Please use the following link to download the November 9, 2016 issue of the syəcəb:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hy66whyrmnmkrhn/November%209%202016%20sy%C9%99c%C9%99b.pdf?dl=0
Month: November 2016
Tulalip community joins colorful way to combat bullying, drugs and suicide
By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
Tulalip Youth Services ended the extremely popular and successful Tulalip/Marysville Unity Month in the most insanely fun way possible, a one-mile color run from the Boys and Girls Club to the Greg Williams Gym.
Youth Service team members set up inflatable check marks in between the start and finish line and awaited runners, with bags of multi-colored powder chalk in hand. The event started precisely at sundown on the last Friday of October. Over 50 participants of all ages joined in the fun. Dressed in white t-shirts, participants made the dash to bring awareness to important, serious topics such as bullying, drug abuse, and suicide.
Upon reaching the gym, the chalk-covered participants were able to freshen up. Following the run, a dance and dinner was held at the gym as the youth celebrated the completion of the first Annual Tulalip Unity Month.
Tips for choosing toys for babies and toddlers
“The best toys don’t beep, talk, dance or flash to hold a child’s attention, they require imagination to come alive.”
Choose toys that you child can play different games with. For example, wooden blocks or chunky plastic interlocking blocks can be used to make a road, a zoo, a bridge, or a spaceship.
Look for toys that will grow with your child. Finding toys that can be fun for your child at different developmental stages. For example, small plastic animals are fun for a young toddler who may make a shoebox house for them, while an older toddler can use them to act out a stories.
Look for toys that spark your child’s imagination. Pretend play builds language and literacy skills, problem-solving skills, and the ability to sequence. Examples: Dress-up clothing, blocks, toy food, and plastic plates, action figures, stuffed animals and dolls, trains and trucks and boxes all build pretend play.
Give your child the chance to play with “real” stuff—or toys that look like the real thing. Toys that help her figure out how objects in her world work. Examples: Plastic dishes and food, toy keys, toy phone, dress-up clothes, musical instruments, child-size brooms, mops, brushes and dustpans.
Toss in some “getting ready to read” toys. Books, magnetic alphabet letters, and art supplies like markers, crayons, and finger-paints help your child develop early writing and reading skills.
Seek out toys that encourage your child to be active. Balls of different shapes and sizes, tricycles, wagon to fill and pull, gardening tools to dig and rake with, moving boxes to crawl through.
Resources: “Zero to Three” website www.zerotothree.org and “Zero to Five”
ChildStrive has been partnering with Tulalip families for more than 30 years. For information about your child’s development contact Carol Good at ChildStrive at (425) 353-5656 x7223 or Carol.Good@ChildStrive.org. More information about ChildStrive can be found on our website at www.ChildStrive.org
Tulalip Young Men’s Group
The Tulalip Young Men’s Group meets Tuesdays and Wednesdays, beginning November 8.
Why Study Physics?
Physics is really interesting, especially when we are introduced to such physics personalities such as Albert Einstein, Steven Hawking and Neil DeGrasse Tyson. Albert Einsten, the developer of quantum physics. Steven Hawking is an English theoreical physist, cosmotologist and Director of Research in Theoretical Cosmotology at the University of Cambridge, England. Neil DeGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysist and cosmologist, author, science communicator and the Director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City.
What we learnfrom physics is that it helps us to understand how the world around us works. This understanding is literally related to everything, i.e. can openers, light bulbs, cell phones, paints, cameras, cars, buildings, black holes, earth quakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanos expelling their guts, to humans (muscles, lungs, brains, DNA) and on and on and on.
Physics helps those who study it to organize the universe. It begins with the fundamentals and helps physicists to see the connection between everything. Physics is the basis for modern technology used in science, engineering, medicine, economics, finance, managemen, law and public policy. It helps us build quantitative and analytic thinking skills, including big picture thinking which is needed for analyzing data and solving problems. Manufacturing is even inundated with physics based technology.
Our world would be a much different place without physics. Students who study physics are able to do better on tests like the SAT, MCAT, GRE etc. Without physics, students would be cut off from a whole array of high paying jobs. You can’t become an engineer or doctor without physics. Video games probably wouldn’t be in existance with out physics. Animated movies would go back to the drawing board without physics. Public Policy on global warming would be far less compelling without all the scientific research that is physics oriented.
