Heritage High School of Tulalip held its graduation for the class of 2013 on Saturday. Click here to see a gallery of photos from the ceremony.
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Herald photographers are shooting photos from most Snohomish County high school graduation ceremonies this year. Look for more on our graduation galleries page.
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Sherry L. Rupert, Paiute and Washoe, has been appointed as one of six new members to the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board by U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank. She is the lone American Indian member of the board.
The board, established in 2003, serves as the advisory body to the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the travel and tourism industry in the United States. Its members represent a broad cross-section of the industry, including transportation services, financial services, and hotels and restaurants, as well as a mix of small and large firms from across the country.
“The travel and tourism industry is so important to our nation’s economy and important to many of our tribal communities,” Rupert said. “This opportunity is a huge step forward for Indian country. Indian country now has a seat at the table.”
With more than 20 years of tribal, public and private business experience, she possesses a strong background in accounting, finance, business administration, tribal tourism and Indian Affairs. Rupert is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and is currently the President of the Native American Chapter of the University of Nevada, Reno Alumni Association.
She has presented at numerous tribal, state, regional and national conferences and was elected to her second term as President of the Governors’ Interstate Indian Council, and was formerly the Treasurer for two terms. The Governors’ Interstate Indian Council is a national organization promoting and protecting the various interests, welfare and well-being of American Indian people of the United States and in particular those American Indian residents within the various participating states of the Governors’ Interstate Indian Council.
Sherry is the Chairwoman of the Nevada Indian Territory, a marketing arm of the Nevada Commission on Tourism, and was awarded the 2009 and 2007 Excellence in Tourism Award as well as the 2011 Statewide Excellence in Tourism Award from the Nevada Commission on Tourism for her success in promoting and advancing tourism in Indian country. She was also awarded the 2009 Human and Civil Rights Award from the Nevada State Education Association. Ms. Rupert distinguished herself in her term as Treasurer for the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) Board of Directors (Southwest Region Representative) and during her service on the AIANTA Executive Committee; as a consequence, she was elected Vice-President of the Board of Directors.
Olympic Avenue in downtown Arlington will be an auto enthusiast’s dream on Saturday, June 8, as the Downtown Arlington Business Association (DABA) presents the 14th annual Show & Shine Car Show.
Drivers of antiques, classics, hotrods and muscle cars are invited to register Saturday morning at 8 a.m., in the 300 block of N. Olympic Avenue, to display their prized possessions and enter to win best of show and other awards. The registration fee is $20.
Pre-registration is also available by contacting organizer Marilyn Bullock, DABA president, at (360) 435-4963 or online at www.arlingtonwa.org.
The first 275 cars registered receive dash plaques, and an awards ceremony is planned for 3 p.m. A raffle will also be held during the event.
The Show & Shine Car Show is one of DABA’s major fundraisers, with proceeds from the car show helping support downtown projects and activities, along with a donation to the Arlington Food Bank.
DABA meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 8 a.m. at the Wild Rose, 318 N. Olympic Ave. Business owners and interested individuals are welcome to attend.
Credit Josh Marshall / Josh Marshall Photography Raven Two Feathers of Seattle directs a short documentary about the Suquamish Indian tribe as part of the 2013 SuperFly Filmmaking Workshop.
Each year, 50 teens from all over the country fly into Seattle to participate in a fast-and-furious film challenge. They have to produce short films in 36 hours, or “on the fly.” Which is why the program is called “SuperFly.”
Most of the participants are Native Americans, creating Native-themed films out on location on an Indian reservation.
Seattle filmmaker Tracy Rector and her Longhouse Media company launched the workshop 8 years ago.
“Growing up in Seattle as a mixed race woman who’s indigenous, I was very aware that there were not representations of people like me. And I often felt very isolated,” she said.
The all-expenses paid workshop, held in partnership with the Seattle International Film Festival, brings together a multi-cultural group of youths. And in an effort to demystify Indian Country, the workshops are held on a different Indian reservation each year.
