Tulalip News

Rat City brings the action back to Key Arena, March 16

After a brief return to the old homestead at Southgate Roller Rink the Rat City Rollergirls return to Key Arena March 16th to continue the 2013 home season. The first bout of the evening is a highly anticipated match-up between 2012 Home Team Champions Grave Danger and the Derby Liberation Front.

The last time these two teams met in competition was almost a year ago when Grave Danger defeated DLF by just 5 points, helping to keep them out of the 2012 Championship game. Both teams have been training intensely as veteran Rat City skaters work alongside new team members to play hard, smart, and clean. With the final ranking bout of the home team season approaching you will see these teams at their fiercest as they do everything in their power to avoid a loss that could help knock them out of contention for this year’s Championships.

But, as you may have noticed, it’s not all familiar faces this year as Rat City continues to bring in nearby contenders to keep our audiences excited and our home teams on their toes. In the second bout of the evening the Throttle Rockets, after two close losses to Rat City home teams in the beginning of the season, will be looking to show the Port Scandalous Brawl Stars of Port Angeles, WA, that they are still a team to be feared. Of course, since their 15-point loss to the Throttle Rockets last March the Brawl Stars have been racking up wins against teams like the Olympia Rollers’ Dropkick Donnas and Jet City Roller Girl’s home teams, the Hula Honeys and the Pink Pistols. Can the Brawl Stars take advantage of the Throttle Rockets’ tough start to the season, or will they be the unlucky victims of the Throttle Rockets’ flat track revenge?

And don’t forget, while you’re grabbing your fan signs to come down to the Key you can also grab a couple of cans of food (or just a little cash) to donate to the Ballard Food Bank at our Show Us Your Cans donation bins. The first 250 fans to donate will even get some sweet Rat City swag! You can also support local youth activities by buying delicious cookies from our featured charity of the month, the Girl Scouts of Western Washington, investing in some 50/50 raffle tickets from the Seattle Derby Brats, or just cheering your heart out for the Northside Youth Program Drill Team during our intermission show.

Go to Ticketmaster now to snap up your tickets , and check out our special deals for concessions, families and groups!

Our remaining Season 9 dates at KeyArena include: 3/16, 4/13, 5/11, 6/8, 7/13, 8/10. The 2013 season will include an exciting mix of play from the home teams you know and love and interleague play from the Rat City All Stars, who recently placed fifth in the uber-competitive Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) Western Region semi-finals. Check out all of the awesome games we have lined up for this season!

TRY OUT TO BE A RAT CITY ROLLERGIRL!

Roller derby is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, endurance-based sport that takes lots of physical and mental ability, time, and sheer dedication. If you think you have what it takes, come try out to show us what you’ve got. Our next tryout is at our practice facility on Saturday, March 30th from 10am-2pm (doors open and registration begin at 9:30 am).

For more information: http://ratcityrollergirls.com/about-us/tryouts/

Open Practices:
March 20th 6:00-7:30
March 25th 7:30-9:30, 9:30-10 Q&A session

Scrimmage Viewing:
March 26th 7:30-10:30
SKATE WITH THE RAT CITY REC LEAGUE!

Always wanted to skate like a rollergirl? Now you can! Join the The Rat City Rollergirls Recreational Roller Derby Program!! Rec League has two weekly opportunities: Fit Skate and Scrimmage (yes! Scrimmage!!)!!

Fit Skate is a co-ed, non-contact skating workout open to all skill levels! Come in as a beginning skater, an ice or inline skater wanting to try out quads, a retiree, or an existing derby girl or referee who wants additional rink time. Scrimmage night is a black and white mash up open to women who can pass a minimum skills test. Any level of experience from Pre-Fresh meat to Retirees- if you’re looking for more play time we’re lookin’ at you!

For more information and to register, visit us at http://ratcityrollergirls.com/about-us/recreation/

WENCHSPOTTING DANCE PARTY MARCH 29

Join the Sockit Wenches on Friday, March 29 at Re-Bar for one of their legendary events, this time a dance party + variety show featuring the ladies in blue and some very talented friends. Don’t miss a single moment — doors open at 7 p.m., and performances will run all night betwixt the good times and the getting down. Tickets are available on a sliding scale in advance, and $10 at the door.

Purchase tickets today at Brown Paper Tickets

As you dance and enjoy the show you’ll be helping us earn money to travel to Spokane to play in a tournament, Spokarnage, in April.

