Ashley Tiedeman, Tulalip Tobacco Cessation Program Coordinator (2nd from right), and program members show the woven cedar frog pins they made during a habit replacement class.
By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
One of the most difficult challenges one might have to personally face in their lifetime is kicking the tobacco addiction. Without even realizing it, long-time smokers’ entire lives are mapped out the moment they first began to crave a cancer stick. Social circles were most likely affected first. Many non-smokers cannot bear to be around smokers because of factors such as the lingering smell of stale smoke a cigarette user often carries. And smokers know that their non-smoking friends and family members have good intentions but their words can sometimes sound preachy, making the smoker feel judged. For this reason, smokers tend to socialize and associate themselves with other smokers and vice versa for non-smokers.
This creates a problem for smokers who are trying to quit. Because of the bonding experience smokers share during work, social and family events, smokers often feel like they are stepping into a completely different world, not to mention the withdrawal symptoms like cravings and irritability they experience from quitting. Smokers who attempt to kick the habit struggle because that’s exactly what it is, a habit. They usually adhere to an internal schedule when it comes to lighting up a stogie such as after a meal or once they hit the road on their daily commute.
A large part of why smokers relapse is the lack of a support system. Since smokers often associate with smokers, if a person who is trying to quit has been smoking a long time, chances are their closest friends are smokers as well. This can sometimes lead to peer pressure, doubt, and negativity from their friends, which then results into a ‘might as well’ attitude. In that moment of weakness, a cig is lit and the chances of quitting again are put on hold for a few months. Many smokers who attempt to quit multiple times, begin secretly trying to quit to avoid public humiliation.
Tulalip’s Tobacco Cessation Program provides smokers with all the resources they need to drop the bad habit for good. Some of the resources include one-on-one counseling, nicotine patches and gum, new friends and support systems, and fun crafts and activities that smokers can use while they slowly begin to transition to a smoke-free life.
Ashley Tiedeman, Tobacco Cessation Program Coordinator, invites and encourages smokers to check out one of her classes, which are held on a monthly basis. She wants to ensure smokers that the program is designed to support and assist during the excruciating quitting process.
She states, “If someone is still smoking but is interested in quitting, they can still come to these classes because that’s the whole idea behind it, to see if different activities or crafts can help.” Ashley says the program does not pressure smokers into quitting but rather gives them a healthy alternative. Whether the alternative is cedar weaving, beading, or having great conversation with others struggling to quit, Ashley has created a space where smokers can feel comfortable and have a fun time while forgetting that cigarettes once ruled everything around them.
Group participant and master haida weaver, Lisa Telford stated, “No matter what I do, how many times I screw up and fall off the wagon, Ashley takes me back because she cares about us.”
For assistance with kicking the tobacco addiction and for additional information contact the Tulalip Cessation Program at (360) 716-5719.
Contact Kalvin Valdillez at kValdillez@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov
This past August the second annual Tulalip Mountain Camp kicked off. This year seven Tulalip tribal members participated in this one-of-a-kind adventure. Three camp leaders guided the middle students on a five-day, four-night outdoor experience. After their backpacks were filled and ready to go, their first stop on the journey was at the Hibulb Cultural Center for a special opportunity. Phil Solomon along with Inez Bill, Virgina Jones, and Joy Lacy all came together to teach the youth how to make a cedar bark basket for berry picking.
“Basket making isn’t so that these young people get to have a basket or learn to make a basket. This basket process is a means to incorporate their cultural connection into this experience. We have so many young people who are struggling with their cultural connection. This is an important part of the week to remind them that this is something their people would have known how to do. This is a basket they can carry with them if it is meant for them. This is one of the things their people would have brought with them if they were doing a trip similar to this hundreds of years ago,” stated Inez. Every student finished their basket and carried it to their journey.
The campers then took a long ride out to the Skykomish watershed area. This is where the backpacking portion of the camp would begin. Inez also traveled to the trailhead to instill in the youth the importance of their experience and how special communicating with nature is. The participants tackled the hike with a great attitude. Travelling almost 800ft up in elevation, over nearly two miles with filled backpacks containing supplies they would need over the two night stay, was no small feat but they finished the hike together in good spirits. The time spent hiking in this area was educational. The campers learned to live in the backcountry, how to step lightly to not make an impact on the wilderness.
The group made their way up to swədaʔx̌ali, or Mt. Huckleberry, where the youth would continue their cultural connections.
