Category: Arts & Entertainment

Dinesha Kane Chases Big Dreams with Dreamcatchers

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

According to the traditional Ojibwe legend, dreamcatchers first originated when members of their nation began to disperse throughout North America. The Ojibwe believed in a spiritual protector named Asibikaashi, or Spider Woman, who took care of the younger generations. As her people left the land, she had a difficult time reaching all of the children of the Ojibwe Nation and keeping watch over them. For this reason, she taught the mothers, sisters, aunties and grandmothers how to make sacred hoops, with webbing similar to hers, to protect the children while sleeping. When placed near the child’s bedside, the hoops catch all of the dreams, good and bad, passing through the night air and allow the good dreams to enter the child’s thoughts, while trapping the bad dreams in the webs. The bad dreams are burned away once daylight reaches the webbing. Since then, dreamcatchers have become popular keepsakes and many people, including non-natives, still believe the sacred hoop’s power of filtering dreams and nightmares.

Tulalip tribal member Dinesha Kane’s journey to creating dreamcatchers began when she lost her mother to an overdose. After enduring months of heartache, Dinesha gathered the will to attend a beading class taught by Winona Shopbell-Fryberg and Cyrus ‘Bubba’ Fryberg which ultimately led to the start of her new company, Coast Salish Concepts.

“I actually find art very therapeutic; I’ve liked art my whole life. After I lost my mom, it was really difficult, so I turned to art,” Dinesha expresses. “I started beading with Winona and Bubba, I went to their class and fell in love with it. From there I wanted to learn more. I wanted to learn weaving so I took a class. I couldn’t find any dreamcatcher classes, so I figured out how to do it on my own. I looked at enough dreamcatchers and figured how to deconstruct a couple, and from there I just went nuts.”

The majority of today’s dreamcatchers are manufactured by non-Indigenous companies, while all of Dinesha’s products are authentic Native American dreamcatchers that are often customized to the client’s wants, needs and aura. Dinesha’s unique creations also promote healing, as each dreamcatcher contains raw crystals. During her first year as a business, she has made numerous dreamcatchers of various sizes, colors and designs, including chakra sets.

“The chakra, we all have it within us. All our colors represent different parts of body from head to the ground,” she explains. “I got into healing and chakra through reiki, the crystals came with yoga. Because of my diagnosis, fibromyalgia, the medicine wasn’t working so I went the holistic route. From there, with my teas and my new home garden, came the crystals and chakras. I’m able to hold the crystals over whatever plexus I’m hurting or feeling on. I think it ties into our culture because we are a natural people. We eat off our land, only take what we need, we give back, we share and we heal through nature. I think that’s how I found my roots and my healing. I give you my food that will help you heal, my tea that I dried out myself, or my dreamcatchers with the crystals”

While working on a dreamcatcher for her sister, Dinesha stumbled across an idea that may very well make Coast Salish Concepts a household name in the near future.

“I was working on my sister’s dreamcatcher and happened to be sitting with it [horizontally] and something dropped. That’s when I thought that it would be kind of cool and unique to make the dreamcatcher horizontally instead of vertically. From there I started stringing it down, piece by piece and low and behold here comes this wonderfully made baby mobile and everybody loved it.”

Dinesha has already made a few customized dream-catching baby mobiles, including Harry Potter and mermaid themes. And although she is sure to see success with her dreamcatchers, Dinesha maintains that her sole focus is assisting the people of her community.

“I’m not in this to make a million dollars or to be the next great artist,” she states. “I just want to help people. Most of us come from very troubled backgrounds and a lot of us make it through, some of us don’t. I’d like to be able to help kids heal their own pain through learning how to make art. Winona really did that for me, sitting and talking in that circle, learning how to bead and learning our own tradition. That feeling, how well I felt after the classes, I want to be able to do that for others because I know people hurt like I do. Whether it’s past trauma, or the loss of a mom or a grandma from cancer, I’ve seen death from all different ways. I’ve never found better strength than going back to my own roots.”

