Masks seem to be at the center of many heated debates in today’s society. Conspiracy or not, the Tulalip Tribes passed a ‘no mask, no service’ resolution at the beginning of July, requiring individuals to wear masks in all public spaces within the Tulalip reservation, including tribal establishments, gaming and government, as well as at local businesses. The decision was made in response to a recent rise in COVID-19 cases on the reservation after a long period with zero reported cases after the initial outbreak, as the Tribe acted swiftly to prevent the virus from spreading any further.
“I think right now with COVID-19 being as serious as it is, social distancing and the proper PPE (personal protective equipment) are important,” expressed Marysville UniFirst Branch Manager, Justin England. “I think if everyone has enough PPE then they can stay safe and keep their families safe.”
UniFirst is a nationwide corporation that specializes in providing uniforms and safety gear for businesses at 260 locations. With cases spiking throughout the entire country, UniFirst began a corporate initiative to assist business owners during the global pandemic.
“We’re taking part in a company-wide initiative, partnering with businesses in our local communities across the country,” explained Justin. “UniFirst is donating 10,000 masks in a lot of communities. I was approached by someone at our corporate office asking if we’d like to be a part of this with our community and I said I’d love to. When they asked who I’d like to partner with, being in Marysville, my first thought was the Tulalip Tribes. That’s when I reached out, hashed out the details, partnered up and made this happen.”
On the afternoon of July 22, Justin hand-delivered several boxes filled with blue surgical masks to the Tulalip Tribes Office of Emergency Management team at the Tulalip Administration building.
A misunderstanding occurred when UniFirst revealed they would be distributing the masks to the Tribe as a local news team announced that Tulalip was handing out masks to the public. The announcement sent many on a course headed to the Tribe’s admin building. And though explaining the kerfuffle to them, Tulalip’s Emergency Preparedness Manager, Ashlynn Danielson still provided those who made the journey to the rez with one mask each for their troubles. The majority, save for the few handed out that afternoon, will be distributed to business establishments throughout Tulalip and Quil Ceda Village.
“The thought concept behind these masks were to support our local businesses, the smaller mom and pop shops,” Ashlynn stated. “They can reach out and we can provide them with masks to have on-hand. In the event that their patrons come in and either forgot their masks or don’t own a mask, the company can provide them with a free mask and still do business with them.”
“We’re also planning to give the Tulalip police officers masks,” she continued. “As the officers come in contact with civilians who aren’t wearing a mask, they could ask them if they’d like to have a mask and request that they wear one, and also expand on why it’s important to wear masks.”
The Center for Disease Control recently issued a press release urging Americans to wear face masks to slow the spread of the virus throughout the Nation. There are some, however, who feel that governmental entities that mandate its citizens to wear a mask is a violation of their constitutional rights and t refuse to wear one.
The Tulalip Office of Emergency Management will be distributing the masks to local businesses in the near future. To stay updated on all the latest COVID-19 info, please follow Tulalip News on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or visit the Tulalip Coronavirus Response website.
“We are in unknown territories,” admits Ashlynn. “COVID-19 is not something you plan for; it didn’t exist. Knowing that we have groups coming together and that our tribal membership and community members are listening about wearing masks, recognizing that what we’re telling them is true – you need to mask, it helps protect everyone, you and your loved ones – I would say that this donation really warms my heart.”
Yoga Pose Seilavena Williams / Photo by AnneCherise Jensen
Submitted by Tulalip Tribes SNAP-Ed Coordinator, AnneCherise Jensen.
Did you know the U.S. spends $117 Billion dollars in annual health care costs associated with inadequate physical activity? According to the CDC, only half of adults get the physical activity needed to help reduce and prevent chronic diseases. Believe it or not, getting enough physical activity could prevent 1 in 10 premature deaths. More and more research suggests that living an active lifestyle can help prevent certain types of diseases like Heart Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Not only that, but physical activity helps boost the feel good hormones in our brain, helping us feel more content and happy.
The CDC recommends individuals should get at least 150 minutes a week of brisk physical activity and at least two days a week of muscle strengthening activities. Though, it can be hard getting in the habit of being active, when you start small, you can slowly build yourself up to more challenging activities. Here are some tips on how to incorporate a more active and healthy lifestyle, so you and your family can live your healthiest and happiest life.
Evening and Morning Walks: Start and end your day with a brisk walk. Getting small doses of physical activity at the beginning of the day, helps wake you up and feel more alert. Taking walks in the evening is a great way to burn off the post dinner calories and enjoy the late summer sunsets. If you feel up to it, try jogging to build cardio and lung capacity.
Family Bike Rides: If you have a few bikes on hand, try planning a family bike outing in your local neighborhood. Riding bikes is a fun and exciting physical activity kids are eager to participate in. To be safe, make sure to wear a helmet and stay in the bikelane or on the sidewalk. Gardening: Gardening, weeding and spending time in the yard is a great way to increase physical activity throughout the day. Not only does this get you moving, but allows you to connect with nature, while learning more about plants and food. Gardening also has been known to be therapeutic and relaxing to many individuals. If you don’t know how to garden, there are hundreds of books and youtube videos that can help point you in the right direction.
Stretching / Yoga: Stretching is one of the best forms of exercise. Stretching keeps the muscles strong, healthy and flexible. Without stretching, muscles would shorten and become tight. Other known benefits of stretching include: improved posture, decreased neck and back pain, increased blood flow, a deeper and more peaceful nights sleep, mental clarity and stress reduction. Create a safe space in your home where you can spend 15-30 minutes stretching a day.
