Category: Tulalip News

Tulalip Tribal Employment Rights Office Family Day

tero-familyday-25

 

tero-familyday-37

 

On Friday November 4th the Tulalip Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO) held a “Family Day” at its vocational training center. Children, parents, and uncles and aunties gathered together at the training center to paint the bookshelves this years students have built as their first construction project. The school year started in September. Families enjoyed the painting and then had a wonderful hot lunch of fried chicken and salad.

Tulalip Employment Rights Office (TERO) provides training, hiring, and contracting to Tulalip members, their families, and spouses. The Tulalip Vocational Training Center (TVTC) was open in 2014 to provide an opportunity for students to learn a variety of trade skills in order to enter into the construction trades. TVTC trains Native Americans in the trades but offers so much more. After receiving a grant from the Kellogg Foundation two years ago TVTC has been implementing a new philosophy with additional services. That philosophy looks at the individual seeking training but also offers services to the larger family in order to help create success for the next generation.

TVTV staff interacts with students and help to build a foundation of trust and communication. It is through this process that the student’s family needs are identified and the program is then able to identify obstacles that may be interfering with student success. They may help pay for childcare, the education needs of the student, as well as help identify education barriers their children may have; they create linkages and bridges to address these barriers. An adult is not going to have success if they are overwhelmed by worry for their children. Basically, the idea is that in order to create a healthy and productive employee means identifying, and assessing the family stressors, wand then provides the extra services, which in turn creates healthier families; thus, the second generation model.

tero-familyday-3

 

The training program is accredited through South Seattle Community College and Renton Technical College; all the students taking this program earn 24 college credits.

Teri Gobin, director of the Tribal Employment Rights Office (TERO): “What we do is enforce preference of hiring and contracting. A part of that is getting the work force ready. We created the TERO vocational training center back in 2001 to respond to this need. The Washington State Apprenticeship Trades Council now recognizes it as the only pre-apprenticeship program for Native Americans, and the only program of its kind in the nation that is recognized by a state.”

Lisa Telford, the family career navigator, explains the different types of certificates students receive: “First Aid, CPR, AAP, Flaggers, Forklift, Boom Lift, Scissor Lift, OSHA 10; they get all those certifications at the end of the program. The students think about what unions or trades they are interested in and we work on filling out applications towards those places.”

Mark Newland, TERO Vocational Training Center instructor, talking about projects they work on during the 13 week course: “The students get introduced to all the facets of the trades: safety, blueprint drawing and reading, what the construction business is all about, building a personal project to scale with cut list. We do all the ground up, building footing, foundation wall, framing, they learn how to frame windows and walls. They build rafters, calculate scales, and learn about plumbing and electrical.

Lynne Bansemer, TVTC program coordinator, says: “Students will be able to take the information they learn and apply it into their own lives and houses.” We want to start working with Heritage High School, bringing in the students to start helping build Tiny Houses. It would be empowering to the kids who come and work on a project like this to see there is more things going on in life, be a part of people thanking them for building these houses.

tero-familyday-30

 

What other local projects have TVTC been involved with? “We do a lot of projects for the tribe right now, the gardens you see at the Boys and Girls Club, the Clinic, and we built those. The students help build the garden structure and get an idea for what it’s like to grow your own food.”

Family day is about kids coming in and seeing what their parents are doing every day, how they are bettering their future, being truly focused, and successful people.

Talking to a student, Ralph Flores, about why he joined the program “It was definitely something I was interested in and I had to go for it; I couldn’t pass it up.”

Nicholas Brown and Caleb Hatch, two students in the TERO program, traveled far to be in this program “We came from Wyoming to take this program. We traveled and are staying at a relative’s house, trying to find opportunities that we can take advantage of in Washington. I lived here before, I grew up in Washington, I enjoy it here.”

When asked why they took this program they responded, “You get to learn the basic knowledge of construction trades, power tools, and learning the process of soft skills. I’ve learned presentation skills like proper dress codes; you don’t want to go in wearing a suit and tie. You want to go into an interview ready to work, steel toe boots, here I am, let’s go work.”

