Kee Yoks - September 2012

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Volume 46 Issue 9 swədəbš qyuuqs September 2012 qyuuqs (Kee Yoks) Moon of the Silver Salmon pedIexic (pud-kwuh-HWEETS) Tribal Journeys 2012 Paddle to Squaxin Teachings of Our Ancestors GeDadad Photo courtesy: Jack Storms/stormsphoto.com

description

Kee Yoks - September 2012 - Volume 46 Issue 9

Transcript of Kee Yoks - September 2012

Page 1: Kee Yoks - September 2012

Volume 46 Issue 9

swədəbš qyuuqs

September 2012 qyuuqs

(Kee Yoks) Moon of the Silver Salmon pedIexic (pud-kwuh-HWEETS)

Tribal Journeys 2012

Paddle to Squaxin

Teachings of Our Ancestors

GeDadad Photo courtesy: Jack Storms/stormsphoto.com

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Cover: “Squaxin Island Landing” *Photo courtesy of: Jack Storms/stormsphoto.com

CONTENTS: Announcements 37

Archives-Theresa Trebon 17

Back to School Fair 5

Becoming a U.S Citizen 10

Being a Strong Woman 10

Being Frank 16

Birthdays— September 36

Bulletin Board 6

Chairman’s Message 3

Clam Bake 15

Community Arts 11

Community Calendar 38

Dental Team 12

Education 19

Employee Picnic 18

Feature: Climate Change By CE 7

Free Ads 39

From The Editor 5

Kateri Tekakwitha 22

Lushootseed 24

Native Business-Jim Stanley 25

Paddle to Squaxin 2012 20-21

Police Department 26-27

Senior Lunch Menu 23

Swin. Housing/Utilities News 13

Swinomish Days 8-9

Swinomish Elder Speaks 14

Swinomish Website 4

Toddler Program 4

Traditional Foods Help… 29

Water Resources Program 31-35

Youth Center News 22

Page 2 sali? (sah lee) swədəbš qyuuqs

qyuuqs (Kee Yoks)

17337 Reservation Road La Conner, WA 98257

360-466-7258 Fax 466-1632

[email protected]

Advisory Committee Allan Olson

John Stephens Tracy James Kevin Paul

Michael Vendiola

Editor [email protected]

Caroline Edwards Assistant Editor

[email protected]

Photos: qyuuqs and submitted

Officers: Brian Cladoosby, Chairman Barbara James, Vice Chair Sophie Bailey, Secretary Steve Edwards, Treasurer

Tuk Tuk Luus (Allan Olson), General Manager

Senators:

Sapelia (Sophie Bailey)

Pay a huxton

(Chester Cayou, Jr.)

Spee-pots (Brian Cladoosby)

Cha-das-cud II (Glen Edwards)

Steve Edwards

Taləq talə II

(Barbara James)

SM OK O LO (Leon John)

Wa lee hub (Kevin Paul)

Ya-qua-leouse (Brian Porter)

Brian Wilbur

Wolfe

(Tandy Wilbur)

qyuuqs (Kee Yoks) The deadline to submit to the qyuuqs (Kee Yoks) is the 15th

of every month or nearest business day.

qyuuqs Mission The mission of the qyuuqs newspaper is to provide monthly communication to swədəbš, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, near and far. We are committed to serving as an apolitical forum for SITC governing officials and all community members. The newspaper is not intended to reflect the official position of the governing body of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, but rather reflects the ideas, events, and thoughts of individual com-munity members and tribal staff. As such, the Swinomish Tribe makes no claim as to the accuracy or content of any of the articles con-tained therein.

“Swinomish qyuuqs (Kee Yoks) News”

This issue of the qyuuqs is available on the Swinomish website:

www.swinomish.org

Because we are now on the internet, when submit-ting information or photos, please be aware that everything published in Kee yoks will also be on the internet and available to the world. Please

consider carefully whether anything you are sub-mitting might have information or images that may not be appropriate for the internet. By submitting information or photographs to Kee yoks for publi-cation, we consider that you are agreeing we can publish the information or photo in both the paper

version of the Kee yoks and on the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community website.

An official publication

of swədəbš Swinomish Indian                                  Tribal Community 

swədəbš qyuuqs

Youth powered since 2012!

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Chairman’s Message: Page 3 Aix (Aee hw) swədəbš qyuuqs

We have so much to be thankful for during the month of August! We celebrated thousands of Coast Salish and fellow brothers and sisters from Makah, Bella Coola, and all the way from Alaska at the Paddle

to Squaxin. Our tribal community is so proud of the Swinomish canoe families, as they faced tough weather, high winds, and the energy and spirits of all kept our people and canoes safe through out the Jour-ney. On behalf of our Community, we extend our ap-preciation to the Squaxin Tribe for their warm hospital-ity, and to our Squaxin sister and Council member, Charlene Krise, who lead us all in a powerful cere-mony that brought our ancestors and future generations together to honor the waters of the Salish Sea..

For many of us, our most fondest memories were within the shores of the Salish Sea, habitat of the cattails and eel grass, within the old cedars, spruce and hemlock trees and on the mighty Skagit River. The teachings we pass down from generation to generation echoing the sacred responsibility to take care all that has been passed down to us. For Swinomish, the im-portance of the environment and resources is evident in how we fight for all that sustains who we have been for over 10,000 years plus. For Swinomish, we are the People of the Skagit, and the importance of the land, water and resources continues to be a priority for us all.

As we continue the thoughts of our future lead-ers, let us focus on another aspect of education…the 2012-13 school year. As we move into September, we want to take some time to send a very important mes-sage to a few important events coming up. First, to our

little Swinomish children, we wish you all the very best in your first day of school on September 5th. These are our young leaders of tomorrow, cherish this time with them, and as always, we will work together to provide the very best support from our tribal community.

Continuing our conversation on the future, our Senate is pleased with the continued success of the Swinomish Lodge. Since our opening in April, we have held a consistent rate of business from bookings with rooms and events for the Conference Center. We are confident with our management team and staff, as their consistent dedication to succeed is growing a solid reputation with local business all the way south to Seattle and north to Vancouver. If you have not had a chance to visit the Lodge, please stop down to meet our dedicated staff and perhaps enjoy a four star restaurant experience at the 13 Moons Restaurant.

We have a busy fall season coming up…if any of you have, time, please stop by to visit our Swi-nomish booth at the Skagit Salmon Festival on Septem-ber 15th at Edgewater Park located in Mount Vernon. The Swinomish Tribe will join over 23 sponsors from the Skagit to celebrate the mighty salmon, and our Ca-sino and Lodge will be selling a salmon lunch, as well as special performance by the Swinomish dancers and drummers. Please come and enjoy a great Skagit festi-val!

In closing, it has been a powerful time this sum-mer as we battle to tell the World that we are invested in the survival of the Skagit, of our way of life for to-day and for generations to come. My thoughts in this Keeyoks message stem from the root of it all…the Skagit is our home, always has been, and always will be for many tomorrows to come. Many thanks to all of you who stand strong to ensure our children have a safe and healthy place to all home. Swinomish.

Spee-pots (Brian Cladoosby) with grand baby at Swinomish’s hosting of the Tribal Journeys Paddle to Squaxin 2012

“For many of us, our most fondest memories were within the shores of the Salish Sea, habitat of the cattails and eel grass, within the old cedars, spruce and hemlock trees and on the Skagit River. ”

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Who is eligible? Children ages 1 to 3 years who are Swinomish Tribal Members and children of other Tribes living in the Community When is it? Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday 8:30am – 10:30am Is there transportation? Van transportation is available within the Tribal Community (pick-up begins 8:00 am) How do I sign up my child? Come to Swinomish Child Care Center and fill out a Registration form (please bring updated immunization records) If you have been on the waiting list and are in need of child care services, please check in by phone or in person at the Center. Please note: application to Working Connections Child Care (DSHS) is the first step in the process of registration (800-501-2233.) Please call with Questions 466-7329 or 466-7276 Swinomish Child Care Program is currently taking registration for Fall Session. Please come by the Early Education Center to get started.

Items to bring: Child’s immunization records Emergency contact information Verification of work or school

You may qualify for a child care subsidy. To find out if your family is eligible for WCCC (Working Connec-tions Child Care), contact DSHS at 1.877.501.2233

Corrections:

∗ Last month we inadvertently credited Raylee Clark for photos that should have been credited to Raylee Ward. Our apologies!

GOOD NEWS OUTREACH Invites your to….