Hiking: Hiking is one of the best forms of exercise you can do for your body, especially in the summer months when the mountain trails are accessible. Not only do you get a great cardio exercise, but also a bone and muscle strengthening exercise. For more information on hiking ideas + safety, check out WTA.ORG.
At home workout station: You don’t need a ton of space to be able to get in a good workout. Try creating an at home work out station in your backyard or garage. Start by collecting affordable equipment like a jump rope, resistance bands, and small weights. If you don’t have equipment, you can improvise and use canned goods, filled water bottles, or even tools as weights. Practice stretching in place, getting repetitions of squats, sits ups, jumping jacks, and knee kicks. Be sure to check out online fitness videos or smart phone apps for professional workout routines.
Foraging / Harvesting: Participating in foraging and harvesting is a great way to connect with culture, nature, plants and the human spirit. The outdoors have so much to offer, and learning cultural traditions is a great way to stay moving while getting more physical activity. Not only is this challenging for the body, but for the mind as well.
Home Improvement Projects: Accomplishing tasks around the house is a terrific way to stay moving and motivated throughout the year. Home improvement projects can vary from a wide variety of tasks, including yard work, carpentry, landscaping, building, and fixing up the house. Many of these projects require the use of muscle, strength and skill – all good for the body and the mind.
Outdoor games with kids: Children love interactive engagement with parents/adults. This is a great opportunity to squeeze in both physical activity and quality family time. Try classic games like tag, frisby, and sharks and minnows. Check out the local basketball court and go shoot some hoops. On a real hot summer day, organize a water balloon fight for both parents and kids to enjoy.
Cleaning & Organization Projects: Cleaning and organizing your home is a great way to stay active. Not only that, but it can help ease feelings of depression and anxiety. Having a clean space is a key to inviting a happy, peaceful and calm atmosphere into the home.
Take the Stairs: When you get the opportunity, always take the stairs. A few flights of stairs may not seem like a lot of physical activity at first, but doing this often will add up to great results. Doing so will help you burn more calories throughout the day, while building lung capacity, strengthening your bones and stimulating muscle growth!
Make Screen Time an Active Time: When family TV time comes along, get creative and turn lazy time into active time. Have a contest to see who can do the most push-ups or jumping jacks during a commercial break. Older kids and adults can stretch, practice yoga or lift weights while watching TV.
Know there are many other forms of physical activity you can do to help keep active. These are just a few common ideas to help get your fitness journey started. Know that ultimately, you are in control of your body and capable of doing amazing things!
**This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Jade Carela (center) and the Child Advocacy Center advocates, Sydney Gilbert (left) and Megan Boyer (right), hosting a 2019 National Child Abuse Prevention Month and National Sexual Abuse Awareness Month panel at the Tulalip Administration building.
By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
“I really want people to know that they can reach out in any capacity at any time,” said Tulalip Legacy of Healing and Child Advocacy Center Manager, Jade Carela. “And remind people that though things might be slowed down and we might be doing things a little differently, we’re still here for you.”
For years the Tulalip Legacy of Healing (LOH) and Child Advocacy Center (CAC) have represented safety, healing, hope and new beginnings for many Tribal members looking to escape sexually abusive or violent relationships. Typically, the LOH and CAC staff are busy year-round raising awareness for the victims of DV and survivors of sexual assault.
For instance, April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and that month alone is jam-packed with a number of seminars, panels and classes aimed to provide a safe space for victims to speak, express their emotions and begin the healing process. The month also is held in part to educate the community about what sexual assault is, how often it occurs and how to identify warning signs. But with the presence of the pandemic, the LOH and CAC team was met with a number of challenges that they were forced to quickly overcome in order to ensure their clients, and anybody in need of their services, could access them.
“When COVID first happened, we moved everything to tele,” Jade explained. “Tele just means that we’re providing that service from home. And the therapists are also doing mental health services from home. We really don’t see anybody in-person anymore. I took on our lead advocate’s phone, so we still respond to emergencies and anything that comes up.”
Last month, Tulalip Child Advocate, Sydney Gilbert, hand-delivered fliers to businesses located on the reservation out of concern that people, especially children, are less likely to report due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re really trying to focus on the fact that we have to rely on everyone, on each other, right now to look out for the safety of kids,” Sydney stated. “Because they are not with their teachers on a regular basis, they’re not with other kids, they aren’t even with other family members who they can disclose that information to. There are a lot of kids stuck at home with their abuser, with no access to a mandated reporter, no way to escape that environment that they’re in.”
A decision was recently made to close the Tulalip Legacy of Healing Safe House indefinitely, but Jade wants to ensure the community the LOH department still has plenty of resources and can help direct individuals seeking refuge to a nearby shelter or safe house.
“The Legacy of Healing is still there; we just don’t have a safe house anymore, but we have other places that we know of where there are shelters,” said Jade. “If you are Native, we work with a place in Seattle that provides assistance when it comes to needing a hotel or things like that. Even though we don’t have our safe house, there’s other Native safe houses within Washington State that we have a good relationship with, and there’s also other shelters that we have good relationships with. We still have the advocate and attorney right now who’s able to help with our cases.”
In addition to passing out informational fliers, the Tulalip LOH and CAC recently launched their Facebook page where they plan to share various articles and educational pieces surrounding heavy topics such as domestic violence and sexual abuse.
