Tulalip Archives - Page 60 of 63

McCoy’s measures salute veterans and military families

Armed-forces training, experience recognized in legislation sent over to Senate

Clint Robbins, Legislative News, March 13, 2013

OLYMPIA — Here’s a definitive “no-brainer” we can all recognize: Men and women who have come out of the Armed Forces honorably should certainly receive respect and recognition for their service when they are pursuing a college education or professional licensing.

The House of Representatives today passed House Bill 1858 and House Bill 1859, sponsored by state Rep. John McCoy, to write this recognition into state policy.

“Colleges and universities should have a policy in place by December 31, 2014, to recognize and award academic credit for military-training courses or programs,” McCoy said of his HB 1858. “The policy must be submitted to the Prior Learning Assessment work group for evaluation. Schools must provide a copy of their policy to award academic credit for military training to enrolled students who have listed prior or present military service in their application.”

McCoy’s HB 1859 directs that military training and experience should satisfy requirements for professional licensing if the training or experience is documented and substantially equivalent to the requirements in state law.

“The Department of Defense is thrilled with the House passage of HB 1858,” said Mark B. San Souci, Northwest Regional State Liaison, Defense State Liaison Office, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Military Community and Family Policy.

“There has been good progress with the Washington State Prior Learning Assessment Group established in 2010 legislation,” San Souci added. “Passage of this measure continues that progress by requiring our college and universities to develop policies to provide earned academic credit for our new veterans when we have already paid for their training with our hard-earned federal-tax dollars. We are extremely grateful for Representative McCoy’s proactive approach to this issue to aid our new veterans and American heroes.”

“The Department of Defense is also thrilled with the passage of HB 1859 because it complements House Bill 1858 which has also already passed the House,” San Souci said. “This second bill leverages what Washington state regulatory agencies and boards are working hard to make possible — specifically, that newly separated military members should receive occupational-license credit, where deserved, for their military education and training. After all, this previous education and training has already been paid for by people’s federal tax dollars. If passed in the Senate and signed by the governor, Representative McCoy’s efforts on this issue and other, similar matters will greatly help our new veterans reach their academic goals — and then secure rewarding employment. We are extremely grateful for Representative McCoy’s proactive approach to this issue to make sure there are reasonable programs and policies for our new veterans and American heroes.”

Food Handlers Class, March 21, Tulalip

Food handlers class is Thursday, March 21, 2013 at the Tulalip Tribes Administration off Marine Drive. Anyone preparing or serving food on the reservation is required to have a current food worker card. Upon completion of the class and a passing test score, a food worker card will be issued which will be valid for three years from the test date.

NACTEP Construction Training begins April 8th

The Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP) construction training begins April 8^th and runs through June 13^th. Classes are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

NACTEP classes are offered at no charge to Tulalip Tribal members, Tribal members enrolled in federally recognized tribes, spouses of enrolled Tulalip tribal members, and employees of the Tulalip Tribes.

Each student enrolled in the program will earn 18 college credits through Edmonds Community College. Students will learn how to read and draw blueprints, plan a personal project and design, use power tools properly, and other hands-on projects that are useful in the construction industry.

In addition to college credits students will receive: Flagging Certification, First AID/CPR Certification, and OSHA 10 hour Safety Card.

For more information about NACTEP, please contact Mark Newland, NACTEP instructor, at 425-268-9145 or contact William Burchett, Construction Training Site Supervisor, at 360-716-4761 or email: wburchett@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Help is always needed at Tulalip Church of God food bank

By Monica Brown, Tulalip News Writer

TULALIP, Wash.-

The many food donations recenlty recieved being boxed ready to go. — The many food donations recently received being boxed ready to go.

Volunteers at the Tulalip Church of God food bank are happy to say that they help feed families of Snohomish County. Food bank volunteer Tamara Morden says, “We help feed about 150 -200 families every two weeks, so about 400 a month”. The food bank receives regular donations from people in the community and local businesses such as Safeway, Winco, and Northwest Harvest. While they did very well with donations this last, they received extra donations from First Nation Ministry of Portland of 2,000 lbs. of potatoes and two palettes of juice. And they are always in need of more donations of non-perishable foods.

The food bank has been in operation for seventeen years and was started by Marge Williams in order to serve the community west of Interstate 5. Once the food bank began receiving donations from Northwest Harvest they became available to all residents of Snohomish County.

Tamara has lived on the Tulalip Reservation since she was born. She began attending the Church of God in her youth and eventually began volunteering her time at the food bank. With the help of volunteers Tamara manages to keep the food bank going and while working a full-time job.

