Category: Tulalip News

Hawks and Lady Hawks wrap up regular season

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

Lady Hawks on a 12-game win streak entering playoffs

The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks wrapped up the regular season with a perfect (12-0) record within the NW1B league, which has earned them the #1 seed entering the 1B District Tournament.

During the 12-game league winning streak Heritage has outscored their opponents on average by a whopping 26 points per game. The defense has been solid, anchored by senior forward and rim protector, Deandra Grant. Helping to crash boards and becoming a rebounding machine down the stretch has been Freshman, Krislyn Parks

Offensively, this rendition of the Lady Hawks has led the league in offensive production. Senior guard, Keryn Parks, and her running mate Deandra have decimated teams with an inside-out game most teams have no answer for. Add in the surge in three-point shooting from Georgie Randall and Deachae Jones and it’s no wonder this time scores 58 points per game on average.

There has been much to celebrate with Heritage holding Senior Night the same day the Lady Hawks clinched the #1 seed for the upcoming playoffs.

Heritage will host a home game in the opening round scheduled for Thursday, February 1st vs. #8 Cedar Park Christian at 5:00p.m.

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Hawks wrap up regular season, look for deep playoff run

Coach Cyrus “Bubba” Fryberg and his coaching staff have molded the Heritage Hawks into an aggressive, up-tempo machine that can score with the best of them and lockdown on defense when necessary. The Hawks finished the regular season as by far the second best team in the NW1B, while tallying an impressive (17-3) overall record.

Their success has earned them the #2 seed entering the 1B District Tournament. With schools like Cedar Park, Lummi, and Mt. Vernon Christian on the opposite side, Heritage finds themselves in prime position to make it to the Championship game and take home the 1B crown.

During the regular season it seemed like every game had multiple players shine with big buckets or defensive prowess. The ball moves and the boys understand where there best spots are on the court. When everyone is locked in defensively, as a team they force many turnovers that get the transition game going.

Senior standouts Paul Shay, Jr., Josh Iukes, Rodney Barber, and Nashone Whitebear have all had excellent season and were recognized prior to the start of the final regular season home game. These four, along with the talented sharpshooters filling out the roster, will look to start off the postseason with a blowout victory when they host #7 Shoreline Christian on Thursday, February 1st at 6:30p.m.

Crafting With Elders

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

Honorary Tulalip Tribal member, Carol Kapua, has been conducting an arts and crafts class for the Tulalip Elders once a week, for nearly thirty years. Currently, a dedicated group of ladies joins her every Thursday between the hours 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to create art projects for the homebound elders of the community. The ladies also remain consistently busy throughout the course of the year making flower arrangements for various occasions, including luncheons, birthings and funerals.

“I’ve spent a lot of time out here since I was in high school. Tulalip is like a second home to me,” says Carol. “I started when we were in the old Tribal building, it was called ‘The Peoples Room.’ Since then, it’s been an ongoing thing and it’s been a really nice outing for some people who would never get out of the house otherwise.”

Carol makes sure to give her students plenty of time to complete their crafts and plans projects months in advance. Currently, the class is already preparing for Halloween and Christmas by crafting string lights out of water bottle caps. The ladies are also creating personal snowmen out of glass bottles.

“For every holiday, the people who can’t leave their home, we make them an ornament. This year they are going to get snowmen made from recycled bottles with golf balls for heads,” says Carol. “It’s just another way of recycling. All the jars are different shapes and sizes so a lot of the snowmen are unique to each person, but all of them will have a hat, scarf and buttons down the front when we’re finished.

“We have also been collecting bottle caps for Christmas and Halloween lights,” she continues. “We glue two caps together and cut a hole between them to place the lights in. There are fifty lights on a strand and two caps per light, so that’s one-hundred caps per strand. People have been really nice about collecting and dropping them off and we will happily continue to accept them until we have enough to complete the project.”

The classes are far more than just arts and crafts to these ladies. They use this time as an opportunity to create memories and share laughter with one another during the course of each four-hour class. Many of the ladies, including Carol, also participate in traditional cedar basket weaving gatherings held at the Senior Center on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

“We have fun. You can probably hear us a long ways away,” expresses Tulalip Elder and devoted crafter, Virginia Carpenter. “We enjoy making things for our homebound elders. Last year we did Christmas cards; we also do wreaths. We make the centerpieces for the tables at the yearly Elder’s Luncheon, one time we did a beach theme with driftwood and canoes. We do flower arrangements for funerals too, a lot of people donate baskets, we’re thankful for all the donations. Carol is our fearless leader, she teaches us everything we know. She’s done a lot for our elders.”

“These are some fun ladies who I’m proud to call my friends,” Carol expresses. “I think we all look forward to every Thursday. When doing this, often times you’re able to put a smile on somebody’s face because they’re getting something personal. It also puts a smile on our faces because it feels very rewarding to do things for other people. We like to give back.”

For further details, please contact the Tulalip Senior Center at (360) 716-4684.

