On July 16, the Tulalip Early Learning Academy (TELA) held their second annual teddy bear picnic for ages 6 weeks to 3 years old.
With TELA’s year-round program, children have a list of summer activities to attend like the teddy bear picnic. The children were told that they could bring their favorite stuffed animals and enjoy a sing-a-long and puppet performance from ‘Alleyloop music’. Alleyloop has been connected with the Montessori for around 20 years, and continues to entertain Tulalip youth.
The show consisted of guitar-based songs, different puppets with their own personal melodies, and games. Shortly following, the TELA kitchen provided sack lunches for the children to enjoy in either their classrooms or outside with their friends.
Montessori manager Tami Burdett said, “We love to bring in different entertainers like the dinosaur group with ‘live’ dinosaurs, and the reptile man, during the summer. We’ve worked with Alleyloop music for a while now, he has been awesome every time, and really gets the kids engaged. It’s great to just mix it up and have some fun activities to get the kids involved and outside.”
With the bright summer sun shining, and guitar hymns flowing through the air, the children had the time of their lives laughing, singing, and dancing with their friends and stuffed animals.
The performance made for a great addition to their final school week of the year, and some of the teachers were left feeling bittersweet about their last moments with their graduating preschoolers.
Enrollment for TELA is ongoing year-round and they welcome all Tulalip children. If you or someone has a child that you would like to join, please contact the academy at (360) 716 – 4250, and ask about the enrollment requirements and documents.
“Love is love!” exclaimed Tulalip tribal member, Theresa Sheldon. Her words, amplified by large speakers, echoed triumphantly throughout the Don Hatch Youth Center campus, and were met with generous applause from a crowd of approximately fifty people.
A momentous occasion took place on the afternoon of August 13 on the Tulalip reservation, that was both beautiful and long overdue. The very first local Pride event was held at the picnic area of Youth Center to celebrate the tribal two-spirit and LGBTQ+ community.
“The medicine wheel is made with the males on one side and the females on the other side, and it’s the two-spirits who connect that circle together and makes it complete,” said Tulalip community member and event organizer, Phoenix Two Spirit (Cree). “It is so very important for the two-spirit community to be included in all of Indian Country – in all the councils, education, youth, advisory committees. It brings a healing to the community, and that’s what this is all about.”
The BBQ gained much anticipation over the past two years, and was originally scheduled to happen in 2020, but was delayed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact that it was postponed made the event all the more fun and exciting for the participants. Many were looking forward to the Pride BBQ over the years and they finally got the opportunity to interact with others from the LGBTQ+ community while celebrating their true selves in a safe environment.
Sponsored by the Tulalip Problem Gambling program, the Tulalip Family Wellness Court, and the Tulalip Community Health’s Youth Wellness Program, the event aimed to uplift, support, honor and recognize those individuals of our tribal community who identify as two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, asexual, or allies.
“We are happy to host our first Pride Everyday event here at Tulalip in celebration of our 2SLGBTQI+ relatives,” said Tulalip Problem Gambling’s Sarah Sense-Wilson. “It was truly remarkable to see the joy, laughter, smiles, and festive energy collectively shared throughout the day. The collective work of decolonizing and undoing homophobic attitudes, behaviors and thinking starts with us as individuals, but is most impactful when tribal communities take strong positions in practicing inclusion and invest in one another authentically and with genuine commitment to healthy communities.”
With gorgeous weather, tasty food catered by Dickie’s BBQ, great tunes, and plenty of laughter, the Pride Everyday BBQ was the perfect way to cap off the summertime season. DJ Monie was on the ones and twos and provided great energy throughout the day. Making sure to play all the dance hits, the Tulalip disc jockey had everybody, from youth to elders, out of their seats and dancing to classic cuts such as the Cupid Shuffle, Cha Cha Slide, and the Macarena during various dance competitions.
“I consider myself an ally,” said Erin Reyna in between dance sessions. “My daughter is bisexual, and my niece is a lesbian. I love supporting pride events, and I just wanted to bring my daughter here and enjoy the day together. I love being around the people, I love the energy and the music and the dancing. My daughter is eleven and it really means a lot to her. I think getting the message out there is cool, and I hope they do more events like this.”
