Spring Powwow returns to University of Washington

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

During the second weekend of April, bright and bold and absolutely beautiful Native culture filled the University of Washington’s Hec Ed Pavilion. Known best as home court for the Washington Huskies basketball teams, the 10,000-seat venue was a welcomed sight for singers, dancers and drummers who journeyed near and far to celebrate the return of UW’s spring powwow.

Notably absent for two consecutive years out of an abundance of Covid-related caution, the annual event returned for 2022 with an eye-catching array of Indigenous tradition on full display. Typically held shortly after the cherry blossoms bloom, the spring cultural celebration represents a season of renewal and rejuvenation.

“The circle has been closed the last two years because of the pandemic, so opening up these doors and blessing up the floor is must needed medicine for our people,” said event MC, Tulalip’s own powwow circuit aficionado Jobey Williams. “It’s a great honor to bring these traditions, dances and songs back to the University of Washington, so the people could use this opportunity to get some must needed healing.

“Our powwow here brings enlightenment to the heart for those with an empty chair at home from a loved one lost. To see so many people fill the seats in this arena lets me know how much the powwow circle is needed right now. Everyone is welcome to join the circle and receive that traditional medicine to heal their spirit,” he added.

According to UW history, the first powwow was held on the University of Washington campus and was coordinated by the American Indian Student Council in 1971. In 1989, from the AISC emerged First Nations @ UW which continues to organize and develop the biggest powwow in Washington State.

For a few years the powwow was held off campus, but in 1994 the First Nations organization worked hard to ensure the powwow was held on campus. This enabled First Nations to further its mission of promoting higher education and sharing Native American cultures within the University community. The support of the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity has contributed to making this an annual event a university staple which attracts thousands of Native and non-Native individuals.

2022 marks the 51st rendition of the university’s student organized powwow. Giving Tulalip an additional connection to the well-attended, public event was fourth-year undergad student Hailey Enick. She serves as the Coastal Chair for First Nations @ UW and fulfilled an essential role during the powwow by holding boom mics over alternating drum circles.

“I decided to get involved and incorporate my coastal traditions in our UW powwow, which led to us opening with local canoe families offering a healing ceremony,” said the 22-year-old Tulalip tribal member intending to double major in American Indian Studies and Education. “It’s been an amazing experience working with everyone behind the scenes and having this event playout exactly as we wanted. Being the smallest student population at the university, it means so much to have our Native American culture and communities embraced and incorporated within our school functions.

“Growing up in Tulalip, where we have a lot of Husky fans, I dreamed of attending UW. Now, that I’m actually here fulfilling that dream I can say it’s a great institution offering amazingly diverse academics,” Hailey added. “I can’t recommend enough that our high schoolers consider UW as an achievable goal. I took a nontraditional route by attending Everett Community College for multiple years before successfully transferring to UW, which just proves there are multiple pathways to arrive at a desired destination.”

Just as there are multiple types of powwow protocols, in this case noncompetitive, there were multiple styles of dance for audience members to be in absolute awe of. From graceful grass dancing and frenetic fancy dance, to eagle feather adorned traditional dance and the mesmerizing metallic sound of women’s jingle dress, the Native performers turned tradition into shared connection. Accompanied by the continuous beat of the drum, it was much more than an audio/visual extravaganza. It was a welcoming back of the circle. It was medicine for the spirit.

“Self care is just that, it’s self care. What we’ve been missing is community care,” shared former UW tribal liaison and current PhD student, Ross Braine (Crow Nation). “We had no idea that our powwow would be this well received given the time we’re in. But as we’ve learned over the past two days, our students needed this, our elders needed this, and our local community needed this. The return of our spring powwow is about love for the people and all the good medicine that comes from being in community.”