Come hear “What the Bible Teaches”

About… You and God in your life You and your life here on earth You and your life here after  Jesus is coming again…. Are YOU ready? 

Where: Swinomish Social Service Building When: Each Night From Sun. Sept. 23 to the 

28th  7:00 – 8:00 P.M. 

For the whole Family All Welcome No Collections

Bryon & Joni Meyers 509.948-3081

[email protected]

Refreshments each evening

Where is Life’s Road

Leading You?

Only GOD

Can bring Satisfaction

Into your LIFE!

For God so loved the world that He gave His only be-gotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (from the Bible)

New to the Swinomish Website

KeeYoks is now available online in an easy-to-read flipbook format. This digital format is sim-ple to use, pages are simple to navigate, and the entire publication is quick to download. Check out this month's issue of Kee Yoks at http://www.swinomish.org/news.aspx

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The fall season is upon us! Thank you for taking the time to read the September issue of the qyuuqs (Kee Yoks)! In this issue we continue to strive to improve the community publi-cation. Of course, we always wel-come any support and sugges-tions. Please feel free to drop us a line! Featured in this issue we are very pleased to feature some photos taken by professional photogra-pher Jack Storms. He was gra-cious enough to lend the qyuuqs some photos featuring the Swi-nomish canoes. He even supplied this month’s cover photo, a great

photo of Chairman Cladoosby asking for permission to come ashore at the Port of Olympia. There are other photos and an ar-ticle that highlight some of the activities that occurred during the Paddle to Squaxin. We are very grateful to the Squaxin Island community for being wonderful hosts for this year's Tribal Jour-neys. We were able to take many pho-tos during the Tribal Journeys and you will be able to enjoy them online on our Facebook page. If you search for ‘Swinomish qyuuqs (Kee Yoks) News’, and ‘like’ the page, you will be able to view the photos from the Journey

and many other events we’ve been fortunate to capture over the past year. We also feature a story from this year’s Swinomish Days event. A big ‘thank-you’ goes out to Au-relia Washington for submitting a story recounting the great events that happened that weekend. Again, thanks for picking up this issue of the qyuuqs. I hope you enjoy it!

From the qyuuqs (Kee Yoks) Editor: Michael M. Vendiola

Swinomish back to school fair & gift card distribution

Have a great year!

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Planning on Playing School Sports?

School’s just around the corner. If you are planning on playing

School Sports?

Please don’t wait.

Call The Swinomish Health Clinic to schedule an appt for your Sports Physical.

(360)466-3167

Get ready for the New School Year!!

School is just around the corner. Don’t wait, call The Swinomish Health Clinic today to

schedule your child’s Well Child Exam.

(360)466-3167

swədəbš qyuuqs Page 6 yela?c (yuh-lah?ts)

To all those who are interested in taking college classes at Northwest Indian College:

Visit: www.nwic.edu to view class schedule and see Gaylene Gobert at the Swinomish Site to schedule for fall classes!

Registering for Fall Quarter.

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swədəbš qyuuqs Page 7 Cu?Is (tsookws)

qyuuqs feature:

For many generations the Swinomish Tribe has shared a common understanding of the uses of

the land and water which are deeply rooted in their cultural sense of being. They’ve guided their people to-

wards a way of life that is centered around saltwater resources. It wasn’t until the Point Elliot Treaty was signed

in 1855 which recognized an ancestral boundary enabling them to continue fishing at their usual and accus-

tomed fishing grounds as a treaty tribe. Throughout the years of constant change within the Swinomish com-

munity some changes are recently being recognized as a threat to the way of life that the Swinomish people de-

pend on like the effects of climate change.

Decades ago, the signs weren’t clear and no one was worried about whether the climate was

changing. Today, it’s very clear that the Earth’s temperature is warming. “Human activities, like driving, elec-

tricity generation, and the clearing of forests contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and warm the planet.”-

Environmental Protection Agency Website. The impact is obvious, while the solution to

reverse this trend is unclear. What exactly is climate change? According to the Envi-

ronmental Protection Agency (EPA) website, “Climate change refers to any significant

change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time. In other

words, climate change includes major changes in temperature, precipitation, or wind

patterns, among other effects, that occur over several decades or longer.” According to

the United States Global Research Program report on the impacts of the Northwest, the

report states, “The Northwest’s rapidly growing population, as well as its forests, moun-

tains, rivers, and coastlines, are already experiencing human-induced climate change

and its impacts.” The scientific evidence is clear the climate is warming at a detrimental

rate. Humans are largely responsible for recent climate change. How does the Swi-

nomish community plan to face the effects of climate change?

The Swinomish government understood this harsh reality and took ac-

tion with initial steps to address these threats to the Swinomish Tribal Community by

supporting a Swinomish Climate Change Initiative. The Swinomish website states, “In October of 2007 the Swi-

nomish Indian Senate issued a Proclamation directing action to respond to climate change challenges. The

Proclamation acknowledged the potential for issues and impacts in the vicinity of the Swinomish Indian Reser-

vation and directs tribal departments and staff to undertake efforts and studies for promoting long-term proac-

tive action.” There are two reports that were produced within this two year project, the Technical Report and

the Adaption Report. Stated from the Swinomish Climate Change Initiative Climate Adaption Action Plan, “In

the Technical Report, the approach to assessment and organization of information was primarily divided be-

tween Human Systems, and Natural Systems. In the Action Plan, for the purposes of discussing strategies and

recommendations, the information has been organized (and impacts resorted) under four basic categories that

reflect the orientation and organization of community life on the Swinomish Indian Reservation; these four

categories are Coastal Resource, Upland Resources, Physical Health, and Community Infrastructure and Ser-

vices.”

“Throughout the years of constant

change within the Swinomish

Community some changes are re-

cently being rec-ognized as a

threat to the way of life that the

Swinomish peo-ple depend on

like the effects of climate change.”

By: Caroline J. Edwards

Article Continues on Page 28.

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First Annual Swinomish Days August 10, 11 and 12, 2012. This was first of many more celebra-tions to come! The Stick Games started off on Friday night with a Scramble Tournament, then the Big Tournament on Saturday, followed with a Kids and Three Man Tournament on Sunday. We had 42 Teams on Saturday with jackpot pay outs and jackets sponsored by families in memory of their loved ones.

Canoe Races were held on Saturday and Sunday. We had 11 canoe clubs that came and raced here in the Swinomish Channel. Our goal was to bring the races back to channel and host the races the way our ancestors did.

We crowned Swinomish Royalty for the first time in 10 years. 2012-2013 Swinomish Royalty: Miss Swinomish - Amanda Washington, Swinomish Warrior-Scottie Miller, Jr. Miss Swinomish -Salena Bailey, Swinomish Jr. Warrior – Chaz James, Swinomish Tiny Tot Princess – Katie Ann Lockrem, Swi-nomish Tiny Tot Warrior – River John. These young leaders will represent our tribe through out the year at many functions and travel to many places demonstrating Swinomish pride and strength.

I would like to say a special ‘thank you’ to Randy Vendiola for emceeing the races, Laura Porter for doing race pay outs, Eugene Edwards for emceeing and running the brackets for the Stick Games, Cathi, Sharon and Stephanie for cooking, Chester Cayou Jr. and Willie Hunt for cooking fish, Ray Bai-ley and Ray K. Williams for doing a great job on maintaining both areas, Sheena Fornsby and Crystal Day for helping with garbage pick up and serving food, Dianna Lowry and Jojo Peters for helping with the Royalty Pageant. Lastly O’siam to the Swinomish Senate for supporting our cultural activities, our hands go up to all who attended and made Swinomish Days a great weekend. We are already looking forward to next year! -Aurelia Washington

Sla-Hal Photos Courtesy of Aurelia Washington

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2012-2013 Swinomish Royal Candidates: (front l-r) Katie Ann Lockrem, Krista Bailey, Kennedy Miller, Salena Bailey, Emily Montoya, Chaz James, River John. (back l-r) Scottie Miller, Amanda Washington

Celebrating grandson—Senator taleq tale II (Barb James) and family celebrating with her grandson’s ac-complishment of becoming Swinomish Tiny Tot Warrior.

Dig deep!—Four of the 11-person youth canoes racing off the starting line heading south on the Swinomish Slough provided an exciting race on a beauti-ful sunny day.

Makah—Ocean Thunder canoe from Makah leav-ing the shoreline to line up for a race.

Swinomish Royalty—Newly crowned Swinomish Royalty stand in recognition of their accomplishment of representing Swi-nomish!