Choose an outfit. Choose boogie shoes. Choose Wenchspotting.

ADVERTISE WITH THE BEST FANS IN SEATTLE!

Modern Roller Derby is the fastest growing female contact sport in the world!! Get in on the action NOW!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QsKK7SY12E

INTERESTED IN FREE TICKETS?

Do you want to watch the next Rat City Rollergirls bout for FREE? Do you want to earn cool, limited-edition Rat City gear? Then sign up to volunteer with us!

Producing a Rat City Rollergirl event is no walk in the park. There is A LOT of behind-the-scenes work that goes into it. That’s why we are so appreciative of the time and services Rat City Rollergirl volunteers put into our organization – we could not kick ass like we do without the dedication of our volunteers!

Please contact our volunteer staffing coordinator, Penny Racer, at volunteer@ratcityrollergirls.com to be contacted for future volunteer opportunities

YOU’RE ALWAYS COOL WEARING RAT CITY GEAR!

You don’t have to wait until you’re back at the Key Arena to get yourself, or the one you love, some fierce Rat City merchandise! Check out www.ratcityrollergirls.com/merch, where we’ve added new team gear!

For all the latest news on our teams, bout schedules and event information, visit www.ratcityrollergirls.com AND visit us on Facebook!

Photos: Remembering the First Known Pow Wow Held in a U.S. Combat Zone by Native Americans

Source: Indian Country Today Media Network

Drum circle during the 120th Engineer Combat Battalion pow wow at Al Taqaddum Air Base, Iraq, 2004. Photo by Master Sergeant Chuck Boers (Lipan Apache/Oklahoma Cherokee, b. 1964). Gift of Sergeant Debra K. Mooney and members of the 120th Engineer Combat Battalion. Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

In 2004, U.S. Army Sergeant Debra Mooney, Choctaw, and the 120th Engineer Combat Battalion staged the first pow wow held in a U.S. combat zone by Native Americans. The Native American Inter-Tribal Pow Wow was held in Al Taqaddum, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

According to the National Museum of the American Indian, the two-day event, held at the Al Taqaddum Air Base near Fallujah, featured Native regalia, dancing and singing, and traditional games and foods, including genuine frybread. Participants made their pow wow drum from a discarded 55-gallon oil barrel and canvas from a cot. The goal of the pow wow was to bring a piece of home to Native Americans serving in Iraq while sharing their cultural heritage with fellow soldiers, marines, and sailors.

American Indians have served in the U.S. military since the American revolution, before they were allowed U.S. citizenship, and by percentage they serve more than any other ethnic group. The 120th Engineer Combat Battalion has its headquarters in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, also home to the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.

Lower: Drum, stand, and drumsticks, 2004. Metal, canvas, wood, commercially tanned leather, plastic, nylon cord, adhesive tape, metal nails. Made by members of the U.S. Army’s 120th Engineer Combat Battalion, headquartered in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and used during their Al Taqaddum Inter-Tribal Powwow, September 17–18, 2004, in Al Taqaddum, Iraq. Gift of Sergeant Debra K. Mooney and members of the 120th Engineer Combat Battalion. (Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian)

US Army (USA) Soldiers of Native American Indian heritage, participate in a game of Native American Indian Stick Ball during the Native American Inter-Tribal Pow Wow held at Al Taqaddum, Iraq, during Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. The Pow Wow was held to honor all past, present, and future Native American Veterans, and this events marks the first time that a Pow Wow was held in a Combat Zone by Native Americans (Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian)

Native American Indians came from all over Iraq to play a game of Native American Indian Stick Ball during the Native American Inter-Tribal Pow Wow that was held on Al Taqaddum near Fallujah on the 17-18th of September 2004 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Pow Was planned from start to finish in less than five weeks, and all the items from the tomahawks to the drum was hand-made by the Native Americans in Iraq. The Pow Wow was held to honor all past, present, and future Native American Veterans, this was the first time that a Pow Wow was held in a Combat Zone by Native Americans. Photo by SFC Johancharles Van Boers (Apache/Cherokee), 55th Signal Company, Combat Camera, Fort Meade, Maryland. “Released for Public Use”

Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 120th Engineer Combat Battalion (headquartered in Okmulgee, Oklahoma) participating in a tomahawk throwing contest. Man throws a tomahawk at a wooden post while others look on (NMAI object 265139.000) . Photo taken during the powwow events held at Camp Taqaddum, Iraq in 2004. (National Museum of the American Indian)

Did Facebook search violate Everett student’s rights?