“This information is important because the abuse is still happening, whether we’re seeing it or not,” said Jade. “We need to be there for them, even if it’s just one child or one adult that comes forward with something that’s been going on. They need that support, they need someone there, and they need a service that’s going to be thinking of their best interest while going through this process. We’re always here, so reach out. We can be on the court calls with you and connect you with the attorneys. We can talk with you, we can offer other resources to you, we are here for you.”
For more information, please contact the Tulalip Legacy of Healing at (360) 716-4100 or the Tulalip Child Advocacy Center at (360) 716-KIDS (5437), and be sure to also give their new Facebook page a follow.
Submitted by SNAP-Ed Coordinator, AnneCherise Jensen
In today’s day and age, it can be a challenge to get kids to eat their fruits and vegetables. With processed and fast foods so easily convenient, getting kids to eat a healthy well balanced meal can be a chore. However, it’s extremely important that kids eat foods high in nutrients to ensure their growth is adequate going into adulthood. Most children and teens need to eat every 3-4 hours throughout the day to fuel their growing, active bodies. Children should be eating 3 meals and 1-2 snacks a day. If they are more physically active or going through a growth spurt, they may require even more nutritious snacks. It’s recommended to have a total of at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. This can mean 2 servings of fruits and 3 servings of vegetables, or 1 serving of vegetables and 4 servings of fruits. Here are some easy tricks to help get your children to eat a more well balanced diet!
Offer Taste Testings: Children are often hesitant when trying new foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Try offering taste testings frequently, especially while kids are young. This will get them in the habit of trying new foods and exploring their taste buds. Talk about what qualities they experience while trying new foods – is it sour, salty or sweet? What is the texture like? What color is the food? What does it look like and where does it come from? Having in depth conversations like this with children while they are young will help them develop a healthy relationship with food as they grow. They may not end up liking all the foods they try, but they will find new foods they do like along the way. The important part is, encouraging them to try.
Make Meals Simple: Don’t over season or make meals complicated. The simpler, less seasoned the dish is, the more likely the children will eat the desired food. Kids taste buds are much more sensitive at a young age, and tend to gravitate to simple flavors. Try to limit excessive sweetened or saltend foods, also.
Sneak In Healthy Ingredients: Can’t get your kids to try fruits and vegetables? Try sneaking them into foods. If you cut up produce small enough, once it’s cooked into the dish, children may not even notice they are there. Onions, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, and spinach are common vegetables that can be snuck into any pasta, soup or casserole dish.
Allow kids to have a say in the produce department: Plan a fun trip to a grocery store or farmers market with your children. If you are limiting the number of household members shopping at one time, kids can help make the shopping list. Allow kids to have a say in what produce is chosen. Have your kids take a look at some recipe books and encourage them to pick out healthy recipes. The more you involve the children in the process, the more inclined they will eat the fruits and vegetables once you are home.
Invite kids to cook with you in the kitchen: The best way to teach kids about eating right, is getting them involved in the kitchen. Cooking is a valuable life skill that teaches children about nutrition and food safety, as well as building math, science, literacy and fine motor skills. Chores your children can do in the kitchen include; rinsing produce in the sink, tearing lettuce, slicing fruits and vegetables, cooking with the microwave oven, creating a fruit and vegetable tray, and setting the table for dinner time.
Parents as Role Models: Many children will eat foods and follow eating patterns their parents and older family members set. Lead by example. Choose to eat a wide variety of healthy meals, and be the example your children need. They may fight eating healthy foods while they are young, but as they get older and their taste buds change, they will most likely eat foods their parents and role models eat at the dinner table.
Here are some kid friendly fruit and vegetable ideas to try at home:
Homemade Smoothies : Give kids the opportunity to create their own smoothie creation! Blend together plain low-fat yogurt, preferred milk product or even coconut water with fruit pieces and crushed ice. Try frozen or fresh bananas, berries, peaches, grapes, mangos and cherries. This is also a great opportunity to sneak in vegetables without children detecting flavor.
Healthy Dips for Fruit & Veggie Trays: Kids love to dip their foods. Try making some healthy fruit and veggies dips that increase both flavor and nutritional value of the snack. Whip up a quick dip for veggies with plain yogurt and seasonings such as herbs or garlic. Serve with raw vegetables like broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower. Fruit chunks go great with yogurt and cinnamon or vanilla dip.
Colorful kabobs: Assemble chunks of melon, apple, oranges, strawberries, bananas and pears on skewers or toothpicks for a fun fruity kabob. For a veggie version, use vegetables like sugar snap peas, zucchini, cucumber, squash, sweet peppers, or tomatoes.
Personalized pizzas: Create a pizza-making station in the kitchen. Use whole-wheat English muffins, bagels, or pita bread as the crust. Have tomato sauce, low-fat cheese, and cut-up vegetables or fruits for toppings, like pineapple, peppers and mushrooms. Let kids choose their own favorites, then pop the pizzas into the oven to warm.
Apple Slice Cookies: Rather than offering cookies for dessert, try making apple slice cookies instead. Slice the apple into thin slices, add your favorite nut butter, then top with your favorite toppings. This could include chocolate chips, coconut, dried fruit, honey and nuts.
Frosty fruits : Frozen treats are especially popular during the summer months. Try putting fresh fruits such as watermelon, grapes, or strawberries in the freezer for a cold treat. Make “popsicles” by inserting sticks into peeled bananas and freezing.
Bugs on a log: Use celery, cucumber, or carrot sticks as the log and add peanut or almond butter. Top with dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries, or cherries, depending on how your children want to decorate their bugs!