On their first night camping the future of Tulalip, led by Michelle Myles of the Tulalip Language Program, told stories over campfire. They also learned the important history of the Lushootseed language. Once the sun went down and it was dark enough, the campers witnessed a meteor shower with giant meteor trails in a sky full of stars. Many participants had never seen so many stars or meteors so spectacular.
The second day was full of events. The campers started the day by becoming the first to help with the huckleberry restoration the tribe is implementing at swədaʔx̌ali. The group worked hard and finished their tasks before the day became too hot.
Patti Gobin and Daryl Williams spoke to the participants about their culture, the mountains, and the importance of the work they did at camp. Joe Neil, from the National Forest Service, joined the group to provide insight on the co-management the Forest Service has with the tribe of the swədaʔx̌ali area. The long day of hard work and learning concluded with a plant scavenger hunt.
The trip ended where it began at the Hibulb Cultural Center, with a final ceremony involving families of the participants. Tulalip Mountain Camp 2016 was another great accomplishment for the participants as well as the staff involved.
The Tulalip Tribes and Marysville School District kicked off Tulalip/Marysville Unity Month (#TMUnityMonth) on October 7, 2016, with Friday Night Lights. The event, hosted by Youth Services, is a flag football tournament that sees over 60 participants on the field every Friday.
An all-ages event, Friday Night Lights participants get to play live, fast-paced football, while bonding with family and community members of Tulalip, Marysville, Everett, and Arlington. The event consists of four teams that will play each other every Friday night during the months of September to November.
Youth Services provides snacks on the busy Friday nights to participants playing football, the young adults skateboarding the new skate park, and also caters to additional people taking part in indoor events such as open gym and movie nights.
Friday Night Lights is held 5:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. every Friday night during the first few months of football season. Josh Fryberg, Youth Services Activities Coordinator, believes that building relationships is a major key to growing together as a community.
He states, “We have people coming from neighboring communities to play football and to have some fun. The main objective of Friday Night Lights is bringing the community together, that’s what it’s all about.”
For more details about Friday Night Lights and #TMUnityMonth, please contact Youth Services at (360) 716-4909.
Tulalip member Gayle Jones has worked for the tribe for 36 years. The first 32 years of her career she worked with Family Services in various positions, namely Clinical Supervisor and Chemical Dependency Counselor. In recent years, Gayle has taken on a new opportunity where she is able to help the people of her community on an entirely new level.
“It’s all from the spirit, it’s a gift,” states Gayle. Her new position as Spiritual Counselor with the Domestic Violence Program provides her the opportunity of doing what she is most passionate about, helping people who lost their way to find their path again.
“I always grew up around the Shaker religion because my grandpa and auntie were Shakers,” said Gayle, who at 15 years old had a friend invite her to join the Shaker Church. She decided to give it a chance and while in attendance she was so frightened, she left. “I was spooked, my auntie was shaking on me. I was scared I ran away.”
In her twenties, Gayle was still finding her footing in life. During those years of self-discovery, like many young adults, she experimented with alcohol. This turned into addiction. She struggled with that alcohol addiction until age 29, when she decided she needed spiritual healing and made a life change by getting sober and finding her faith again.
The Spiritual Counselor position sees Gayle assisting the entire community of Tulalip. She conducts cleansings and prayers at events as well as individual counseling and home visits. While working on people, she remains respectful of the individual’s personal beliefs. “On home visits, I tell people to pray to who they believe in. I am not here to force anything onto anybody. I am not a priest; I am a human”
When requested Gayle will often travel to hospitals to assist those who need spiritual support. “I pray for them and their families and ask for their strength and health.”
Part of the service that Gayle provides is candle-work. “It’s a blessing. The light of the candle is the light of the spirit, of who you believe in. For me personally, it’s God. The light of the spirit cleanses everything; I am only an instrument,” she explained. The cleansing practice uses a lit candle as a tool, much like cedar branches, to remove negative energy from a person’s aura while simultaneously providing relief and balance to their lives.
“A lot of it is getting rid of stress. People are like magnets, they carry stress from work and a lot of grief too. I can get all that off of them,” she explained. Gayle ultimately wants people who are struggling to know that it gets better. She is working to heal the community, one request at a time, by providing spiritual counseling and guidance.