Everett student told to open page to help in bullying probe

By Sharon Salyer, the Herald

Dan Bates / The HeraldSamantha Negrete, an eighth-grader at North Middle School in Everett, was asked to open her Facebook page to help a school administrator investigate another student. Her parents, Kevin McCollum and Connie Becerra, seen here at home in south Everett, contacted the ACLU afterward. — Dan Bates / The Herald
Samantha Negrete, an eighth-grader at North Middle School in Everett, was asked to open her Facebook page to help a school administrator investigate another student. Her parents, Kevin McCollum and Connie Becerra, seen here at home in south Everett, contacted the ACLU afterward.

EVERETT — A vice principal investigating a case of cyber-bullying pressured a North Middle School girl into opening up her Facebook page so he could look at what her friends had been posting, according to the girl’s mom.

The issue raises questions about what rights school officials have to ask to see students’ social media sites and whether such actions violate students’ privacy.

Connie Becerra said her 14-year-old daughter, Samantha Negrete, was never suspected to be a part of the cyber-bullying. But she was called into the vice principal’s office and was told to type in her password and log onto her account.

“He did not have the right to bring her in and bully her and coerce her,” Becerra said. “Our kids do have a right to privacy.”

The vice principal’s actions are “likely illegal and most certainly improper,” said Linda Mangel, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington. Becerra contacted the Seattle office of the ACLU when she learned what happened last month.

“It’s an awful thing to do to a 14-year-old kid who’s done nothing wrong,” Mangel said.

The vice principal was trying to find a picture taken on school grounds during school hours, said Mary Waggoner, school district spokeswoman. One student was later suspended for cyber-bullying.

“Everything we know at this point is that the assistant principal acted out of an interest in intervening in cyber-bullying,” Waggoner said. “Given the concern about cyber-bullying, one might understand his motivation to make sure that it didn’t happen at school.”

Still, the district has hired an outside investigator to see “who said what, under what circumstances and under what authorization,” Waggoner said.

The school district also is reviewing its policies on when and how staff may ask to look at a student’s personal social media accounts, she said.

Waggoner said that she was not aware of other issues of staff perusing students’ social media sites. The topic does need some clarification, she said. “In that respect, this situation is a good thing. We expect more clarity will come from this.”

Both the federal and state constitution protect against unwarranted searches, such as a public school district perusing a student’s Facebook page, Mangel said.

“What we don’t know is whether this is an isolated incident or this is the tip of the iceberg and this administration has been conducting other improper searches of Facebook pages or email accounts,” Mangel said.

Samantha, an eighth-grader at North Middle School, earns A’s and B’s, has never been in trouble at school and participates in wrestling, volleyball, basketball and choir, said her mom.

Samantha said that she feels she’s been unnecessarily pulled into a controversy.

“I wasn’t the bully,” Samantha said. “It wasn’t my fault. I feel like other kids are blaming me for what happened.”

She was likely called to the school’s office because she’s an honor student and athlete whom the vice principal “knew had respect for authority and used that authority to tell her to open up her Facebook page,” Mangel said.

The ACLU has produced an online booklet, “Student Rights and Responsibilities in the Digital Age,” to help guide both school districts and students on the issue, she said.

If the vice principal was concerned about cyber-bullying, he could simply have talked to the alleged victim to have that student show him the post, Mangel said. “He didn’t need to go trolling through an innocent party’s Facebook page.”

In the past, such questions involving schools have most often involved cell phone and email searches, she said. But more recently, the questions increasingly involve social media sites, such as Facebook.

“Well-intentioned administrators are overreaching because they think, somehow, it’s their duty to investigate in this manner,” Mangel said.

Last year, the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University reported on a federal court case in Minnesota that involved student privacy rights on Facebook in which the student involuntarily relinquished her password.

Students enjoy a Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures by school officials, according to the ruling.

RSVP Now for EvCC Foundation Breakfast April 23

WSU President Elson Floyd to Speak
EVERETT, Wash. – Washington State University President Elson Floyd will be the keynote speaker at the Everett Community College Foundation benefit breakfast at 7:30 a.m. April 23.

The breakfast, which raises money to support student scholarships and college programs, is at EvCC’s Student Fitness Center, 2206 Tower St.