Homemade trail mix : Skip the pre-made trail mix and make your own. This is a fun project kids can get involved with in the kitchen. Use your favorite nuts and dried fruits, such as unsalted cashews, walnuts, almonds, peanuts or sunflower seeds mixed with dried apples, pineapple, cherries, apricots, or mango. For even more nutrients, add whole-grain cereals to the mix, too.
Potato Face: Decorate a baked potato. Use sliced cherry tomatoes, corn, peas, beans and low-fat cheese on the potato to make a funny face.
Nibble on lean protein: Protein helps keep us full for a longer period of time and are ultimately great snacks to have convenient in the kitchen. Choose lean protein foods such as, beans, unsalted nuts and seeds, nut and seed butters, eggs, or plain low-fat yogurt orcheeses. Store boiled eggs in the refrigerator for kids to enjoy any time.
Jazz up your favorite cereal: Try adding fresh fruit like strawberries, blueberries or bananas to kids cereal in the morning. This is an easy way to get them to eat fresh fruit. If it works well, you could even try adding almond flakes for even more nutritional value.
Liven Up Your Toast: Instead of choosing white bread, choose a whole grain bread that offers more fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. Get creative and add peanut butter and strawberries, or an avocado and tomato slice.
Homemade Frozen Yogurt
Ingredients:
4 cups frozen strawberries or mixed berries
1 cup low fat or fat free greek yogurt (If you are sensitive to dairy, most stores carry coconut based, dairy free yogurt options)
2 Tablespoons honey
2 lime or lemon wedges
Directions:
Add frozen fruit, yogurt and honey into a blender or food processor.
Squeeze in the lemon or lime juice.
Mix and blend well for 3-5 minutes.
Serve immediately, or store in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Enjoy!
Note: You can substitute or add any fruit ingredients into the frozen yogurt. Try adding peaches, bananas or even some coconut flakes to give it more flavor and texture. This is a great time to get creative in the kitchen, the possibilities are endless!
**This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
When you talk to Patti Gobin in the Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources Department about how a changing climate will impact her people’s treaty rights and how they plan to adapt; it doesn’t take long to realize that the Tulalip Tribes are strong and ready for change.
After a listening session with Gobin; Tulalip’s Climate Adaptation Core Planning Team learned that for the Tulalip people, adapting to change isn’t something new. “Since time immemorial Coast Salish people have been dealing with changes that have impacted how we live our lifeways” said Gobin. “Both the coming of western civilization and an economy based society and changing climate have had impacts”. So, for Gobin and the Tulalip people, “Being strong and resilient to change is already a part of who we are and how we live.”
According to Gobin, their approach comes from a place of strength. It’s connected to the cultural values that have been passed down through traditional stories, teachings, and songs. “We must be prepared to address the changes coming our way to live the resiliency our ancestors handed down.” said Gobin. For the Tulalip people, the value of following and upholding the teachings of their ancestors is taught by the traditional story – Her First Basket.
Stories and values like these guide the work of Tulalip Tribes Government and Tulalip’s Climate Adaptation Core Planning Team. For Verna Hill, Director of Tulalip’s Community Health Department, these values are ingrained in her day to day work. She and her team know the value of strengthening people, which is one of the core values taught by the traditional story of – Mud Swallow’s House.
Through their policies and programs the Community Health Department is building a strong and resilient community one person at a time. Are they concerned about vulnerable populations affected by longer fire seasons and poor air quality? Absolutely, but together with the Climate Adaptation Core Planning Team, Hill has been identifying community health concerns that may get worse as a result of climate change. That way they can plan ahead and make adjustments to meet the changing needs
In addition to community health concerns, many people consider climate change an emergency! According to a recent climate change survey, residents in Tulalip are concerned about the negative impacts that environmental hazards might have. That is where Tulalip Tribes Emergency Manager, Ashlynn Danielson steps into help. Through the Tulalip Tribes Hazard Mitigation Plan these concerns are being looked at, addressed, and prioritized.
In some cases more frequent wind storms may cause more frequent power outages. Together with the Public Works Department and Tulalip Utilities Department, Danielson has worked to increase the amount of back-up generators for Tribal facilities like the Tulalip Health Clinic and new police and court buildings. In addition, Tulalip Public Works has developed a new fuel reserve located on the Reservation to serve as a back-up in case fuel in needed to keep generators going longer. For Danielson and her team they embrace the opportunity to uphold and serve their people, a value that is highlighted by the traditional story – How Daylight was Stolen.
Similarly, Danielson, and the Climate Adaptation Core Planning know the importance of listening to people. According to Danielson, you don’t need to be a climate scientists to help your community plan and adapt. Everyone has something to offer in terms of observing and providing information to better understand the changes we are experiencing. Showing respect and listening to every individual is a cultural value that is identified in the traditional story- Lifting Up The Sky. Listening to elders, youth, tribal leaders, fisherman, employees, tribal members, and community members is an important part of Tulalip’s efforts to adapt and plan for change.
In November of 2019, the Climate Adaptation Core Planning Team worked with the Tulalip Communications Department and sent out a survey to find out what the community thought about Climate Change and Hazard Mitigation topics. According to the survey results 44% of survey respondents have noticed more frequent extreme weather events in our community and 88% of respondents have noticed changes in temperature. In addition, survey respondents said they noticed changes to the environment including 28% noticing more frequent flooding and 26% noticing landslides/mudslides.