She says, “Knowing there’s hope out there that’s a huge part of [recovery]. Somebody helped me when I was going through all of it. Somebody grabbed my hand, was there for me and said ‘Come on girl get it together.’ So, that’s what I’m doing in return. All of my chemical dependency work and all of my spiritual work is to make people feel better.”
For more information, contact Gayle Jones at 360-716-4981.
Pastor Ron Iukes is on a mission to benefit his community
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
About fifteen years ago, tribal member Ron Iukes set out on a mission to benefit his community and fellow followers of Jesus Christ. The mission was a long, winding road that saw a small church choir turn into a full-fledged church, now called the Tulalip Worship Center.
Located at the old housing building in the Silver Village neighborhood on the Tulalip Reservation, the Tulalip Worship Center is led by Pastor Ron who is determined to help all who seek his teachings to walk by faith.
The Tulalip Worship Center offers four different evening services, all at their location in Silver Village. Monday nights at 7:00 p.m. is dedicated to bible study and recovery, Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. is mid-week service, Friday night is called ‘Friday Night Live’ and intended for the more youthful 18-25 age group. Then there is the customary Sunday night service.
“This isn’t an Indian church, this is a God church,” explains Pastor Ron. “We have a lot of different visitors. One good friend of mine said, ‘You have a bouquet of flowers in your church. You have different colors, different races, and different nationalities uniting through Christ.’ It’s not about certain denominations, it’s about Christ. It’s pretty awesome. I love it.”
The latest chapter to Pastor Ron’s mission is to engage and empower the youth, in particular he has set out to help the young people who are fighting the demon known as addiction.
“Recently, we started to see a lot of our young people coming out of addiction or battling their addiction, whether it be with heroin, with meth, or some other drug, and they are hearing the spiritual call,” says Pastor Ron. “The work we do here is all about encouraging those young ones who need to fill the spiritual void in their life. It’s spreading like wildfire. Our young people are growing and coming in to learn about their spirituality.
“The one thing I tell the young people coming out of addiction is that in the 12-step program they work on their emotional, mental and physical aspects, but they don’t really reach out to their spiritual side. Here at the Tulalip Worship Center, we focus on spirituality first. Having a faith to stand on and depending on the word of God is so important. They learn that no matter what the circumstance may be they can always depend on their faith and the word of God, which becomes their strength.”
It may be difficult for some to understand the impact church and spiritual strength can have on those afflicted by addiction, especially heroin and meth addiction. Yet, several Tulalip tribal members who swear by the teachings of Pastor Ron and the Tulalip Worship Center were willing to share their stories and experiences with See-Yaht-Sub readers. They hope their stories can give hope to those currently struggling with addiction and give added strength to those on the road to recovery.
Several Tulalip tribal members who swear by the teachings of Pastor Ron (center) and the Tulalip Worship Center shared their stories.
Jaida Maltos, age 19
“I used heroin and meth for four and a half years. It wasn’t until I came to the Tulalip Worship Center, accepted Ron as my pastor, and asked God into my life that I was set free from my addiction. Since that moment I haven’t touched those drugs. No man or thing could have done that for me. I thought I was going to die in active addiction. I didn’t think there was any helping me. I thought I was so deep into my addiction that no one could pull me out, but by the grace of God I’m here and I am five months clean.
“I went to jail and when I got out Ron found me and introduced me to his church. I’ve been clean ever since. I didn’t really believe in God before I came here. As a kid, I grew up going to church, but being in my addiction for so long I didn’t think there was a God. I came to the church to test things out and see what it was all about. I’ve been here ever since.
“My advice to young people with addiction is this, there is nothing else that can really pull you out of your addiction except for God. That’s what I believe because that’s what I experienced. I tried everything else. I went to treatment, I tried detox, and I even went to jail. None of those things helped me to get clean and stay clean. It wasn’t until I asked God into my life that I’ve been able to remain clean.”
Keith George, age 24
“I grew up with church being my foundation. I was in the kids’ choir and traveled around to lots of churches singing. I eventually transitioned to playing the guitar for the church band. I did that until my senior year of high school. After high school I started hanging out with the wrong crowd and doing the wrong things. My addiction started with drinking and that led to me using pills and weed. Chasing the high from the pill overtook me and I would use so much until finally I moved out, away from my family. I wanted to be away from my family because I was using. I felt shame and guilt for what I was doing, but I wasn’t able to stop. The negative feelings of shame and guilt continued to build, then I started to use heroin and meth. I was using those for three and half years.