Dinesha’s future plans for Coast Salish Concepts include a storefront where she can sell her dreamcatchers, tea and artwork, which also doubles as yoga studio to promote all around healing. For more information about the dreamcatchers and Coast Salish Concepts please contact Dinesha and JT Kane at (425) 876-8788. And to view more designs, please be sure to visit the Coast Salish Concepts Facebook and Instagram pages.

Tulalip Day: Embracing Heritage, Celebrating Culture

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

The morning of November 22nd was a truly joyous occasion, as the Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary gymnasium was packed wall-to-wall with students and community members who gathered for an early celebration of Tulalip Day. Students were encouraged to wear traditional regalia according to their tribal cultures.

“Welcome everyone to Tulalip Day,” greeted Principal Douglas Shook to the jam-packed gymnasium audience. “We thank our tribal elders who are in attendance, our guests from Heritage High School and 10th Street, as well as all our family, friends, and community members for being here today. I am honored to be part of this day with you all.”

Tulalip pride was on full display with many students wearing traditional Coast Salish garb featuring cedar weaves, abalone shells, and woven wool. Other students shined bright in their colorful and stunning powwow regalia. Many hand-made, uniquely painted drums were seen carried by youth and audience members who came to drum united under a common heritage.

“It’s significant we are here today, being in a public school dressed in our traditional regalia, showing pride for our Native culture…that’s healing,” proclaimed cultural specialist Chelsea Craig. “During the boarding school era, lots of hard times happened for our people. One of the biggest things was our people weren’t allowed to speak their language. They weren’t allowed to sing their songs. If they did, they were beaten and thrown in jail.

“We started this morning assembly to try to heal what was done in education, and the fact we filled this auditorium with our kids, their families, and community members is humbling. So we are going to celebrate today, not just because it’s Native American Heritage Month, but because we are proud to be Native American every single day.”

The floor was opened to anyone in the audience who wanted to share a song, encouraging words to the youth, or a story. Native Liaisons for the Marysville School District, Matt Remle and Terrance Sabbas each took their turn greeting the admiring students and shared songs.

Ray Fryberg then brought up the Tulalip Canoe Family so their singers and drummers could fill the air with their enchanting, traditional sound. As they performed several songs, children and their families adorned in tribal regalia danced in the middle of the gym.

Watching her daughter and other students dance from the audience, proud mother Roselle Fryberg shared she felt overcome with joy because “the youth give me hope.”

Next up, the eager and energetic powwow dancers took center stage while Terrance Sabbas provided them with the necessary powwow music according to each style of dance; traditional, grass, fancy, and jingle.

Led by Natosha Gobin, the Tulalip Language Warriors closed out the near 60-minute assembly dedicated to embracing Native culture. The Language Warriors shared Martha Lamont’s berry picking song, a song many of the students have learned while participating in the annual Language Camp.

“What a beautiful Tulalip Day at Quil Ceda Elementary School this morning!” stated Board of Director, Theresa Sheldon, following the assembly. “Our kids sang their hearts out and danced with such joy. Anytime we can gather with our students in a good way makes for an excellent day.”

Native Heartbeats Creates Personalized Novelties With an Indigenous Twist

 

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

Three short years ago, young Tulalip tribal member Mackenzie Parks found herself in an auspicious situation while at a trade show in Los Angeles. Her eyes fell onto a laser-engraving machine, used to customize jewelry with personal messages. After inquiring about the machine from a salesperson at the show, she continued to observe the laser machine in action. As she studied the product, people began to approach Mackenzie, asking how the machine worked. She happily informed the small crowd about the laser-engraver and while doing so, decided to purchase one of her own, essentially selling the product to herself. Thus beginning her new business venture, Native Heartbeats.