Food Bank volunteers; Delores Williams, Frances Morden, W. Jake Price and Tamara Morden on the far right.

“Louie Pablo picks up supplies and I’m very, very grateful for him doing that,” Tamara says. W. Jake Price is her biggest help; Jake has been helping at the Food Bank since Marge ran it, “He’s always here every day of donations,” explains Tamara.

The food bank hands out donations on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 10:30am -4:00pm and receives the donations the day before they hand out the donations, the second and fourth Monday of every month. Volunteers are always welcome, currently more help is needed to pick up donations from local businesses for the food bank.

If you would like to help, stop by the Tulalip Church of God (the red church) on the second or fourth Mondays and Tuesdays of each month to volunteer.

Tulalip Church of God

1330 Marine Dr NE

Tulalip, WA 98271

(360) 653-7876

Lifting Our Sisters Up at Tulalip Hibulb Cultural Center

By Monica Brown, Tulalip News Writer

TULALIP, Wash.- “I never want to look at my granddaughter and say, sorry, there’s a one in three chance that you’ll be raped, sweetie,” exclaimed Theresa Pouley during the Lifting Our Sisters Up event held at the Hibulb Cultural Center on Feb 13^th. Theresa Pouley is Chief Judge at Tulalip Tribal Court and a Colville tribal member; she was selected as one of the four witnesses asked to speak at the event.

It’s a shocking statistic when you realize it and if you turn to count the number of women in your own family; one in three of these women may have reported some type of sexual violence. Keep in mind though, 54 percent of sexual assaults are not reported to police. Until a remedial solution is found, Native woman will remain unprotected through current laws.

For Native women that are victims forging their way to become survivors, it is an uphill battle with the current laws in place today. The current ruling comes from a 1978 United States Supreme Court case, Oliphant v. Suquamish. The Supreme Court sided with Oliphant, stating that Indian Tribal courts do not have inherent criminal jurisdiction to try and convict non-Indians. The ruling ultimately left a loophole for offenders in which violence involving a non-Indian and an Indian on tribal land will result in the case being moved to federal court and since many cases don’t make it that far, and are unable to be prosecuted in tribal court offenders are able to walk free.

At the Lifting Our Sisters Up event Native woman gathered to share the painful truth of the peril that Native American woman are facing. Tulalip Vice Chairwoman, Deborah Parker opened the event by speaking encouraging words, “Today we are hoping to lift each other up, as sisters, as mothers, as aunties. Hopefully the words that are said here today will help you with your healing”.

The day of healing was filled with songs, prayers, and many tears. Women from Tulalip and surrounding tribes came forward to recount some of the most painful moments in their lives in order to break the silence and say, violence against Native women is more prevalent than you know, because it happened to them.

Tulalip Tribal member Carolyn Moses related memories of her youth growing up with domestic violence in her home life. She explained how her mother learned to be strong, and became a single mother who worked two jobs so that she could break the cycle of domestic violence and her children and her grandchildren would not have to endure it in their futures.

The Lifting our sisters Up event enabled women to speak out and tell the stories that are rarely shared in order to heal their spirit so that they may grow to be stronger women. The act of sharing personal hardships relieves some of the weight and to let go of the pain that can hold them down.

“Share your story, if someone can take what happened to you and use that. If someone is reaching out to you, help them, no matter if you get along with them or not,” urged witness and Tulalip tribal member Courtney Sheldon after recounting the injustices made against herself and her loved ones.

In order to overcome this hardship the laws in place need to change, whether it comes through VAWA or other means. Some may say they don’t understand the need for this type of rule adjustment and will even call it unconstitutional for non-Indians to be prosecuted in tribal courts. But, violations against Native women and some cases Native men need to be halted and the violators need to be held accountable for the life they ruin. What chance does a culture have to thrive when it is being torn down?

“We [Native Women] are an endangered species and what will happen to our tribal nations?” argued witness Cheryl Coan; who is from the Dine’ Nation and works at Tulalip’s Legacy of Healing.

To help spread the truth Canal Plus was invited to document these stories. Canal Plus, a French premium pay television channel that airs throughout Europe is similar to HBO in the U.S. Featured among many television selections, short documentary segments which focus on stories that are seldom told. Intrigued by the situation, Canal Plus traveled to Tulalip in order to document the stories of Native American women and the accounts of sexual assault and acts of violence which plague Indian Country.

Gray whale sighted near Mission Beach

Watch for whales

Source: HeraldNet

A gray whale has been sighted near Mission Beach at Tulalip, about a month before the first of a group of migratory whales usually shows up.