To attend, RSVP by April 19 to foundation@everettcc.edu or by calling 425-388-9434. There is no charge for the breakfast; attendees will be given an opportunity to contribute to the EvCC Foundation.

“EvCC develops the talent that our business community needs now more than ever,” said John Olson, executive director of the EvCC Foundation. “Support for the EvCC Foundation is an investment in the future well-being of both the students and the communities in Snohomish County.”

The breakfast is part of the EvCC Foundation’s efforts to increase the number of student scholarships, emergency loans and grants. The Foundation is also working to seek out equipment and support to ensure students have the technology they need in the classroom.

The EvCC Foundation, in partnership with corporations, businesses, foundations, and individuals, is committed to continuing the college’s tradition of serving as the region’s leading provider of academic and technical education.

For more information about the Everett Community College Foundation, visit www.everettcc.edu/foundation.

Coast Salish Art Programs at the Burke

April 2013
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture
Seattle, WA

First Woman. Yellow Cedar.By Luke Marston. Photo by Armstrong Creative. — First Woman. Yellow Cedar.
By Luke Marston. Photo by Armstrong Creative.

Seattle – The Burke Museum is pleased to offer a variety of programs featuring the groundbreaking artwork of Coast Salish artists. In April, attend a discussion panel with practicing artists, see art demonstrations and talk to artists about their work, and view Coast Salish art from the Burke Museum collections.

Discussion Panel: Coast Salish Art in the 21^st Century
Friday, April 5, 2013 • Kane Hall 120, UW Campus • 7 pm

Coast Salish artists are using computer graphics, laser cutters, and glass hot shops, as well as adzes, knives, and looms to bring traditional forms into the 21^st century. Join a panel of artists lead by Shaun Peterson as they share the challenges and rewards of transporting the vision of their grandparents into the modern world.

Panelists include artists Heather Johnson-Jock, lessLIE, Luke Marston, and Danielle Morsette.

FREE for all and open to the public. Pre-registration recommended. Reserve your seat today at www.burkemuseum.org/events.

Special Event: Coast Salish Art & Artists Day
Saturday, April 6, 2013 • Burke Museum • 10 am – 3 pm

Explore artwork and demonstrations by notable Coast Salish artists in mediums such as weaving, sculpture, and print-making. Attend film screenings, and try your hand at a communal weaving piece on a large loom.

Art demonstrations include:

Coast Salish weaving on tabletop and upright frame looms
Cedar bark basketry weaving
Hand spinning yarn with a spindle whorl
Acrylic on paper pieces
Film screenings of Teachings of the Tree People: The Work of Bruce Miller and Killer Whale and Crocodile

Participating artists include Bill and Fran James, Heather Johnson-Jock, lessLIE, Luke Marston, Danielle Morsette, and Karen Reed.

Included with museum admission; FREE for Burke members.

Coast Salish Art programs are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and 4Culture.

Weekend Activities @ the Burke: Coast Salish Art
Saturdays & Sundays in April • Burke Museum • 11 am – 3 pm
Every weekend in April, enjoy Coast Salish art activities at the Burke. See Coast Salish weaving pieces not normally on display, and try your hand at a large weaving loom. Also enjoy guided exhibit tours every Saturday at 1 pm.

Included with museum admission; FREE for Burke members.

The Burke Museum is located on the University of Washington campus, at the corner of NE 45^th St. and 17^th Ave. NE. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm daily, and until 8 pm on first Thursdays. Admission: $10 general, $8 senior, $7.50 student/ youth. Admission is free to children four and under, Burke members, UW students, faculty, and staff. Admission is free to the public on the first Thursday of each month. Prorated parking fees are $15 and partially refundable upon exit if paid in cash. Call 206-543-5590 or visit www.burkemuseum.org. The Burke Museum is an American Association of Museums accredited museum.

To request disability accommodation, contact the Disability Services Office at: 206.543.6450 (voice), 206.543.6452 (TTY), 206.685.7264 (fax), or email at dso@u.washington.edu. The University of Washington makes every effort to honor disability accommodation requests. Requests can be responded to most effectively if received as far in advance of the event as possible, preferably at least 10 days.

Coast Salish Art and Artists, Burke Museum April 6

Reflecting Mountains.By Danielle Morsette. — Reflecting Mountains.
By Danielle Morsette.