All photos this page courtesy of Robin Carneen Edwards.

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Kay Knott was encouraged by Jenny Peters and Beverly Peters to enroll into the Biggest Loser Challenge six months ago. During the Biggest Loser Challenge Kay lost 31 lbs. Since then she has lost 90 lbs. and has a goal of losing 100 lbs. Here is what Kay had to say, “All women should not be afraid of weight training.” “Do more everyday.” Culturally she wants to reclaim herself as a strong Skagit woman. Being a strong woman is her goal, isn’t that what all women’s goals should be? I’ll let you decide.

Being a Strong Woman: RiE (strong body)

By Caroline J. Edwards

Barbara McCoy fulfills dream and becomes United States Citizen On August 28, 2012 Barbara McCoy, married to Swinomish elder Joe McCoy, became a legal United States Citizen. Prior to taking an oath Barbara passed the required citizenship examination. She was confused at first because it seemed like she was just having a conversation with the examiner as he was getting ready. She came to find out that he was actually asking her questions in an unstressful way and at the end of their “conversation” he said she passed the exam and “You are now a U.S. citizen!

Barbara celebrated with husband and co-workers the very next day at the Swi-nomish Clinic by having red strawberries, white ice cream and blueberries. She thanked Barbara Wasserman in front of everyone by gifting her a Pendleton blan-ket. Wasserman had been a great support during Barbara’s preparation to become a citizen.

Red, white & blueberries—Dessert was served to all attendees.

Giving thanks—Yoli Quevedo looks on in celebration as Barbara & Joe McCoy gift Barbara Wasserman with a blanket. Barbara McCoy said after wrapping Wasserman, “ I wanted to give you something I love.”

Joe McCoy made everyone laugh by saying, “This woman is a U.S. citizen now. She can no longer say ‘eh?’!”

Embraced as fam-ily—Barbara’s letter from President Barack Obama.

“We embrace you as a new citizen of our land and we welcome you to the American family.”

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swedebS ~ Community Arts

On August 28 Swinomish elder Paul Hillaire Villaluz, who returned to Swinomish six months ago after living in Seattle for many years, showed some of his artworks in progress at the Swinomish Senior Cen-ter and later at the qyuuqs (Kee Yoks) office in Social Services. The photos below are from that visit.

A part of the discussion on his artwork was his vision to inspire other Swinomish tribal members to step forward and pursue making art.

We hope that his call is answered!

Swinomish elder wishes to inspire others with art

Works in progress—Paul Hillaire Villaluz cracks up laughing after being asked to hold all of the 10+ art pieces for the photo.

Viewing with an artist’s eye—Swinomish Webmaster, Heather Mills, looks over the works of Paul Hillaire Villaluz’s work in the qyuuqs (Kee Yoks) office.

40 years ago my song looking

at his hands

Perhaps wondering, What are these?

Suddenly I realized…

I knew not mine!

I now write-carve-oil paint

Create!

Have you realized your hands?

What… do you do with yours?

Show me!

Paul Hillaire Villaluz Just starting to be an elder

‘Big Indian Slough’—as identified by Eric Day, south of the Padilla Bay walk way.

By Robin C. Edwards By Jeff Edwards

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∗ Tooth Decay is the second most common disease in the U.S. after the common cold!

∗ The average American only brushes for about 38 sec-

onds a day and it is recommended to brush twice a day for at least two minutes each time. Personally, I prefer brushing three times a day! Make your hygienist happy – brush 3 times a day for at least 2 minutes!

∗ If you don’t floss, you miss cleaning 35% of your tooth

surfaces! ∗ 75% of the United States population suffers from some

form/type of gum disease. ∗ 90% of systemic diseases have oral symptoms. ∗ Regular dental cleanings are thought to help prevent

heart attacks.

∗ People who drink 3 or more glasses of soda/pop daily

have 62% more tooth decay, fillings and tooth loss than those people who do NOT drink soda pop.

∗ Replace your toothbrush after you had the flu, cold or

other viral infections. Notorious microbes can implant themselves on the toothbrush bristles leading to re-infection.

∗ A tooth that has been knocked out starts to die within

15 minutes, but if you put it in milk or hold it in your mouth it will survive longer. See a dentist ASAP!

∗ New born babies do not have tooth decay bacteria.

Often, the bacteria are transmitted from the parents to baby when they kisses the child or blows on hot food/drink before feeding the baby.

From the Dental Clinic: Ten Interesting Dental Facts

So, come in to see us! Please call the front desk & schedule a check up & cleaning appointment! We would like to see all babies before they turn a year!

The Dental Team 466-3900

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W I S H I N G T H E Y O U T H A G R E AT S C H O O L Y E A R A H E A D

To reach SHA/SUA con-tact: (360) 466-4081 Life Skills Office: (360) 466-7354

FOR AFTER HOUR EMERGENCIES :

CALL: 466-4081 or 466-7223 AND STAY ON THE LINE AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS

RENTER’S INSURANCE BROCHURE AVAILABLE At Life Skills Office Social Services Building

“ Make your FULL housing payment by the 10th of the Month”

For details on how you qualify for the monthly raffle contact the SHA or Life Skills Office. CON-GRATS to the AUGUST 2012 raffle winners! Gift cards can be picked up by winners at the SHA Of-fice! ~Christine Adams ~Ben James ~Darlene Peters

Thanks for

making your

Seasonal Tip: • Cut /gather/and season wood now (6 months is ideal!) • When storing firewood, stack wood piles away from home exterior walls to pre-vent damage to the building and avoid creating habitat for ro-dents, insects and snakes. • Kindling should be cut

outdoors and not on the fire-place tiles and make sure you have lots of it ready!

www.AMERINDRisk.org

John Petrich; Vic Palmer; Ron Cure; Mike Bazan; Brent Bobb; Sina Fallahi; Jeremy Adams

Jerry Kinison and Sina Fallahi

REMINDER: ON THE 10TH OF EACH MONTH RENT DUE !!!!! DON’T LET THOSE BALANCES CREEP UP!

SHA TALLAWHALT HOUSING PROJECT Update Aug-Sept 2012

SHA Maintenance Training Day for New Homes :

On Aug 2nd 2012, the Swinomish Housing Authority Maintenance staff attended a half day training session that was conducted at the new SHA Tallawhalt Housing Project site. It was hosted by contractor Vic Palmer of Strandberg Custom Homes & Design. Contractors Ron Cure with Commercial Plumbing, INC. and Jerry Kinison of Handy’s Heating also demonstrated how to start and maintain the different systems and appliances they installed. The 16 new homes will be nearing completion on or around October 1st of this year. Ten of them are 2-bedroom units; while six of them are 3-bedroom units. They are energy efficient, durable, and have “aging in place” features ( level entries, wider hallways and doors; and easily retrofit for railings).

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Autumn will soon be here.

The falling leaves drift by my window And soon I'll hear old winter's song When autumn leaves start to fall.

(Autumn Leaves lyrics by Johnny Mercer)

Growing old gracefully is no bed of autumn leaves. To quote our esteemed activist, Hank Adams, “we hear the mel-ody of old age”. Yes, what once I had; has now gotten up and left or is in the process of leaving.

Grace: A virtue from God.

Graceful: Displaying grace in form or action.

As my grandson, Docavie says, when he and my other

grandson show up, “That’s how we roll.”

For me, at 74-1/2 (In 6 months. I will be as old as Spam), the best part of getting up is not Folgers…… the best part of getting up; is getting up. (Then Folgers.)

I remember, when I was a little girl visiting my grandpa, I would see all kinds of little bottles and small jars on the lit-tle table that was next to my grandpa’s bed. He told me to leave those little bottles and jars alone. (The first thing I did when I was by myself in the room was I opened one of the small jars, the strong odor made my eyes water so I quickly put the lid back on.) My mother came into the room and said, your grandpa told you to leave those things alone. And then she asked the question that kids all over the world hate to answer…….. “Well didn’t he????” Silence. Again, the dreaded question; “Didn’t he???” (In my mind, I’m thinking how can I answer this question without incriminating my-self?) And then I got it. “I think so”, I answered, as I walked quickly away, but of course my mother (who I had no clue as to how she knew I had opened one of the forbid-den jars next to my grandpa’s bed), said, “Then, you leave them alone….. (And then the second dreaded question that kids all over the world hate to hear), “Do you hear me?”