Phoenix and all the Pride BBQ sponsors wish to build off this celebration and create more Pride events in the near future, and help establish a strong presence for the LGTBQ+ members within the community. Throughout time, many tribal nations have held space for their two-spirit membership and after years of trauma and forced assimilation, those individuals have felt left out in their respective communities due to the adapted colonized way of thinking. By creating a foundation for the local two-spirits and LGBTQ+ community, Pride focused events helps reclaim the narrative and the true lifeways of many tribal societies, and also lets those individuals of the LGBTQ+ community know that it’s more than okay to be who they truly are and to freely express themselves.
Said Phoenix, “I have talked with the people at the Youth Center about getting an ongoing support social group. I think it’s important for the adults as well as the youth to be able to have a safe space where they can talk about what’s important to them. I’m working with them to provide a space and a time and creating a group for 18 and younger, and also one for 19 and older. I look forward to seeing the inclusion more of the two-spirits in all tribal government and activities.”
Sarah added, “We hope to continue to do these events throughout the year. We want to keep this momentum going and that idea of inclusion needs to be a common everyday practice. I am already looking forward to planning more ‘Pride’ events and supporting other programs and groups doing the critical work of dedicating resources for educating, decolonizing, and supporting 2SLGBTQI+ relatives.”
After much dancing and fun in the sun, the three-hour event came to a close in heartwarming fashion, as everyone in attendance joined hands and created a dance circle around the picnic area while the Sister Sledge classic, ‘We Are Family’, played over the speakers.
“I recently came out as a lesbian,” expressed young Seria Ahlberg after receiving a first-place award in one of the many dance competitions held throughout the day. “Today I was able to talk to other girls and relate to their experience and tell them how I feel as a lesbian. Today was really good. I had a great time and lots of fun, and I loved all the dancing!”
To stay updated on all the upcoming two-spirit and LGBTQ+ events, be sure to follow the Tulalip Two-Spirit Society Facebook page.
The Native American Fitness Council (NAFC) was established in 2004 with the mission of empowering Native Americans through exercise education. The NAFC cofounders recognized a need for knowledgeable, passionate, and experienced Native American fitness instructors, but their vision didn’t stop there. These dedicated professionals developed programs that teach people to train other Natives in proper exercise and healthy lifestyles.
Today, NAFC has educated and inspired thousands of individuals to become positive role models in their communities. Tulalip was fortunate to receive their one-of-a-kind, culturally relevant approach to Native health during a two-day fitness camp hosted at our local youth center on August 4th and 5th.
“The Fitness Council chose Tulalip as one of only four northwest tribes to help implement their vision of learning traditional games and exercises in an effort to ignite a spark for new fitness leaders within the local community,” said Erik Kakuska (Zuni Pueblo), western tribal diabetes project specialist. “These traditional games ranged from Eskimo Olympics, like the seal pull and seal carry, to the plains version of field hockey, better known as shinny.
“Our goal is to incorporate a great deal of functionality into all our workouts, so the youth learn proper form and alignment when they’re running, jumping, and really playing any popular sport,” he added. “The last two days have been filled with all kinds of activities that encourage the kids to find the fun in the game. Visiting tribal communities across the nation, we recognize that a lot of our culture was lost. It’s important to reteach that culture to the best of our abilities, and a part of that is teaching the value of keeping yourself healthy. Not only with your physical, but also with your mental.”
In true collaborative fashion, the NAFC worked side by side with Tulalip’s own diabetes care and prevention teams and representatives from youth services to make the multi-day fitness camp run as smoothly as possible. The shear quality of garden-fresh breakfasts and nutrition filled lunches cooked up by chef Brit Reed was almost as impressive as the 30 or so adolescents who went back for plate after plate. Filling up on much needed fuel for their mind, body and spirits as they engaged in a variety of A/C chilled, indoor games and even more sun soaked outdoor exercises in 80+ degree temperature.
It’s no secret that as an ethnic group, Native Americans are hit the hardest, per capita, by several life shortening risk factors, such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes. Then there’s the recent engagement of our young people with that homicidal maniac Fentanyl. A dark topic that needs a brighter spotlight shed on it for sure, but we’ll save that for another time.
Breaking news! All these debilitating diseases can come to a screeching halt by simply making healthier decision on a routine basis. Wild, right? Well, the even better news is that there are those among Gen Z who recognize this truth and desire to break the stereotypes that depict their people as unhealthy. Two such lean, mean fighting against the diabetes machine tribal members were willing to share their fitness camp experience.