Conversely, majoring in physics provides an excellent preparation for graduate study in not only physics but also in engineering, information/computer science, life and molecular biology, genetics and neurobiology,earth, atmospheric and ocean sciences, public policy, journalism, finance and economics. The options are wide open.
College and corporate recruiters recognize the value of training in physics. The job market for those with skills in physics is diverse and strong. Physics encourages thinking that is measured, analytic and big picture in nature which tends to inject persons with these qualities into management and policy positions. The two (2) of the top science related positions in the U.S. government are currently held by physicists: the Energy Secretary is Dr. Ernest Moniz and the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology is Dr. John P. Holdren.
Being introduced to physics at an early age is very important because it is challenging but it is really needed to hone your thinking skills. It makes sense but it never occurred to me that physics is truly needed to understand music, art and literature. Physics in the arts provides a wonderful insight into how science and art are deeply connected. We can see how scientific principles are used in art and how art is hidden in science. The arts have been inspired by the laws of nature, especially during the Renaissance. Leonardo da Vinci epitomized this combination of art and investigative science, both striving to describe nature.
If you want to make preparation for the new jobs in being created in the near future, check out some of the training availabilities. The job possibilities for someone with additional training and skills are limitless. Please call Higher ED staff at 360-716-4888 or email us at highered@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov to find out more information.
Submitted by Jeanne Steffener, Tulalip Tribes Higher ED
Quil Ceda Tulalip students promote positive, healthy living
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
The Tulalip Tribes Tobacco Cessation Program helped Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary (QCT) students celebrate Red Ribbon Week from October 24 to 28. This year’s theme was “You Only Live Once. Be Drug Free.” Students, parents and staff were invited to participate in daily activities to promote positive, healthy living.
Red Ribbon Week is a national campaign held during the final week of October and brings drug abuse awareness to schools. Think of it as a modern day equivalent to the D.A.R.E. program for the previous generations. It’s a program that started back in the 1980s in honor of a Drug Enforcement Administration agent, Kiki Camerena, whose goal was to educate youth on drug prevention.
The ‘YOLO. Be Drug Free’ campaign focused on making healthy, confident life choices. The week highlighted substance abuse prevention, including over-the-counter medications, prescription medications and illegal substances.
“The Tulalip Tribes and Marysville School District partnered to create a special month-long program called Unity Month and it was in full effect during October,” stated Ashley Tiedeman, Tobacco Cessation Program Coordinator. “Each week our goal was to focus on a different topic, such as domestic violence and bullying prevention. For the last week of October the topic was suicide prevention for the older kids, grades 6-12, while the younger kids, K-5, got Red Ribbon Week.”
On Monday, October 24, the tobacco and drug prevention campaign kicked off. QCT students and staff were encouraged to wear the color red and all received an invitation to a special breakfast before the morning assembly. The youthful minds who attended the breakfast got a nutritious, fruit-filled breakfast to snack on while Ashley and her colleague Rachel Steeve handed out custom #UnityMonth bracelets and stickers. The pair of Smoking Cessation experts used the time to also educate students on the health risks and concerns of smoking cigarettes. When hearing of all the deadly chemicals and nastiness in cigarettes the children’s focused faces immediately mirrored that of Mr. Yuk.
Throughout the week QCT students had the opportunity to take a pledge to be drug-free, stand together as links in a unified chain to live healthy lifestyles, look to the future while wearing the colors of their favorite college, and complete several drug-free activity worksheets that could be exchanged for popcorn at lunch time.
“The kids were so excited and they really got into Red Ribbon Week because the activities changed every day. The activities made the kids so eager to learn and they really emphasize all the benefits of being drug-free,” said Moiya Rossnagle, Family Liaison for QCT. “Watching them fill out their pledge cards to be drug and alcohol-free was a definite highlight.”
Red Ribbon Week came to an end with the conclusion of the final activity, a door decorating competition. Each classroom spent the week decorating their doors for the contest held on Friday, October 28. The winning classroom would be awarded a Popsicle party, so needless to say the stakes couldn’t be any higher.