“I am a young, entrepreneurial tribal woman with some big dreams for Native Heartbeats,” Mackenzie states. “I’ve invested my life savings into this business knowing that there are tons of people out in this world doing the same thing. Every time a team goes to get sports plaques, they go to a business like mine. The trouble with their business model is that they’re all fighting for the same customer. My vision is to create a new customer, kind of like my own niche market. What better than my Native American culture?”

The inspiration for Mackenzie’s new project came in the form of one of the world’s favorite carbohydrates, the potato. When hearing about a humorous story of a man successfully selling personalized potatoes nationwide, Mackenzie, along with her father Les Parks, conjured the idea of gathering and customizing flat beach rocks for tribal members across the nation. Now Mackenzie is the owner of a unique company that combines traditional Native American artwork with modern technology to create items such as drums and carvings that are engraved with family photos and personal messages.

Since purchasing the laser-engraver, Mackenzie has been perfecting her craft by learning the machine’s software and engraving several different types of materials. In addition to drums and woodcarvings, Mackenzie has successfully engraved photos and designs onto glass and stone, as well as leather. Les has been involved with Mackenzie’s project from the beginning, often bringing new ideas to the table. More importantly, he owned and operated a number of small businesses, and offers Mackenzie strong advice along her journey with Native Heartbeats.

Mackenzie’s father, Les Parks, brings new ideas and a helping hand to the business.

The father-daughter duo have put their brains together on more than one occasion to create new products. Perhaps one of their most astonishing creations are wooden salmon carvings which feature engraved Coast Salish designs, as well as additional space for a picture and a message. The salmon carvings are one of many popular items and have been commissioned for both gifts as well as memorial plaques for celebrations of life. In the near future, Mackenzie plans on packaging smoked salmon and attaching it to the back of each personalized salmon carving.

Currently, Native Heartbeats has a variety of novelties such as mirrors, jewelry boxes, hot plates and coasters that are ready to be engraved with your favorite designs and photos. Mackenzie is eager to grow her new startup and equally excited to create custom keepsakes for tribal members all across Native America.

“I love my culture and I’m happy I can get into it by creating unique pieces for people who love it just as much as I do,” she expresses. “While I’m just now nurturing my business plans, watch how it will grow in coming months and years. I would be happy to sit with anyone and talk about what my business can make for you and your families.”

If you are searching for the perfect gift this holiday season that is both personal and unique, please visit the Native Heartbeats Facebook page; and be sure to send the page a message for orders, pricing and all other inquires.

Unexpected Pairings: Tulalip Resort Casino Chefs Trade the Usual Suspects for ‘Bubbles & Fries’

 Poutine Bar and Prosecco Take Center Stage This December

Tulalip, Washington — Bubbles and Fries will be all the craze at Tulalip Resort Casino starting November 30 through December 30, 2017. Executive Chef Perry Mascitti and Sommelier Tom Thompson have teamed up to share their two favorite food and drink combinations in a uniquely inspiring way.

Whether it’s the Build-Your-Own Poutine Bar at Eagles Buffet or the Twice-Baked Potato Fries at The Draft Sports Bar and Grill, guests are encouraged to partner these tempting French fry preparations with a glass of bubbly.

For Mascitti this month-long event is all about the salty fries, and for Thompson, it’s all about the elegant contrast of these sparkling wines paired with these savory treats.

“I want everyone to try it once by taking a fry, placing it in their mouths and following it with a sip of bubbly to experience this food revolution,” shares Executive Chef Perry Mascitti.

“I challenged the entire Tulalip chef team to strategize very special and creative ways of serving their wonderful fries to share with our dining guests,” states Sommelier Tom Thompson. “They took the potato throw down very, very seriously.”

In fact, it was somewhat of a potato war. The Tulalip chef team deconstructed them, sauced them, relished them, cut, and creatively cooked them…all in an effort to spark a newfound love affair worth their weight in gold.