“I knew that church is the only thing that could change me completely. I didn’t want to use Suboxone or Methadone to wean off my addiction, I wanted it stopped completely. I look at Suboxone and Methadone as a legal way of using because they are prescriptions that alter your mind and there are still withdrawals. Church was the thing that could save my life.
“Towards the end of my drug use I was in depression and had suicidal thoughts. I knew that wasn’t me and to get back to the person I knew I could be I needed the church and my family. Without my church and family I wouldn’t have been able to make it. In my time of most need and help, when my addiction was at its strongest, I was able to go to them. I needed encouragement, I needed prayer, and I needed to feel their love. I’ve been clean now for almost two years.”
Nathaniel Zackuse, age 41
“The first time I attended the Tulalip Worship Center everyone welcomed me with open arms and helped show me the way of our lord. Ever since, God’s been blessing me with my sobriety and my new way of life.
“My addiction was alcohol, weed and meth. I tried it up at the Healing Lodge. When I was there we’d go to A.A. meetings and that’s how I heard about Ron’s church. I thought to myself I’d like to try that out. After my first time attending the church I didn’t want to stop going. I’ve been attending a little over four months now.
“Ron’s words are comforting to my heart. God working through him is something else. It’s a much more personal experience here with Ron and the church family than it was at the Healing Lodge. The word of God that Ron preaches speaks to me and helps my everyday life. All the people who attend and share their testimonies, their journeys, helps me out, too.”
Joseph Tom, Sr., age 37
“On July 18, 2014, I came to the church addicted to heroin, meth, pills and alcohol. Any kind of drug I could get my hands on that was me. On that day, July 18, I came in and got prayed for, I put my hands up, and I got touched by God. It was no less than a miracle. God healed me, he healed my body, and he healed everything in me. He took all that addiction away from me.
“Heroin and meth makes people real sick if they don’t have it, the withdrawals are brutal, but after not using the next day I wasn’t sick. I had no cravings at all for what I’d been doing. Right then, I knew it was real what God did for me. There is no man in this world that could have done what happened that night. I know it was a miracle.
“At the time of my testimony I was on heroin and meth for around ten to eleven years. I was real bad, plus I was doing pills and hitting the bottle heavy. I’ve been clean ever since that day. It’s been two years and two months since that day. The word of God has been my strength. Standing on his promises and knowing what he did for me, healing me of my addictions. Having that personal relationship with God and having Ron and the church family here to pray for me is the best kind of medicine.”
These are but a few of the individuals reaching out to demonstrate what the Tulalip Worship Center is capable of providing. Led by Pastor Ron and his passion for helping others, the doors are always open, welcoming anyone and everyone.
“In our church we say ‘sheep bare sheep’, the young ones who have overcome their addiction through faith are positive examples to other young people,” says Pastor Ron. “It’s a blessing to see the lives change, to see these ones come in strapped on heroin and meth and then to witness them give their heart to God. We’ve built a core to surround them with, to help them on their good days and their bad days. Some of them who’ve come in didn’t have jobs or a place to live. Now, they have jobs, places to live, and a testimony that can change lives. The young people are coming in more and more. We are here for them when they are ready.”
Tulalip Lushootseed teacher Natasha Gobin organized a youth movement along the main entry way to Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary.
By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News
With freshly sharpened pencils and new backpacks hanging from their energetic, youthful shoulders, students across the Tulalip Reservation returned to school Wednesday, September 7. Students throughout the Marysville School District headed back to school for the official start of the 2016-2017 school year with fresh faces and for many, the thrill of kicking off the next step of their academic journey.
For many families, the first day of school can be bittersweet, as it denotes the official end of summertime. Still, there’s no denying the first day of school thrill, for parents and students alike, and by the looks of the many back to school smiles, students across the Rez are feeling the excitement.
Their excitement was shared by Tulalip Lushootseed teacher, Natosha Gobin, who organized a youth movement along the main entry way to Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary. Natosha brought a bunch of vibrant signs with positive and uplifting messages written in bold letters. She quickly recruited Tulalip youth to join her own kids in holding up the signs and greeting their fellow students on the first day of school.
“When I asked the kids to pick out a sign to hold up, one of the kids before he even read them asked me, ‘What are we protesting?” marvels Natosha. “His little warrior spirit was ready to make a difference!