Following the Salmon Ceremony Part 1: Practice begins 

Part 1: Practice begins 

Salmon Ceremony, 2018

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

 “After the treaty signing and after the boarding school era, much of our teachings were taken away,” Then Tulalip Vice-Chairman Glen Gobin explained to a packed longhouse last summer. “We were not able to speak our languages. We were not able to live with our families. Much of what we had as a culture was disappearing quickly. Some of the elders remembered certain aspects and would share those memories of how things used to be. The elders in 1976, Harriette Shelton Dover in particular, said we need to revive Salmon Ceremony, we need to bring it back. She gathered up different elders and they pieced together what each of them knew about the Salmon Ceremony from either things they personally witnessed or things they heard their grandparents talk about.”

With less than two months away, the tribal community of Tulalip has begun preparations for a special and important event that takes place along the shore of the bay each summer. Known as the Salmon Ceremony, the tribe celebrates an integral piece of their Salishan culture in traditional fashion. Draped in shawls, cedar hats and headbands, and vests, tribal members gather at the local longhouse to honor the salmon for providing nourishment to the people since time immemorial. 

Salmon Ceremony, 2019

After it’s revival in the late ‘70’s, the Salmon Ceremony has become a strong tradition for Tulalip tribal members and surrounding tribes who signed the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott. Not only does the ceremony pay respect to the salmon population, it also provides space to thank all the tribal fishermen, blessing them with a traditional song for a plentiful and safe season out on the water. 

During the Salmon Ceremony, the tribe honors their guest, or the first catch of the season, with Tulalip songs, stories and dances that were passed down through the generations. The guest is escorted to the Tulalip Longhouse, via a cedar dugout canoe, where tribal members wait ashore with drums and rattles in-hand to welcome their guest of honor with songs performed in the traditional Lushootseed language. 

The salmon is then taken into the longhouse for a blessing before it is prepared for a meal and enjoyed by those in attendance. The guest’s remains are sent back to the water after the ceremony. As the legend goes, the salmon returns back to its underwater village to show its community how well the Tulalips honored the salmon people. And therefore, more salmon will travel to the nets and lines of tribal fisherman throughout the course of the season.

Salmon Ceremony, 2021

Every year, the Salmon Ceremony traditions are upheld and precisely executed by the tribal membership and it appears that every dance step is in perfect line with each drumbeat. Lessons are passed on from elders to the youth, thanks to practice sessions held weekly leading up to the Salmon Ceremony. This year, Salmon Ceremony practices will be held at 5:00 p.m. each Thursday at the Tulalip Gathering Hall, with the exception of the last practice, (June 9) which will be held at the longhouse. 

The Salmon Ceremony celebration is scheduled for Saturday June 11th at 10:30 a.m., which means there are eight total practice sessions before the event takes place. As the Tulalip community prepares for this year’s festivities, Tulalip News will feature a weekly mini-series focused on the traditions and hard work that goes into the Salmon Ceremony each year.  

Glen expressed, “Harriette always said that so much was taken from us and what we do today may not be exactly the same as it was done two hundred years ago. But as long as we do it with good intentions and with a pure heart, our elders will receive it in that manner. So, we hang on to those bits and pieces that we have and we’re thankful for them.”

A vote for the levies, is a vote for our kids

By Shaelyn Hood, Tulalip News

On February 23, the Marysville School District (MSD) introduced two levies to the community. These typically take place when a school district is needing more funds and property taxes are instilled as a way to subjugate them. The introduced levies from MSD are the Education, Programs & Operations levy, and the Technology & Capital Projects levy.

Though the relationship between Tulalip Tribal members and MSD has wavered for many years, the levies are a way to join forces and make a better environment for students. 

Executive Director of Education, Jessica Bustad spoke about the troublesome relationship, “for years, people within our community have not been satisfied with the District. There’s a lot of pain and trauma around experiences that have happened in public schools. There is a lot of healing that needs to be done, and we have to work through that and make sure that the school district is held accountable. But at the same time, we also have to be supporting our students, and the levies can help do that.”