Two things: First, today as I look at my bedside table, I see my little brown plastic prescription medication bottles, a

baby aspirin bottle, large bottle of Osteo bi-flex capsules, a bottle of Calcium plus vitamin D, and a bottle of Fish Oil cap-sules, and a jar of Tiger Balm. (My bed-side table looks like my grandpa’s bedside table! Holy Grace! )!!!! Second; recently, my adult daugh-ter, who lives with me; is asking me, not, “Did you hear me?” but the past-negative form of the question (Yikes!), “Didn’t you hear me?” Hmm….I don’t think I did and if I did I forgot.

Growing old gracefully is not for sissies and it still requires showing ID (believe it or not). When I was 15 the movie people started asking me for identification proving I was still eligible to pay the 12 and under movie fee. When I was 21, the grocery clerk asked for ID. so I could buy a pack of cigarettes. Today I have to show ID so I can get the Senior

Discount at Ross.

My Auntie Agatha used to call every male in her life, “Sonny” and every female, “Darlin’”. In 1965, when I was a waitress at Art Louie’s Famous Cantonese Restaurant, I knew what every one of my 40 regular customer’s drink order was just by seeing their face. Today, when I see your face, I may call you, “Darlin’”.

At the height of my life, I was 5 foot 1 inch tall, and I wore 3 inch high heels everywhere. They never cost more than $10.00 to $15.00 (tops). The last time I measured myself, I was 4 foot 11, and I wish SAS made 2 inch heels (at $125.00 a pair, you’d think they could).

For those of you having a tough time climbing off the couch during the commercials to make it to the refrigerator, con-sider this: Tamae Watanabe, age 73, has now climbed Mount Everest twice.

And, yours truly just got back home from a road trip on 101 to Arcata, California - This is the best place to go if you're a hippie... well, besides the Haight- Ashbury.

That’s how we gracefully roll.

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By Diane I. Vendiola Mrs. V’s 2 cents!

“For those of you having a tough time climbing off the couch during the commercials to make it to the refrigerator, consider this: Tamae Watanabe,

age 73, has now climbed Mount Everest twice.”

Old Winter’s Song

Diane I. Vendiola, Swinomish tribal elder, is a regular contributor to the qyuuqs (Kee Yoks), continues to serve the tribe in her retirement, and is a loving grandmother.

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Left to right: William Hunt, General Cayou, and Brian Porter traditionally preparing clams and mus-sels for the Clam Bake.

Ray Mitchell-Floor speaker.

The Annual Clam Bake was held on

Thursday August 23, 2012 at the Thousand

Trails-Lone Tree Point. Swinomish Tribal

members, employees and their families gath-

ered to break bread and enjoy a meal prepared

by the Swinomish Office of Planning & Devel-

opment Department, with traditionally cooked

clams and mussels.

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Being Frank

For many years we have said that enforcing exist-ing state and federal pollution laws is one of the most effective actions we can take to recover salmon in western Washington and protect tribal treaty rights. It sounds like maybe we are finally being heard. The owner of a Pierce County construction com-pany pled guilty recently to the first criminal charges for stormwater pollution ever filed in western Washington. Under a plea bargain, the owner agreed to pay $750,000 in fines and other costs for violat-ing the federal Clean Water Act under charges brought by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Between 2007 and 2011 the construction company ig-nored state and federal environmental protection laws and seriously damaged salmon habitat at a project site near Sumner, said Tyler Amon of the EPA Criminal Investiga-tions Division. “This rogue developer knowingly, and re-peatedly, chose profit over protection,” he said. “This plea serves as notice to our regional developers ... these are serious environmental crimes that will be vigorously pur-sued.” Polluted stormwater runoff is one of the biggest obstacles to salmon recovery and the cleanup of Puget Sound. Run-off from parking lots, construction sites, roads and other sources flushes many pollutants into wetlands, streams and rivers that feed Puget Sound, the second largest estu-ary in the United States.

We are losing salmon habitat throughout west‐ern Washington faster than we can restore it. Protecting existing habitat is much less costly than paying to restore it after the damage is done. Habitat protection is the most important action needed in the short term, according to the Puget Sound Chinook Salmon Recovery Plan de‐veloped by the state and tribal salmon co‐managers and adopted by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). However, NMFS’ 2010 review of the recovery plan found that habitat is still declining and protection efforts need im‐provement.  We have reached similar conclusions through the 2012 State of Our Watersheds report that will be released next month. Almost three years in the making, it is the most comprehensive report to 

date on the status of salmon habitat in the re‐gion.  The report brings together decades of data col‐lected by tribes, and state and federal agencies to help paint a picture of watersheds across western Washington. We tracked key habitat in‐dicators in watersheds across the region to help gauge just how we’re doing when it comes to habitat protection and restoration, and what we need to do fix the main habitat barriers to salmon recovery. 

We hope the EPA means what it says and that this is the beginning of a broader effort to finally truly enforce envi-ronmental laws to protect salmon habitat. That’s a key recommendation in our Treaty Rights at Risk initiative aimed at encouraging the federal government to lead a more effective and coordinated salmon recovery effort. You can learn more at our web site: www.treatyrightsatrisk.org Salmon recovery begins and ends with habitat – good, plentiful habitat that can produce an abundance of fish for all of us. Our watersheds are living things, and we must stop their bleeding – the loss and damage of salmon habi-tat – if we ever hope to gain ground on salmon recovery. Aggressive enforcement of existing environmental laws to protect salmon is a good place to start.

“Salmon recovery begins and ends with habitat – good, plentiful habitat

that can produce an abundance of fish for all of us.”

Enforcing Environmental Laws Key to Salmon Recovery By Billy Frank, Jr., Chairman NWIFC

Greeting friends & relatives—Billy Frank Jr. at the 2012 Paddle to Squaxin.

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Archives: A History of Education in the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community 

First in a four‐part series  By Theresa L. Trebon

In the beginning, of course, education came from the family. Mothers, fathers, elders. Children learned everything from those closest to them, from their community, from observing the world around them. These invaluable teachings were passed down for thousands of years, and in thousands of places in the ancestral homeland, from generation to generation. This way of learn-ing served the people well. The influx of non-natives, followed by treaty time, rapidly changed everything, including educa-tion. For the people of Swinomish, the new way of learning would come hand in hand with a new religion.

Enter Father Casimir Chirouse. Two years after the Point Elliott Treaty was signed, Chirouse, a Catholic priest, ar-rived at Tulalip and established St. Anne’s Mission and a day school. Chirouse’s educational efforts were primarily religious in nature but he soon included academic subjects as well. Indian children that came to him for instruction were given new Christian names such as Joseph, Modesta, Paul, and Magdeline. By 1863, Chirouse was touring the growing towns of upper Puget Sound with select groups of students to raise funds to build a school on Priest Point at Tulalip. His students, aged “6 to 16,” performed in the vari-ous communities, impressing audiences with their singing, their abilities to read and write—and act. They presented the following two-act play: “Act 1: The customs of the old savages in five scenes. Scene 1: in the Tamanowas. Scene 2: medicine. Scene 3: games. Scene 4: war. Scene 5: feasts. Act 2: the Scholars’ first steps on the way to civilization. Scene 1: waking up, morning prayer, catechism, morning hymns. Scene 2: lunch. Scene 3: handicrafts. Scene 4: reading and writing. Scene 5: recess, walk. Scene 6: geography, history and music recitation. Scene 7: arithmetic. Scene. 8: thank-you song and good-night to the ladies and gentlemen.” The content of the play illustrates how dramatically life had changed for tribal youth less than a decade after Treaty Time, not just in how they were educated, but in their spiritual life as well.

Chirouse’s educational efforts served boys only; girls’ formal educational opportunities were slower in coming. In 1864, the Sisters of Saint Ann opened a boarding school in Victoria that accepted the daughters of white men and Indian women; several girls from this area attended. Four years later, the Sisters of Providence arrived at Tulalip to open a boarding school for girls; in 1869 they entered into a contract with the federal government to run the first contract Indian School in the United States. But how did Chirouse’s school at Tulalip affect the children on the Swinomish Reservation? It is clear that his missionary work affected the Swinomish community soon after his arrival at Tulalip as Chirouse’s early baptismal records, written in his native French, illustrate. Less clear is how many children from Swinomish attended Tulalip during the period between 1858 and 1897 when the Swinomish Day School was built. Attendance during this period was not mandatory and while we know the names of a few Swinomish students that attended, such as Charles Wilbur, Edward Preston, and John Lyons, much re-mains to be discovered.