“What I’ve enjoyed is that all the activities we’ve done aren’t really hard to do, like anyone can participate and still go at their own pace,” said 16-year-old Ryelon Zackuse. “I’ve had some coaches who’ve been really rude or loud trying to make a point and that makes some people want to give up. But the coaches and instructors here were sensitive to our people’s abilities and took it slow to make sure everyone understood the motions and rules of the games. Eating good foods and being active is important to me because I have goals I want to achieve through sports and I can’t achieve those things if I’m eating junk food all the time. Its pretty simple really, if you stop treating your body well, then eventually your body will stop treating you well.”
“My favorite parts of the camp were learning to play traditional games from other tribes across the country, like when we went onto the ball field and played shinny. Not only did we learn to play a new game, but they showed us some simple tips to make sure we were engaging our cores and keeping our hips in alignment while running,” added 17-year-old Samara Davis. “I’ve really enjoyed the past couple days, being with so many of my peers and just having fun outside. It’s important for all our people, the youngest to the elders, to know the importance of daily movement.
“Personally, I love the way fresh fruits and vegetables taste, so it was cool being in an environment where we were provided with good, nutritional foods,” she continued while snacking on an apricot. “Healthy habits, whether its eating or exercise, is all about consistency. Once you’ve learned the habits, just keep doing them. That’s how we become elders.”
The showcase of Tulalip physical talent ranged from flexing agility and dexterity with a balloon tied around their ankles while attempting stomp the balloon of another player, to demonstrating nimbleness and light on their feet juke moves in a hybrid version of dodge ball, except they used water-soaked sponges on the hot summer day. Two days filled with exercise, education, an abundance of health and nutrition advice, traditional games from across Indian Country, and many memories made for the what the Native American Fitness Council are dubbing community fitness leaders.
“Our team believes if the kids see us as adults having a good time and doing our best to demonstrate good fun sportsmanship in winning and losing, while embracing simple traditions like coming together to share in wonderful meals where the kids can share their experiences, then we all benefit and win,” explained Veronica ‘Roni’ Leahy, diabetes care and prevention manager
“Our health clinic wins in the sense our program engages with the youth of Tulalip by delivering the best we can offer, and gives us chances to build long-lasting, positive relationships. The youth of Tulalip wins by having opportunities to be trained by some of the best trainers in Indian Country, not to mention experience traditional foods and the making of traditional medicines, like sore muscle salves. It really was so amazing to witness all the joy and laughter from simple fun and games that brought us all together.
“We look forward to a time when we can offer this again, but on a larger scale,” added Roni. “So many people of all ages could really learn and enjoy these expert trainers and have so much fun in the process. Definitely one of the best events our program has offered.”
According to the U.S. Department of Education, if we want a nation where our future leaders, neighbors, and workers have the ability to understand and solve some of the complex challenges of today and tomorrow, and to meet the demands of the dynamic and evolving workforce, then building our students’ skills, content knowledge, and fluency in STEM fields is essential. We must also make sure that no matter where children live, they have access to quality learning environments. A child’s zip code should not determine their STEM fluency.
For those unfamiliar with the acronym STEM, its stands for Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics. On the Tulalip Reservation this concept can be thought of as career pathways to critical departments within our government, such as Natural Resources, Tulalip Data Services (TDS), construction and infrastructure building, and financial literacy necessary for various fields of Finance.
In today’s fast-paced, constantly changing, techno-driven climate, it’s imperative our Tulalip youth be prepared with fundamentals of STEM teaching, such as problem-solving, making sense of important information, and being able to gather and examine evidence to make sound decisions. These were the skills being learned in truly stunning ways at this year’s 5th annual STEM week, made possible by some brilliant minds journeying all the way from Colorado and our local homework support program.
“Our youth today are digital girls and boys in a world that is digitally based,” said Shana Simpson, lead student support specialist. “It is important for our kids to make these connections between science, technology and mathematics in order to draw out the relation to engineering. For this to be possible, they must first gain the knowledge to understand those connections and how they are applied to everyday life.”
Shana and her fellow coworkers were able to witness first-hand the amazing journey several Tulalip youngsters were able to have in the STEM realm. Nearly twenty kids, ranging in grade level from kindergarten to 6th grade, learned the fundamentals of STEM in the kind of fashion previous generations only experienced while watching Bill Nye the Science Guy.