Unfortunately, for many Indian Tribes across the country climate change has had a much larger impact on their way of life. Reservations are typically more isolated and indigenous people generally live closer and are more dependent on the environment. Therefore changes to the climate and the environment can impact tribes more directly than other people or communities.
For the Tulalip people and other Coast Salish tribes this includes impacts to the rivers, forests, and oceans they depend on. When these areas are negatively impacted access to treaty rights such as fish and shellfish are impacted. According to the Tulalip Tribes Climate Change and Hazard Mitigation Survey 66% of survey respondents were concerned about how climate change will impact plants and animals like orcas, salmon, and huckleberries.
Because of this disproportional impact, the Tulalip Tribes and other Native American Tribes have taken the lead when it comes to planning for climate change. According to a database maintained by the University of Oregon, at least 50 tribes across the U.S. have assessed climate risks and developed plans to tackle them. With more than 570 federally recognized tribes controlling 50 million combined acres, Tribal planning and adaptation efforts are building resilient communities throughout Indian Country.
For the Tulalip Tribes and other Native Nations in the Pacific Northwest the need for healthy rivers, forests, and oceans that can support healthy salmon runs is at the forefront of these planning efforts and has been for decades. This work includes a larger effort to coordinate with, and in some cases litigate, city, state, county, and federal agencies in order to advocate for and protect tribal treaty rights. A lot of this coordination has to do with sharing scientific information, reviewing data, and talking to Tribes to better understand what the impacts are.
To better understand the extent of climate change impacts, the Tulalip Climate Adaptation Core Planning Team is closely monitoring the latest regional and global scientific information. In addition, they are studying and monitoring local conditions right here in Tulalip. This includes conducting scientific studies as well as gathering information about the local area from tribal members, tribal elders, and other community members.
In some cases this information includes memories and connections to special places that have been passed down from grandparents to parents. This information is important to help prioritize and protect these special places both on and off the Reservation. Respecting the community of our elders past and present, and paying attention to their good words is a cultural value that is represented in the story of the – Crane and Changer.
One of the special places that is being impacted by climate change is the shoreline. According to Tulalip’s Climate Change and Hazard Mitigation Survey 28% of respondents have witnessed coastal erosion over the years and 42% have noticed damage to our roads and other infrastructure. Tulalip’s Natural Resources Department is working hard to determine the extent of the problem. In some cases coastal erosion is natural, but according to observations from Tulalip fisherman coastal erosion seems to be happening more often that in the past.
To help address this issue the Tulalip’s Climate Adaptation Core Planning Team has been monitoring the science and potential impacts that sea level rise could pose in our area. One way to do this is to go out in the field and monitor vulnerable low lying coastal areas during annual king tides. The king tides provide a glimpse 25-50 years into the future to a time when our regular high tides could potentially reach these levels. Monitoring the largest tides of the year helps Tulalip figure out the places and infrastructure that are most vulnerable.
However, instead of just monitoring and planning for these changes, the Tulalip government and its community also want to reduce the impacts of climate change by reducing carbon emissions. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) cutting carbon emissions from energy and transportation sources will not be enough. The IPCC states that in order to keep global temperatures at safe levels we also need to transform the way the world produces, packages, and transports food. This will require a sincere effort by individuals, governments, non-profits, local business, and corporations from around the world to change. Specifically, we need to change how we provide and consume our energy and food. This means changing the way get around, changing the way we heat our homes/work, and changing where and how we get our food.
Taking doctor’s orders from Mother Earth, isn’t something that everyone is willing to do. However, according to Tulalip’s Climate Change and Hazard Mitigation survey 84% of respondents are either extremely willing or very willing to change their day to day behavior to help reduce the impacts of climate change. This could be as simple reducing the amount of beef in your diet or tele-commuting to work. However, this could also mean encouraging government, tribal leadership, and businesses to take action. Both governments and business around the world have an opportunity to make changes that will help us lessen the impacts of climate change while at the same time protecting vulnerable populations of people while also stimulating the economy.
Addressing and prioritizing all the issues associated with climate change takes a lot of work. Work that requires us to educate and communicate with each other. Work that requires us to monitor, observe, plan, and prioritize mitigation and adaption efforts. At times the amount of work that needs to be done can feel overwhelming. However, its times like these that we can turn to the Tulalip Tribes traditional and cultural values for guidance and support. This includes the cultural value of working hard and always trying our best. This value is represented in the traditional story- How we got the Salmon Ceremony. It’s through the understanding of these values that we know the Tulalip Tribes are strong and ready for change.
For more information about Tulalip Tribes Climate Adaption and Hazard Mitigation efforts please visit the following websites.
May 25, 2020 the world was shocked, outraged and heartbroken. The murder of George Floyd was captured on camera and circulated the internet for all to see. A black man unjustly and untimely taken from his loved ones at the hands of four law officials, exposing many to a reality that is unfortunately all too familiar within black communities across the country.
The call for justice was immediate. In the middle of a pandemic the Nation’s obvious divide split even deeper and a lot of people’s ethics and morals were voluntarily put on display, for better or for worse. Whether it was marching at Black Lives Matter rallies or spewing emotions over keyboards, the world began to see exactly where people, companies and businesses stood on heavy topics such as police brutality and systemic racism.
Since accepting the position of Chief of Police for the Tulalip Police Department (TPD) back in 2018, Chris Sutter has designed a community-driven police force, prioritizing the safety of the tribal community at large. At a time when local police departments are under the watchful lens of their towns and cities, Chief Sutter’s main objective of creating a strong bond between officer and citizen has never faltered and his motives never changed.