Kathie Roon, who lives at the beach, said she saw a whale offshore Monday morning while walking her dog. Roon saw several spouts and the fluke come out of the water, she said.

Gray whales visit Possession Sound and Port Susan on their annual trip from Mexico to Alaska, usually between March and May, experts say. Normally about a dozen stop over, according to John Calambokidis of Olympia-based Cascadia Research. About six of them are the same whales every year and about six are different, as identified by photos, he said.

Mansion in Mukilteo recalled: The history of Mukilteo’s first mansion is the topic for a meeting of the Mukilteo Historical Society on Thursday.

The home’s current owner, Alan Zugel, is to talk about his house at the meeting, scheduled for 7:15 p.m. in the Fowler Room at the Rosehill Community Center, 304 Lincoln Ave. The house was built in the early 1900s for the manager of the Crown Lumber Co., according to the historical group.

The meeting is open to the public and refreshments are planned.

Alpacas on display: The Alpaca Association of Western Washington plans to hold their second annual Valentine’s weekend Herdsire Review from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds, 14405 179th Ave SE, Monroe. Some of the best alpaca herdsires available for breeding in Western Washington will be on display for local alpaca farms to observe and schedule breeding dates for their females.

This year’s event has expanded to include an Alpaca Pen Sale and Fiber Market so that the public can see and buy alpaca products as well as alpacas. Admission is free. For more information, go to www.alpacawa.org or call 206-510-0434.

Express yourself at open mic night

Every second Friday of the month, the Northwest Indian College Tulalip site invites community members to take part in an open mic night. It’s an evening of creative poets, singers, and comedians sharing their talents and thoughts. Join in on the fun and express yourself on the mic or just enjoy the show.

The next open mic night will feature the theme “Survivors of Violence” and will take place at the Tulalip Tribes Administration Building, Room 162, on Friday, February 8^th from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Admission is free.

The Tulalip Tribes Administration Building is located on 6406 Marine Drive, Tulalip, WA 98271. For more information on NWIC and open mic night, visit http://www.nwic.edu/

Vote for Adiya as player of the week

By Monica Brown, Tulalip News Writer

Adiya Jones-Smith2 — Photo courtesy of Brandi Montreuil

TULALIP, Wash.-

Your support is asked for Adiya Jones-Smith on the Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks team. Adiya has been nominated for the Everett Herald Player of the week. The voting is open until 9pm tonight. Please cast your vote on the Herald’s website.

Vote here

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20130128/BLOG18/701299997/-1/blog18#Vote-for-Girls-Basketball-Player-of-the-Week-%7C-Jan.-21-27

CDC report highlights need to invigorate services for Native Americans living with HIV

NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN AIDS PREVENTION CENTER

720 S. Colorado Blvd, Suite 650-S, Denver, CO 80246

Phone (720) 382-2244 Fax (720) 382-2248

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Robert Foley, (720) 382-2244

CDC Report Highlights Need to Invigorate Services for Native Americans Living with HIV

January 24, 2013 – Denver – In 2011,

Gardner, et.al. released research findings regarding the state of HIV care and treatment in America, and the gaps that exist in working with those people living with HIV to benefit from modern biomedical and treatment options. Out of all of the individuals with HIV in the U.S., only 80% are aware of their status, 62% have been linked to care, 41% stay in care, 36% get antiretroviral therapy, and only 28% are able to achieve an undetectable viral load through medication adherence.ⁱThe disturbing results have been widely disseminated and are now commonly referred to as the “treatment cascade”. The treatment cascade coupled with research demonstrating that viral suppression through medication adherence is one of the most effective

HIV prevention strategies available and has changed the face of HIV and AIDS prevention in the

America. The current focus is shifting to the importance of biomedical interventions and ensuring that people living with HIV or newly diagnosed are linked to stable systems of care and disease maintenance.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on a supplemental surveillance report in January, 2013 titled Monitoring Selected National HIV Prevention and Care Objectives by Using HIV Surveillance Data—United States and 6 U.S. Dependent Areas—2010. This report details important statistics on linkage to care, retention in care and viral suppression – all of which are leading health indicators for people living with HIV and are now indicators of successful prevention and treatment efforts. Data were collected from 14 U.S. jurisdictions (Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, California [San Francisco], South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming). This sample, while not encompassing all areas within the U.S., is geographically diverse and includes some very large American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian populations.