“We wanted to get all the classes excited and what better way than to have a friendly competition where the kids could get creative and really show different ways to promote living healthy and being drug-free,” marveled Ashley. “The kids put so much effort and thought into decorating their classroom doors. It was just amazing to see what each class came up with. Each class did such a great job that we couldn’t pick just one winner, they were all winners for celebrating Red Ribbon Week.”
Ultimately, each class was deemed a winner and all the students got to bask in the glory that is a Popsicle party. Hopefully, while enjoying the yummy treat each student took a moment to reflect on what they’d learned over the past week. Understanding the importance of staying focused on their dreams and not letting negative things like substance abuse sidetrack them from all the potential and greatness a drug-free life has to offer. After all, there are many more Popsicle parties to be had.
Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn,gov
Lady Hawks find their winning touch at District Tournament
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks volleyball team held a (7-6) overall record, sat in the 5th spot in NW 1B standings, and were coming off losing four out of five matches with only a few days before the district tournament.
Fortunately, there were two regular season matches remaining on the schedule. The first was against Orcas Christian (4-9), while the second was against Skykomish (0-12). Tulalip needed to build their on-court chemistry and find their winning touch again, and that’s exactly what they did. The Lady Hawks easily defeated Orcas Christian before dismantling Skykomish. The two wins paid huge dividends as the (9-6) record boosted them to the 3rd spot in NW 1B standings, while the wins themselves were morale boosters for a team now looking forward to the playoffs.
The 2016 District 1B Volleyball Tournament took place at Mt. Vernon Christian high school on Saturday, October 29. First up for the Lady Hawks was a matchup with the Shoreline Christian Chargers.
In what proved to be a highly contested match, the Lady Hawks went nearly point-for-point with the Charges in the first two games, but came up just short. They lost the 1st game 25-27 and the 2nd game 20-25. Being down 0 games to 2, the Lady Hawks could have thrown it in and waited for their next match, but instead they fought back valiantly. They won the 3rd game 25-12 and coasted in the 4th game, 25-10. Tied at 2 games apiece, the match went to a deciding 5th game played to 15 points, must win by two. The Lady Hawks were riding the momentum of the previous two games and went up early, but this time the Chargers battled back. It was a back and forth affair that saw both teams give their all. Tied at 15-15 the game went to extra points, where Tulalip let the game slip away as they 15-17 and the match 2 games to 3.
The loss put Tulalip in the loser’s bracket, where another loss sends them home packing, but if they win out they would earn a qualifying spot in the Tri-District playoffs. The Lady Hawks got ninety minutes to prepare and then took on their rival from Lummi, the Blackhawks.
These two teams played each other twice during the regular season, with Tulalip winning 3 game to 0 and 3 games to 1. This matchup played out similarly. In the 1st game, the Lady Hawks came out sluggish and found themselves trailing 8-11 before flipping the switch and winning 25-20. In the 2nd game, the girls coasted to a 25-13 win. That was followed up by a 25-11 win in the 3rd game, taking the match 3 games to 0.
Next up for the Lady Hawks was a matchup with Arlington Christian Knights, with a qualifying berth to the Tri-District playoffs on the line. These two teams also played each other twice during the regular season. Back in mid-September, Tulalip won the first match 3 games to 2, while the Knights took the most recent match 3 games to 1. Now for the rubber match.
Everything came together in what can only be described as the most clutch performance of the season by the Lady Hawks. Behind a combination of dominant serving, winning at the net, and trust for their teammates, Tulalip went up big early on in each game. In the 1st game it was a 5-0 start, followed up by a 7-0 start in the 2nd game, and capped off with a 6-0 start in the 3rd game. In fact the Lady Hawks pulled off a very impressive accomplishment as they never trailed at any point during the match. They won the match in straight games, 3 to 0, by the scores of 25-17, 25-12, and 25-6.
The high-octane performance put the Lady Hawks record at (11-7) overall, but most importantly their season continues with their qualifying for the Tri-District playoffs. Next up, the Lady Hawks will travel to Tacoma on Thursday, November 3, to matchup with the Evergreen Lutheran Eagles (12-5) in a loser-out game.
Hawks qualify for playoffs despite 64-6 Loss
By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
The Tulalip Heritage football program (1-3) played their final game of the 2016 regular season. The Hawks, with home field advantage, took to their brand new field, the Alpheus Gunny Jones Sr. Field, one last time as they closed out the season against the Crescent Loggers.