“I feel it’s very important, especially in our tribal community, to build relationships and get to know the community members,” expressed Chief Sutter. “A big part of that is building trust and working with the community to help solve problems. I try to model that behavior by taking up opportunities to go to local Tulalip community events. I also work closely with the Tulalip Citizen-Police Advisory Board, which is comprised of Tulalip citizens who are elected to provide important oversight and recommendations to the Chief of Police.
“One of the areas that we build trust is through accountability. I’ve implemented a system that says all complaints will be received, reviewed and investigated. And every complaint is logged and tracked. Shortly after I arrived here, we implemented a citizen feedback form on our website. Citizens can complete the form, they can call on the phone or come in person, we’ll accept all feedback. These are internal systems that we’ve put in place to hold ourselves accountable to the community, and to also help the officers in our department improve and establish trust and credibility.”
Following the George Floyd killing, millions nationwide took to the streets calling for the arrest and prosecution of the officer who committed the murder by strangulation, as well as the officers who stood by and watched as a man who pleaded ‘I can’t breathe’, had his last breath stolen. Although most events were organized to be peaceful marches, many were taken over by radicals with intentions of raising tension. And some, under the guise of ‘protecting their towns’, openly toted assault weapons and waved the confederate flag.
During the early days of protests, riots ensued in many cities and businesses were targeted and looted, by whom was hard to say although both political parties seemingly agreed to blame the damages on extremist groups whose views more aligned with the opposite party, depending on who you asked.
After a chaotic week in Seattle, the alleged radical groups began organizing lootings via Twitter and high on the list was the Seattle Premium Outlets which is located in the city of Quil Ceda Village on the Tulalip Reservation.
Alongside the Sacred Riders and Tulalip land protectors, Chief Sutter and crew defended the sduhubš home base by quickly shutting down the entire city, which included large corporations that were still in operation during COVID-19 like Walmart, Cabela’s, and Home Depot, as well as a handful of small businesses. All roads and overpasses leading into the city were also swiftly closed and TPD officers were stationed at blockades throughout the reservation to prevent any destruction or theft from the outlet mall. For nearly five entire days, the TPD stood side-by-side with their community, protecting the land and its people with minimal arrests and damages occurring.
Days following the looting threats, TPD participated in a rally against racism organized by the Marysville YMCA. Chief Sutter and multiple police officers marched along with Tulalip tribal members and the local populace through the Marysville streets, from Jennings Park to the Ebey Slough Waterfront.
“The Marysville YMCA [director] asked us to participate with the Tulalip Tribes in a peaceful rally and march in support of anti-racism, and in support of Black Lives Matter. I was honored to speak at the beginning of the rally and march with the Black Student Union, community members and Tulalip tribal members. I want the community to know I stand united against racism. I stand united against police misconduct and abuse.
“When the George Floyd murder occurred in police custody – death at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers, I was, as the rest of the world, shocked, saddened and disgusted by watching a human being’s life taken on video at the hands of police. I find that reprehensible and inexcusable and totally unacceptable in any context. There’s no excuse for that type of behavior. I fully support both the firing and the criminal prosecution of those officers. My goal is to never have that happen here at Tulalip.”
Many people who come from a community where police misconduct is practiced regularly, often reference a glaring disconnect between their police department and the people they are hired to protect and serve. Whereas at Tulalip, Tribal PD attend a myriad of events throughout the year, whether it be sporting, cultural, or scholastic, the officers take the time to build personal relationships with the people of Tulalip.
In addition to taking a stance against racism, supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, and protecting Tulalip territory, TPD has helped out immensely since Tribal government shutdown during the outbreak of COVID-19. Over the past few months, the department has assisted at a number of Tribal member grocery and food distributions, as well as lending a hand to the Tulalip Senior Center to assemble and deliver care packages to local elders, which included masks and gloves.
Another aspect to Chief Sutter’s stronger together plan was the development of the Professional Standards Unit in which he intentionally placed a qualified Tribal member, Angela Davis, whose duties are to thoroughly vet potential recruits, investigate and manage both citizen and internal complaints, as well as help update and revise TPD’s policies and procedures.
“I think it’s really good that we have a Chief who is willing to stand alongside the people and allow them the space to express their freedom and be heard in a peaceful way,” Angela reflected. “Especially for us as Indigenous people, and everything that happened to us, it just makes sense that we would support another minority group that things are happening to that shouldn’t. I think it helped bring the African American and Native American communities closer together. I think the Chief is going in the right direction, there’s some changes taking place to be more organized and more accountable. We’re getting bigger and a culture change is much needed.”
Angela and the Chief both explained that in the wake of the George Floyd murder, they are currently revising the TPD’s use of force policy, specifically prohibiting neck choke holds like the tactic used to execute George Floyd. Additionally, Chief Sutter is amping up trainings on de-escalation, stating he doesn’t want his officers to get involved physically unless its reasonably objective as well as necessary for the safety of the individual, the officers and the public.
“I brought in an expert, a master instructor in the use-of-force, to consult with me on that policy revision,” said Chief Sutter. “I am also looking nationwide at the best practices on de-escalation and use-of-force. I want every reasonable opportunity to de-escalate a critical situation to minimize the amount of force an officer has to use to bring that situation under control.
“We will integrate communication and de-escalation tactics into every call we go to. I want our officers to be communicators, problem solvers and peacekeepers,” he continued. “I subscribe to the guardian philosophy, the guardian versus warrior mentality. Our officers are not at war with our community. We are here to protect our community and to safeguard them, it’s a mental mind shift. And when force is necessary, ensuring that we’re using only the appropriate level of force. Something that I’ve implemented is a critical incident review process form. Every time force is used in this police department, it will be reviewed through the chain of command.”
