they’ll be inspired to reach out and help somebody they know who’s been using drugs. What I liked best about today was all the people honking. That shows that they care as well and are doing their part to help out too.”