“It is highly enjoyable to watch our kids get nerdy as they are captivated by STEM activities,” added Shana. “After participating in STEM week, the kids continue to make their own observations and connections once they leave here. They are more likely to repeat what they have learned and pass their knowledge along. Hopefully, some continue to hold on to their interest and develop it into a true passion as they get older. Their participation in STEM week gives them an advantage at school and, we like to think, more opportunities in the future.”
Not only does STEM provide a new way of thinking and learning to students, the earning potential of a STEM versus a non-STEM career is staggering. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national average wage for all STEM occupations is $87,570. This is nearly double the average wage for non-STEM occupations averaging just $45,700.
The four-day STEM week hosted from August 1-4 was anticipated for some time by Matthew and Kathy Collier, who taught the course to Tulalip’s youth for four straight years before the pandemic forced a two-year hiatus. The 2022 rendition a host of fund, hands-on activities that the kids embraced and thrived in.
“The robotic gripper teaching is all about studying different designs and analyzing how to make them more efficient. It also is an engineering model used in used in prosthetic limbs and shows how they can extend the use of programming and engineering to help humans. It’s used in Robotics and manufacturing,” explained Matthew Collier, STEM education training specialist. “The experiment with the brain scanner allowed children to tangibly see the force of their brain waves, invisible yet tangible forces we all have in our brains.
“We taught them about Theta and Beta brain wave,” he continued. “Through the activity, they could see that Theta waves grow stronger with rest and Beta waves grow stronger through intentional focus. This science is used in education, medical science, behavior research and more. Additionally, the push car derby with LEGOs taught them to explore the forces of push and pull, as well as the effects of friction between objects. It provides great examples of cause and effect.”
From brain waves and robotics to a LEGO derby and computer coding, some of Tulalip’s youngest minds were able to successfully grasp STEM fundamentals and apply them in a variety of activities that have real world applications. The best part about their experience was the instructors’ enthusiasm and passion for STEM education was infectious. To the point the young participants were genuinely learning while having fun.
“The importance of providing children with STEM opportunities when they are young is the way in which it empowers them to better navigate their 21st century world around them,” said Kathy Collier, STEM education program development. “They can become participants rather than spectators in regards to the technologies that will influence every sphere of society. Through STEM camps like this one, as children take part in these activities, they begin to connect the dots in their understanding and discover that they may carry ideas for the next invention…or perhaps realize they hold the answer to a problem the world needs solved.”
By Shaelyn Smead, Tulalip News; Photos courtesy of Stacey Sam
On July 30, a Tulalip family held a canoe unveiling and naming ceremony for four of their family members, Stacer, Sampson, Saleena and Scotty. The highly anticipated event followed years of the family members attempting to reconnect with their culture and people, and the desire to earn their Indian names.
Naming ceremonies and receiving an Indian name plays an important role in Native American culture. Certain elements and traditions of each ceremony are sacred and specific to it’s given tribe. Nonetheless, each name that is given carries on a piece of our ancestors, and the language that we speak. Rather than their English name, Native Americans can proudly use their new name and be a representation of our people and our perseverance.
Traditionally speaking, Native Americans used to not receive a name at birth, and would instead earn a name that was passed down from their family lineage. The name is typically chosen based on their personality, skills, or similar characteristics and traits that a loved one also once had. These names are taken and used with pride as each person with a given name represents the strengths of the past and the promises of the future.
Stacey Sam is the father to Stacer, Sampson, Saleena, and Scotty. He once lived on the Tulalip Reservation and then went on to spend most of his life at Muckleshoot. Unfortunately, with some familial problems that Stacey faced growing up, he didn’t quite have the connection with his culture as much as he would’ve liked. But, after building a family, and having kids of his own, he was able to watch them grow and see them strive for a culturally-led life.
Scotty was the first of the kids that made an initiative to connect with his culture and asked his brother Stacer to join him. They went out of their way to learn cultural teachings, become more engaged within the community, and create a newfound respect for their people and ancestors. They started by attending Coastal Jams up and down the coast, and eventually became apart of the Canoe Team in Muckleshoot. By doing so, Stacer also found a new love for singing and began performing at jams and ceremonies.
After watching his children and their newly found cultural journey, Stacey was inspired to continue on the path that his children had embarked. He realized they had gone too long without culture in their lives, and wanted a reset for his family. He wanted to establish a new legacy for his family that would last for generations to come. He quickly connected with some tribal elders and Tulalip family, and decided that a family canoe unveiling and naming ceremony would be the perfect next step.