Full menus and additional dining information are available at Cedars Cafe, Destinations Lounge, Journeys East, The Draft Sports Bar and Grill, Blackfish Wild Salmon Grill, and Eagles Buffet.

Shhh…a New Year’s teaser about what will be happening in January. It will be about spirited cuisine, which will start on January 2, 2018. Stay tuned!

Hibulb Exhibit Teaches Kids About Agriculture During Assimilation Years

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

Beginning in the late 1800’s and extending into the early 1900’s, boarding schools were established across America in an effort to strip the culture and traditions from Indigenous Peoples. Native children were taken from their homes and were punished for speaking their traditional language and practicing their cultural teachings while in the schools. The atrocities were occurring across the nation as the students who were forced to attend the boarding schools were mistreated and often beaten. The United States Government set up these schools to introduce the western lifestyle, including the English language, in attempt to ‘civilize’ Native people. However, students were tragically abused, both physically and mentally.

The Tulalip Indian Boarding School opened in 1905, fifty years after the signing of the Point Elliot Treaty of 1855, and operated until 1932. One of the main areas of study at the boarding school was agriculture. Tulalip tribal members were learning how to grow their own crops and were to become farmers. In 1915, Tulalip and several surrounding tribes held their first Indian Agriculture Fair as a requirement by the state. At the fair, students showcased their new ‘Americanized’ teachings as well as some traditionally inspired handicrafts such as an assortment of tools and baskets. Many events occurred at the fair including a football game and an award ceremony. Tulalip Indian Boarding School Superintendent Dr. Charles Buchanan would continue the fair, holding the first annual Indian Fair two years later on October 5 and 6, 1917.

On the hundredth anniversary of the first annual Indian Fair, the Hibulb Cultural Center opened a new exhibit, Cultivating History: Tulalip Indian Fair, sharing the history of the agriculture fair, which occurred for over ten years. The exhibit features many interactive activities and is targeted for youth from kindergarten to the third grade; and also provides exciting displays with interesting information to keep parents entertained as well.

“We have all these reports from the early 1900s about how the U.S. Government was attempting to train our people to become farmers, becoming dependent on small plots of land,” explains Hibulb Cultural Center Lead Curator, Tessa Campbell. “Each family received 80-acre allotments and the government wanted Native Americans to farm on their land, deterring them from going out and practicing the hunting and gathering lifestyle.

“I think it’s pretty amazing that we were able to obtain so much information on the fair,” she continues. “We have newspapers that start from the very first fair in 1915 all the way up to 1922. We have all the original brochures from the fair and the original ribbons. That’s where the inspiration for the exhibit actually came from, when I was hired in 2009 we had one little ribbon from the 1917 fair. As I continued working, all this material kept coming in until one day we had enough material for the exhibit. The photographs depict the different displays of the exhibit that our tribal people put together. The fair was overseen by Dr. Charles Milton Buchanan, everything else was done by tribal members. They promoted it, fundraising, advertisement, they put together all of the displays and developed a committee. We’re lucky to have some photographs depicting some of the events that took place at the fair – there were a lot of sports games like football games, tug-of-war, canoe races and canoe tug-of-war.”

The exhibit is sure to keep the youngsters entertained by engaging them with fun activities. Aside from the original fair items, and a Chief William Shelton carving and headdress on display, kids can play a variety of games during their Indian Fair experience.

“We have touch screen games that were developed by our TDS Department,” says Tessa. “We wanted to have learning activities to reflect the Washington State learning standards, so there’s a math element. One is a canoe racing game, kids race each other. You can do one to two players, so the kids can play against the computer or a friend. They answer math questions such as subtraction and addition; whoever hits the correct button first, their canoe will go faster. The other game is called At the Fair and it’s a farmers market where the youth sell their produce and win prizes.

Then we have the garden section, one garden bed has actual fake dirt, and the other is made out of felt. Kids can build their own garden and play in the sandbox. There’s also a produce stand that our TERO construction department built for us, they did an awesome job. There’s a cash register with games so that kids can practice buying and selling produce. There’s also a chalkboard wall where kids can design their own gardens. It’s really a highly interactive exhibit.