The Education, Programs & Operations levy is designated to help support smaller class sizes, making it easier for children to get one-on-one attention. It also helps establish programs for students with disabilities. It provides student transportation with more bus stops and shorter bus rides. In addition, it supports the Early Learning Center for pre-k kids, and many of the arts, music, athletics, and various extra-curricular activities.

The Technology & Capital Projects levy is designated to help integrate better technology for students, provide system administrators to oversee the school systems, aid curriculum software and licensing, and provide 24/7 WIFI access across all buildings. 

With the district serving more than 1,200 Native American/Alaskan Native students, with the local Native population primarily consisting of Tulalip tribal citizens, the Tulalip Education Division is a driving force of support.

“This directly impacts our kids and tribal support is crucial. If we can get a high voter turnout from the Tulalip community, then we can impact and sway the vote, just by us exercising our right. We have to do what’s right on behalf of our students and the community,” Jessica said. 

At a community meeting held in the Administration Building, Interim Superintendent Chris Pearson also addressed the unsteady relationship and how MSD is trying to bridge a new path with staff. He discussed the evolution of four new board members, including Superintendent Zachary Robbins and Executive Director of Finance David Cram. Chris went on to say, “there’s been significant change in our upper level positions, and we want to rewrite our story and improve the work that we do.”

One common misperception of levies is how they affect the overall revenue that the schools receive, and why they are a necessity when public schools already receive state and federal funding. According to last year’s revenue chart produced by the District, the federal revenue only makes up for about 14% of the schools funding, state revenue makes up about 68%, Local Non-Tax makes up 1%, misc. other makes up 3%, and still 14% of the school’s revenue comes from must needed property taxes. 

Currently, there is still a healthy number of projects that need to be taken care of to maintain the different schools’ infrastructures. Knowing this, the District is trying to improvise and find ways to get funding elsewhere. Eventually, within the next five years, Chris said they do see themselves having to apply for a bond and completely rebuilding the older schools. Understanding this, they are willing to put some projects to the side in order to keep property taxes lower.

Unfortunately, as Chris also pointed out, enrollment in MSD has declined in recent years. This hurts the schools because they receive a certain amount of money per enrolled child, and as a result of this, some of the state funding has declined as well. This limits the District on how they allocate funds for the schools’ maintenance, building infrastructures, and overall budgeting. Making this a pivotal moment for the schools when establishing funds for the fall. 

Anyone who is registered to vote in the state of Washington and lives within Snohomish county is able to vote yes to pass the levies. Ballots were mailed out on April 7th, and all ballots must be administered into one of the drop box locations by April 26th. The closest drop box to tribal members is located in the Tulalip Youth Center parking lot.

If you or anyone else would like more information about the levies and how beneficial they could be to our tribal students, please reach out to the Tulalip Education Division at 360-716-4909. And don’t forget to vote!

Dean Vince Markishtum

April 22, 1965 – April 14, 2022

Born in Tacoma, WA April 22, 1965 to Yvonne Johnson and Turk Markishtum. He is an enrolled tribal member of The Makah Nation, grew up in Oahu, Hawaii and Seattle, WA where he graduated from Franklin High school. He then went on to pursue a career in Construction for over 30+ Years. He began his career with Tulalip Tribes in 2007 as maintenance and security officer, he’s always been a hard worker from home improvements to work, building and applying every skill to his everyday life. Dean was a huge golf, Seattle Seahawks and Mariners fan, he went to games, collected jerseys and rearranged his schedule to watch every game. He took pride in every vehicle he ever owned and invested in each one, loved to keep them clean and running well. 
He is survived by his wife of 22 years Jennifer Markishtum, his children Justine (Josh), Dean, and Steven (Rhonnalee) Markishtum, Marc (Tiffany) Robinson, Sheena (Martin) Robinson, Carissa Robinson, and Cyrus (AnaMaria) Williams, special niece/daughter Yvonne Markishtum. Siblings Debbie (Billy) Ancheta, Sean Esperas, Dwight Esperas, Terry Markishtum. Grandkids Grayson Gombosky, Tracen Aria and Bentley Markishtum, Hannah and Faith Apperson, Kaeson, Eliza, Keoni, Tehya, Mekiyen, Elysia, Marcis Robinson, Nayeli and Kaycee Moddejonge-Williams.
Dean is proceeded in death by his mother Yvonne (Tom) Johnson, Fathers Turk Markishtum and Ed Esperas and brother Stanley Markishtum.
A celebration of Dean’s life will be held Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 10:00 AM at the Tulalip Gathering Hall with burial to follow at Mission Beach Cemetery. Arrangements entrusted to Schaefer-Shipman Funeral Home