 

Information about Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM)

Submitted by Jason McKerry, MD, FAAP, Karen I Fryberg Tulalip Health Clinic 

Many of you may have heard about the recent cases of acute neurological illness seen in kids at the Seattle Children’s Hospital. I know that a child’s health is the most important thing in every parent’s life. I want to share some important information about the illness, Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM), a rare condition that affects the nervous system.

Below are common questions and answers provided by the State Department of Health:

Q: What is Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM)?

A: AFM is a rare condition with sudden onset of weakness of one or more limbs, sometimes accompanied by weakness of the muscles of the face and eyes.  In severe cases, the breathing muscles can be involved. In all cases, there are distinctive lesions in certain areas of the spinal cord seen with an MRI.

  • Symptoms of AFM vary in severity and range from mild weakness of a limb to absence of movement in all limbs.
  • Unlike most other diseases, suspected AFM are only reports.
  • The cases receive a final classification as confirmed or probable AFM, or are ruled out, only following a review by expert neurologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Q: How common is AFM?

A: AFM is quite rare. Last year, Washington state had no cases, and in 2014 there were only two, so this number of suspected cases within about a six-week time span is unusual. Clusters similar in size to the one we are currently seeing have happened elsewhere in the US, for example, in Colorado and Arizona.

Even with an increase in cases in 2016, AFM remains a very rare disease. Less than one in a million people will ever develop it.

Q: What causes AFM?

A: AFM can be caused by a variety of germs, such as enteroviruses, which typically cause milder illness in children such as respiratory infections. Other causes may be West Nile Virus, autoimmune disease or environmental toxins. For most reported cases across the US, the cause has not been identified.

It can also be mistaken for conditions that cause inflammation of the nerves such as transverse myelitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome.

However, when enteroviruses get into the central nervous system, they can cause more serious illnesses like inflammation of the brain. Polio virus, which is not being considered as the cause of these children’s illnesses, is a cause of AFM that is rare now in the US due to vaccination.

Q: Do you know what caused any of these potential cases?

A: At this point we do not know what has caused these potential AFM cases.

  • Oftentimes, despite extensive laboratory testing, a cause for AFM is not able to be identified.
  • It’s not known why some people develop AFM while others don’t.

Q: Is AFM contagious?

A: AFM is a syndrome, which is basically a group of symptoms caused by many different things. Many of the germs that cause AFM are contagious, such as enteroviruses, which typically cause milder illnesses in children such as respiratory infections. Enteroviruses can get into the central nervous system and cause more serious illnesses like inflammation of the brain, although this is uncommon.

Some of the germs known to cause AFM are contagious between people while others are not. West Nile Virus for example is only transmitted by mosquitos while common cold germs are transmitted between people.

Q: Are these cases connected to each other?

A: At this point we don’t know if these cases are connected in any way.

  • They came from four different counties (Whatcom, King, Pierce and Franklin).
  • Their age ranges between 3 to age 14.
  • And while we can’t discuss specific cases, some have unique symptoms from the others.

Q: Could this be something else?

A: AFM is one of a number of conditions that can result in neurologic illness with limb weakness. Such illnesses can result from a variety of causes, including viral infections, environmental toxins, genetic disorders, and an abnormal immune response that attacks the body’s nerves.

Q: How is AFM diagnosed?

A: AFM is difficult to diagnose because it can look nearly identical to other conditions or syndromes. It is diagnosed based on a combination of symptoms and a type of imaging test called an MRI or laboratory results.

A doctor can rule out other neurological disease by careful examination, for example, looking at the location of muscle weakness, muscle tone, and reflexes. An MRI is essential to diagnose AFM.

Q: Can adults get it?

A: Yes, but it may be more likely to affect children, perhaps because they typically haven’t built up as much immunity to germs as adults.

Q: Is there a treatment?