When I’ve told tribal members about the Indian Fair they’re surprised to learn about it, a lot of tribal members don’t know about this history,” she continues. “I think [the exhibit] is important because it reinforces the importance of the treaty and sustaining our cultural lifeways like hunting, gathering and access to our natural resources.”

The Cultivating History: The Tulalip Indian Fair exhibit is currently on display at the Hibulb Cultural Center and will extend into 2018. For more information, please contact the museum at (360) 716-2600.

“Chef’s Hazelnut Holidays” Hits Dining Tables at Tulalip Resort Casino Restaurants During November

Tulalip, Washington — Tulalip Resort Casino chefs are “nutty” with excitement as they celebrate their latest creations. Their new fare features local hazelnuts from Hazel Blue Acres. In honor of this new local partnership, the Tulalip culinary team is kicking off the holiday season with their “Chef’s Hazelnut Holidays,” which will run through November 29, 2017.

What makes Hazel Blue Acres hazelnuts so special? These nuts are from a local family farm in Silvana, Washington, near the Stillaguamish River. Washington state natives Karen and Spencer Fuentes have meticulously worked for nine years with their hazelnut trees to finally achieve today’s sought-after, top-quality hazelnut bounty. With the help of their three young children, the Fuentes family is growing some of the finest hazelnuts in Washington state, and arguably the best in the U.S.

The Tulalip culinary team invites their guests to enjoy the following selections this November.

Blackfish Wild Salmon Grill and Bar 
If pork belly is your forte, stop by Blackfish to try Chef David Buchanan’s appetizer of Maple Glazed Pork Belly served with roast pumpkin and toasted Hazel Blue Acres hazelnuts for $11. And while there, a slice of Chef Nikol Nakamura’s Warm Coffee and Hazelnut Brownie drizzled with house-made nutella, candied hazelnuts, and vanilla bean ice cream should be included for $8.

Cedars Cafe
What goes better with hazelnuts than blue cheese? Chef Brent Clarkson’s Blue Cheese Stuffed Hazelnut Crusted Chicken Breast stuffed with Oregon buttermilk blue cheese and topped with a Riesling, mushroom, sage, and prosciutto cream reduction. The entree comes with vegetable du jour along and a choice of fresh house salad or soup of the day. Diners can also select from an accompaniment of Rio rice, mashed potatoes, or baked potato for $20.95. This hazelnut special will be offered seven days a week during November from 11am to 11pm. For the sweet-tooth lover, indulge in the Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding with toasted Hazel Blue Acres hazelnuts; topped with Frangelico cream for $6.95.

The Carvery and Hotel Espresso On-The-Go-Go
Guests can enjoy a Toasted Hazelnut Chicken Salad on-the-go-go with a roasted chicken breast, toasted Hazel Blue Acres hazelnuts, red grapes, cranberries, and house-made dressing for $8.

As part of Chef’s Hazelnut Holidays, Eagles Buffett will be offering their signature Green Beans with toasted hazelnuts, shallots, and fresh thyme, which are part of the daily buffet offerings. For menu information and pricing, visit here.

The Draft Sports Bar and Grill will keep their hazelnut special in pub fashion featuring a Hazelnut Waffle accompanied by a roasted pork tenderloin and spiced maple glaze priced at $13.50.

Tulalip’s new dining venue Blazing Paddles Stone Fired Pizza and Spirits is also getting in on the game! Blazing Paddles will offer a Hazelnut Sweet Ending Dessert Pizza topped with a house-made streusel of finely chopped hazelnuts baked with a honey orange syrup finished with a festival frosting for $6.50.


The Tulalip culinary team extends an invitation to everyone to come experience their Hazelnut Holidays for this limited engagement. For more information about the Tulalip Resort Casino or the Chef’s Hazelnut Holidays, visit tulalipresort.com.