Patricia “Pat” Marie Cuellar

March 11, 1944 – April 12, 2022

Patricia “Pat” Marie Cuellar , 78 of Tulalip passed away April 12, 2022.
She was born March 11, 1944 in Monroe, Washington to Morris and Hilda Feller.
She was a traveler and raised her children through thick and thin. Pat loved her siblings and grandchildren very much. She loved her wiener dogs and took them everywhere. Pat was so happy when she would see her family and friends, she greeted everyone with a smile and a hug. Pat enjoyed shopping and buying gifts for her grandchildren, she was thoughtful and made sure she told her grandchildren she was always thinking of them. She is survived by her life mate of 30 years Cory Wentz; sons Troy Carlson and Leslie “Will” Martin; sisters Dorothy Frahm, Sharon Mark, Lorraine Hill, Dulcie Walters, Mary Watson; grandchildren, Leticia, Jesse, Amado, Malia, Cassius; great-grandchildren, Elenor, Aleysha, and Ramona. She is preceded in death by her parents, brothers Joseph Williams, Ken Feller, sister Lorretta “Candy” Martin, daughter Leilani DeLeon.
A celebration will be held Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 10 AM at Schaefer-Shipman Funeral Home with burial to follow at Mission Beach Cemetery. 

Dreamcatchers: A sacred weapon and spiritual shield

By Shaelyn Hood, Tulalip News

“Dreamcatchers hold power in who we are, the art we have, and the spiritual-ness in Native American culture” proclaimed Braxton Wagner, Hibulb Cultural Center (HCC) assistant.

What was traditionally a sacred item to Native Americans has been commercialized and turned into common displays at décor shops, hanging on key chains, printed on t-shirts or even generic tattoos. Making some people question, do people truly understand the value of dreamcatchers or their origins?

Some Native Americans say that dreamcatchers have been appropriated and offensively exploited by people outside of our community. The best thing we can do to help against this perception is to continue educating ourselves and others outside of our community.

One of the many benefits taken away from participating in Hibulb’s monthly classes is being able to do just that. People within the Tulalip community and general public have the opportunity to learn, and understand our culture, while also utilizing their own crafting skills to generate a piece of Native American art. Such was the case on Wednesday April 6th, when HCC held a kids’ craft for dreamcatcher making.

A Marysville mother and daughter duo who attended said, “The classes are fun. We happened to be taking a tour the first time we came and saw there was a class going on and jumped in! Braxton told us about this dreamcatcher class, and we thought it’d be fun to learn about them, understand the history, and create one. We even brought [my daughter’s] aunt and grandmother this time.”

It is theorized that the dreamcatchers origin is traced back to the Ojibwe tribe. They believed that dreamcatchers were a gift from Asibaikaashi, better known as the Spider Woman. She was a caretaker who looked after the spiritual healing of the people in her tribe, and created dreamcatchers to help protect newborns and encourage good dreams. Dreamcatchers were often made by grandmothers or mothers to hang above cradle boards.