Burke Museum
Sat., Apr. 6, 2013 | 10 am – 3 pm
Included with museum admission; FREE for Burke members

Join the Burke Museum for a special day about Coast Salish art. Explore the incredible artwork of local Native American artists, who are experts in mediums such as weaving, sculpture, print-making, carving, and more. Talk with practicing Coast Salish artists and watch demonstrations of their work. Attend film screenings throughout the day in the Burke Room, and try your hand at a communal weaving piece on a large loom.

Art demonstrations include:

Coast Salish weaving on tabletop and upright frame looms
Cedar bark basketry weaving
Hand spinning yarn with a spindle whorl
Acrylic on paper pieces
Film screenings of Teachings of the Tree People: The Work of Bruce Miller and Killer Whale and Crocodile

Participating artists include Bill and Fran James, Heather Johnson-Jock, lessLIE, Luke Marston, Danielle Morsette, and Karen Reed.

Coast Salish Art programs are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and 4Culture.

Indigenous Latin Americans Mourn the Death of Hugo Chavez

By Rick Kearns, Indian Country Today Media Network

For some indigenous people of Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez was someone they could count on and love and many indigenous Latin Americans expressed those same feelings last week.

Indigenous people in Venezuela and throughout Latin America were among the millions of people mourning the death of President Chavez of Venezuela, a man who helped change the nation’s constitution to protect indigenous rights and who returned more than 4 million acres of land to many tribes among other accomplishments.

Messages of solidarity and condolences came quickly after the news of Chavez death on Wednesday, March 5, after a two-year battle with cancer.

On that same day, the most famous indigenous leader in this hemisphere, his friend and ally, President Evo Morales of Bolivia stated, “It hurts us. We are devastated.”

“My brother in solidarity,” Morales continued in a government press release, “a revolutionary Latin American compatriot who fought for his country, for the big country of Simon Bolivar, a comrade who gave his life for the liberation of the Venezuelan people, of the people of Latin America.”

Indigenous leaders from other countries such as Ecuador and Brazil sent condolences through traditional and social media.

“I feel enormous sadness,” stated Humberto Cholango, President of the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE in Spanish), the largest indigenous coalition in that country.

“He will live on as an example of the struggle against imperialism,” Cholango added.

Another indigenous Ecuadorean leader, Delia Caguana, President of the Indigenous Movement of Chimborazo, issued a strongly worded press release through Facebook.

“Our deepest feeling of solidarity for his family and the Venezuelan people,” Caguana stated, “for the loss of a valiant leader such as the Comandante Hugo Chavez Frias…his vocation to seek a change for the most vulnerable people of his beloved country, his clear and firm ideas of revolution deeply touched the hearts of Venezuelans, Latin Americans and even the whole world for his confrontations with and questioning of the groups in power that sought their own profits with no concern for the destruction of Pachamama (Mother Earth).”

Marcos Terena, an internationally known indigenous activist from Brazil also posted on Facebook that, “From our hearts, respect and solidarity to the people of Venezuela and the Indigenous Peoples on the death of Chavez.”

While these messages of solidarity and condolence came from various Indigenous Peoples, there were also articles and essays published by indigenous Venezuelans, also through traditional and social media.

Jayariyú Farías Montiel, editor of the award winning indigenous newspaper Wayuunaiki, published a column entitled The Indigenous People Weep for Chavez on Thursday, March 6th, recounting the history of Chavez advocacy for indigenous people starting in 1998.

“During the presidential campaign of 1998, diverse indigenous leaders exposed the situation to him, of the exclusion of the Indigenous Peoples from power, he was very moved by this,” Montiel wrote, “and he was clear in his ideals for justice and promised to change that reality.”

Montiel noted that upon reaching the presidency in 1999, Chavez named an indigenous woman, Atala Uriana, as his Minister of the Environment, “…putting her into his cabinet leaving the entire continent perplexed by this.”

His first act as president was one of inclusion, she continued, but his second act would leave a strong imprint on the country: the creation of a constituent assembly that would go on to create a new Constitution. It was in this new document that indigenous rights were protected. Article 119 of the new constitution for instance, recognizes the social, political, and economic organization of indigenous communities, as well as their cultures, languages, rights, and lands. Specifically, land rights were defined as collective, inalienable, and non-transferable.