Shhh…here’s a sneak peek about what will be happening in December. It will be about sparkling wines and an American classic of french fries, which will start on November 30, 2017. Stay tuned!

The Curtain Closes on Tulalip Bay Restaurant, But Not Without a New Act


TulaBene Pastaria + Chophouse to Make Its Debut at Tulalip Resort Casino

Tulalip, Washington —- After many encores, the Tulalip Resort Casino culinary team realized that their beloved Tulalip Bay Restaurant is ready for a new act. Like a long running award-winning Broadway play, Tulalip Bay witnessed talented artistry, acclaimed culinary shows, and memorable waitstaff star performances during it’s 13-year run. As the culinary curtains for Tulalip Bay Restaurant comes to its final close on Saturday, October 28, 2017, a new and exciting production is being rehearsed by way of TulaBene Pastaria + Chophouse, which is slated to open in spring of 2018.

TulaBene Pastaria + Chop House will take diners on an unexpected culinary experience where ethereal steaks and curated Italian-inspired dishes come together from the hands and soul of Tulalip Resort Casino’s Chef Jeremy Taisey. A new bar will be added to the restaurant featuring a varied selection of handcrafted cocktails and an extensive wine list.

“TulaBene will be an inviting dining spot that will encourage guests to ‘come-as-you-are’ and to order family style meals, creating memorable dinners with friends and family. We plan on working closely with local farmers with an attention to create our own house-made products, and each guest will be the director of their experience,” Chef Taisey shares.

For more information about Tulalip Resort Casino’s extensive dining options, visit www.tulalipresort.com.

Paint and Sip brings out inner artist for Girl’s Talking Circle

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News; photos courtesy of event coordinator and para-pro, Monica Holmes 

On the afternoon of Friday, September 29, the popular Paint and Sip experience came to Tulalip’s own Girl’s Talking Circle. Eight aspiring young ladies had the unique opportunity to create their own masterpiece on canvas while sipping sparkling cider and enjoying fancy snacks.

The Paint and Sip activity provided both our youth Girl’s Talking Circle and their family members with an opportunity to explore their creative side. They learned to hone their artistic skills, like utilizing color for effect, balancing light and dark, adding shapes, dimension and perspective, and taking risks to personalize art in order to make it their own.

Hosted by Tulalip Youth Services and Behavioral Health’s MSPI Program, and held at the Kenny Moses Building, Paint and Sip was a creative way of engaging with female youth ages 11-18+. The mother, aunties, grandmas or female guardians of participating youth were also invited to participate. There ended up being two pairs of mother/daughter duos attending.

“One mother-daughter duo in particular really exemplified unity and support,” explains event coordinator and para-pro Monica Holmes. “Amy and Kelsey Sheldon reached out to us early on to see if we could create an inclusive activity that Kelsey could participate in. Kelsey has Autism and rarely has opportunities to interact with other young women her age with or without disabilities.

“Understanding the challenges Kelsey might face in groups, we felt including her mother Amy would be an important first step into helping Kelsey feel at ease in a group of new people. Sitting beside one another and working together on an art project helped to focus her attention to the task at hand. The finished product both mother and daughter created and the positive experiences they had, proves that kids with challenges and disabilities can benefit from more inclusion in community sponsored activities. MSPI (Methamphetamine Suicide Prevention Initiative) is working to push forward with even more tailored inclusive activities in which all youth can gain skills, camaraderie and connection to their heritage and community.”

For most of the girls Paint and Sip provided the opportunity to showcase their artistic talents on canvas for the very first time. Under the guidance of art instructor Irina Johnson from Vine and Palette, everyone painted their own rendition of sea turtles swimming in the ocean under a bright summer sun.