This year, the Suquamish Tribe out on the Kitsap Peninsula hosted the teens and introduced them to their history and culture through songs, dances, teachings, and a feast of traditional foods. They also inspired the subjects for five short documentaries and one animated film. In previous years, the teens have worked off of original narrative scripts authored by a Native writer.
On the beach on a recent day, Raven Two Feathers and Evodie Ngoy helmed the camera to tell the story of Suquamish tribal member Peg Deam.
Deam stirred up controversy a few years ago when she took a canoe from the Suquamish museum and paddled it out on the water. She says it was her way of reclaiming and revitalizing her culture.
Raven, 16, is Cherokee, Seneca, Cayuga, Comanche, and a New Mexico transplant who now attends Ballard High. She said the workshop taught her more about the diversity of tribes in the Pacific Northwest.
She added she could relate to the subject of her documentary: “I feel like you need to take risks cause originally I was super shy as a kid and I had this one teacher that pushed me to get out of my comfort zone.”
When she stood out on the beach, directing, Raven was anything but shy. She shared directing duties with Evodie, a 15-year-old from Baltimore originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“It feels awesome. I don’t know how else to express it. I’m mean, too pumped. Too pumped. Too much joy,” she said about the filmmaking experience.
The teens are divided into teams. They work with professional mentors and professional equipment. They’re fueled by the adrenaline of an intense deadline and the passion of what they’ve already figured out they love to do.
“I heard a great thing from a director once that you don’t say, ‘I want to become a filmmaker.’ You say, ‘I am a filmmaker!’ So I guess you could say I am a filmmaker!” said Raven.
“You are! Did you see what you did today?” said Evodie to Raven.
The SuperFly films, which get screened as part of the Seattle International Film Festival, will also get submitted to other festivals. They’ll also wind up in the collection of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C.
BREMERTON, Wash. — Eight killer whales that spent about three hours in inland Washington waters near Bremerton quickly drew crowds on nearby shorelines.
Marine mammal biologist Brad Hanson of the National Marine Fisheries Service heard about the orcas and headed over from Seattle in his research boat to check them out Thursday afternoon.
The Kitsap Sun reports that the whales were marine mammal-eating transient orcas, rather than members of three Southern Resident killer whale pods that eat salmon.
Hanson followed the whales into Dyes Inlet and obtained a sample of blubber from a female orca designated as T-65A. She was identifiable by a distinctive notch in the upper part of her dorsal fin. Hanson also was able to identify her three offspring but not the other four whales. The blubber test is used to check for toxic chemicals and to help with genetic fingerprinting.
He says researchers are now trying to learn more about the transient killer whales.
Over the past decade, there have been a lot of milestones for the Port Gamble S’Klallam. We built the first Longhouse on our Tribe’s land in more than a century. We began to take steps to resurrect our ancestral language. We published our Tribe’s first history book.
All of these projects would not have been possible without the hard work of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Foundation. This nonprofit’s mission is to “improve the quality of life for Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal members while increasing the understanding of the Tribe’s rich cultural heritage with people who reside in the Puget Sound area and visitors from far and wide.”
The foundation’s successes serve as a snapshot of what our Tribe has done to strengthen community bonds while staying true to our values, including those relating to education, cultural awareness and environmental stewardship.
For example, one of the foundation’s early projects was the capital campaign behind the House of Knowledge project — completed in 2007 — which includes the Longhouse, Career and Education building, Elders Center, and Little Boston Library.
This February, we celebrated the release of “The Strong People: A History of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe,” the first book we feel accurately reflects our Tribe’s ancestral roots. Not only did the foundation oversee work on the book — mostly by volunteers — but they’ve also been in charge of making sure books are distributed to the community, especially to our elders.
The foundation has played an integral role in raising awareness of Port Gamble S’Klallam language and art. They’ve found opportunities to showcase our Tribal artisans, including hosting several art auctions and playing an integral role in the Tribal art showcased at The Point Casino after its remodel. The foundation also works closely with our cultural resources department to help encourage the teaching of the S’Klallam language. At one point, our ancestral language was all but a thing of the past; because of so-called “Indian schools,” few spoke even basic words. Today, the S’Klallam language is being taught in our preschool.