A: There is no specific treatment for acute flaccid myelitis, other than what doctors call supportive care, which means treating the symptoms. A doctor who specializes in treating brain and spinal cord illnesses (neurologist) may recommend certain interventions on a case-by-case basis.

Q: Do people who get it get their movement back?

A: According to the CDC some do. The CDC did a survey of patients from cases in 2014 investigation and got 56 responses. A small number had complete recovery of limb function after about 4 months, but some had no improvement.  Right now there is no long-term information available, but the CDC is working with states to collect the information.

Q: Is there any way to prevent it?

A: Because being infected by any one of a number of viruses are possible causes of AFM, steps to avoid infections include good hand washing and avoiding contact with people with respiratory and diarrhea infections may help.

AFM can be caused by different things, and because doctors know so little about the cause, there are no known specific preventative measures to recommend.

  • You can help protect yourselves from some of the known causes of acute flaccid myelitis by:
  • Washing your hands often with soap and water,
  • Avoiding close contact with sick people, and
  • Cleaning surfaces with a disinfectant, especially those that a sick person has touched.

Q: What is the investigation looking at?

A: We’ve worked to make sure that tests are being done that might point to a cause – these tests are now being reviewed by us and the CDC and we hope to have some preliminary information back soon.

We are investigating whether the cases have any links to one another and are reviewing other information including if they had recent illnesses. While the types of tests are really comprehensive, sometimes no direct cause is found.

I want to reassure all of our families that we are aware of the cases of AFM in our state and we want to provide our expertise and offer information to concerned individuals and families as requested. If your child is acting ill or unusually, please don’t hesitate to come see us at the clinic or contact us with any questions or concerns, 360-716-4511.

It’s all about the buckets

rep-your-rez-bball-2

 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

From November 4-6, the Tulalip Youth Center hosted the 1st annual Rep Your Tribe basketball tournament. Sponsored by Tulalip Youth Services, this tournament put a unique spin on the idea of reppin’ for your tribe. There was a men’s and women’s bracket, and in order to qualify as a team all players had to be from the same tribe.

Tribes from across Washington State made the journey to Tulalip in order to rep their tribe and do battle on the hardwood. Lummi, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Colville, and of course the hosting Tulalip Tribes were among those who participated.

 

rep-your-rez-bball-1

 

After a weekend’s worth of inner-tribal battles, it was the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation who stood tallest, having a team on both the men’s and women’s side reach the Championship game.

On the men’s side, Colville defeated Lummi in the Championship game. While on the women’s side, it was Puyallup earning the victory over Colville.

“This tournament was a very exciting one. We had a lot of very close games, but overall the sportsmanship between the teams was awesome,” says Lonnie Enick, Activities Specialist for Youth Services. “I think also it brings all the tribes closer to each other and, as a team, it brings family and friends together. Looking forward for the 2nd annual Rep Your Tribe, as of now Colville has the bragging rights. Also, great job to the Youth Service staff Darcy Enick, Shawn Sanchey, Sheena Robinson and Josh Fryberg.”

rep-winers-2nd-mens

rep-winners-2nd-womens

rep-winners-1st-mens

rep-winners-1st-womens

Lady Hawks historic season comes to an end

lady-hawks

 

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News 

The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks volleyball team (11-7) earned their first ever Tri-District tournament berth after an amazing showing at the NW1B District tournament. The team traveled to Tacoma on Thursday, November 3, to face-off with the (12-5) Eagles of Evergreen Lutheran High School.

In the 1st game, Tulalip went down early, trailing 4-12 at one point, and weren’t able to get any momentum going. They dropped the opener 10-25.

The momentum continued to be elusive in the 2nd game as the Lady Hawks again went down big early, trailing 2-12 before calling a timeout. Following the timeout, they ladies showed some fight and got some rally points going, but they weren’t able to overcome the early deficit. They dropped the 2nd game 18-25.