“Art teaches you to look at nature and everything around you through different eyes,” says artist Irina on the importance of experiencing art. “You look for details, texture, and color in a way that makes you appreciate all those things you generally ignore and take for granted. For example, how many colors can you spot in a leaf when the sun is setting, or what are all the textures in a tree branch, or the intricate details in a single blade of grass. All these little things add up to a greater awareness of our world and our reality. In this sense, art makes us appreciate life that much more.”

An eloquent description for sure, but for 11-year-old Tieriana McLean she puts it much simpler, “I came here because I just like painting.” What more need be said?

The Girl’s Talking Circle meets every Friday from 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. at the Tulalip Youth Center.  They do hands-on arts and crafts, explore cultural identity, focus on personal, team and community building, have speakers from the Tribe teach their wisdom, and go on fieldtrips to explore, learn and grow.

For more information about the Girl’s Talking Circle please contact Monica Holmes at 360-631-3406 or email: mholmes@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Hibulb Cultural Center Hosts 5th Annual Film Festival

Larry Campbell Sr. (Swinomish) and Tracy Rector (Seminole/Choctaw)
accept lifetime achievement awards at the Film Festival for their work in cultural sharing and filmmaking.

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

Local filmmakers, cinephiles, culturalists and food fanatics gathered at the Hibulb Cultural Center on Saturday September 23, to attend the Center’s annual Film Festival. Every year the festival has a new theme and filmmakers are encouraged to submit a project correlating to the theme, however, all projects are welcome. The Cultural Center chose First Foods: Feeding our Spirits as the theme for this year’s festival.

Celebrating its fifth year, the festival featured a showing of several Indigenous films, a presentation by the Rediscovery Program and a story presented in Lushootseed by Natosha Gobin. Awards were presented to filmmakers in attendance as well as lifetime achievement awards to Swinomish elder Larry Campbell Sr. and Longhouse Media Director and Seminole/Choctaw tribal member Tracy Rector for their work in cultural sharing and filmmaking.

Language teacher Natosha Gobin tells a story in Lushootseed.

The Rediscovery Program shared the history of traditional Tulalip ancestral foods and a food tasting which included hawthorn horsetail peppermint tea, basil stinging nettle pesto, deer and elk meat, as well as mixed berries comprised of salal berries and mountain huckleberries. The Rediscovery Program also showcased a traditional bentwood box used for cooking. Inside the box were a variety of traditional foods, including mussels, oysters, clams, salmon, elk meat, berries and herbs; as well as cooking necessities such as cedar-woven food storage baskets, cooking rocks and utensils.

“It’s truly a blessing to be able to be one with our environment,” expresses Rediscovery Program Coordinator, Inez Bill. “We need to share that with our young people so they know that the lifeways of our people is very important to who we are. We need to see that continues to our grandchildren’s grandchildren. What’s important to know and remember is that our ancestors were one with their environment; and being one with the environment, they had a key identity with the resources. These natural resources provided for all of the needs for our people; it provided shelter, tools, transportation to go from one area to another. This relationship with the natural environment also meant that they respected the environment, they had teachings and values that they lived by. They had a spiritual connection that they followed daily.

“The spiritual connection, the teachings and the values were in all the lifeways of our people,” she continues. “Whether it was hunting, fishing or gathering it was done in a proper manner – with the rituals, making the baskets, carvings and all of the different teachings that took place. We had people that were so keen to the native plants that they were able to provide the medicine that was needed to help our people live. There were no hospitals; there was no fast food outside the reservation like there are now. Our people were a lot healthier than they are today. As our people adapted to the changing world, our bodies were not accustomed to these drastic changes and it’s not always in the best interest for our health. We need to do the best we can to continue to keep some of these foods, not for ourselves, but for the future generations. Because we know that when we eat our native foods we’re not only nourishing our bodies, we’re nourishing our spirits.”

Rediscovery Program Coordinator, Inez Bill.

 

Following the presentation by the Rediscovery Program, festival attendees were treated to a viewing of eight films.