Recently, we opened a new preschool building. It features a living roof, rain gardens, and an old-growth cedar tree stump as the centerpiece between two classrooms. The next stage of that project is a playground and the foundation is selling $100 tiles to help with funding. Support within the Tribal community has been strong; Foundation Director Laurie Mattson told me a story of one man who said he couldn’t afford to buy a tile, but gave the $6 out of his pocket.
The foundation has also been put in charge of the restoration efforts at Heronswood. When we purchased Heronswood last year — while still a beautiful place — it was clear that some time and energy would need to be put toward revitalizing the gardens. Through the hard work of some very dedicated volunteers, Tribal and non-Tribal alike, who have been working almost weekly since late last year, the garden has been cleaned up and is ready for a fresh start.
In addition to helping coordinate volunteer efforts with the Port Gamble Development Authority, the foundation has been responsible for creating events that help open the garden back up to the community. By the time you read this, Heronswood would have had its first Garden Open & Plant Sale in more than a decade. Additional Garden Open & Plant Sale events are scheduled for July 6 and Sept. 7.
The foundation is also setting up opportunities for charter memberships and lecture events. You can find out more at Heronswood.com.
We are very proud of the work being done by the Port Gamble S’Klallam Foundation. They have done a lot to support our Tribal community and now, with projects like Heronswood, are working to create something positive that will touch people throughout the county, throughout the region, and beyond.
LUMMI RESERVATION – A Nooksack tribal member admitted guilt Thursday morning, June 6, to the ax murder of a 68-year-old man on the Lummi Reservation last year.
Kenneth L. Joseph
Levi Eugene Charles, 26, entered the plea in exchange for a recommended sentence of 22 to 27 years in prison for second-degree murder. But a federal judge could give him up to a life sentence at his next court hearing on Aug. 2.
Charles figured Kenneth L. Joseph, a Sauk-Suiattle tribe member, would be asleep when he broke into his house on the night of Oct. 23, 2012. Court records show Charles meant to steal valuables so he could pawn them for cash.
He found a miniature baseball bat outside the home at 4667 Lake Terrell Road. He grabbed it and walked inside, making enough noise that Joseph – who slept with a respirator – woke up. Joseph saw Charles and confronted him.
But Joseph, a much older man in poor health, couldn’t fend off the burglar. Charles bludgeoned him with the bat, according to the plea agreement. To finish the job, Charles grabbed an ax that was by the front door and struck Joseph again and again in the head and face with it.
Afterward, Charles covered the body with a blanket. He shrouded the windows with more blankets. He put the ax back where he found it, near the front door, and left the baseball bat in the woods behind the house. He stole Joseph’s wallet and television. But he abandoned the TV near the end of the driveway.
A few hours later, he used Joseph’s debit card to withdraw $420 from an ATM. He turned himself in to police for an unrelated warrant a few days later. Soon afterward, investigators named him as a murder suspect.
Nobody else has been charged in connection to the murder.
Joseph worked as a math tutor and a fisheries enforcement officer. In an obituary, his family recalled his love for fishing, hunting and riding motorcycles.
Under the terms of the plea, Charles must cover the funeral costs.
Charles had a history of crimes fueled by substance abuse: forging painkiller prescriptions and breaking into a minimart, for example. Once, he stole his grandmother’s debit card to buy $102.80 in minutes for his phone. But he had no past convictions for violent crime.
Reach Caleb Hutton at 360-715-2276 or caleb.hutton@bellinghamherald.com. Read his dispatcher blog at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/dispatcher or follow him on Twitter at @bhamcrime.
About two and a half centuries ago, Northeastern Indian leaders chided American colonial educators for wasting their young men’s time in giving them a European education. The young men who attended colonial schools returned with no relevant skills to hunt. They could not run or take care of themselves in the wilderness. They did not fit into tribal communities. They tended to break down into depression and drink. As a result, the Indian leaders refused to send them to such schools any longer. Instead, they suggested that the colonists send some of their young European men to be educated among Indians.