Down 0 games to 2, and with the season on the line, the Lady Hawks finally got their offensive game going. They played the Eagles seemingly point for point in the early stages. At one point the game was tied 3-3, then again tied at 14-14. This time it was the Eagles calling a timeout to regroup and talk over their strategy. Unfortunately, the Eagles just had too much firepower on this day and the Lady Hawks weren’t able to counter for a full game. Tulalip lost the very competitive 3rd game 22-25 and the match 0 games to 3.

The brief appearance in the Tri-District tournament marks the end of the season for the Tulalip Lady Hawks (11-8). Looking back on the season it was full of firsts and surprising developments for the volleyball program led by coach Tina Brown. The eleven total wins is a new school record, as well as the undefeated start when they opened the season (5-0). All in all, it was a very successful season that saw the Lady Hawks grow as a team and find unprecedented achievement on the volleyball court that led them to make their deepest postseason run in school history.

“I am so very proud of our Lady Hawks volleyball team,” stated coach Tina Brown. “The girls made it to tri-districts for the first time, they played with pride and fought hard. What a great season.”

 

A look into TOCLA with Attorney Jim Kerney 

 

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

The Tulalip Office of Civil Legal Aid (TOCLA) provides assistance in civil legal issues to low-income tribal members who have to appear in front of the Tulalip Tribal Court. Attorneys are available to help tribal members navigate through the court system.  TOCLA Attorney Jim Kerney breaks down the different levels of services the program offers.

“TOCLA offers three levels of services which are full representation, basic representation, and brief services,” Jim explained, “On the brief services level we offer guidance only. That guidance pertains to how the legal system and court process works. We discuss the legal issue and what type of documents they need, but we offer no legal advice.”

Jim explained that when TOCLA offers brief services, the attorney has the ability to speak to both parties and extend the same service to each side. However, Jim stressed that no legal advice is offered to the clients receiving brief services. “Once both parties are spoken to that’s the extent of services that can be offered, unless both parties can benefit from, or need, mediation. Then we can arrange mediation sessions between both parties.”

“The next level would be basic representation. On this level we speak to only one of the parties. The reason for this is because at this stage an attorney/client relationship is established and confidentiality comes into play. We also talk about strategy and what type of evidence is needed,” Jim stated. “We will assist with completing and reviewing documents and with further guidance through the court process.”

“And then we have full representation, that covers everything. These are cases that need more involvement,” said Jim. After explaining the three different levels of services, Attorney Kerney then spoke of the three programs within the TOCLA program.

Jim states, “TOCLA consists of three programs, the first is Civil Legal Aid. The client is referred to the TOCLA Staff Attorney, which is me, and I provide general civil assistance like Family Law Issues, Consumer Law, and Public Benefits, which is like Social Security Income appeals. The next is the Tribal Parent Advocacy Program, or TPAP. We have one and a half Parent Advocate Attorneys, Amy [Lettig] and Maya [Titova], and they represent parents of tribal children who are involved in dependency cases. They work closely with beda?chelh. The reason for the half time parent advocate is because in cases where both parents need representation, having two advocates available doesn’t cause conflict between the parties. The third program is VLAP, we’re fans of acronyms here at TOCLA. VLAP stands for the Victim of Legal Advocacy Project.  Sylvia [Hanna] is the Victim Advocate Attorney and Stephanie Ancheta, our paralegal, works primarily with this program. What they do is work exclusively with the Legacy of Healing program. All of the referrals come from the Legacy of Healing and they work with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. VLAP is grant-funded and income is not a restriction. Their work generally starts with protection orders and they have the ability to represent tribal members not only in the Tulalip Tribal Court but also in state courts. And that’s TOCLA in a nutshell. We are here to represent low-income tribal members in need of assistance with any civil legal issues.”

For further information and legal assistance, Jim has made himself available for drop-in hours twice a week. On Mondays he can be found at the Tulalip Administration Building in conference room 262 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and on Wednesdays he is available between 12:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. at the Tulalip Tribal Court, office 118.  He can also be reached at (360) 716-4512.