“We have categories in animation, documentaries long and short, feature films long and short, anti-bullying and experimental films,” explains Hibulb Cultural Center Education Curator and Film Festival Organizer, Lena Jones. “We have youth categories for animation, documentaries, feature films, anti-bullying, and experimental also. We have a section specific to Tulalip members in all those categories as well.”

Navajo Filmmaker Kody Dayish submitted three films for this year’s event. In his film The Beginning, a Navajo elder explains the heritage and traditions of the Navajo people to his grandson through traditional song. Kody also tackled serious issues such as bullying in schools and suicide during his three-minute film, Spared. For his third submission, Goodbye, a Navajo elder returns to her childhood home and is hit with a wave of nostalgia as she reminisces of young love in a music video-style film featuring music by Navajo band, Our Last Chants.

The Hibulb Cultural Center Film Festival also screened the short animation film, σčəδαδξʷ. The film’s name is in the traditional Lushootseed language, meaning salmon. The animation explains the importance of salmon to Coastal Natives while depicting the salmon’s lifecycle. The main character is the late Billy Frank Jr. and is told entirely in his voice, as the cartoon was built from one of his speeches.

“When I first saw [σčəδαδξʷ] I was at home reviewing all the films and I just cried,” states Swinomish tribal member and Hibulb Cultural Center Film Festival Judge, Robin Carneen. “Billy Frank Jr. was such a hero in our Northwest area because he was such a fighter for the rights of the people – treaty rights, our right to fish. He was on the ground to the day that he passed. That is such a powerful film. And to mix it as an animated film, it’s going to reach even younger generations. I grew up watching cartoons, not a lot of educational purpose to them except maybe for entertainment value and not necessarily always a good message. Later as an adult and watching animation, you think ‘wow all that was going into my brain?’ You see how much of an influence animation, films and TV are. To see Billy Frank again – he’s immortalized. His message is immortalized now, for all of us and all the generations yet to come so that we don’t quit fighting. This film is going to be our inspiration to make sure that fight keeps happening for generations to come.”

Tulalip tribal member, David Spencer Sr., presented his film, Waiting for Blackberries, which displayed clay Stick Indians chanting a traditional song to help ripen blackberries during the upcoming spring season. David was inspired to create the film when recalling advice from his grandmother to respect the berries, stating, “if you don’t show the berries respect, they will whip you with their thorny vines.”

The main screening, Maiden of Deception Pass: Guardian of her Samish People, was held in the Hibulb longhouse. The twenty-minute documentary highlighted the traditional story of Ko-kwal-alwoot, a young Samish woman who married a sea spirit in order to save her people from famine; and the erection of her story pole at Deception Pass in 1983. Filmmakers of the documentary include Jason Ticknor, Lou Karsen and Tracy Rector. Two international films, Hani’s Barbershop and Closer, were also shown to close out the festival.

“What I like about the Native films is that it’s really important that we’re preserving and documenting our culture,” says Robin. “When I see the language show up in the films, I get so excited to see and hear the language. That’s what I like about the films that are coming in from our area. The films are all so different but they’re all so important. The mix of people that we have, including the many generations, I think that all of the storytelling is great. Especially with all the modern technology, to mix the two together because it’s going to reach everybody on some level.”

The fifth Annual Hibulb Cultural Center Film Festival was a success as movie buffs from the Pacific Northwest, including Canada and Oregon, traveled to Tulalip for an afternoon of culture and movies. The event continues to generate interest as several young tribal members attended. Lena hopes to inspire indigenous youth to pick up a camera and start shooting.

“I encourage young people to become involved in filmmaking,” she states. “Films can impact people. We have such a strong, beautiful culture; and we have a belief that young people can reflect our ancestral values in film work because of their experience living in the culture. Plus, filmmaking is enjoyable!”

For additional information about the Annual Hibulb Cultural Center Film Festival please contact the museum at (360) 716-2600.