Some 250 years later, that defiant gesture is still relevant.
In general, education as it is promulgated by those who swept over this country from Europe has been, and continues to be, grossly misdirected for Indian nations and individuals. Its emphasis has almost always been on individual achievement, higher personal income, and jobs and economic opportunity within the non-Indian national market. In other words, it’s all about individual assimilation.
That’s tragic, because education has long been a high priority topic for many Indian communities. There is considerable published research about educating Indian students. However, most of that research focuses on personal success, getting a job, moving out of poverty, and entering the middle class. Those goals are not bad in and of themselves. In many ways, in fact, they may even be commendable. But their problem is that they foster intellectual and economic goals that do not center on tribal communities or their economic and political futures.
As is well known by now, public schools simply do not teach Indian students about tribal nations, Indian policy, or the history of tribal peoples in North America. Even Bureau of Indian Affairs schools do not offer curricula or course content about the organization and operations of tribal government or the meaning of tribal sovereignty. Nor do public and bureau schools train students in local history, the meaning of land, the future issues and problems confronting tribal nations and myriad other subjects.
It doesn’t take a genius to realize that if schools set themselves the task of turning out workers for the American job market by creating national citizens, then they are not doing much in the way of creating tribal citizens. It doesn’t take a genius to realize, either, that a population of thoroughly American citizens and workers will not uphold or sustain tribal goals, culture and self-government.
So where can we look for hope if misdirected Indian education is failing to produce generations of students who are willing and able to serve tribal communities and cultures through a shared appreciation of collective tribal goals and values? We can’t simply rely on elders and tribal knowledge, neither of which are accorded a primary role in the teaching of Indian students. Nor can we afford to wait and cross our fingers that things will get better. With every day that passes, Indian students are not taught sufficiently, and they get one step nearer to graduation with few usable skills to serve them as adults.
There is no alternative. Appropriate education simply must be a key element in Indian nation renewal. Students must be taught to support the values and goals of tribal communities, and at the same time develop the skills that will enable tribal communities and individuals to compete in present-day national and world markets. It is up to American Indian communities to regain control over the education of their children, and schools are obliged to serve the national renewal projects of tribal nations and cultures.
The stakes are too great. Not training students to participate and contribute to tribal nations undercuts tribal efforts for sustained and broad tribal renewal and continuity. A new Indian education system should aim at fostering highly instructed Indian students who are deeply grounded in tribal culture understanding and who are equipped to meet and overcome the challenges that tribal nations will have to reach their goals of cultural, political and economic sustainability.
SMOKEY POINT — The third annual Veterans Helping Veterans Spring Run will start at Sound Harley-Davidson in Smokey Point and end at the Angel of the Winds Casino in Arlington on Saturday, June 8.
The pre-ride briefing is slated to start at 10:45 a.m., in time for the motorcycles to go out by 11 a.m. The casino will greet riders with a slot tournament, as well as a raffle and silent auction in its banquet room.
“We strongly believe that our community is not just where we live, but is the place we have chosen to make a home for our families,” said Tracy “Chainz” Rowe, president of the Washington State Chapter B of the Warrior Brotherhood Veterans Motorcycle Club. “For this reason, we want to strengthen our ties within our community, and in doing so, provide assistance to the military community, veterans and their families.”
The club is a nonprofit veterans organization, and the annual spring run’s proceeds go to benefit Hearts Toward Home International.
“We have more than 60 items, valued in excess of $5,000, for the raffle and silent auction,” Rowe said. “The more folks we get to attend, the more money we can raise for Dr. Bridget Cantrell, who was appointed the 2004 and 2008 Outstanding Female Non-Veteran, for her service to veterans, by the Governor’s Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee and the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.”
Cantrell is the founder and CEO of Hearts Toward Home International, a charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to the recovery and reintegration of trauma survivors. Since 2008, Hearts Toward Home International has been received the Best of Bellingham Award, in the Nonprofit Charitable Organization category, by the U.S. Local Business Association for three years.