To round out the mission of unity between the Tribe and the police, Chief Sutter’s latest task is getting more Tulalip representation on the squad. He will be making a focused effort to bring more Tribal members onto the force during the next round of recruitment.
With a few adjustments and revisions, the police department is heading in the right direction, working to ensure the tribal society that they can depend on local law officials through both the good and difficult times as we venture into a future of uncertainty and unknown. Even when a good chunk of American municipalities are currently at odds with their local police, and many of those departments will likely be defunded (funds redirected to other qualified professionals), TPD and Tulalip stand in unity.
To show the police department that the Tribe returns the love and support, approximately twenty tribal members recently surprised Chief Sutter and squad with a ceremonial blessing, providing the medicine of song and sage.
“My highest goal is that everyone in this community is treated respectfully,” the Chief said. “I was personally touched to see Tulalip members come one evening and offer their prayers and blessings, singing on behalf of our police department. In addition, one tribal member made personalized hand sanitizers for every member of the department, we enjoy very strong support from our Tribal members. I believe there’s a lot of work to do though, and we have plenty of opportunities for improvement in how we build relationships and how we provide exceptional service. I just want our community know how grateful I am to have this honor to serve the Tulalip people.”
Eleanor Elaine Enick known as Christine Enick her whole entire life was 75 of Tulalip, WA. Christine went to be with the Lord on July 17, 2020 in Mount Vernon, WA. Christine was born December 23, 1944 in Mount Vernon, WA to George and Rose Enick. Christine leaves behind her three children Edwina, Edward and Darwin Weaselhead. Grandchildren: Ray, Harold ,Ashley, Christina, Edward, Raenell, Waylon, Sky, Blake, Shelby. Greatgrandchildren: Nathias, Kaylee, Payton, Marshall, Donna, Nomiah, Leila, Daeron, Dream, Jelena, Tyler, Rupport, Aloycius, Devon, Hope. Siblings: Edith Enick, Phyllis Enick, Francine Ike, Georgina Bueno, and Connie White, Darrell Enock. Plus many nieces, nephews and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents George Enick and Rose Gobin-Enick, Brothers: Gerald Enick and Harold Enick, Sisters: Geraldine Williams and Rose Williams. Grandchildren: Marshall Britton and Tanna Weaselhead; Great granddaughter Juliette Frease Britton and other relatives and friends too numerous to list. Christine started to sing Christian gospel songs at age of 5. At age 7 she experienced singing on a radio station in Mount Vernon, Washington. Throughout Christine’s life she continued to bless many with her beautiful songs until she passed. Christine lived in the Yakima Valley for many years. Christine had worked with her mom and sisters at the Yakima Indian Nation Furniture and Hardwood Factory, plus worked at various orchards jobs with her parents and siblings. Christine had later gained employment with the Yakima Nation Housing Authority to renovate houses. During her retirement years you could find her raising funds to feed the homeless, offering a warm blanket, socks, shoes or a sleeping bag. Christine would often cook on special occasions such as Thanksgiving/Christmas to feed the needy. Christine loved to minister the word by handwriting bible studies for prison inmates. She would write them out on paper, then make copies and send them in the mail. On many days you couldfind her taking time out to read the word and do bible studies. Christine didn’t get very much time to spend with her grandchildren and great grandchildren due to living in other areas. When that chance came along, she enjoyed it with a big smile and laughter. The family would like to acknowledge a special person who she called her adopted son Robbi Garcia and his children who she loved dearly. RIP Robbi.
By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News; photos by Natosha Gobin
“Doing this work has always meant a lot to me,” expressed Tulalip Lushootseed Language Warrior, Maria Martin. “I got to learn when I was at Montessori at a young age. Growing up, I committed myself to learning everything I could with the language; summer camp, anytime they had an event I could attend, I’d always check out the website. I took it on myself to be a part of it. And being able to share that now, it’s awesome because I have direct relatives that put in work to save the language. And it’s an honor to inherit that.”
The traditional language of the sduhubš is strong in modern day Tulalip and COVID-19 can’t do a thing about it. When Tribal government shut down daily operations to help flatten the curve and decrease the spread of the novel coronavirus, many people were glued to their smart phones, searching for updates about the disease, learning how to adequately protect themselves, and adapt to a more slow-paced, Zoom-led world.
During the very first week of the Tribal government closure, when the number of deaths by COVID-19 were spiking, good news was hard to come by. An evening scroll through the timeline was often accompanied by despair and a general fear for the health of you and yours. And then one day a slew of videos began to pop up and take over people’s newsfeeds.
“With everybody being forced to stay home, we still wanted to connect with our community so we had to get creative,” said Natosha Gobin, Language Instructor. “I knew that a lot of people were on social media, so we decided to throw some language out there. At such a time of unknown, here’s something positive, let’s take the opportunity to learn a couple words or hear a story together, connect with your kids, connect as a family. Most of the videos were geared to be just a couple minutes long. If a parent is scrolling through Facebook and their child is right next to them, then it’s as easy as ‘boom, let’s listen to this or let’s look at this real quick’. We really viewed it as a not only a way for us to stay connected with the community, but to reinforce that relationship with a parent and child learning together.”