Traditionally, dreamcatchers are handmade of willow and shaped into a small round or tear-shaped frame. Natural fibers go into making the string that forms the “web” inside of it. On the string, people can put beads, seashells, pebbles, and other small, natural items. Attached at the bottom of the dream catcher are more strings or leather holding beads, and feathers. 

The small items in the web represent spiders that capture any bad dreams and protect the newborn against any negative energy and spirits. Then the good dreams travel down the attached leather and feathers, descending down onto the baby. Once daylight hit, the bad dreams would dissolve and disappear.

This cultural practice developed quickly across many Native American tribes and became more widely accepted. Over time, the meaning of dreamcatchers deviated from tribe to tribe. For some, it represents hope during a trying time. For others, it represents unity through culture, like the Medicine Wheel. Sometimes even, it represents how the different forces of the world may speak to you.

Braxton spoke of the value of non-Natives attending the HCC interactive classes. “The people that come here are wanting to learn. They want to understand our past and our struggles, and I appreciate the effort they make by coming here,” she said.

These learning opportunities can help mitigate cultural misunderstandings that people may have, while also providing a framework for better cultural appreciation in the next generation.

As American writer and social activist Robert Alan once said, “Intercultural dialogue is the best guarantee of a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.” The possibility for different communities to come together and be educated by Native Americans who are willing to share their ways of life can create better understanding for all.

Tulalip Family Wellness Court celebrates first program graduate

By Kalvin Valdillez

“I’m inspired by my own success,” were the words shared by proud mother of young Tulalip tribal members. “I just hit thirteen months of clean time on April 2nd!” Over a year ago, this parent, whose name will be kept anonymous due to legal reasons, thought an accomplishment of this proportion impossible. 

To completely escape the grasp of her addiction, after fighting hard for so many years to kick her habit. To be reunited with, and granted full-custody of, her child who was placed in the care of beda?chelh – that may have in fact been next to impossible over a year ago, or at least felt very close to it.

This determined mother, however, did not give up. While attempting to navigate the childcare system on her own, she suffered a relapse. Around this time, she also discovered she was with child. Now, she not only had to fight for her own wellness and for her kiddo in the system, but she also had to fight for her unborn child to remain in her custody after the birthing process. 

When all the odds seemed stacked against her, a new program debuted in the Tulalip community, and she was one of the first to sign-up and take-part in the now award-winning tribal-based program.

“I remember looking over their pamphlet and thinking I didn’t need the help,” she admitted. “But, at the same time I knew I couldn’t go through the court system by myself either. I remember reading that pamphlet over and over, and Amy [Lettig] (TOCLA Parent Advocate Attorney) telling me about this new program and that I qualified for it. I didn’t know what else to do. My goal was always to get my child back, and so I turned to her and said help me get there.”

Based on the success of the Tulalip Healing to Wellness Court, minus the criminal and time-serving element, the Family Wellness Court was established in March 2020. The first-of-its-kind court system is 100% volunteer-based and is aimed to support, encourage and assist tribal parents, or parents of tribal members, attain a sober and healthy lifestyle to ultimately reunite them with their children who have an open beda?chelh case. 

“We’re one of the first in the nation to do this as a tribe because we want our people to be healthy, happy and successful,” said Melissa Johnson, Family Wellness Court Coordinator. “We want people to understand it’s different than the standard dependency proceedings that parents involved with beda?chelh go through. With more frequent review hearings in the drug court model, they get a chance to show their progress in real-time. They tend to get their kids back faster in this type of program because of the intensive case management and the added support.”

Melissa continued, “They have to have an open dependency with beda?chelh. And if they want to work on getting their kids back, they can benefit from our team approach. I think there is an advantage to the team approach – recognizing the successes, strengths and any issues that may arise in real time, rather than waiting. Because with the current dependency proceedings, months can go by between hearings. I think with Family Wellness Court, the courtroom becomes a therapeutic environment. You see that relationship with the judge and the team, it’s not adversarial at all. It’s so much different from when you go to court, and everything seems scary. It’s an alternative to the current dependency proceedings.”