Next: Education for Swinomish children 1858-1897

Chirouse baptismal records for “Skadgette, Seneomus and Swonomish”

1859 Swinomish Tribal Archive 

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Swinomish employees celebrate at annual picnic

Thank you for the hard work!

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Education: NWIC president moves on to new leadership role in Indian Education

Cheryl Crazy Bull, who has served as North-west Indian Col-lege (NWIC) president for nearly 10 years – during a period of s i g n i f i c a n t growth at the college – will

leave in August for Denver, Colorado, to fill the soon to be vacated seat of American Indian College Fund president and CEO. Dr. Justin Guillory, dean of academics at NWIC, was selected by the college’s Board of Trustees to take over as president upon her departure. “Justin Guillory is a good choice for the next president of NWIC,” Crazy Bull said. “The Board looked for an individual who is inspiring and can motivate others, and Justin has shown that he can do that. The Lummi community and our college community were very welcoming to me and are very supportive. I hope that the same welcome and support will be given to Justin in his new role as NWIC President.” Crazy Bull, whose Lakota name is Wacinyanpi Win (They Depend on Her), has left a tremen-dous mark on the college. Under her leader-ship, the college has grown from an associate degree and certificate granting institution, to one that now offers bachelor’s degrees, the first two of which are Native Environmental Sci-ence and Native Studies Leadership. More degrees and continued expansion of the col-lege’s outreach and services are planned under the new leadership. Guillory will continue the strategic direction established by the president and the NWIC Board of Trustees, Crazy Bull said. In her time at NWIC, Crazy Bull has served as the primary fundraiser for the college’s $44 million capital campaign, which was initiated in 2005 and has resulted in seven new build-ings, including student housing and childcare at the Lummi campus, one new facility at an ex-tended campus site and more than $3 million in grants for endowments, scholarships and pro-gram development. NWIC Board of Trustees Chair, Kristin Kinley, said Crazy Bull has been instrumental to NWIC’s success with student retention, with making student success a priority, and with bringing financial stability. She has also helped create a team environment for staff at NWIC. “President Crazy Bull has been a tremendous asset to NWIC in many ways in her 10-year commitment to the college,” Kinley said. “I am personally and eternally grateful that President Cheryl Crazy Bull came into our lives here at NWIC and the board wishes her well on her new journey.”

Crazy Bull has spent her entire career working with tribal students and tribally controlled insti-tutions. “I believe deeply in the role of tribal colleges as institutions where tribal identity is honored and where our inherent rights are promoted,” Crazy Bull said. “I look forward to new oppor-tunities for myself working in Indian education at the national level with the American Indian College Fund. I will miss being in a position to so directly affect student success in the class-room and on the college campus and to be able to help tribal people assume positions of educa-tional leadership.” Her new position will take Crazy Bull, who is Sicangu Lakota from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, and her husband Alex Prue, an NWIC instructor, closer to their families. “Alex and I will miss all the friends and family that we have here,” Crazy Bull said. “But there are few opportunities to work with a national organization that serves all of the tribal col-leges and universities and their students.” While Crazy Bull will undoubtedly be missed, Kinley is confident that the college will con-tinue moving in the direction she has helped propel it. “She has built a strong administrative team at NWIC that is capable of moving forward into the future with or without her,” Kinley said. “My personal ‘thank you’ to not only my col-league, but my friend, for bringing us forward into this positive future.” Like Crazy Bull, Guillory is focused on student success and on building the college even fur-ther as a tribal institution and as not only a four-year college, but also as a provider of workforce education. “The Board of Trustees would like to take the time to welcome Dr. Justin Guillory as our President-elect,” Kinley said. “He has the pas-sion and drive for student success and he has demonstrated this in his work. The Board of Trustees has been pleased with the path that the NWIC has been on, with student success being our primary focus, and feels that Justin will continue to keep us on this positive journey. We are excited to build our working relation-ship with Dr. Guillory and support him and the NWIC employee team.” Guillory said it was a tremendous honor to be asked to help carry on the vision and mission of the college, which is to promote indigenous self-determination and knowledge, and con-tinue to advance NWIC’s Native student suc-cess agenda. Still, he had mixed feelings about being offered the position of president because he was still processing the fact that Crazy Bull is leaving the college. “It goes without saying that she will certainly be missed,” Guillory said. “I am just thankful that I had the opportunity to work alongside her the last few years. I see this new position as an

opportunity to continue on our path of provid-ing opportunities for our students to learn the skills, knowledge and values to be leaders in their tribal communities.” The college has a combination of seasoned and emerging leaders who are deeply committed to student success at all levels throughout the institution, Guillory said, from the support staff, faculty, administration to the Board of Trustees. “I am committed to advancing the Tribal Col-lege movement, and I look forward to working with our college faculty and staff to ensure that educational success is within the reach of all NWIC students,” Guillory said. Guillory has more than 11 years of direct work experience in higher education, eight of which were at NWIC. He served the college from 2001 to 2004 as site manager at NWIC’s cam-pus at Nez Perce in Idaho. He then I left the college to pursue a PhD, and in 2007 returned to NWIC to serve as the dean of extended cam-puses and dean of academics and distance learning at the main campus in Bellingham on the Lummi reservation. Guillory has a diverse ethnic background. He is a direct descendent of the Nez Perce tribe, and has African American and Hispanic ancestry. He was raised on the Nez Perce Indian reserva-tion in Lapwai, Idaho, until his parents moved to Tacoma. Guillory was given the Lakota name, Woksape Waste (Good Knowledge) by his hunka (adopted) family, Clara and the late Paul High Elk family from Thunder Butte, South Dakota. Guillory played college football and completed a bachelor’s degree in Recreation and Sports Management at Eastern Washington Univer-sity. He has a master’s degree in Education Administration and a PhD in Higher Education Administration from Washington State Univer-sity (WSU). While at WSU, Guillory served as the mentor program coordinator/graduate assistant in the Native American Student Center within the Office of Multicultural Student Services at WSU. One of those years included serving as the interim Native American Retention Coun-selor. His doctoral dissertation focused on the experiences of successful Native students in higher education and how they used education to give back to tribal communities. Justin and his wife, Sunny (Walker) Guillory, an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and NWIC’s financial literacy coordinator, have two sons and one daughter. “I felt humbled and truly blessed to be consid-ered for this position,” Guillory said. “My wife, children and my parents were very supportive of this opportunity.”

Cheryl Crazy Bull to be succeeded by Justin Guillory, NWIC dean of academics

Reprinted from: http://nwic.edu/news/nwic-president-moves-new-leadership-role-indian-education

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Squaxin Island Reservation, Kamilche, WA—Over 100 tribal traveling canoes landed at the Port of Olympia with Washington State’s Capitol building as a backdrop on an extremely sunny day on July 29. The canoes, some traveling from as far as Bella Coola, British Columbia, gathered to participate in the annual Tribal Journeys cele-bration. Each year different tribal communities take a turn hosting the celebration with Squaxin Island tribe hosting this year’s event.

Beginning in 1989 as a part of Washington State’s centennial celebration, the Tribal Journeys celebration was the brainchild of Quinault tribal member, Emmett Oliver. Now an elder of the community, Oliver is steadfast in joining the journey every year. Oliver, renown for his tremendous contributions to Indian Education in the Northwest, re-mains an influential and source of inspiration for Tribal Journeys. In 1989 there were 10 canoes that completed the ‘Paddle to Seattle’ which sparked a strong resurgence of canoe culture within the Salish Sea areas. The resurgence

Photo: Jack Storms/stormsphoto.com Photo: Jack Storms/stormsphoto.com

Paddle to Squaxin 2012

Emmett Oliver, founder Tribal Journeys

Photo: Jack Storms/stormspoto.com

Photo: Jack Storms/stormspoto.com

Photo: Jack Storms/stormspoto.com

Photo: Jack Storms/stormspoto.com

Gov. Christine Gregoire greet-ing canoes at Port of Olympia

Squaxin Island singers and dancers greet canoes at Port of Olympia

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of the canoe traditions works to instill canoeing, living, working, & achieving in a community; the value of knowl-edge; and the value of hard work.

Swinomish was present at the first Tribal Journeys in 1989. In 2012 they were strongly represented by 4 canoes that made the travel from Swinomish to Squaxin Island. Mima?ad s?uladx made its maiden voyage carrying the Swinomish youth with pride. A big ‘thank-you’ goes out to all of the skippers of the canoes!