All That Glitters

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

Imagine having your own personal galaxy that you can escape to when the world is too much to handle. Or when you’ve reached your boiling point and are on your last nerve, envision getting lost in colorful sparkles that slowly dissolve away the anger and stress after a meltdown. As a parent, imagine having a tool that helps calm your child and subconsciously focuses their breathing during a temper tantrum. Imagine having a portable device that helps reduce the anxieties of a child with autism or sensory processing difficulties, who feels over stimulated and upset in social settings. Now imagine that you’re able to easily craft your own galaxy that even the kids can assist with. Sounds like a fun project, right?

Tulalip Family Haven has been implementing this fun do-it-yourself craft, known as calming jars, at the end of their eleven-session parenting classes. They have been so popular during the parenting classes that the program wants to share the secrets of the jars with the community.

“After ten sessions of our parenting classes, our eleventh is our final review. We do a final talk and then make calming jars,” explains Family Voices Coordinator, Sasha Smith. “We give our families the tools to make a calming jar, which are plastic or glass jars that are filled with water, glue and glitter.  And when you shake it up, you’re supposed to take deep breaths and watch the jar for a minute or so. It helps the child calm down and even us as adults too. Instead of putting your child into timeout or sending them to their room, you can give them a calming jar when they’re upset.”

Calming jars are visually appealing and often unique to their makers, varying in different colors, shapes and glitter. The jars are extremely popular amongst parents on Pinterest, where there are many different techniques and ‘recipes’ you can tryout during your next family craft night, including Disney and Lego themed bottles.

Family Haven recommends using plastic water bottles for kids, especially babies, as well as hot-gluing the lids shut so kids don’t accidentally take a drink from the bottles. The mesmerizing calming jars are also great for adults and ought to come in handy when kept at your office desk.

“Calming jars are great and fun to make,” says Sasha. “They help children with sensory issues and help relieve some of that stress when a kid is overwhelmed. It’s a tool that we teach our parents and want to share with our community.”

Family Haven encourages crafters to watch “Just Breathe” by Julie Bayer Salzman & Josh Salzman on YouTube and have fun crafting.

For more information, please contact Family Haven at (360) 716-4402.

Young artists paint new spirit into Youth Center

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

In preparation for the C.R.E.A.T.E. Space (Calm Room & Expressive Art to Empower) grand opening event scheduled for Friday, February 9th from 11:30a.m. – 5:00p.m. at the Tulalip Youth Center, an art competition was held to determine which creative minds would paint new spirit into the blank canvas walls of the Youth Center’s second floor.

Over forty aspiring muralists from the Marysville School District submitted entries into the competition. The eight deserving winners were selected based on their best representations of local culture, wildlife, waterways, forests, mountains and daily life in our area. The eight artists were contacted and given the opportunity to paint their own ‘window scene’ that showcases a view from the Tulalip/Marysville area onto the walls that will house the C.R.E.A.T.E. Space.

“What we loved best about the submissions we received was the eclectic mix of styles and perspectives each child represented,” explained Monica Holmes, C.R.E.A.T.E. Space designer and Parapro for the M.S.P.I. Grant (Methamphetamine Suicide Prevention Initiative) through Behavioral Health and Youth Services

Each muralist used their original artwork as a jumping off point for their wall art or canvas. Prior to painting, Monica led a discussion about art mediums, like the various kinds of art materials and supplies used in artistic creation. Essentially, it’s whatever they wanted to use in order to make a mark upon a surface, such as ink, sharpies, colored pencil, pastels, watercolor, chalk or even crayon.

Under the guidance of Monica, the ambitious, young artists also looked at the types of paint brushes and discussed the merits of fan brushes and finer brushes versus large sponge brushes and the best applications for each. Like a scene from The Joy of Painting, the half-hour instructional TV show hosted by afro-sporting painter Bob Ross, the young artists in residence were allowed to let their imaginations run wild with creative inspiration.

After a short tutorial and healthy snack provided by the M.S.P.I. Grant and Youth Services, the eager youth selected their color palettes, artist tools, and set off to sketch their artwork on panels. For those who chose to do a window scene, pre-painted window grids were ready and waiting on the walls of the C.R.E.A.T.E. Space for the fledgling artists to fill with their creative images.

While some students chose a more traditional window scene, others typified a more abstract art style. One young man, J.J. Collins a 5th grader at Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary, created a scene that took on a unique interpretation of a flowering branch viewed from outside his bedroom window. Rather than a conventional sketch of a tree branch with well-defined flower petals, he turned it into an almost batik styled painting called “The Battle of Light and Dark.”

“By utilizing the pure elements of form, color, line, texture, pattern, composition and process, abstract artwork allows artists flexibility and freedom in expressing their world views and inner realities. J.J.’s art definitely struck a chord in our judges and I’m sure his art will do the same for all those who view it,” remarked Monica Holmes.