The Hawks started the game energetic on offense and sharp on defense yet were held scoreless for the first three quarters. The Loggers, had 32 points on the board by the end of the third.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Tulalip fans were treated to a highlight as number 21 for the Hawks, Josh Iukes, hit nitro boost as he returned a kick the length of the football field for Heritage’s only touchdown of the day. The Loggers would close out the game on a 32-0 run resulting in the final score of 64 Loggers – 6 Hawks.
Heritage ends their season 1-4, however, they will be competing in the district playoffs at the number four seed. Despite the blowout the boys never gave up and were playing every down at full speed. Their defense showed flashes of potential and if the Hawks are able to tighten up their offensive line and convert on a few third downs, something special could happen during their playoff run.
Tribal police teach women’s self-defense class
By Niki Cleary, Tulalip News
‘I can’t breathe! I can’t breathe,’ she kept thinking. It was supposed to have been the perfect day, a trip to the outlet mall with her older sister. She didn’t even know what happened. She was waiting in the parking lot for their mom when a car pulled up, the man inside smiling and chatty. She knew better than to talk to strangers, so she started backing away when someone behind her pushed her forward into the car. Now she was in the trunk of the car, tied into a giant fuzzy blanket. She kept trying to remember what the guy looked like. What did the car look like? How was she going to get out of here? Then she started gulping air again because she couldn’t breathe.
The above scenario is made up, but it’s a scene that Alicia Horne can imagine all too well.
“They’re young ladies and they’re at the age of human trafficking for sure,” she said of her two daughters, ages 10 and 13. Alicia was one of 12 women who attend the first Women’s Self-Defense class taught by Tulalip Tribal Police.
Alicia explained that she originally signed up for the class to support her co-workers at Tribal Court.
“I came to support my staff. Where I work, we are dealing with people who are cussing at us and trying to intimidate us. I came because the environment I work in is a hostile environment. “
She brought her girls hoping to give them tools to be safer as well.
“I want to make sure they’re self-aware and can protect themselves.”
Instructor, Officer Joshua Warren, has taught martial arts for 18 years and volunteered to teach numerous Women’s Self-Defense classes. He explained that the class isn’t a complete martial arts system, it’s an introductory class geared primarily towards rape prevention.
“The typical police response is six to eight minutes away, depending on where you live,” he pointed out. “That can be a long time.”
Particularly, when, according to the Women’s Self-Defense Institute, the average interaction time between a criminal and a victim is 90 seconds.
“Situational awareness and your voice are your most effective tools,” Officer Warren stated. He also explained that being a good witness is a valuable skill that allows police and courts to do their jobs when a crime occurs. Noting the height, weight, skin tone, hair color and clothes that a person is wearing all helps police find and arrest the right person.
“Because if he’s going to do this to you,” said Officer Warren, “He’ll do it to her, and to her,” he pointed to the other women in the room.
Throughout the evening, the ladies learned how to recognize an imminent attack, and use a handful of techniques to defend against strikes, grabs, and chokes, as well as how to protect yourself if you are on the ground and how to use improvised weapons to defend yourself.
Tulalip Elder Pauline Williams was delighted.
“I wanted to be more empowered,” she explained. “I’m older. I want skills to help me be more alert and aware. I think older people in general are a target and vulnerable. Now, I feel like I’m stronger than I thought I was. I consider myself really feminine, but by putting more of my body into action, it gives me more force.
“It’s essential,” Pauline said of the class. “I’m glad to see the young girls here.”
By the end of the evening, many of the attendees were asking for more classes.
“I would recommend it,” Alicia said of the class. “I think it should be for all ages. I see some good techniques that these kids can use whether they’re left home, left in the car or going to the store by themselves. The crime epidemic has no boundaries for any age or house. When someone is in the mindset of getting what they need, things happen and it’s good to prepare yourself.
“What stuck out to me is certain techniques. When they’re on top of you, that seems like a helpless situation and having a move to get them off you, to me, that move was more powerful than you think it would be. The talking part was pretty informational, it’s a lot to absorb and think about,” Alicia explained, recalling the beginning of the class, when Officer Warren referred to Tribal code 305200 and Washington laws RCW9.16.020, both of which outline a citizen’s right to self-defense.
“I think there should be more classes,” continued Alicia. “When you take your first class, you’re stepping outside of your comfort zone. Then, by the second or third class you have it cemented in your mind what you’re going to do. After your two or three classes, then you should take a refresher maybe once a year. Kind of like CPR classes.”
As the class came to an end, Officer Warren warned that everything he taught was useless, unless the women continued to practice the techniques and strategies that they learned.
For more information or to show interest in additional classes, contact Office Mike Johnsen at the Tulalip Police Department Mjohnsen@tulaliptribalpolice.org.
“What a time to be alive and in education!”
By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
Since Time Immemorial (STI) is a curriculum created to educate Washington State elementary through high school students on the history, culture, traditions and sovereignty of the Northwest coastal tribes. The school districts will meet frequently with local tribes so their students can learn first-hand about the resilient people of Native America and the unfortunate journey we have experienced since Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’ the new world.
In the early 2000’s, Tulalip tribal member and Washington State Senator, John McCoy wrote House Bill 1495 that encouraged Washington school districts to teach students about local tribes. Since the bill was passed less than 30% of the school districts participated in teaching the history of neighboring Native communities. In 2014, Senator McCoy presented a new bill, Senate Bill 5433. House Bill 1495 and Senate Bill 5433 were essentially the same, however, the slight alteration of verbiage changed Native American education from being encouraged to a requirement.
During the time period between the two bills, STI was created and made available for the schools that chose to participate. Since then the creators have been able to fine-tune the curriculum by trial and error of participating school districts. The end result is a free, easy accessible curriculum that includes full lesson plans, videos, reading material, and activities that will potentially put an end to stereotypes and misconceptions of Native People that many non-natives possess.
Certified STI instructor, Dr. Laura Lynn, recently spoke to educators, administrators, and parents from the nearby school districts of Edmonds, Mukilteo, Monroe and Arlington at the Hibulb Cultural Center to discuss the background, and to present an in-depth view of the curriculum.
“What a time to be alive and in education!” Dr. Lynn exclaimed. “The intent of this meeting is not to shame but to give a clear understanding of the Native communities. By sharing the curriculum with our students, it is going to help them become informed citizens. As our youth step up into leadership roles they will be deeply connected with the community. As educators we aren’t teaching our students so they can leave, but so they can grow. We need to assist them as they perfect their talents and give them the tools they need to enrich our communities.”
Dr. Lynn expressed that the youth need to understand the true history of local tribes. She explained that America often tries to downplay the tragedies that occurred to Natives and make it feel like it took place a long time ago. When in reality the elders of today’s tribes were taken from their families and placed into boarding schools where they were forced to learn the white culture and lose their traditional cultural teachings.
Before STI, the story of the birth of America often leaves out the fact the U.S. Government stole its land by murdering Native Americans. That is only the beginning of the countless atrocities the government committed against the Indigenous community. Dr. Lynn stated, “We are not fulfilling our duties if we are not being honest about the genocide, the assimilation, and the boarding schools. It is important that you know the history because you can teach a curriculum, but if you don’t understand the spirit and the intent behind it, you will tend to make the same mistakes repeatedly.”
Dr. Lynn quickly went through a lesson plan with the educators titled ‘The 600 Memorial Lesson Plan’ she said, “Since [House Bill 1495] was signed, over 87% of school districts did not participate in teaching the history of Native People. The only native history we have been teaching is in a post 1900 context. Think about it. Close your eyes and envision the image of a Native American tribal member. Because of what is portrayed in our history books, in our minds we are living with a stereotype. The image is usually in a post 1900 context and its usually of a tribal member who is not from this region. The 600 Memorial Lesson Plan addresses the stereotype issue. During this lesson, students will learn about contemporary issues that local tribal communities are facing today. It will give our students a chance to meet with and understand contemporary Native People, giving us a chance to finally dissolve those stereotypes that often lead to racism and barriers.”
The event concluded with a story, exclusively for the educators, by Master Carver/Storyteller Kenny Moses. As more schools are starting to implement the STI curriculum, the hope of a better tomorrow emerges. An opportunity for a future without harmful stereotypes and offensive mascots is presented. Coast Salish tribes will finally get to share our similar yet unique story as Native Peoples.
For more information about STI and for upcoming classes and seminars, visit www.indian-ed.org