“We need to take every opportunity to remind our youth how important they are. We always say they are our future, their education matters, but to some those are just words. This put the words into action and shows our youth they are loved, shows them we believe in them, while reminding them to be respectful, share their teachings, keep calm and be patient.
“It started with seven kids who sang a blessing song to the Heritage students holding signs, and by the time school started, their cousins and friends were standing with them showing some love and support for each other. One positive act can make great changes. What a perfect day to start the ripple effect that will hopefully keep the kids positive throughout the year!”
At Heritage High School, the students were greeted by teachers and administrative staff as they walked into the main hall. Along with school staff, two Board of Directors were present to share some words.
“What you learn today, what you absorb today will shape who you will be in the future, but not just you, it’s going to shape what are Tribe will be in the future,” said Board of Director Glen Gobin. “Your future, our future, will be what you shape of it as you grow older. For you young ones here, what we are trying to instill in you is that drive to learn, that willingness to learn, and to learn you have to be here. Each and every one of you matter. We need you here, we need you staying in school and getting an education. We need you learning as much as you can so you can help your people as we go forward because you are our future.”
Following the morning assembly and greetings, the Heritage students took part in a goal setting exercise with several of their friends and past classmates who have graduated from Heritage. The graduates shared messages of just how important goal setting is and how they should have made even more goals for themselves when younger. Each current student wrote a goal or two down on a salmon cut-out and they were all placed on a replica river. Just the like the salmon swim up river to fulfill their goals, the Heritage students aim to migrate high school and achieve their goals.
The Council for Tribal Employment Rights held their 2016 National TERO Convention in Bellingham, Washington from August 1-3. The three day convention was highlighted with an awards banquet that gave special recognition to TERO programs, commissions, and directors for excelling at what they do and being leaders to their fellow tribes.
Tulalip’s very own TERO program was honored with the National “TERO Program of the Year” award. Teri Gobin, TERO Director, accepted the award on behalf of her TERO team; Tory Chuckulnaskit, TERO Manager; Linda Henry, TERO Admin Assistant; Lynne Bansemer, TERO Client Service Coordinator; Lisa Telford, TVTC Family Career Navigator; Billy Burchett, TVTC Site Coordinator; Mark Newland, TVTC Teacher; Robert Henderson, TERO Compliance Officer; Ginny Ramos, TERO Compliance Officer.
Teri accredited her staffs innovative thinking and passion to better serve the Tulalip Community by improving the quality of their lives, through job preparation, training, employment, business and economic opportunities.
TERO stands for Tribal Employment Rights Office. TERO codes require that all employers who are engaged in operating a business on reservations give preference to qualified Natives in all aspects of employment, contracting and economic opportunities; while prohibiting employment discrimination. TERO offices were established and empowered to monitor and enforce the requirements of the tribal employment rights code.
Through the commitment and steadfast determination of Tulalip TERO, the TERO Vocational Training Center (TVTC) has become the first and only state and nationally recognized Native American pre-apprenticeship program in the country. In recent months the TVTC program has garnered much attention and praise for its constructing and contributions of tiny homes to homeless communities in the Seattle area.
For more information about Tulalip TERO programs, classes and employment assistance please contact TERO at 360-716-4747 or go to www.tulaliptero.com
With the assistance of WSU Beach Watchers volunteers, the quality of water at Mission Beach is being monitored weekly. So far this summer, the water has been sampled seven times. Samples are analyzed at the Tulalip Water Quality Lab.
From Valerie Streeter, Stormwater Planner in Tulalip Natural Resources:
“This year is the first time Tulalip Natural Resources with WSU Beach Watcher Volunteers have monitored the water at Mission Beach for safe swimming conditions so we weren’t sure what we would find. It’s great to see that beach water is clean so far! The weekly water monitoring will continue until August 30.”
The results show that bacteria levels in the water are below the threshold limit for swimming, which means that the water is clean. The graph below shows the average result from the three beach sampling stations. The red line shows the bacteria threshold limit and the blue line is the water quality data.
With the good news of Mission Beach having clean water with safe swimming conditions, be sure you make a trip before summer is over.
Tulalip Tribes Chairman Mel Sheldon speaks about activism at the Annual Community Wellness Conference.
Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
“With every journey, wherever you go, you’re going to find a way to make a difference in your own way. You could be the next President; you can be the leader of Pokémon Go! Whatever it is you believe in, you have to step up and find a way to make change. Somebody here might be changing the direction of this tribe in five to ten years, or maybe even tomorrow,” said Tulalip Tribes Chairman Mel Sheldon as he expressed to Tulalip’s youth the importance of activism during the first day of the Annual Community Wellness Conference.
This year’s conference, held in the Orca Ballroom at the Tulalip Resort Casino, is focusing on Native American activism. The event is a three-day conference held July 28, August 4 and August 11, and is free to the Tulalip community. An outstanding lineup of keynote speakers is scheduled, including Seattle based Native American carver and activist Rick T. Williams, the Native American sketch comedy group 1491’s, and Native American Emcee Frank Waln.
As the opening speaker for the event, Chairman Sheldon gave a little history of both his, as well as the Tulalip Tribes, background. He spoke greatly of higher education and let the youth know that it is okay to go at their own speed while finding their path.
“Along the way on my educational journey, I learned a little bit about activism,” said Sheldon. “Being active, what are you going to do in life?”
Sheldon explained to conference attendees the signing of the Point Elliot Treaty, the rights the treaty entitles tribes to, and why it is important to exercise those rights. He also spoke about the Occupation of Alcatraz by the American Indian Movement in 1969 and communicated that if you are passionate about a topic you should stand up for what you believe in.
“When we find what really motivates us, we find a way to get there. Is there something there that really hits your heart that you’ve got to get up and protest? You will want to be part of changing the social fabric of society,” said Sheldon. Crude oil, mascot names, equal pay for women, gun rights, and support for the LGBT community are issues that are currently affecting today’s society Sheldon pointed out, and that change can not happen unless you are active.
Sheldon stated that he is excited to see where life takes the group of young Tulalip tribal members. He closed the first day’s workshop with some encouraging words for the youth by stating, “One day you will find something so important to you, you’ll stand up and change the world for the better. You do have all that power in you!”
Color shapes our daily lives because the colors that surround us can influence and even inspire us. We respond to color when we choose something to wear in the morning, when we see traffic lights or go shopping at the grocery store. Since time immemorial, color has influenced humans historically, socially and artistically, as color has been an integral part of the natural world. Throughout time, humans have manipulated color for social, spiritual, emotional and artistic purposes.
Celebrating color is what the latest featured exhibit on display at The Hibulb Cultural Center and Natural History Preserve, Vibrant Beauty: Colors of our Collection, is all about. Additionally, the exhibit honors our local Tulalip tribal artists.
At the heart of the exhibit is a large panel display with several unique and vibrant designs created by Tulalip artist Ty Juvinel. After being approached by Hibulb curators and asked to add his inventive touch to the latest exhibit, Ty spent a series of afternoons working on and finalizing his vibrant beauty addition.
“Color is emotion, and the color I choose for my art depends on the emotion of the piece,” states Ty. “I like to use bright colors in my work because it makes a statement. I use all colors because nature uses all of the colors. Some have more significance like red, black and white, which have greater significance to us. Color to me is emotionally dependent on how I am feeling. I’m feeling drawn to yellow right now because I want it to be spring. Last week, I felt drawn to the color purple.”
Using modern day technology to advance his art methods, Ty printed his tribal designs on transfers that were then paint masked to the panel walls. This method saves an enormous amount of time compared to a traditional method of stenciling and painting by hand. Using this refined technique also allows Ty to color his designs with spray paint. After choosing his selection of color, he went to work on spraying the transfers, then meticulously peeling the transfers off the panel.
Lastly, Ty goes over each design in a detail enhancement process, so that the quality of his artwork is up to par by his standards. As Ty explains, each of his designs are inherently Tulalip because he is Tulalip, but there is some real creativeness to his ingenuity. For example, he created a Tulalip family tree design, which he fittingly colored green. The tree contains eight spirits with each one representing the spirit of a generation.
“I’m always looking for new ways to push myself as an artist and being open to try new methods and techniques, but at the same time I’m always looking for ways to put our culture out there in a good way,” continues Ty. “People come in here to Hibulb and there’s a pride in seeing our culture displayed as Tulalip or Coast Salish people. My goal is to create something that I’m proud of, so the community is proud of it, too, because all the work I do represents Tulalip.”
Check out Ty’s contribution to Vibrant Beauty: Colors of our Collection on display at Hibulb through February 2017.