Montiel also pointed out that “The political participation was solidified in an immediate way following the new Constitutional precepts and three indigenous representatives…initiated, along with the president a legislative path that opened the way for other laws.”

The new laws also allowed for the granting of land titles, over 12 years, of 4,472,589 acres of land to indigenous communities throughout Venezuela.

But for Kenami Padron, a Jivi member of the National Assembly, Chavez accomplishments had an emotional impact. On Facebook, Padron published a photo of her then 5-year-old cousin being held by Chavez who was wearing indigenous necklaces and smiling (at an event in the Amazonian town of Alto Orinoco in 2003).

When asked for permission to use the photo, Padron said, “yes, but I hope it will be used in a way that shows the work of love that Chavez did for the indigenous people. We will never forget the loyalty of the comandante of the Indigenous Peoples, Father of the country.”

Major state gun proposal may go to voters

By Mike Baker, Associated Press

OLYMPIA — Washington voters may get the final say on whether the state expands background checks on gun sales, as proponents said Tuesday a public vote was necessary to move the idea forward.

Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, said the referendum proposal was necessary in order to secure enough votes to pass the measure out of his chamber. If the measure is approved in both chambers, Pedersen said he expects the National Rifle Association leads an effort to stop it.

“I feel a pretty good amount of confidence that it works and that we can defend it at the ballot box,” Pedersen said.

Gun buyers currently must undergo a background check when they purchase a weapon from a federally licensed firearms dealer. Pedersen’s proposal, crafted in conjunction with Republican Rep. Mike Hope, would extend background checks to cover private gun transactions.

Under the bill, people who already have proper law enforcement credentials or a valid concealed pistol license would already have the proof needed to complete a private gun purchase. Those who don’t have such documentation could go to a licensed gun dealer or local law enforcement agency, then pay a fee and get a background check.

Hope, a Seattle police officer, has expressed concern that criminals are bypassing the current system of background checks and acquiring guns through private transactions. He said the proposal won’t stop gun violence but would make it harder for criminals to get weapons.

The state House is expected to take up the plan Tuesday afternoon. It would then have to get through the state Senate, including a committee controlled by gun-friendly lawmakers.

Poet Raven Hunter visits Hibulb Cultural Center

By Jeannie Briones and Kim Kalliber

Poet enthusiasts gathered at the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center on March 7th to listen to guest poet, Raven Hunter. Her bold and truthful poetry drew the audience into her introspection of love, loss, and pain.

“There is nothing else in the world more intimidating, and yet so fulfilling, than the truth. When you tell the truth, it doesn’t matter who denies it or who accepts it. The truth is the truth and these are my truths,” said Hunter, who hopes that through her poetry, people will understand what it’s like to walk in her shoes. “This is how I want to portray my poetry, because it isn’t just poetry, it is my life story.”

Twenty-four year-old Hunter is a Jamestown S‘Kallam Tribal member with a Hispanic background. Growing up in Sunnyside, Washington, a Hispanic agriculture community, her father, grandfather, uncle, and sister helped shape the women she is today.

Raising her siblings forced a young Hunter to grow up fast, and writing became a way for her to cope with the absence of her mother.

“Poetry is a release because I wasn’t allowed to show my emotions as a child. I turned to writing and reading because you can get lost in words; they are endless,” said Hunter.

Hunter enjoyed creating funny skits and short stories, but after reading one of her sister’s poems about looking outside of yourself and caring for others, she became inspired to write her own poetry. She wrote about a boy and a friend caught a love triangle. At the age of 14, Hunter began sorting through a tangle of deep emotions through writing.

“Some people cry, some people cut themselves, some people turn to drugs, some people turn to God, and I turn to truth,” said Hunter.

Now in 2013, having suffered through the loss of loved ones and a recent break-up, Hunter has reached a point in her life where she feels it’s important to discover who she really is.

“I have been lost for so long and now I have the chance to be found, and it intimidates me,” said Hunter

Her love of nature developed into an interest in ethnobotany, the study of culture and plants and the relationship that exists between them. “I have always known I’m supposed to be a healing person, as early as I can remember,” said Hunter.

Through her written work, she hopes someday, when she has children, they can look back and see that they can overcome life’s struggles and be a survivor.

“I was thinking what I want my legacy to be; I want to give something to my children so when I’m on my death bed, I can say that I gave something that was worth giving to them, that is not of this material world,” said Hunter.