“The CDC should be applauded for releasing these data during this time of shifting prevention priorities,” said Robert Foley, President/CEO of the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center. “However, the disparity continues to grow and this report should serve as a call to action for all parties working for the health and wellness of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian people. HIV and AIDS in America cannot be eradicated and there is no hope of ‘reaching zero’ if these trends are left unaddressed.”

According to the report, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians are not accessing or receiving the care and attention that they require to in order to maintain their health after an HIV diagnoses.

Only 0.4% of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and 0.1% of Native Hawaiian individuals (13 years or older) that tested positive for HIV during 2010 were linked to medical care within 3 months after their diagnosis. This is compared to 50.6%, 32.8%, and 11.9% for Black/African Americans, Whites, and Hispanic/Latinos, respectively.ⁱⁱ
Only 0.3% of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and 0.1% of Native Hawaiian individuals (13 years or older) that were diagnosed with HIV in 2008 had achieved viral suppression by the end of 2009. This is compared to 44.8%, 38.0%, and 13.2% for Black/African Americans, Whites, and Hispanic/Latinos, respectively.iii

This is an alarming trend. When these statistics are viewed beside the statistics that were released by the CDC in 2012 that stated new HIV infections among AI/AN people increased by 8.7% from 2007 to 2010. It is becoming apparent that changes need to be made and action must be taken in order to meet the needs of Native Americans newly diagnosed and living with HIV.

“Knowing what we know now about how to conduct effective HIV prevention and care, it is shocking to see how few Native people are accessing the care that they need. Hopefully, this report can serve as a call to action,” asserted D’Shane Barnett (Mandan/Arikara), Chairman of the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center. “Governmental organizations and federal decision makers must pay attention to these trends and realign funding and resources to Native communities in order to ensure that Tribes and Native healthcare systems have the capacity to create and sustain linkage to care programs, that HIV medications are readily available, and that adherence programs and treatment regimens are culturally responsive.”

“Native communities need to examine their internal systems in order to ensure that they have processes and staff in place to work with people who are newly diagnosed to assist them with navigating a potentially confusing systems of care,” stated Mr. Foley. “And there needs to be persistent efforts to combat community-based stigma caused by fear, misinformation, and discrimination. These continue to serve as barriers to people who know they need to access care, but are fearful of the social ramifications of doing so. This report is a new signpost laying out the path that we have to follow.”

The CDC report can be viewed on the CDC website at:

http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/surveillance/resources/reports/2010supp_vol18no2/pdf/hssr_vol_18_n

o_2.pdf#page=1

# # #

About NNAAPC

The National Native American AIDS Prevention Center (NNAAPC), located in Denver, CO, is a non-profit organization founded in 1987 to address the impact of HIV/AIDS on American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians through culturally appropriate advocacy, research, education, and policy development in support of healthy Indigenous people. NNAAPC provides capacity building assistance to tribal and urban health organizations and communities, community-based organizations serving Native people, and agencies that administer federal HIV/AIDS policy. Over the last 25 years, NNAAPC has conducted work in community mobilization, training and technical assistance in HIV/AIDS prevention, intervention and case management, communications and media development, outreach and recruitment, developing technologies with HIV applications, and forging a policy agenda that ensures the inclusion of Native people. NNAAPC is the only national HIV/AIDS-specific Native organization in the United States.

###

ⁱ

Gardner, E.M., McLees M.P., Steiner, J.F., Del Rio C., & Burman, W.J. The spectrum of engagement in HIV care and its relevance to test-and-treat strategies for prevention of HIV infection. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2011; 52: 793-800.

ⁱⁱ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Monitoring selected national HIV prevention and care objectives by using HIV surveillance data—United States and 6 U.S. dependent areas—2010. HIV Surveillance Supplemental Report 2013; 18 (No. 2, part

B). http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/surveillance/resources/reports/#supplemental. Published January 2013. Accessed January 23,

2013.

ⁱⁱⁱ

CDC, 2013

Lushootseed Family Night starts Feb. 5th

Please join us for Lushootseed Family Nights where you can gather with loved ones and learn to speak the words off our ancestors. Scheduled for every Tuesday in February and March 20113 at the Hibulb Cultural Center from 5pm-7pm.

Lessons, Materials, Food and Fun provided!!

WHEN:

Tuesdays

Feb. 5^th, 12^th, 19^th, & 26^th

March 5^th 12^th, 19^TH & 26^th

WHERE:

Hibulb Cultural Center

6410 23RD AVE.

Tulalip, WA

TIME:

5PM-7PM

Contact: Natosha Gobin

RSVP: 360-716-4499

Tulalip Tribes Lushootseed Department