“This is all new to me, but I want to bring that cultural presence back into my family line. My kids have already started and I want to see it through. They helped me pick up the drum, and it’s a blessing to get to know our ways. This journey has opened my eyes with the way we all come together and take care of one another,” Stacey said.
Stacey reached out to George Swanaset Sr. of Nooksak, who is an avid canoe carver, to help build his family canoe. Stacey wanted to be sure the canoe could fit everyone in his family, and that the canoe would hold “S?adacut” on the side, a tribute to his late father William Edward ‘Sonny’ Sam. Being Tulalip himself, it was important to Stacey that the canoe would paddle off into Tulalip Bay.
Shortly after, Stacey reached out to various Tulalip tribal members and asked for their help to ensure the naming ceremony would play out perfectly. Don ‘Penoke’ Hatch who has been a longtime family friend of theirs helped orchestrate and organize the ceremony to ensure it’s traditional ties, “Stacey’s dad was a tremendous friend of mine, and I was glad to be involved” he said. Penoke talked about the importance of having the ceremony, “I’m really proud of what the Sam family is doing. It’s an honor to carry an Indian name. You earn your name, and it’s how you present yourself to your people.”
Marlin Fryberg also helped by researching the Sam family’s lineage to find appropriate names to use and pass on to all four of the children. It was decided that Stacer would carry on his grandfather’s Indian name “S?adacut”, Sampson would carry on “Tsoh-see-oose”, Saleena would hold “Tsee-si-lit-sah”, and Scotty would be named “Tix-tad”. All of the names came from their ancestors and family before them.
Quickly, more and more Tulalip family and community members became involved and helped with painting the canoe, cooking food for everyone in attendance, and establishing themselves as witnesses to the ceremony. What started off as just one family’s journey quickly became a community journey that supported and helped aid the teachings of our people.
On the day of, Tulalip members Thomas Williams and Natosha Gobin stepped up to the plate to help with ceremonial blessings and prayers, and the unveiling of the names. Most of the ceremony was presented first in Lushootseed and then parts in English to instill its traditional roots.
The ceremony couldn’t have gone more perfectly. “I had never been to a naming ceremony before, and I didn’t know what to expect. But once it all took place, I felt very calm and at peace. I feel honored to carry my grandpa’s name. And being so close with my siblings growing up, it meant a lot to do this together,” Stacer said.
The Sam family could feel their ancestors smiling down on them as they took this new step together. They are extremely grateful to everyone who helped them take on this journey and rebuild their cultural ways. Being gifted their Indian names was a fresh start for their family, and created a new sense of pride that they planned to hold onto for the rest of their lives.
“We want to make sure the youth have a place, a space, and a voice if they are part of the LGBTQ+ community,” said Problem Gambling Counselor, Robin Johnson. “This is a super important event to bring community awareness to the two-spirit population at Tulalip and the surrounding area. It’s important to make sure that they feel comfortable in our community. This is the big kick-off event, it ought to be great and lots of fun.”
Years in the making, the highly anticipated Pride Everyday BBQ at Tulalip is scheduled to take place on August 13, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Don Hatch Community Center. Since the successful, and Tulalip Youth Council organized, Pride Walk in 2018, members of the LGBTQ+ community at Tulalip were inspired to create a yearly Pride celebration on the reservation.
Aiming to embrace, uplift, support, honor and help individuals create new friendships within the local two spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, asexual, and ally community, the Pride BBQ promises nothing but great times, good summertime grub, and fun for all.
Phoenix Two Spirit (Cree) is a well-known member of the Tulalip community, as well as the self-proclaimed ‘instigator’ of this project. Phoenix presented the idea for the get-together as well as helped organize the event. Phoenix shared, “This event is great for community awareness. It’s part of the decolonization process, recognizing that two-spirit people have been in the Indigenous community since time immemorial. And it’s time to recognize that, indeed, there is a place for two-spirit people in the tribal community, that they hold a special place. This is not new. This is reclaiming our past.”
Originally planned for 2020, the Pride BBQ was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After the tribal government re-opened, following the first initial wave of the novel coronavirus, the Pride BBQ was rescheduled to take place last summer. That is, until a large spike in the number of COVID cases at Tulalip rose once more prior to the event, causing another postponement. Now, nearly a year later, the Pride BBQ is happening for the very first time.