The Squaxin Island Tribe were gracious hosts of the Tribal Journeys this year. Many canoe families also paid thanks to the Swinomish Tribe for being great hosts last year. Next year in 2013 Tribal Journeys will be hosted by the Quinault Indian Nation, located on the west coast of Washington State. In the final days of the protocol at Squaxin Island Quinault took the floor and sent out the invite! It is time to train to be on the ocean!

Photo: Jack Storms/stormsphoto.com Photo: Jack Storms/stormsphoto.com

Teachings of Our Ancestors

GeDadad Photo: Jack Storms/stormspoto.com Photo: Jack Storms/stormspoto.com

Photo: Jack Storms/stormspoto.com

Joseph Finkbonner asking for permis-sion to come ashore

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How to REGISTER to vote in state and federal elections If you will be 18 by the next election (November 6) and are not registered to vote, you may pick up mail-in Voter Regis-tration forms from Mary Ellen Cayou in the Social Services Building. You can use the same form to update your regis-tration if your name or address has changed. If you need help completing the form, Mary Ellen will help you. You can also register to vote online at https://wei.secstate.wa.gov/olvrsite/. Monday, October 8, 2012 is the last day to submit voter registration forms by mail or to register online in order to vote in the November General Election, scheduled for No-vember 6, 2012. You may register in person at the Skagit County Auditor’s Office until October 29, 2012. Any registered voter who fails to transfer his or her residen-tial address by the above deadline may vote according to his or her previous registration address.

St. Paul’s recognizes upcoming Tekakwitha sainthood, honors Finkbonner On Sunday, August 25 the St. Paul’s community cele-brated mass by recognizing the upcoming sainthood of Kateri Tekakwitha, a Mohawk woman who will be-come the very first Native American to become a Saint.

As a part of the celebration Jake Finkbonner and fam-ily of Ferndale were invited as honored guests. Father Vu described Jake’s near death experience when he was very ill. The experience has been recorded as a miracle and lent credence to the sainthood being be-

stowed upon Tekakwitha. Vu said to the audience in regard to Jakes recovery, “God, through his power, turned Jake from an ordinary boy to an extraordinary boy.”

Many gifts were exchanged, as well as good laughs. Swinomish elders, Bev Peters, Senator Barb James, and Diane Vendiola were on hand to give gifts to guests and honored dignitaries.

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To all Swinomish Tribal Elders who are 55 and older: *On Mondays: Leave at 9:30 am and 1:00 pm, To transport Elders up to Walmart for shopping. *Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday’s: From 11:00 am to 1:00 pm - transport any Elders to & from Senior Center for lunch. *Wednesday: In the am - visit the Elders in Nursing homes. **For any other Transporting: Visit or call my office 466-7374 to schedule appointment: • Then I need at least 24 hrs notice prior appointment. • Need information of: who, where, when, and time (of how long I will be). • No appointment to be schedule between 11:00 am - 1:00 pm everyday. • First come, first serve basis depending on schedule.

Lori Ann Cayou Swinomish Elder’s Case Worker My Office is at the Senior Center

Office phone: 360-4667374 or cell 360-391-5737

Swinomish elders enjoy Paddle to Squaxin Tribal Journeys Protocol—Swinomish elders, relatives and friends enjoy the cultural teachings during the Tribal Journeys at Squaxin Island In-dian Reservation. The temperatures ran extremely high in the protocol tent. Elders were taken care of by volun-teers and the Squaxin Island tribe by being provided with a lot of water, wet wash clothes, regular food and regular check-ins. Thank you Squaxin Island!

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Lushootseed Lanuage:

?esValex Vex. How are you (now)?

?estaGex Ved. cicUVed ?estaGex. I’m hungry. I’m very hungry.

hiwil, ?eAedax. Go eat.

?a ?u I(i) ads?uladx. Do you have (any) salmon?

?i. ?a ti ds?uladx. Yes. I have (some) salmon?

?a ?u I(i) adsEelaAed. Do you have (any) berries?

xi? xi? Ii dsEelaAed. No. I don’t have (any) berries.

AuCebebiluA Ved ?e Ii VulRube. I’ll (have to) go berry picking for blackcap berries.

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My heart was saddened by the recent passing of a client. He was Native Ameri-

can and in his late 50’s -gone unexpectedly. At his service I entered the church with a

heavy heart. Tears welled up in my eyes as feelings of finality surged. Many did not

know me and I am sure most did not know he was a client. This is ok; discretion is an

important part of lending. At his funeral service, friends and family told stories of his life which

reinforced all the reasons I enjoyed having him as a client. He was persistent and focused as a

child, soft spoken and stoic as a father, always competitive, generous with friends and family.

After listening to stories told by friends and family about the borrower’s life, my spirits lifted and it

was clear this man left in his wake, an impact on those who knew him. He set an example through

action.

Whether his business was up or down he always shared the truth without hesitation or colorful

spin. He never complained or bad-mouthed anybody. He was a man of integrity and always did

what he said what he would do. His way of doing business allowed me to be a partner to him. I

am thankful.

I will miss my client but take comfort knowing he left the world a better place. He lived a life well

lived.

Jim Stanley freely shares his knowledge and is a tribal member of the Quinalt Nation and

board member of the Northwest Native American Chamber. Comments may be sent to: sover-

[email protected]. Easy access to this and additional business lessons can be found

on Jim’s blog, JimStanley.biz.

Jim Stanley 

Native Business: A Life Well Lived

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Swinomish PD Feature: Four sent by SPD to Law Enforcement Academy

My name is Courtney Finkbonner. I am an ex-plorer with the Swinomish Police Department. I can honestly say that this has been hardest, yet most edu-cational, week of my life. I have begun to learn how to be a police officer. I know what it takes to be a team and how it feels when a team begins to come to-

gether. I know what I can accomplish when I push my-self. At first I thought the TAC (Tactical) officers were mean, because as a platoon we were given PT (physical training) if we weren’t working as a team. I cried the first night and wanted to go home. As the week went on, I started to understand why the TACs pushed and pushed us above and beyond our limits. They KNEW that we could accomplish the goals they set out for us, even though we didn’t know we could do it. In the beginning my platoon, B5, did not have what it took to be a team. Throughout the

week, my platoon and I did many push-ups, leg lifts, arm circles, bear crawls and marching as a team. We seemed to be more like a one-man band; the fact that when one gets in trouble, then all of us get in trouble was just dumb to all of us. The week went on and our platoon started to form what we can now call a team. In the beginning of the week my team, B5, was not sup-portive of each other. By the end of the week, if one of us was suffering, we were all cheering them on to fin-ish strong. The experience I had with my platoon, hav-ing them cheering me on to finish strong even after they had already finished, taught me a lot about team-work. It was hard for me to keep up with everyone else in PT. My TAC, Detective Crosswhite, told us “pain is tem-porary, pride is forever.” This inspired us to work hard. That quote, along with thinking of my family, has helped me, and will continue to help me, get through all my tough times. In conclusion, we came as indi-viduals, but we left as a team. Courtney Finkbonner, Explorer Swinomish Police Department

The Swinomish Police Department sent four Explorers to the Washington Law Enforcement Explorer Academy in Pasco, WA last month. Courtney Finkbonner, Wayne Fornsby, Kenneth Revey and Jonathon O’Brien, along with 220 other explorers from around the state, experienced a one week academy that is built around what it feels like to attend the full-time police academy. Courtney Finkbonner wrote this speech to be considered for the graduation ceremony at the end of the week.

Courtney Finkbonner

The Village Chevron and the Swinomish Police Department have joined forces to award local youth for using smart and safe behavior. Officers of the department have all been issued SMART BUCKS, and they are authorized to issue SMART BUCKS to any youth who is seen exhibiting safe and smart habits. This might be wearing a bike helmet, using a

cross walk or having his/her dog on a leash.

Once an officer issues the SMART BUCK, the recipient is entitled to a free slurpee type drink from the Village Chevron. Employees will post the redeemed SMART BUCK on the wall to further acknowledge the named child.

We hope this partnership will encourage everyone in our commu-nity to be safe and follow safety rules, especially around streets and highways.