Alongside J.J., several classmates from Ms. Mejia’s 5th grade class at Quil Ceda also won the contest. Amos Carpenter, Kane Hatch, KayDee Wilson, Levi Degreave, and Emma B. also turned in stunning samples. KayDee, Kane and Amos drew wildlife in the traditional Salish style, while Levi, Emma, Noelani Cultee (4th grader at Pinewood Elementary) and Dylan Jones-Moses (5th grader at Sunnyside Elementary) created beautiful samples of everyday life and nature.

Dylan, grandson of Don Jones, and a member of the Suquamish tribe, accompanied by several members of his family who rooted him on while he painted, delivered a sweeping panoramic view of Mt. Pilchuck. “I like being outdoors and love animals. This view is of Mt. Pilchuck from my cabin nearby.” His mother, overjoyed to find out her son Dylan had won the art contest, said, “We were over the moon and super proud of Dylan for this accomplishment. The picture he drew has a lot of meaning to him. He’s an eagle chaser. He loves watching them and has spotted 50 so far.”

Nadine Foster, grandmother of Amos Carpenter, and Tulalip tribal member, was grateful for the opportunity for her grandchild to show off his artwork. “Many members of our family are artists; his grandpa, my daughter, and various grandchildren. They sit around my dining room table sometimes just creating art.” Amos, for his part, was excited to be chosen because, as he stated, “My family is really proud of me. My art has a lot of meaning about the Salish culture and people from here.”

Kane, also a Tulalip tribal member, said his art represents “the strength of my Grandma Molly. Even though she was a hummingbird, I drew her as wolf. My family always mentions her and how she would want me to do my art.”

KayDee said her “art makes her feel calm when [she’s] drawing it and looking at it.”

Emma B., a Kainai tribal member from South Dakota, explained her art panels “are the meaning of wild; fire, water, flowers blooming, rain. Fire can be angry, water calming, rain refreshing and the flowers, see how they are growing and spreading out? I’m glad I made my mark here, for others to see.”

Tulalip tribal member, Noelani Cultee, reminisced about her artwork being a memory of “what I saw on the beach when I was little. I drew the canoes rowing in an ‘S’ shape because my mom and dad told me stories about them.”

When asked what the symbols in his artwork represented, Levi said that the eagle “shows that Nature is strong. The drummers and people listening in the longhouse have their music go upwards, the background shows the cedar forests and snow in the mountains.” Levi would like the caption for his panel to read: “We Are All Together In One Place.”

“I couldn’t agree more with Levi’s caption, which is the purpose and beauty of the C.R.E.A.T.E. Space,” added Monica Holmes. “It’s a place where youth can be together, creating art to heal, to express what’s inside of them, to grow and to learn positive ways to be peaceful within themselves and among others.”

The children’s murals will be on permanent display at the C.R.E.A.T.E. Space, offering inspiration and a meditation outlet for any in need. The C.R.E.A.T.E. Space’s grand opening is on Friday, February 9th from 11:30a.m. – 5:00p.m., located on the 2nd floor of the Tulalip Youth Center. It’ll be open house style for the entire community. All are welcome to attend.

Why study Environmental Science?

 

Submitted by  Jeanne Steffener, Tulalip Tribes Higher ED

Are you wondering if the field of environmental science is the right path of study for you? Here is an important question that you might want to ask yourself: Do you like nature and the outdoors? This is a really important question because as an environmental scientist, you will be spending a lot of time out in nature, observing all the things in nature. Environmental science helps you to really focus on learning all you can about the natural world around you. In the process, you begin analyzing and researching the connections between people and their environment. Studies will also include learning about the eco-system and what we can do keep a balance between humans and living and nonliving things.

At present, there are many important issues we need to address. Among those are global warming, climatic change, management and proper use of resources, air pollution, acid deposits, water and land pollution, reduction of the ozone layer, sustainability of economies, spread of communicable diseases, waste management, hazardous chemical use on health and wildlife and the possible environmental risks associated with the production of genetically engineered organisms. A student who has a passionate concern for nature and the science behind it plus a desire to find solutions to environmental sustainability will find that the experience will be its own reward.

Even though we live in a modern but overly industrialized world, man cannot dismiss his ties to nature. During the course of time that you devote to earning your environmental degree, you will gain a group of skills that will help you when working in the out-of-doors. Definitely, the ability to work well as a team member is an important requirement when realizing that most projects are group centered. Data analysis skills will be gained you spend many years observing nature. Other skills are gained while building the student’s ability to identify, comment on and implement an effective use of data collection gathered during research.

Environmental issues and their solutions usually include social, political and economic aspects that researcher’s become aware of. The environment makes up and influences every aspect of life on earth which indicates that Environmental Science is very important because it teaches us how to conserve the environmentt.

Even if you are unsure about your career plans, studying environmental science can be an exciting pathway for discovery. The job possibilities for someone with a environmental based background are limitless. Please call Higher ED staff at 360-716-4888 or email us at highered@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov for assistance with this educational path.