Said Phoenix, “I’ve been in the Tulalip area for a few years and thought that this a very-needed event. I’ve been part of the pride celebrations in Seattle and Snohomish County, and I have been noticing announcements locally for Puyallup, Muckleshoot, and Lummi, who are having pride celebrations. There has been much interest by the Tulalip LGBTQ+ TS community to have an event, but COVID put a damper on creating one. So, now is the time to bring us together and celebrate our community.”
The Tulalip Pride BBQ will feature music by DJ Monie Ordonia, as well as several icebreaker games and activities, which helps create opportunities for people to meet and build connections while celebrating their true selves together.
The event is sponsored by the Tulalip Problem Gambling Program, Tulalip Family Wellness Court, and the Tulalip Community Health’s Youth Wellness program. With the promise of high 70-degree weather on Saturday, the Pride BBQ is sure to be a day to remember for all involved, so be sure to mark your calendar and come show your pride and support!
“I want everybody to know that everyone is welcome to come,” expressed Phoenix. “Whether you define yourself in the LGBTQ+ community, the two-spirit community, if you are friends, family, allies, or tribal members, I want everyone to feel welcome to come.”
Tulalip elder Kirk Jones sat patiently next to his homemade, ten-foot smoke stack. The savory aroma of King salmon being slow cooked at 225 degrees Fahrenheit gradually filled the air. In his chair, he reminisced about his earliest days as a splash boy working alongside handmade seine nets in the 1960s, while his then-elders fished to provide for their people.
“Growing up, most of the elders either fished or logged to make a living. Either way, they were handling and collecting wood to keep the fires going all year long,” remembered Kirk. “We’d usually eat the fish as fresh as can be, right there on the beach as the fisherman beach seined. Whatever fish was leftover they’d smoke and hang on Cedar sticks.
“Back then, when I was learning to smoke, all we had was salt…process the fish, salt the fish and then let them dry. It was hard chewing for sure,” he chuckled. “But they were preserved to be ate throughout the year regardless of weather. We didn’t have freezers or stoves or nothing fancy like today. Just our teachings passed on from one generation to the next intended to make use of what we had available to us and keep our people fed.”
Today, the 65-year-old smoked salmon savant credits Glen Parks, Les Parks, Rocky Parks and Bernie Parks for becoming his secondary family after he got clean and sober in 1986. Under their guidance and skill with their family smoker, Kirk learned to take his ancestral teachings and add a touch of his own flare. Small technical changes like the use of a particularly gauged chicken wire and addition of brown sugar in the seasoning, Kirk has perfected his technique for creating golden-colored ‘Indian candy’.
Kirk’s Smoked Salmon is a prime example of Tulalip’s entrepreneurial spirit. Known for its high quality and sweet salmon offerings, Kirk created a business that is flexible enough to be sold on the side of the road along Marine View Drive or from a makeshift blue stand often seen between Cabela’s and Home Depot in the spring/summer time. Its also become a family operation as his children, nieces and nephews are frequently doing the sales, so Kirk can focus on making his primary source of income: smoked deliciousness.
“My passion for the salmon is still the same as when I was a little kid filling the role of splash boy to maneuverer fish into the elders’ nets,” said Kirk. “You know what, maybe my passion is even stronger now. Being older, I have a greater sense of appreciation for what those who came before me managed to accomplish and pass on. It’s my responsibility now to make sure their teachings aren’t forgotten.”
With that sentiment in mind, Kirk lent his lifelong expertise with a fillet knife and 25-pound freshly caught King salmon to a cultural workshop coordinated by local nonprofit, Indigenous Beginnings. For an afternoon in late July, the Tulalip culture bearer did his best to impart practical skills and guidance on the double digit, all-Native group who were eager to learn the ins and outs of fish filleting.
Over the course of two-hours, the group received up close and personal instruction on proper technique to clean a salmon, including the conventional fillet and butterfly fillet methods, how to remove the jaw for making fish head soup, and some general advice from their elder on best practices to smoke, can or cook their fish at home.
Along their way, the group of learners shared many laughs as they attempted to mimic Kirk’s proficiency with a fillet name. Most failed miserably, but it was in that failure where Kirk was able to step in and offer gentle words of encouragement; often reminding them that we all gotta start somewhere. Luckily, there was more than enough whole salmon provided that those choosing to rework their fillet skills could give it another go. Some even shrieked with excitement when opening their fish and finding eggs to be used for homemade sushi, stew or as a simple caviar side dish.