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Continued from page 17:

Northwest Justice Project announces new 24/7 legal call-line for Native Americans

If you look at Swinomish from above it is nearly surrounded by water and is located at the base

of an estuary close to the Skagit River. This location is vulnerable to impacts from climate change, it’s crucial for

the information from the Swinomish Initiative reports to be relayed to the Swinomish people, for it directly im-

pacts those culturally significant areas that the Swinomish people have always known. According to the Swi-

nomish Climate Change Initiative Impact Assessment Technical Report (SCCIIATR), “The Swinomish Adaption

report describes the scientific data and potential climate change scenarios, assesses possible local impacts, and

identifies specific areas of potential risk of vulnerability to climate change effects.” “While acknowledging the

importance of action to mitigate the causes of climate change, the tribe consciously directed the approach for

this project toward adaption actions to counter the anticipated effects of climate change on the Reservation

community, given the geographic characteristics and coastal location of the Reservation that makes it particu-

larly vulnerable to potential impacts.” The effects of Climate change is recorded all over the world and many

communities including Swinomish are approaching new ways to reverse this trend. To find ways of adapting to

the effects of climate change is just the beginning for the Swinomish Tribe, and as the climate changes, Swi-

nomish are preparing.

By: Caroline J. Edwards

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Traditional Foods Help Remind Us Who We Are Posted in Yes! Magazine August 1, 2012 Written by Kim Eckart

Tribes are pursuing a hands-on approach to finding and preparing Native foods that give spiritual sustenance,

too.

On a clear Puget Sound day, Mount Rainier loomed large, its 14, 000-feet snow-capped peak a striking backdrop to the

lands that the Muckleshoot Tribe call home. The tribe has long maintained huckleberry meadows on the mountain’s

north flank; other tribes have meadows around the Pacific Northwest, and each tribe believes that its berries are the

best.

That day, Valerie Segrest was berry-picking—a part of maintaining the meadows—with her fellow Muckle-

shoot tribal members, sampling in search of the sweetest patch. She started at Mount Rainier, experiencing an it-looks-

so-good-I-could-eat-it moment: She realized, “I was tasting the mountain, in a way.”

The epiphany helped inspire Segrest to work with Northwest tribes to promote the importance of local foods

and cultural practices. As a nutritionist with the Northwest Indian College’s Cooperative Extension and a coordinator

of the Muckleshoot Tribe’s Food Sovereignty Project, Segrest emphasizes a hands-on approach to finding and prepar-

ing Native Foods, and a belief that such methods bring not only physical but also spiritual sustenance.

“Native foods have been in this region for thousands of years,” said Segrest. “That’s what people are craving—

more than carbohydrates and protein. They want a connection with food, with the environment, with community.

“These foods help us remember who we are.”

Segrest grew up visiting her mother’s family farm near Bellingham, Wash., where her aunties swore by the

health benefits of berries and helped her forage for wild greens. While pursuing her nutrition degree, Segrest studied

Northwest Native foods and their legacy. She and a colleague at the Northwest Indian College developed the

“Traditional Food Principles” —tips to guide eating anywhere, for anyone. Among them: “Traditional food are whole

foods” and “Food is at the center of culture.”

“These foods help us remember who we are.”

That means encouraging people to eat seasonally— nettles in the spring, for instance, and berries in the sum-

mers— and to make the effort to gather food in the wild. The Muckleshoot reservation lies about 30 miles from Vashon

Island where tribal members harvest clams. For many in the tribe, this requires a day off work and more time preserv-

ing the clams. Some are dried in the traditional way. “They were strung on necklaces—a sort of candy necklace, only

clams. I love that image,” Segrest said. The rest of the harvest is kippered or frozen. It’s just the sort of holistic, cultur-

ally viable practice that Segrest is devoted to maintaining.

So is simply incorporating more produce into one’s diet. The elders at the Muckleshoot Senior Center appreci-

ate the fruits and vegetables added to the daily meal— a change Segrest instigated. More people have started coming,

and diners’ blood-sugar levels and weight have improved, said Wendy Burdette, the center’s program manager.

Segrest’s weekend cooking “camps” also help elders prepare more traditional foods such as elk, fish eggs, and deer.

“The community cooks have had time to learn from one another and give back to the community.” Burdette

said.

But what if your harvesting ground is the local grocery store? “I tell people to look for a whole food,” said

Segrest. “Things in a box are pretty mysterious to me, so I walk them through the process of identifying whole foods

and defining what’s healthy for them.” Segrest’s classes on finding, preparing, and storing Native foods fill up fast. But

it’s the connection to the past, and the sense of community in the present, that she is most proud of.

“I often say that I don’t think I’m really teaching anything. I’m helping people remember what they already

know,” she said. “Put a traditional food on a plate, and people start to remember.”

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Jason Thompson started work in July as a full-time Water Resources Technician in the Planning Department. He graduated from Central Washington University in 2008 with a B.S. in environmental geology, emphasis on GIS and water resources issues. He is excited to work for a not-for-profit, forward-thinking organization, and do something that matters. Jason has lived most of his life in the Pacific Northwest, primarily around Bel-lingham, and doesn’t want to leave the area. He currently resides southeast of Bellingham near Lake Whatcom with his wife and two daughters.

September 11th is Protect Your Groundwater Day!

According to the National Ground Water Association, Americans use 79.6 billion gallons of groundwater per day — that's more than 270 gallons for every man, woman, and child in the nation! (Want to calculate your "water footprint"? Visit www.waterfootprint.org!) We all have a stake in maintaining groundwater quality and quan-tity:

•95 percent of all available freshwater comes from aquifers underground.

•Most surface water bodies are connected to groundwater, so how you impact groundwater affects the health of our streams and wetlands.

•If you own a well to provide water you are the manager of your own water system. Protecting ground-water will help reduce risks to your water supply.

We can all do things to protect our groundwater! Keep groundwater safe from contamination (protect groundwater quality) by being responsible in your use and storage of household chemicals and hazardous substances (think cleaners, fertilizers, pesticides). Use water wisely by not wasting it (protect groundwater quantity). For more ideas on how to protect and conserve this precious resource, visit:

www.groundwater.org/ta/protection.html or http://www.ngwa.org/Events-Education/groundwater-day

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Who can come on the Kiket tours?

Anyone that’s part of the tribal community!

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CLAM PSP UPDATE

Lone Tree Point:  NTD

Day  High      Low      High         Low          High          Moon        Sunrise  Sunset 

                 Sat 01 00:27 2.78 ft 05:59 9.53 ft 12:25 0.86 ft 18:36 10.46 ft 6:28 19:50

Sun 02 01:02 2.12 ft 06:46 9.44 ft 13:04 1.77 ft 19:03 10.36 ft 6:29 19:48

Mon 03 01:38 1.58 ft 07:33 9.30 ft 13:43 2.78 ft 19:32 10.17 ft 6:31 19:46

Tue 04 02:14 1.20 ft 08:21 9.11 ft 14:22 3.80 ft 20:04 9.87 ft 6:32 19:44 Wed 05 02:52 0.98 ft 09:12 8.89 ft 15:05 4.79 ft 20:38 9.47 ft 6:34 19:42 Thu 06 03:33 0.95 ft 10:09 8.64 ft 15:52 5.68 ft 21:17 9.00 ft 6:35 19:40 Fri 07 04:20 1.05 ft 11:15 8.42 ft 16:52 6.41 ft 22:03 8.51 ft 6:36 19:38 Sat 08 05:12 1.22 ft 12:39 8.36 ft 18:18 6.83 ft 23:00 8.08 ft Last Quarter 6:38 19:36 Sun 09 06:13 1.34 ft 14:07 8.55 ft 20:04 6.77 ft 6:39 19:33 Mon 10 00:08 7.84 ft 07:17 1.29 ft 15:07 8.87 ft 21:10 6.33 ft 6:41 19:32 Tue 11 01:18 7.86 ft 08:17 1.09 ft 15:46 9.20 ft 21:50 5.74 ft 6:42 19:30 Wed 12 02:20 8.13 ft 09:10 0.84 ft 16:14 9.50 ft 22:20 5.01 ft 6:43 19:28 Thu 13 03:15 8.55 ft 09:56 0.68 ft 16:38 9.79 ft 22:49 4.11 ft 6:45 19:25 Fri 14 04:04 9.01 ft 10:38 0.72 ft 17:02 10.09 ft 23:20 3.07 ft 6:46 19:23 Sat 15 04:52 9.46 ft 11:19 1.01 ft 17:28 10.37 ft 23:53 1.95 ft New Moon 6:48 19:21 Sun 16 05:39 9.84 ft 11:59 1.55 ft 17:57 10.60 ft 6:49 19:19 Mon 17 00:31 0.86 ft 06:28 10.09 ft 12:41 2.31 ft 18:28 10.74 ft 6:50 19:17 Tue 18 01:12 −0.09 ft 07:20 10.20 ft 13:25 3.22 ft 19:03 10.74 ft 6:52 19:15 Wed 19 01:56 −0.78 ft 08:15 10.14 ft 14:12 4.20 ft 19:41 10.56 ft 6:53 19:13 Thu 20 02:44 −1.12 ft 09:15 9.92 ft 15:04 5.15 ft 20:25 10.20 ft 6:55 19:11 Fri 21 03:36 −1.09 ft 10:23 9.64 ft 16:05 5.94 ft 21:16 9.66 ft 6:56 19:09 Sat 22 04:34 −0.77 ft 11:42 9.43 ft 17:23 6.42 ft 22:21 9.04 ft First Quarter 6:57 19:07 Sun 23 05:39 −0.29 ft 13:07 9.45 ft 19:00 6.32 ft 23:40 8.52 ft 6:59 19:04 Mon 24 06:49 0.16 ft 14:20 9.68 ft 20:28 5.61 ft 7:00 19:02 Tue 25 01:06 8.32 ft 07:59 0.51 ft 15:14 9.94 ft 21:29 4.60 ft 7:02 19:00 Wed 26 02:26 8.47 ft 09:02 0.81 ft 15:54 10.15 ft 22:15 3.55 ft 7:03 18:58 Thu 27 03:34 8.80 ft 09:57 1.19 ft 16:26 10.25 ft 22:54 2.57 ft 7:05 18:56 Fri 28 04:32 9.15 ft 10:44 1.71 ft 16:53 10.27 ft 23:27 1.73 ft 7:06 18:54 Sat 29 05:22 9.43 ft 11:27 2.38 ft 17:18 10.21 ft 23:59 1.03 ft Full Moon 7:07 18:52 Sun 30 06:07 9.64 ft 12:07 3.13 ft 17:44 10.09 ft 7:09 18:50