The team approach plays a major role in the Family Wellness Court and in each participant’s recovery journey. The team consists of multiple professionals including Tribal courthouse officials, attorneys, beda?chelh representatives, counselors and recovery specialists. The idea is that with everybody meeting on a regular basis and on the same page, the client will stay in-compliance and will make positive progress in maintaining their sobriety, if they know exactly what their team expects from them.

It has been one year since the Family Wellness Court held their first hearing and multiple parents are now electing to participate in the intensive, personalized program. And furthermore, many are seeing positive results and are well on their way to reunification with their children.  

“Once I found the Family Wellness Court, I felt like they actually cared,” expressed the anonymous mother. “I know that the biggest part was getting to treatment and with the help of Family Wellness Court, I was able to do that. The assignments kept me busy and focused on my recovery. It was an amazing journey with tribal court. I felt like they cared about me and the kids, and more importantly what was best for the kids. They were encouraging me the whole time. They enjoyed seeing my progress and I felt like I was doing a really good job. It really worked for me. If you do the work, and you follow through with everything, you will be successful.”

On the afternoon of March 30, the Tulalip Family Wellness Court celebrated their very first graduate of the program. The very same mother whose identity will not be released, held the honor of the first person to successfully complete their individualized and intensive plan to recovery and reunification. Through the program she regained custody of her child, she had a healthy pregnancy and delivery, and she is living a completely clean life. The mother obtained housing for herself and her babies, she gained employment and is currently attending college and learning the trade of her choosing. She is also active in her children’s traditions and now has a strong understanding of tribal lifeways, as she completed several ‘give back’ hours and participated in cultural events as a requirement to the Family Wellness Court. 

Her team and those presiding over her case were moved to tears during the graduation ceremony as they gathered in the tribal courtroom and met with the mother over Zoom. Due to both the specifics of her case and the worldwide pandemic, she was able to participate in the program remotely while at a treatment center. The courthouse sent her a cake, a number of gifts and an official certificate of completion, which she opened and enjoyed during the ceremony. Her mother, father and oldest child tuned-in to take part in the celebration. And through wavering voices and teary eyes, they shared their awe when reflecting how far she’s come in just a year. Members of her team also took a moment to express their joy in seeing her complete the program.  

Chori Folkman, the Children’s Attorney for TOCLA shared, “Seeing her success today reminds me that the Family Wellness Court process at Tulalip can reunify families – even when it seems hopeless at times. Or a parent, who might have a history with a significant addiction, they can overcome it and get their children back. Even if it’s been a long time since they had that child in their care. Even when it’s really late in the case and it feels like it might be too late. She was able to commit to becoming clean and sober and she was able to get placement of her child and close her case. It shows me that these supports really do work to bring families back together.”

Tribal member Josh Fryberg and two of his daughters offered medicine through traditional song to the mother, as well as some heartfelt and encouraging words. The judge, filled with excitement, showered the mother with applause, praise and compliments, and also a few inside jokes while she recalled all the memories they made together along the way. 

The first Family Wellness Court graduate stated, “The Family Wellness Court made me feel like even if I really failed, or if had a hiccup along the way, they were going to help me get back up and encourage me to keep moving forward. And ever since I came to that realization, I just made sure that I did everything I was supposed to do for the Family Wellness Court, so that I could graduate the program, keep my kids and get my child back.”

Continuing she shared a few words to other parents who are currently battling with an addiction, “The Family Wellness Court will help you get the help that you need. Even though you might not see that you need help right now. They will work with you to make sure you get that help, so that you can be better parents and so you can get your kids back and be good parents to them.”

If you or a loved one is ready for a new approach to sobriety and reunification, and willing to take on the intensive but evidence-based model to regain custody of your child, please contact Melissa at (360) 716-4764 for more details.