For their commitment to learning cultural traditions, the group was rewarded with jumbo sized bags of salmon fillets and all the ‘Indian candy’ they could eat. With tummies full, Kirk thanked everyone for participating and helping him grow as an instructor.
“I love fishing. A goal of mine has always been to learn to smoke salmon,” shared Tulalip citizen Sara Andres after the workshop. “Getting an opportunity to learn from Kirk was super exciting and I’m so happy to have participated. With the fish heads I’ll be making my grandma Katie’s fish head soup that I remember fondly as a kid. I also bought a small smoker so that I can brine the salmon filleted here and smoke my fish for the first time.”
“We are so thankful to Kirk for sharing his home and teachings with us to learn the basics of filleting and smoking salmon together,” added Stephanie Cultee, Indigenous Beginnings founder and chairwoman. “Originally, this workshop was only going to be focused on smoking salmon, but then we received such a huge number of requests by people who admitted to not even knowing how to clean and fillet a fish. By being vulnerable and admitting to not knowing this tradition, we were able to fulfill a big need. Ultimately, this workshop got such good turnout and positive responses already that we plan on hosting another workshop with Kirk at the end of summer.”
For those who missed out on this amazing opportunity to receive hands-on learning from a Tulalip elder and are interested in participating in a similar workshop in September, please email Indigenousbeginnings@hotmail.com or text 425-418-2346 for more information. You can also follow Indigenous Beginnings on Facebook or Instagram to stay up to date with a variety of teaching workshops intended for first-time learners and those desiring a safe place to ask questions about our shared culture.
On August 2, the Tulalip Police Department gathered with Tulalip families and various Tulalip government departments for National Night Out (NNO) to connect with one another and bridge any gaps. The two-hour event was filled with community members conversing and laughing with one another, gaining information about available resources, and kids exploring the official Fire and Police department vehicles.
Though this is not a new event, across the nation, many police departments gather within their communities to enhance the relationships between neighbors and law enforcement. This effort is to ensure that some people’s and children’s first interactions with law enforcement is a positive one. What first started in 1984 has quickly trickled to over 16 thousand communities in the US, and takes place every year during the first Tuesday of August.
The Chief of Police Chris Sutter was in attendance and said, “My favorite part about National Night Out is connecting with the community and neighbors. People are meeting one another, and allowing our service providers the opportunity to know the people whom we serve. The police department loves that we get to help support this event, and we get to thank all the other tribal departments.”
A lot of the departments that participated included Behavioral Health, Child Support Program, Family Wellness, Tulalip Office of Civil Legal Aid, Children’s Advocacy, Beda Chelh, Family Haven, Higher Education, TERO, Gambling Treatment Services, and various others. Each department provided free swag for the attendees, toys and treats for the kids, and a plethora of information, cards, and pamphlets to help educate tribal members about the numerous services available to them. Many of the attendees were exposed to programs that they either haven’t heard of before, or have been wanting to get into contact with.
Chris also spoke about the importance of maintaining the relationships with the other departments because of how interdependent they all are, “We like being able to put a face to a name when we’re emailing people or talking to them over the phone. There’s not one department that our police department doesn’t interact with. We are all interconnected and we impact the quality of life and the livability of our entire community,” he said.
He continued by talking about how vital it is for tribal members and the police department to have that bond as well, “In just about every culture when you sit down, break bread, and eat together, it’s a sign of coming not only together, but also creating a mutual respect and understanding. I think it’s really important for us to see each other as human beings and let the community know that police office are humans too. We have strengths and weaknesses and at the end of the day, we’re here to serve our people.”
Kids all gathered to meet one of the Tulalip Police Department’s newest member Buster, a German Shorthaired Pointer police dog that recently graduated from K9 school. Buster jumped around and loved meeting all the kids, as they asked his handler a mountain of K9 questions. Everyone’s seemingly favorite question was, ‘do you get to take him home?’, in which Buster’s handler said ‘yes’ with a smile on his face.
With red, white and blue lights spinning, the Fire vehicle’s horn blaring, a child pointed at an officer and yelled, “I want to be like you!” It was another success event for the police department, the community and everyone in between. People left National Night Out with full stomachs, fuller hearts, and anticipation for next year’s event.