For more information on future poetry series or other series at the Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center, please call 360-716-2600 or visit www.hibulbculturalcenter.org.

Brown Paper Tickets Launches LPFM “National Make Radio Challenge” During SXSW Using Seattle Model for Success

March 12, 2013 (SEATTLE) – Brown Paper Tickets, the Seattle-based event registration and ticketing company, is launching a National Make Radio Challenge during South-by-Southwest (SXSW) today to bring awareness and guidance to nonprofits eligible to apply for a low-power FM (LPFM) radio license, in preparation for a once-in-a-lifetime application window being offered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) this fall.

“Now is the time for nonprofits to prepare their application to own a part of the public airwaves,” said Sabrina Roach, a Doer specializing in public interest media for Brown Paper Tickets. “Most traditional media have not included the LPFM application window in news coverage, and the majority of groups eligible to apply are not aware that this opportunity exists. This is a problem, because the application will take about three months to complete.

“The National Make Radio Challenge is needed to make groups aware of the opportunity, to inspire them to think about how they could use the power of radio to serve their communities, to guide them to resources that make building and operating a radio station realistic, and to help them to organize and successfully complete the application in time,” Roach said.

Brown Paper Tickets began helping Seattle community groups and nonprofits learn about the LPFM opportunity in November, and several are now applying for the license. The lessons learned and resources found from that experience are now being shared nationally to help all of the nation’s largest cities to fill every available LPFM frequency with a qualified applicant.

This will be the first time that LPFM licenses will be awarded in large urban markets, and likely the last time that they will be awarded at all, making the Oct. 15 application window an important opportunity for nonprofit community groups to reach larger audiences. Some potential uses for LPFM would be for recruiting volunteer and financial support, organizing, telling stories that don’t make it to commercial media, publicizing meetings and events, serving as resource for youth education, hyper-local community news, exposure for local artists and musicians, and much more.

“Our hope is that community groups take up the challenge and use the public airwaves for public good,” Roach said. “An additional benefit would be in helping to correct the lack of diversity in media ownership, in that 87 percent of all radio stations are owned by Caucasians, 6 percent are owned by women and 7 percent by people of color, which influences the programming heard on the public airwaves.”

Seattle and Austin LPFM Toolkits have been published at http://community.brownpapertickets.com/Doers/index.html. “We have been able to identify more than $6 million in public funding that is appropriate for nonprofits applying for LPFM to compete for in both cities,” Roach said. “We can guide nonprofits on how to find public funding to help them to make radio in many communities.” A national LPFM Toolkit with step-by-step instructions on how anyone can successfully apply for and fund their goal of building and operating a LPFM station will be published online during the Journalism That Matters conference in Denver, Colo., on April 3.

The National Make Radio Challenge event will be from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gibson Guitar Showroom, 3601 S. Congress, and is open to the public with an RSVP at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/347626. The event will feature a panel of local and national media policy advocates and music industry professionals from the Future of Music Coalition, the Austin Creative Alliance, and more.

Hollis Wong-Wear, a singer in The Flavr Blue, writer and creative producer who currently performs with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and produced the video for their #1 Billboard hit, “Thrift Shop,” will appear on the National Make Radio Challenge panel. She will be also be posting a series of candid photos and videos of musicians between sets at SXSW sharing their opinions about what LPFM means to those who make music. These photos and videos will be featured on Twitter, (@BPTMakeRadio), Instagram (lpfmmakeradiochallenge), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Make-Radio/564024070285609?fref=ts)

Brown Paper Tickets supports the proliferation of LPFM because of its Not-Just-For-Profit business model, which translates “paying it forward” into sustainable commerce while building a better world. “Brown Paper Tickets commits 5 percent of all profits to building healthy communities, and we believe that LPFM is an important and powerful tool in that mission,” said Roach.

About Brown Paper Tickets: Brown Paper Tickets (http://www.BrownPaperTickets.com), the Not-Just-For-Profit ticketing company, revolutionized the industry by putting free, professional tools for ticketing any-sized gathering on the Internet, and continues to champion the rights of ticket-buyers with the lowest fee for the most service in the industry. The company donates 5 percent of the profit from each ticket sale to build communities and nonprofits, pays its employees to work 40 hours each year for the cause of their choosing, and employs a team of “Doers,” experts in industries such as music, new media, makers, roller derby and more, to fix, improve and revolutionize the communities where we live, work and play.