Over the course of the school year, the Lushootseed language warriors develop a strong connection with their students as they are in the classrooms weekly, some teachers daily. When schools began to close, naturally the instructors began to miss their students, as well as preparing lesson plans and growing the minds of future Tulalip. When Lushootseed Program Manager, Michele Balagot, instructed her team to produce online language videos, they wasted no time. Videos of language warriors singing traditional Tulalip songs, sharing popular Salish stories and providing lessons in counting, colors, animals and shapes flooded the social media timelines of Tulalip families and citizens.
“That was new to us, we started with one person doing a video and then we built off of that,” explained Michele. “A week later we decided we needed to do some interaction, so the kids could practice and identify a shape or a color in the language. And then we started doing traditional stories, so the kids could still hear Lushootseed while they’re at home and be able to speak it, be interactive with it.”
A majority of the Lushootseed speakers work with younger children, thanks to a partnership with the Betty J. Taylor Early Learning Academy (TELA). The idea is that kids are more susceptible to pick up the language during the early childhood development stages. Out of a shared interest of providing Tulalip children with a strong cultural foundation and understanding, TELA developed the language immersion curriculum in which Lushootseed Warriors frequent the classrooms of the Early Head start and Montessori and pass on the language through fun activities, songs, and interactive stories.
“They [videos] were originally for TELA, but we posted the videos on Facebook and soon found out that the TELA kids weren’t the only ones watching,” Michele said. “We knew that kids of all ages were watching it because we kept getting all kinds of replies saying, ‘thank you my child sat down and watched it and was speaking the language along with the video.”
Maria, who mainly works with Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary, has made a handful of videos for her students during the pandemic that inspired not only the parents who are at home learning with the kids, but also many of the QCT teachers.
“We went over greetings, feelings and their letter pronunciations, I tried sticking to the basics that the kids would know,” she stated. “I’m not sure how many of my students were able to watch it but I did see that it was being posted to the [QCT] Facebook page. I’ve been able to catch some of the parents in passing, and even some of the staff members, who have watched the videos and they really appreciate them and greet me in Lushootseed, so having that feedback is heartwarming for sure.”
Getting creative during the coronavirus outbreak, Natosha put a little extra pizzazz into her videos by incorporating other Indigenous lifeways into her lessons. For example, when participating in cultural activities as a family, such as harvesting berries, cedar or seafood, Natosha reached for her phone, hit record and watched the magic unfold.
“It’s natural for me to take my kids out with me and pass that knowledge onto them,” said Natosha. “We’ve harvested berries and harvested cedar, we also went out and harvested fireweed. A big part of what I’m teaching about is harvesting and making medicines. Involving my own kids was an important part for me because kids respond well to other kids learning. My daughter, Lizzy, she’s the one that I put on the spot the most. That’s because she’s the closest in age to those kids at TELA. She’s six years old, so it’s easy for me to say, ‘hey Lizzy, let’s record this, or let’s go for a walk and I’m going to ask you these questions.”
One visit to the Tulalip Lushootseed Facebook page and you’ll see a charismatic Tulalip youth effortlessly leading and narrating videos in the official language of her ancestors. Lizzy, her siblings, as well as the children of language warrior Michelle Myles, have unofficially become the new faces of the verb-based language and many tune-in weekly to catch their adventures with Lushootseed.
“She’s really taken on the role of teaching without fully understanding it. I’ve taken Lizzy out fishing and she did an entire fishing video. That video was probably the one that got the most attention, over 2,000 views. The viewers got to hear everything through her voice and it was repetitive so that you can easily learn from it. We want to take her out to dig clams and have her retell her great, great, great grandma Lizzy’s clam digging story, that’s one of the most popular stories that Lizzy Krise told. Lizzy Mae is actually named after Lizzy Krise. Grandma Lizzy is the one that we base a lot of our language after, we utilize everything that she passed on to us. She’s one of the people that we model a lot after, along with Martha Lamont. Lizzy will retell her grandma’s story through her own experience of clam digging for the first time. So, really just connecting it to what kids will respond to, what the kids will find interesting.”
In addition to the lessons for tribal youth and the students at TELA and QCT, the Language Warriors also teach a college-credit course for those looking to enhance their Lushootseed skills.
“We normally have community college classes this time of year, but with COVID we can’t do those,” expressed Michele. “So Natosha Gobin, Michelle Myles and I started an online Intro to Lushootseed class through Zoom. We had sixty-four participants and it was a seven-week course. We had Tribal members, other Natives, students from previous years, teachers, a good mix of everybody.”
We are currently living in an era where the Lushootseed language revitalization revolution is in full effect. And just like in previous eras, such as forced assimilation, the Tulalips are taking it upon themselves to ensure the language and the culture prevails long past the present threat of the global COVID pandemic.
“We hope that our community can look at these videos that we create and the online learning opportunity as a means for them to learn at their own pace during these difficult times,” said Natosha. “I think that’s probably the biggest thing, we want to reach our community by whatever means necessary. We’ll provide the tools, we just really want to encourage our community to utilize them.”
“At first, I thought nobody’s going to watch this, because people are at home and COVID is happening,” admits Michele. “But then everybody started sending in messages asking if we can do certain lessons or stories because a lot of parents are doing the homeschool thing. We have people telling us that when they go out, their child is naming the colors and shapes they see, and they are singing our songs. It’s important for the kids to learn their language. If you don’t keep hearing it and keep speaking it, then you forget it. By having these videos available, it keeps it fresh in the kid’s mind.”
For more information, please visit the Tulalip Lushootseed Facebook page or contact (360) 716-4499.