 

 

Contact Kalvin Valdillez, kvaldillez@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov 

Passing Ancestral Teachings To Our Young Men

Tulalip tribal members Andy James and Cody Monger are leading the Young Men’s Group and helping to guide youth through life.
Tulalip tribal members Andy James and Cody Monger are leading the Young Men’s Group and helping to guide youth through life.

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News 

A new program that teaches the young men of Tulalip about their treaty, hunting, and fishing rights began this month. The group meets at the Family Haven center located across from the Boys & Girls Club. Led by Tulalip tribal members Andy James and Cody Monger, the group will meet on Tuesdays and Wednesdays after school from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

“We are saying ages 12-14 but that is a recommended age. We aren’t going to turn anybody away who wants to participate,” stated Cody.

Young Men’s Group will feature many fun activities such as fishing and drum making. Andy expressed that while he is excited about making pre-cut hand drums, he eventually wants the group to start creating them from scratch. He believes that it is essential to know how to track, hunt, skin, soak and stretch the hide for their drums.

“That’s where it all starts. Our ancestors never received pre-cut drum kits and its important our kids learn the teachings the ancestors passed down generation after generation. Afterwards, they can keep the drum and use it for cultural purposes and ceremonies or they can gift them. What they decide is up to them but the important takeaway is they wanted a drum, they made a drum, and now they know how to [make a drum] in the future.” Andy stated.

Among the cultural activities and important lessons, Young Men’s Group will also cover areas that teen males want advice in, but don’t necessarily know how to ask for. Topics such as conflict resolution, how to deal with anger, and family, social, and romantic relationships will be discussed during group meetings.

Cody expressed, “We will be involved a lot, just helping with anything they don’t get at home or in school.”

“Our intent is not to take the place of the parents but to help these young men progress into life,” Andy added.

By instilling values and culture, Cody and Andy are taking on an incredibly important task of molding the minds of the young men of the Tulalip community. Young Men’s Group participants now have the opportunity to learn the teachings and traditions the Tulalip ancestors practiced and apply those lessons while learning how to survive in today’s society.

To sign up and for more information please contact Andy James at (360) 716-4403 or Cody Monger at (360) 716-4935.

 

boys%20group%20flyer

Marine Drive Sidewalk Expansion Project

5x7 SYS layout
Many years ago Snohomish County placed sidewalks on Marine Drive. However, the project did not take the sidewalk past 7th Ave (The Grange area). There are many walkers who travel this route daily and with the large number of cars and trucks that also travel Marine Drive it is often dangerous.  A couple of years ago the Tribal General Council passed a mandate to take corrective action and the Tribal Board instructed staff to undertake this action. 
 
After much coordination with the County who controls the Right of Way for this road a design was completed and agreed upon. Next step finding the funds. This task proved hard but tribal staff was able to accomplish it with funding coming from a Safety Enhancement Grant through the Puget Sound Regional Council.
 
The new pathway will cut soil and re-slope the sides of the Marine Drive on the upland or non-water side.  Three feet of additional asphalt will be placed making the 1.2 Mile pathway six feet in total width thus meeting ADA requirements. Turtles or round white buttons will be placed as well as rumple strips to separate cars and trucks from walkers. Five hundred feet of the pathway will be on a separated lighted board walk that will span the wetland near the entrance to the admin building on 64th.  With “Safety always in mind” we have performed a lighting study and additional lights will be installed to provide better lighting and eliminate the dark zones. 
 
After a competitive bid process Reece Construction was awarded the project as the general contractor 
 
Work commenced this AM and will continue as long as the rains allow. The teams will work Monday-Friday (8AM to 5 PM) with anticipated completion March 2017, weather permitting. With daylight savings time in affect it is dark at 7:30 and again at 4:30 in the afternoon.  And with the large number of vehicles on the roadway we ask that our members and staff support this project in any way possible.  Traffic control flaggers are on site and will remain on site for the duration of the project. 
 
Should you have concerns or questions please feel free to contract the  Debra Bray,  425-754-2294   dbray@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov or Christina Parker 360-913-4205 christinaparker@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov