Mix Master Monie: Beauty in the beats and in the breakdown

By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

“One of the primary joys I get from DJing comes from knowing that I can bring people out of what they’re going through,” expressed Tulalip Disc Jockey, Monie Ordonia. “If they’re worried or stressed, they can come and get lost in the music. They can release and be in the now moment, and not think about the later, because when you’re dancing, you’re not thinking about any of that.”

Like many Native American musicians, Monie has a special relationship to the rhythm, bassline, and drum beats. Traditionally, Natives are brought up with a deep respect and love for music as certain songs and chants are held in high regard and are only brought out for special occasions. This practice is embedded in the DNA of countless tribal members. Over the years, music has served as good medicine that has helped many through heartbreak, grief, and battles with addiction. On the flipside, music has also amplified the joyous times, and people often tie happy memories to songs of that specific moment in time.

DJ Monie developed a strong connection, a thorough understanding, and an undying passion for music at a young age. Growing up off-reservation, in the central district of Seattle, Monie’s appreciation and respect for music has always been on par with her ancestral ways. 

Even though she had yet to be introduced to the traditional songs of the sduhubš, the sheer knowledge that music is sacred medicine was something that she cued in on early in her journey. And coming from a line of healers and medicine men, Monie found a way to use this particular medium of beats and breaks in such fashion when she found her home behind the turntables in the early 90’s. 

“It’s all about beats,” she exclaimed. “Beats are the biggest thing for DJs. I am self-taught, for the most part, because I can hear beat patterns when I listen to music. Because I know what other song would flow with it, I could be like ‘oh, that part would work really good with that song.”

She continued, “Growing up in the hood, I grew up with a lot of black folk, so I listened to a lot of R&B and Motown in the 70s. And of course, my older sisters, Esther and Muffy, were a huge influence. They loved music. When we would go buy gifts for each other, the majority of the time we ended up at the record store. In the late 70s, I was into Earth, Wind & Fire, The Commodores, Cameo – all those big musician groups where they all played real instruments, that was a huge influence on me.”

While attending Garfield High School, Monie chased her passion and joined the school’s band program. She set out to master the piano, and with natural talent and a great ear, she was content with learning just enough to get by in class. The temptation of a thrilling adolescence was too strong, and she put off learning how to read music in favor of a fun teenage social life. But her escapade with music was far from over. 

During this time and through her early college years, Monie perfected the technique of curating playlists, a skill that would come in handy when she found herself in the DJ booth a few years down the line. Now keep in mind, this is the 80s, a time before mixtapes were popularized and cut together on the regular by the masses. After relocating to downtown Los Angeles in 1984 and running with a crowd of USC students, Monie started receiving numerous requests for her tapes. She dedicated time to creating the perfect mixes for her group of friends and the parties they would host. That was until 1989, when she decided to take the next step in her journey with music and invested in some professional equipment. 

“One day, one of my buddies said we should have a party. And I was like, ‘I’ll go get a mixer and some turntables and play the music for the party,” recalled Monie. “I bought this Gemini mixer for like $70, it had all these little sound effects and everything on it. Next, I bought turntables for around $60, you could change the speed on it, but they were still belt driven. And last, I bought some headphones, and I started practicing.

 “I had a couple of friends that already had some DJ experience. One of my friends from Compton taught me a trick on how to rig my turntables, so I wouldn’t burn my motor out while trying to rotate the vinyl backwards or scratch, so it would slip really easy. Once I learned how to do that, I started spinning it back and holding the vinyl to where I could find the beat, to drop it right into the other song. I practiced that a lot and started getting really good at mixing and blending.”

Monie shared that her decision to purchase equipment and DJ her friend’s party ultimately led to more opportunities. The same friend that suggested they should host that party put Monie on game when a resident DJ at a local club announced she would be leaving her post for other endeavors. 

Now, this wasn’t just an average run-of-the-mill club. No, this was the historic Jewel’s Catch One Disco Club, one of the first black discos in the US, and officially the longest running black gay bar in LA. In its heyday, Catch One hosted live performances from the likes of Whitney Houston, Luther Vandross, Janet Jackson, Rick James, Madonna, and Tulalip’s own DJ Monie.

With some encouragement from her friend, Monie earned a residency at Catch One following a killer audition that left the club owner stunned. She started DJing regularly during the club’s weekly Ladies Night event on Thursdays, as well as during Friday’s Happy Hour spot at their downstairs bar.   

At a time where music genres hardly ever clashed, when house was house, grunge was grunge, hip-hop was hip-hop, and R&B was R&B, Monie dared to blend, which brought people to the dancefloor in droves. 

“That feeling – there’s nothing like it,” she exclaimed. “When a dancefloor is going crazy, that’s my high. I was different from all the other DJs because I would move in between genres. I’d play the popular R&B and hip-hop at the time, but then I’d mix in stuff from the 70s and 80s that I had in vinyl collection. Whenever my sister would get rid of her music, she gave me her vinyl records, so I had built a huge collection over the years. When I mixed in the old school – Prince, Cameo, Teena Marie, – the response I would get was crazy. The crowd would put their arms in the air, they’d be screaming and dancing crazy. That to me is the biggest compliment.”

Monie quickly built a name for herself, and the dancefloor would be packed each time she was on the ones and twos. She found herself in popular demand and was so well-known that she added additional sets throughout the weekends to appease frequent club-goers, while still maintaining a full-time printing job during the day. She became more comfortable and confident during her sets and perfected her craft by means of real-time experience.  

DJ Monie put in four-years at Jewel’s Catch One before the gig began to lose a bit of its luster, before the dream began to feel more like a job where she was getting underpaid for her work. When this happened, Monie was also doing some personal healing following a breakup. For these reasons, she decided to take a step away from the booth and focus on her wellbeing. During this time period, which turned out to be a one-year hiatus, Monie’s presence was missed by many. Whenever she was recognized in public or caught unwinding at a nearby club, she would leave many disappointed once they found out she would not be performing a set that night. 

This made her return to the game even sweeter for the 90’s LA club scene. Although, this time around she decided not work the clubs at all. It was by her roommate’s request that Monie found herself once again comfortable inside her sacred space – behind a mixer and a set of turntables. Upon agreeing to DJ her roommate’s backyard birthday party, the word spread like wildfire. On the night of the party, over 400 people were in attendance and the line to get into the party stretched around the block. Amongst all these attendees were some big-name celebrities such as MC Lyte, Meshell Ndegeocello, Teena Marie, as well as women’s basketball legend and Monie’s personal friend, Cheryl Miller. 

“I didn’t even get to see Meshell Ndegeocello because the place was so full,” shared Monie. “I was DJing from the back bedroom, looking through the windows out to everybody in the backyard. And that’s how I started my revitalization with DJing. That party lasted ‘til five in the morning. After that, I made everybody breakfast and my friends were still hyped up about it. So, I decided to start throwing parties. I spaced them out two or three months apart, so people would anticipate it and get excited. I averaged 300 people per party. After about a year-and-a-half, people started hiring me to DJ at their gigs. I was even throwing yacht parties at the marina. It was awesome. Those were some good times.”

DJ Monie’s sets were so epic that she once received one of the funniest requests of all time. She shared, “There was a party for one of my buddies. I was there spinning away, and everybody packed the dancefloor and was having a good time. I had someone come over and she was dancing right by me on the floor, because there wasn’t a booth set up there, we just had tables.  She came over was like ‘honey can you play a messed-up song?’ And I asked, why do you want me to do that? And she said, ‘I’ve been on the dancefloor for the last six songs, and I can’t get off the dancefloor because you’re jamming too much. Play something whack!’”

Cracking up at the memory, Monie continued, “I never heard a request like that in my life. It blew my mind when she said that. I told her I couldn’t play something whack, but I’d slow it down a bit so she could make her way off the floor.” 

Monie would go on to have a long and fruitful career as a LA DJ, one of few women DJs in the area. Throughout the 80s and 90s, Monie’s mother, Janice Wyakes, also lived in the greater Los Angeles area. However, Janice would return to Tulalip in the late 90s following a family reunification when they got in touch with Monie’s sister, who was adopted at a young age.  When the time came for Monie to return to LA, it was decided that it would be in Janice’s best interest, health wise, to stay in Washington under the care of Monie’s sisters. 

A few months after celebrating her 75th birthday, Janice made her transition to her next journey in March of 2012. It was at this point when Monie began to contemplate moving home to Tulalip. 

Said Monie, “I loved LA. I had been there for like 28 years. But when my mom passed away, the energy shifted so strong. I knew that I would be moving back here. And around the time when my mom passed away, my sister Muffy just started doing chemo for cancer. So, it was time for me to come back.”

Monie mentioned that she felt an energy shift. Now many of you who know Monie, also know that she is intuitive as heck. The universe did in fact begin to work its magic, preparing Monie for a return to her ancestral homelands. In phase one, Monie was laid off from her printing job, and since she was eligible for unemployment, she was able to save up for a possible move. On her sister’s advice, Monie put her name on the list for tribal housing. Phase two kicked off with a phone call, which informed Monie that a house became available on the reservation and was move-in ready. 

She would soon discover that her new home was on a hill overlooking her sister’s neighborhood, which was the icing on the cake. In the summer of 2014, Monie’s permanent address officially included a 98271 zip code. But by her standards, Monie initially kept a low profile in her first few years back at Tulalip, as her sole focus was spending time and caring for her sister throughout her battle with cancer. When Muffy made her journey to the afterlife, Monie found comfort and support in her community. 

“The first couple years, I had to get acclimated to the change in weather, and because LA is a big city, I had to get used to it being so quiet except for when they have coastal jams or longhouse stuff,” she stated. “I remember the first time I ever experienced the longhouse, but it was not literally down at the longhouse. I was here at home; it was summertime in the evening. I thought who the hell is doing construction work at this time? I called my sister Muffy like, ‘who’s doing all that banging outside?’. So, she went outside, and I could see her in her driveway listening. Then she looked at me while still on the phone, and she said, ‘oh that’s the longhouse!’. I never heard that in my life. So, it took me awhile to adapt from city life to rez life.”

In her past 10 years of residency on the rez, Monie made strong efforts to be there for her people, especially when it matters most. Whether you were introduced to her at a cultural gathering, community event, on the frontlines at local rallies tackling social injustice issues, or perhaps at one of her art classes for community members in recovery, Monie has become a source of good energy, and many find themselves gravitating toward her for stimulating conversation and a hearty laugh. 

Somewhere along the lines, word got out that Monie was nice on a set of turntables. Over the past few years, the local dances and community-wide celebrations have been slappin’ thanks to her music expertise. Event goers already know that it’s going to be a smash if they’re able to spot Monie and her signature setup of her MacBook Pro and her Numark digital DJ controller at the function. Her personality bleeds into her performances and her good vibes are contagious whenever she’s in her DJ element. 

“Honestly, when I first started DJing events here I started questioning if Tulalip people actually dance. Because I noticed that people would bob their heads and say they loved the music, but nobody was dancing. And being a club DJ, packing the dancefloor, and having people requesting a whack song so they can get off the dancefloor, that’s what I was normally accustomed to. But one of the most fun parties I worked is when I DJed the Valentines Day party last year. People were dancing at that one. And you know anytime people are dancing, that’s what make me happy. It lets me know that I’m doing my job.”  

You can catch DJ Monie spinning at the upcoming 477/TANF and Child Support program’s Valentine’s Day Social from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Greg Williams Court. 

Monie has also expressed a desire to share her knowledge with any youth interested in learning about the art of DJing. When asked if she had any words of advice for young aspiring DJs, she shared that it’s important to take pride in your work and invest in yourself. 

She expressed, “I take pride in my reputation as a DJ, because I know that’s one of my professions. I take it very seriously. I started with vinyl. Now, with digital controllers it’s a lot easier, everything’s at your fingertips. Pay attention to your crowd and play the music they want to hear, not the music you want to play. And start training your ear and listen to other DJs because there are different techniques going on from one song to the other. Listen to mixes – how people blend, the different beat drops, the backspin to transition to a new song. I also think it’s important to use your money to invest in yourself. And for me, my DJ equipment was investing in my joy that feeds not only my soul, but also sustains my livelihood.”

Be sure to check out DJ Monie’s playlist that she curated to highlight her career as a renowned Indigenous DJ. Add the tracks to a playlist on your Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Music accounts and be sure to hit play whenever you need a good dance session or a pick-me-up. 

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Monie’s Grooves

Curated by DJ Monie, this playlist is packed with feel good beats that are sure to get the party started! Each track also follows Monie’s journey as a DJ, from her early years collecting vinyl to her favorite jams of today!

70s
Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry
Good Times – Chic
Bounce, Skate, Rock, Roll – Vaughn Mason & Crew

80s
Candy – Cameo
Another One Bites The Dust – Queen

90s 
The Power – Snap
Poison – Bell, Biv, DeVoe

2000s
It Takes Two – Rob Base

Present Day
About Damn Time – Lizzo
Break My Soul – Beyoncé

Christopher Gobin takes on new role  as Deputy Chief  

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News

Newly appointed Deputy Chief Christopher Gobin, a dedicated officer with 17 years of service with the Tulalip Police Department, said, “I had a negative experience with a state game warden when I was younger, and it left a bad taste in my mouth, and I didn’t want our tribal members to deal with people that don’t care.” This poignant experience served as a catalyst, propelling Gobin toward a career in law enforcement where honesty, fairness, and a deep connection to his tribal community would become the guiding principles of his service.

Said Christopher, “I felt honored when I was asked to be Deputy Chief. It sets an example for younger tribal members: I don’t have a college education, but I can still achieve a high leadership role with hard work and dedication.  I went to the Army and came back and have been a police officer for the tribe ever since. I’ve worked my way up, and it shows these younger tribal members that they can achieve high levels of leadership in our tribe. It’s a lot more paperwork than out on the streets. Still, it’s an honor to put my fingerprints on the department, bring my knowledge of what the community has told me they need, and, as a community member, know where this department should be going. 

I have a better understanding of what the tribe needs. It’s not someone outside the tribe trying to dictate what the tribe needs. I can listen to the community members; they trust me. So, I can coordinate with the police department and help the community get what it wants out of the police department.”

“The drug epidemic with fentanyl is probably an everyday thing with us,” Christopher explained. “It’s not only the crime that’s associated with people that are lost in addiction; it’s dealing with the mental health side of things also.” Gobin details the efforts to combat this: “We have bolstered our drug task force; five members are in it now. Every day, they are getting drugs off the street. Even one little pill can kill someone. So, if we can get one pill off the street, that’s one less chance of a tribal member dying.”

Looking ahead, Gobin outlines his goals, acknowledging the challenges faced by the police department: “Address the staffing issues; there’s so much more that we could be doing if we had the staff. Also, better training, with dedicated workers that spend 24/7 on the job and insufficient staff to take their place, makes it difficult to get extra training that is well needed.”

Building deeper bonds within the community is a crucial objective: “Getting the community know the police officers and see them as not just the police but also as people. This community does a good job of embracing our officers; I want to further that. It makes the community safer, and it makes the job safer.”

Recruitment of tribal members into the police department is a priority for Gobin: “My last goal would be to recruit tribal members to join the police department. It has been tough to get tribal members to work here. Building the police department with community members working and living in the community so they have that closer tie helps keep officers here. It builds the next generation of leaders.”

Christopher is an excellent example of how hard work, dedication, and a passion for the job can bring you to new heights and bring new opportunities to your life. 

Christopher said, “Every day, I am going to try and do the best I can with my tools, and I will strive to make this a better police department. I want Tulalip to be where establishments like Marysville and Everett go. That’s what a police department should be.”

Lady Hawks season ends with near miracle comeback

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

After narrowly losing to Orcas Island, 29-34, in a defensive battle in their opening game of the NW1B District playoffs, the Tulalip girls hosted their crosstown rival Grace Academy on Tuesday, February 6, in a loser-out game. In front of a horde of their devout fans, the Lady Hawks took to the Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium hardwood with full knowledge of the stakes: win and advance, lose and go home. 

In their two regular season matchups, Tulalip bested Grace 33-27 and 41-29, which gave the home team a boost of confidence seeing the same opponent a third time. That confidence showed on Tulalip’s opening possession when Audrielle McLean splashed a 3-pointer on her first touch and gave her team a 3-0 lead. It showed when moments later Lilly Jefferson shot a midrange jumper that banked in. Those 5 early points would be all the Lady Hawks could muster for a long while though, as Grace implemented a 3-2 zone that stifled Tulalip’s perimeter-oriented offense. 

Trailing 5-11 midway in the 2nd quarter, sophomore forward Raylee Lewis battled for an offensive rebound and was rewarded with a put-back bucket. The 5’5” Raylee again snatched a rebound away from Grace’s nearly 6-foot center, and put up a super quick layup off the glass before any defenders could contest. Her two buckets were the Lady Hawks only ones in the 2nd quarter.

Fast forward to early in the 3rd quarter, Tulalip trailed 11-25 and things began to look bleak. The transition game that the girls made their bread and butter on all season was nonexistent, and to make matters worse their senior guard Tieriana McLean was out for the remainder of the game with a wrist injury. They also had no answer for Grace’s center Candice Mugo who resembled Shaq with her dominating presence in the paint.

BUT, and it’s a big but, the beauty of sports is sometimes miracles happen. Epic comebacks. Catastrophic collapses. And whether or not any one thought they could actually come back against such undesirable circumstances, junior guard Audrielle did. At least her play conveyed that.

From late in the 3rd quarter to midway through the 4th, her teammates fought for every loose ball, did their best to corral every rebound and force turnovers, and each time they got another possession, they’d immediately look for Audrielle and pass her the ball. She turned into a true solo artist on offense. Splashing one deep 3-pointer after another. Each met with a louder and louder cheer from the home crowd. After her sixth made 3 ball, the Lady Hawks had clawed their way back to get within one possession of Grace, 28-30, with just under 2:00 left.

Comeback almost nearly complete, the Lady Hawks got a few quality looks in the games final seconds, but they would rim out. Grace would feed their post monster, who scored on their next two possessions, and that was a wrap. Tulalip lost on their home floor 28-35, ending their season.

Audrielle finished with 19 points, Raylee added 6 points, Lilly scored 2 points, and Isabelle score 1 point. 

“This season was my first time ever playing basketball,” shared 15-year-old Raylee after the game. “I’ve got a lot of cousins on the team and they were the ones who convinced me to play. My coaches and teammates kept telling me how much I was improving practice after practice and game after game. Looking back at how far I’ve come from the beginning to now, it really did mean so much to play on this team and in front of so many fans from the community. I’m not known as a scorer, so with this being our last game, it was actually real exciting to get some buckets with my parents and grandparents in the stands.”

Hawks get gigantic W over Mt. Vernon Christian

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Hawks hit the road and travelled north for a matchup with the Hurricanes of Mt. Vernon Christian. A 3rd round game of Districts with a chance to play in the 1st/2nd place game, Tulalip’s adoring fans hit the road, too, and actually outnumbered the Hurricanes fans in their own building.

A tense atmosphere in the early going as both teams traded buckets to notch it at 7-7. With chants of “Defense!”, the boys turned up their defensive intensity and forced the Hurricanes to play out of their comfort zone. Tulalip got their transition game going and continued to force the tempo to run up a 28-21 lead at halftime.

Midway in the 3rd quarter, freshman guard J.J. Gray caught fire from deep and swished in three straight 3’s to push his team’s 43-31. With 3:00 in the 3rd quarter, the Hurricane’s called timeout to attempt to settle their team, but instead were met with a devastating chant of “Tulalip Power!” from the unrelenting visiting fans. 

In the 4th quarter, the game tightened up and the usual shots for the Hawks weren’t falling. The Hurricanes finally started to execute their offense and flipped the turnover script by getting Tulalip to force errant pass after errant pass. The boys watched their 12 point lead vanish and were suddenly trailing 43-44 with three minutes to go. 

Freshman guard Amare Hatch finally put an end to his team’s scoring drought by coming up with a steal and scoring a contested layup. Moments later he’d splash a 3 that put his team up for good, 48-45. Just for good measure, senior forward Hazen Shopbell, instead of holding the ball and waiting for the Hurricanes to foul him, opted to shoot a 3 of his own and join in on the long ball party. Fortunately, it went in to the delight and uproar of his teammates and all the Tulalip fans who knew the W was secured. 

The Hawks 52-46 win means no less than 2nd place in Districts. They’ll again hit the road, this time for Lummi Nation, for a matchup with the Blackhawks on February 8. 

Hawks soar over Concrete Lions

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Heritage boys basketball team finished a hard fought regular season with a (12-6) record. Having won seven of their final eight games, the Hawks earned a high seed in the NW1B District playoffs and the right to host a playoff game.

            On Saturday, February 3, family and friends lined the bleachers of Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium to cheer on their local teenage hoopers as they hosted the (7-14) Concrete Lions. This would be the third meeting between Tulalip and Concrete, with both getting a W on their home court previously.

It was a pressure-filled 1st quarter as the Hawks came out tight in the opening minutes of their first playoff game. Senior guard Chano Guzman did his best to set the tone offensively with his usual attacking style. He knocked down two 3-pointers and three middy’s to score 12 points in the 1st. With 2:15 to play in the 1st quarter, the score was tied 14-14. The Lions were able to keep pace by hitting 3-pointers of their own and capitalizing on their bigger front-line players securing offensive rebounds and put back buckets.

Concrete continued their overachieving play to take their first lead of the game 20-18 early in the 2nd quarter. It would be a super short-lived lead though as it seemed to spark Tulalip’s competitive fire. Fueled by their unrelenting pressure defensively, the boys forced Concrete into one turnover after another. Each seemingly leading to transition layup or high percentage shot. Six Hawks players scored down the stretch before halftime, then freshman guard J.J. Gray caught fire in the 2nd half. 

After the Hawks went down 18-20 early in the 2nd quarter, they used stifling defense and a diverse offensive attack to go an incredible 38-8 run that spanned to late in the 3rd quarter. Now up big 56-28, head coach Shawn Sanchey used the comfortable lead to insert his bench to the cheer of the crowd. 

Nearly every shot by a reserve player received a little roar of anticipation from the crowd and benched starters, who were more than eager to see their brethren get a playoff bucket. Final score was a whopping 72-49 win. The Hawks were led in scoring by J.J.’s 25 points and Chano’s 22 points, while seven of their teammates also got into the box score. 

After the game, Coach Shawn shared his thoughts on the playoff W. “Having played Concrete twice before, we had a good idea on what we’d see from them and which areas we really needed to prioritize. The first two games, we weren’t at full strength either, so that was a benefit this time around knowing we were at full strength.

“It was impressive to see one of our senior leaders on the team, Chano, rise to the occasion early with his on-ball defense and timely buckets. He’s been a part of our Heritage program for a few years now and has the experience needed to keep our team together in tough moments and set the tone for us.”

Lastly, Coach Shawn added the significance of his starters taking control of the game and building the big lead so that their teammates could get some court time. “I tell the boys every game that they owe to the game and their team to work hard each quarter so the whole team gets a chance to play. Everyone, starters and bench players, works super hard and grinds every practice to get us here, so it’s only fair that we work hard in games like this to get our whole team some court time.”

Lynne Sheryl Selam

MARCH 23, 1966 – JANUARY 31, 2024

Lynne Sheryl (Moses) Selam was born March 23, 1966 to Maryann “Cookie” and Louie Moses and passed away January 31, 2024. Lynne lived in Yakama and Tulalip throughout her life and enjoyed crabbing and fishing as a young woman. She traveled a lot on the stick game road and had friends and family everywhere she went. She loved cooking for her people and watching canoe races. Lynne loved going to Bingo and to the Casino anywhere she visited. Lynne would always take her grandchildren during Spring break and Winter breaks when she lived in Wapato. 

She is survived by her children Ramona (Albert), Nicholas (Jasmine), and Sarah. Grandchildren Dakaota, Desmond, Dahawnee, Maryann, Samantha, David, and George. Brothers John and Gene Enick. Uncle Bill Williams and aunt Irene Daniels-Moses. Many family members as well. 

She is preceded in death by her husband John C. Selam, her parents, brothers Clifford and Michael Enick and sister Deloris Moses, niece Leann Enick, nephew Johnny Enick, and Moses/Enick family. 

An evening service will be held Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024 at 6 PM at Schaefer-Shipman Funeral Home. The funeral will be held Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024 at 10 AM at the Tulalip Gathering Hall with burial to follow at Mission Beach Cemetery.

Byron Lee Sheldon

MARCH 4, 1950 – JANUARY 29, 2024

Byron Lee Sheldon was born on March 4th 1950, born to Thelma Townsend and Charles “Red” Sheldon, and passed away on January 29th 2024. Born in Everett, WA, lived on in Tulalip until a young age, then grew up in Everett and graduated from Everett high school in 1968. After graduation Byron attended Western University for a brief period, after he returned to Tulalip where he lived for the remainder of his life. He spent decades working for the Tulalip Tribes as a courier and his favorite term for himself was a “gopher” go for this, go for that. He would often stop for his favorite snack a corn dog from the teriyaki store while on the run. Byron was known for his goofy sense of humor. He was an avid car collector, enjoyed wood working in his younger years, had big kind heart. He loved animals and kept many dogs and a few cats as pets over the years. 

He was proceeded in death by his parents along with nephews Leon Bitsie, Dareth Beltran, Richard Darren Powell & Brandon Bryant was survived by his siblings: Marlene Beltran William Sheldon, Lita Sheldon, Karen Sheldon along with his nieces and nephews, Steve Beltran III, Rachel Mowrer, Morgan Bryant, J.D. Mowrer, Julie Wilson, Max Mowerer, Emily Wilson and Angie Rodriguez

Hawks and Lady Hawks enter playoff mode

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

It’s been a roller coaster like season for the Lady Hawks. This up and down, twist and turn filled ride is most evident by their final two home games.

On Saturday, January 27, Tulalip hosted fellow tribal school Taholah at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium. We’ll save the disastrous details and simply refer to this one as a game to forget as the Lady Hawks found themselves on the wrong end of an 83-11 thumping. 

Forty-eight hours later, the girls rebounded in a huge way when Shoreline Christian came to town on Monday, January 29.  A slow-paced opening quarter yielded buckets by Tieriana, Audrielle, Raylee, and Kendra who combined to put their team ahead, 9-4.

Over the 2nd and 3rd quarters, the Lady Hawks found their groove in an emphatic way. With the McLean sisters spearheading the attack, the home team got the crowd into a frenzy by forcing Shoreline to turn the ball over and over again. Each time resulted in a transition opportunity for either an Audrielle layup or a Tieriana 3-pointer.

Entering the 4th quarter, Tulalip led 37-17. Kendra, a senior forward, continued to battle multiple Shoreline players to secure rebounds which opened up uncontested shot attempts for her teammates. When only being single covered, she’d use her size advantage to shoot over the smaller defender. 

To the delight of all the friends and family who turned out for senior night, the Lady Hawks bounced back the Taholah loss with a 52-24 W. Audrielle led all scorers with 22 points, her big sister scored 18 points, and Kendra added 8 points.

After the game, senior guard Tieriana shared, “Being senior night, there was a lot of pressure to perform and get the win. Usually when I miss shots early in the game, I quit shooting late, but that didn’t happen today. I kept shooting and, especially in that 3rd quarter, I got hot. [Steph Curry hot]. After our tough loss to Taholah, we really needed this game and we got it.”

When was asked how much it meant to get this W for her sister on senior night, junior guard Audrielle quipped, “I don’t know. A lot!” Fair enough. She then added, “This win boosts our confidence with playoffs coming up. That’s for sure.”

As of January 31, the WIAA website showed the Tulalip Lady Hawks earning a play-in bye, which sets them up with a Saturday, February 3, showdown with Orcas Island at Orcas Island high school. Tip scheduled for 12:30pm.

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Hawks secure #2 seed with back-to-back Ws at home

The Tulalip Heritage Hawks were riding a 4-game winning streak when they faced off with Taholah on Saturday, January 27. The gym was near full capacity with some people going so far as to bring in chairs from staff offices in order to sit down. Playing another tribal school always adds some extra juice to players on the court and fans sitting courtside.

The boys mauled their opponent from the get go, jumping out to a 20-9 after one quarter of play. Playing their patented style of run-and-gun offense, fueled by forcing turnovers, would wear on Taholah’s starters as the game went along. 

While Heritage dictated tempo, freshman guard J.J. Gray carved up the Taholah defense at every opportunity. At halftime, J.J. had 19 points and nearly outscored the visitors by himself as the home team led 37-19.

In the second half, Chano Guzman, Tokala BlackTomahawk, and Amare Hatch would score an array of buckets from within the painted area and along the perimeter to put the game away.

The Hawk’s extended their winning streak to 5 with a 67-45 win. Tulalip was led by J.J.’s 22 points, while Tokala scored 13 points, and both Chano and Amare had 11 points each.

“Our practices have been improving, our team energy is going up, and our mentality is getting right,” remarked senior guard Chano of the team’s win streak.

“All the fans filling the gym and their energy we definitely feed off,” added freshman guard J.J.

Tulalip thrived in their home court advantage, once again, just two days later when they hosted Shoreline Christian. Head coach Shawn Sanchey, a Heritage alum and four-year hooper, understood the importance of senior night for his squad and trotted out an all-senior lineup.

Senior forward Hazen Shopbell Jr. responded to the starting nod by knocking down a midrange jumper and then swishing a 3-pointer. Up 5-0 in the early going, Coach Sanchey called timeout to get his normal starters into the game and his seniors a rousing ovation as they hit the bench. Shoreline responded by going on a run of their own and took a short-lived lead, 5-6.

Once Tulalip’s offense found its normal tempo, it was a wrap. At the end of the 1st quarter, the boys led 16-11. By the end 2nd quarter, that lead was pushed to 29-19. There was some contentious moments, fueled by physical play by both teams and the heightened tension from a packed house, but it proved to only fuel contributions from Tokala BlackTomahawk and Amare Hatch.

Tokala scored 12 points, including two 3-pointers, and Amare scored 18 points, including three 3-pointers, that kept the Hawks rowdy fanbase in classic form while the home team secured another W, 59-34.

With the winning streak now at 6 in a row, Coach Sanchey described how much the big night meant to his boys.

“Senior night is really important to the kids. I still remember my senior night and how much it meant to have all the support in the stands, rooting us on,” he said. “Staring five seniors allowed for them take in the moment and hopefully share in an experience they’ll never forget. And they responded, too, by helping us to the early lead. 

“Of course, there were some moments of adversity late in the 1st half, but my coaching staff has prepared them for moments like that. We emphasize fighting through adversity, keeping the motor going, and not letting anything dictate what we know we’re capable of achieving on the court. They really showed that resilient mindset tonight. I’m really proud of all our players.” 

As of January 31, the WIAA website showed the Tulalip Hawks earning the right to host a home playoff game in the opening round of Districts. Game time and opponent yet to be determined. However, it will be played at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium on Saturday, February 3.

I stand with Palestine and I hope you will, too

By Lilly Jefferson, Heritage student & SYS intern

Have you ever heard the phrase “Free Palestine”? Do you know what it means? If you don’t, I will inform you. From October 7, 2023 to today, Palestine and Israel have been in an ongoing war. If your active on social media, then you’re aware it’s been 103+ days of words like occupation, genocide, bombing, and ethnic cleansing being associated with what’s happening in Palestine.

Palestine is located geographically in West Asia. Palestinian territory is the West bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

In 2017 there were 590,481 people in Gaza. This year there are currently 2 million, and a large percentage of these people in Gaza were pushed away from other parts of Israel. In other words, in Gaza there are currently 2 million displaced people. The most recent and ongoing attacks by Israel have resulted in 26,000 dead and over 64,000 wounded Palestinians civilians, according to the latest Al Jazeera update. 

What is happening to Palestinians now, is what has happened to our ancestors. 

“If social media was around back then, then people could actually witness firsthand the abuse that took place towards our people, and as Indigenous people we look at all these other Indigenous groups as being our relatives,” said Tulalip educator Natosha Gobin. “So for me it’s like those are our relatives, we need to speak up for them, we need to stand up for them, we need to figure out what we can do to support their livelihood. They just want to live.”

Many of the 2 million in Gaza are right now deprived of food, water, gas, medical supplies, and medicine, and more than 80% of Gaza live in poverty. Making it even worse is the fact that 9 out of 10 people don’t eat every day. The reason being is because Israel has been bombing Gaza’s citizens, churches, 340 schools, apartments, hospitals, refugee camps, and the city. 

Israel has occupied Gaza for over 75 years now, meaning they are trying to take control over Gaza. Palestinians in Gaza have resisted for over 75 years and continue to this day. This isn’t the first time either. 

78% and more of historic Palestine has been taken by Zionist forces. Zionism is a nationalist, political view that called for the creation of a Jew state, and now supports the continued existence of Israel as such a state. In 1948, the night of the Declaration of the State of Israel, 1.5 million Palestinians were moved overnight. Also, from 1947-1949, the Palestinian population was at 1.9 million, 750,000 Palestinians were made to be refugees beyond the borders of the state. 

You may be wondering why our elected leaders aren’t speaking up, or taking a stand to support Palestine. “I’m going to start out saying what I have observed from state leaders, and federal leaders. Politicians are influenced by those who donate money to their campaigns, and the fear of losing that funding is what keeps them silent, the fear of losing that funding is what keeps them walking the fine line of ‘this is pretty horrible, what’s going on,’” Natosha pointed out. “But also choosing their words wisely to not affect their funding that comes their way. That is what I have learned from [elected] leaders.” 

Palestine has elements of Arab, Islamic, and Christian traditions. Palestine uses fresh herbs, spices, and olive oil; those are elements of Palestine cuisine. Fishing is also an important factor in Palestinian culture. Palestine also has 1,000-year-old olive trees that are sacred, Israel has allowed settlers to steal olives, and destroy their trees. They have burned, destroyed or uprooted 800,000 Palestinian owned olive trees*. This year marks 70+ years of dispossession, and loss of homeland for the Palestinians. 

Indigenous people such as Tulalip should care because we have experienced firsthand what it’s like for our rights, food and water, people, land, and culture to be taken from us. We know what it is like to lose mass people from our nation and no one does anything about it. We know what it’s like to resist attempted genocide and heal in the aftermath. Because we have experienced all of this, we as Indigenous people need to stand with Palestine. 

Supporting Palestine can be done in a variety of ways. You can start off by boycotting Starbucks and McDonalds because in October 2023, Starbucks filed a lawsuit against their Worker union, because they made a post saying they stand with Palestine. McDonald boycotts are because the McDonald’s location in Israel donated free meals to Israeli soldiers. Some people say Starbucks and McDonalds maintain corporate support for Israel. 

“Another reason to boycott is to not only show solidarity with Palestinians but to raise awareness!” said Tulalip Heritage student Raylee Lewis. 

You can also buy keffiyehs and wear them as a mark of solidarity. Wearing keffiyehs shows you are with Palestine, and you support them. The keffiyeh is a traditional type of scarf worn in many ways. The designs on the keffiyeh symbolize aspects about Palestinian life. Every detail, and every design on the keffiyeh means something. The fishnet pattern represents Gaza’s connection to the sea, the leaves represent economic and cultural significance to olives, and the Bold lines represent historical trade routes. 

Indigenous people across the world show solidary in a bunch of social movements they want to raise awareness for, like boarding schools (orange shirt day), wearing red for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, and by wearing ribbon skirts, coming together to sing, dance, and heal. These are all ways we can speak up and give attention to things we think are important.

Finally, the last way you can show that you stand with Palestine is to keep up on social media about what’s happening, where are protests, and when are global shut down days. The latest shut down days have been; November 29, and January 21-28. You can also call for a ceasefire now. Ceasefire means to stop fighting, it means to stop genocide, ceasefire means Free Palestine. 



*Source: Time Magazine. https://time.com/5714146/olive-harvest-west-bank/