Butter Clams sampled by Swinomish Water Resources Department and analyzed By WA Dept. of Health  for 

Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) on 7/31/2012 were found to be   

SAFE TO EAT!  

Swinomish Tribal Members may conduct Subsistence Harvesting on the Reservation when the Swinomish Fisheries Dept indicates beaches are OPEN and the Dept has issued the digger a valid Ceremonial and 

Subsistence Shellfish Harvesting Permit. 

From Left: Ernesto Rios-Gobert, Alicia Guerrero Gobert, Latesha Guerrero

Gobert, Kaylanna Guerrero Gobert, & Tanisha Gobert collect water samples

at Lone Tree Point.

TIDE TABLE: Sept 2012 - Lone Tree, Snee-Oosh, N.Skagit Bay (ft MLLW)

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9/1 Terrence Bobb 9/1 James Grossglass Sr. 9/2 Jill Harden 9/2 Jack Harden 9/2 Vanessa Bill 9/2 Douglas Gunter 9/3 Shirley Wilbur 9/3 Carene Fornsby 9/4 Barbara James 9/5 Josephine Jimmy 9/5 Joanna Spencer 9/5 Lavonne Trask 9/5 Greg Stewart 9/5 Ivie Egbers 9/5 Jerome Toby 9/5 Ramona Campbell 9/6 Colby James 9/6 River John 9/7 Genevieve Munar 9/7 Lauren Edwards 9/7 Marilyn Murtagh 9/8 Jahfee Cladoosby 9/8 Vaden Smith 9/8 Adeline Black 9/8 Michelle Teo 9/8 Aurelia Keo 9/9 Carlee Edwards 9/9 James Bobb Jr. 9/9 Steven Joe 9/9 Devin Merian Perry 9/10 Bradley Joe 9/10 Edith Bobb 9/10 Chase Wilbur 9/11 Andrea Topaum 9/11 Arjuna Adams 9/11 Johnny Wilbur Jr. 9/11 Raymond Lapointe 9/11 Starina Jones 9/12 Jordan Wilbur 9/12 Benjamin Cayou 9/12 Vernon Joe 9/14 Jonah Cook

9/14 Deanna Fornsby 9/14 Dan Cayou Sr. 9/14 Crystal Day 9/14 Kenneth Revey 9/15 Darryl Hillaire 9/16 Cillastina Edge 9/16 Christina Adams 9/16 Zamora Bill 9/17 Thomas Wilbur 9/17 Kahneesha Casey 9/17 Tashina John 9/17 Lashan Merian 9/17 Larry Bill Jr. 9/18 Michele Perry 9/18 Travis Tom 9/19 Martin Sampson Jr. 9/19 Randolph Vendiola 9/19 Katie Cayou-Lockrem 9/19 Mary Grant 9/20 John Bill 9/20 Lakiesha Bird-Rice 9/20 Hamyley Day-Jack 9/20 Mayleah Day-Jack 9/20 Jacob Cruz 9/21 Blossom Topaum 9/22 Jeannie John 9/23 Diana Minks 9/24 Mary Cladoosby-Page 9/24 Raven Edwards 9/25 Christine Kinley 9/25 Scott Walker 9/26 Michael Wilbur Jr. 9/26 Ali Peacher 9/26 Beyunka Peacher 9/27 Rebecca Nutter 9/28 Baileigh Gebhardt 9/28 Phillip Stone 9/29 Marie Charles 9/30 Julie Bobb 9/30 Carneen Allen 9/30 Marlo Quintasket

Submitted by Enrollment Officer– Leon John

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September 3rd

Happy Birthday Shirley Hart!

From the Sampson Family.

Happy Birthday

Ray!

Love Mom.

Happy Birthday  Kahneesha Casey! Love Mom, Dad  and Family. 

Happy 5th Birthday

Jerome!

Love Mommy and Daddy.

Happy Birthday Ivie!

Love & Miss You.

Auntie Caroline.

Happy Birthday Marlo! Love

Jana Banana

“Babe: Always in our hearts and minds.”

December 15, 1975- September 16, 1997

SWINOMISH FALL WELLNESS PROGRAM An eight week program for a balanced life

September 24th—November 16th

For more info call Colleen Mavar at 466-3151

Trained staff will help you

∗ Make your own fitness goals

∗ Make healthier food choices

∗ Learn to relieve stress

Sponsored by Swinomish Fitness Center

∗ The program is FREE to anyone 18 and older ∗ American Natives are eligible for Nike N7

shoes ∗ Get well with fitness and wholesome foods ∗ Relax more with less stress

HappyBirthday

Joanna Spencer!

From: Marlon

Edwards Sr. & Jr.!

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SEPTEMBER

• 04—First day of school, La Conner School District (LCSD), early release

• 19—Fall Clean-Up Day

• 20—Food Commodities Distribution-10:00am-Noon, Social Services Bldg.

OCTOBER

• 05—Mid-quarter grade re-ports, LCSD

• 18—Food Commodities Distribution-10:00am-Noon, Social Services Bldg.

NOVEMBER

• 12—Food Commodities Dis-tribution-10:00am-Noon, Social Services Bldg.

DECEMBER

• 12—Christmas Distribution

• 24—Christmas Eve

2013

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

*Please submit important dates to the qyuuqs (Kee Yoks)!

*’CR’ denotes ‘canoe race’.

*Bolded text denotes Swinomish Community event.

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FREE ADS: To place a free ad please contact the Kee Yoks at [email protected]

Carvings and Prints for sale by Frank Campbell 360-333-2796

or 360-399-1043

NAMAPAHH

First People's Radio

is hosted and produced by Robin Carneen,

an enrolled member of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, in La Conner, WA. Topics include-Native American news, views & music & you can listen

online at (archives too!): http://www.blogtalkradio.com/

namapahh_radio

NORTH INTERTRIBAL VOCATIONAL REH BILITATION PROGRAM (NIVRP) Helps people with Disabilities

get or keep a job Mondays and Tuesdays 10-3:00

Swinomish: 360-466-1343 Bellingham NIVRP: 360-671-7626

[email protected]

Page 40: Kee Yoks - September 2012

OR CURRENT RESIDENT

PRSRT STD US Postage Paid Permit #35 ANACORTES, WA 98221

qyuuqs (Kee Yoks) online: http://www.swinomish-nsn.gov/news.aspx

qyuuqs KEEYOKS Newspaper 17337 Reservation Road La Conner, WA 98257 [email protected]

Swinomish qyuuqs (Kee Yoks) News

Swinomish Indian Tribal Community

Photo: Jack Storms/stormsphoto.com

Left to Right: Alana Quintasket, Hi Finkbonner, Brandy James