Suquamish News – Mar 2023

Community Calendar

Meetings

Elders Council

Meets at Elders Lodge third Tues. of the month, 2-4pm. Call Della or Melissa, (360) 394-8417 for details.

Suquamish Tribal Council

Meets March 13. Agenda and links sent via Weekly Update & SUN Texts.

PME Board Meets March 15, 9am. PME subsidiaries boards meet March 22, 9am. Contact Emily Sato at emilysato@clearwatercasino.com, (360) 598-8703 in advance for the link to attend virtually.

Suquamish Museum

For board meeting info, contact TJ Johnson at (360) 394-8499.

Suquamish Seafoods Board

Meets online March 14. Contact Shanel Carlson at (360) 394-8512 for details.

Suquamish Tribal Gaming Comm.

Meets March 9 & 23 at Tribal Gaming office. Contact Angela Brainerd (360) 394-8652 for details.

Suquamish Warriors

Meets monthly on first Tuesday, 5:30pm at Suquamish Warriors Vet

Suquamish News

Center. For information, contact Bill Gemmell at (360) 536-0007.

Community Events

Healing House həliʔilalʔtxʷ Grand Opening, March 17, 1-3pm

Suquamish Tribe General Council

Sat., March 18, 12:30pm at House of Awakened Culture.

Sun., March 19, 9am at Kiana. See pages 3&13 for details

Family & Friends Center Events

Feb.27-March 3, 5:30pm: sləhalStick game/Bone game set making

March 7, Girls Group

March 9, Game Night

March 15, Lil kids group

March 26, Young adult gathering

March 28, Boys Group

Suquamish Museum

March 11, 10:30am-2:30pm. Small Cedar Basket Weaving. March 15-19: Museum Gift Shop Sale. Contact TJ (360) 394-8499

Wisdom Warriors Support Group for those managing chronic illness meets March 8, Tribal Council Chambers. Call (360) 394-8468.

Published monthly by the Suquamish Tribe: 18490 Suquamish Way, Suquamish, WA 98392

Email us at: communications@suquamish.nsn.us

Send letters to: Suquamish News Editor, PO Box 498, Suquamish, WA 98392-0498

Letters should include the writer’s full name, address, and home telephone and may be edited for clarity and space.

All photo submissions must be made in JPG or PDF form, with resolution of 300 dpi or more.

Giveaway Workshop for Canoe Journey

Every Thursday, March 23-June 8, 11am-6pm at Old Tribal Center

15838 Sandy Hook Rd. Open to all.

Problem Gambling Awareness Event

March 24, 12-2:30pm at House of Awakened Culture. Chili cook-off, crafts, information, support group forming. Call Wellness (360) 394-8558 or taxtelle@Suquamish.nsn.us for info.

Child Abuse Prevention Month

Kick-Off March 29, 5-7 pm at House of Awakened Culture. RSVP to (360) 394-8480

Coming Up ...

Spring Break Song & Dance Culture

Camp April 4-6, 10am-4pm at House of Awakened Culture

Suquamish Tribe Spring Cleanup

Neighborhood dates start April 11

Renewal Coastal Jam

April 29, 2-4pm at House of Awakened Culture

Annual Canoe Journey

July 28 & 29, Suquamish hosting. July 30, Muckleshoot landing.

Suquamish Tribal Council

Leonard Forsman Chairman

Josh Bagley Vice-Chair

Windy Anderson Secretary

Denita Holmes Treasurer

Rich Purser Member

Sammy Mabe Member

Luther Mills, Jr. Member

On the Cover:

We’re celebrating Suquamish babies born in 2022!

Layla Valentina

Pua’olena Jackson-Wada

Born: 02/03/2022

Mom: Lisa Jackson

Dad: Caylen Wada

Grandma: Tina Jackson

Great Grandma: Francy Jackson

See more Suquamish babies on page 10.

Save

Production Staff

Leonard Forsman Editor-in-Chief

Catherine Edwards Executive Editor

Sarah van Gelder Managing Editor

Jon Anderson News Editor

JoAnn Joe Photography/Design

Georgia Browne Layout and Design

Editorial Policy

Publishers of the Suquamish News reserve the right to refuse publication of letters to the editor and guest editorials. Submission of editorials and letters is encouraged. However, they represent the opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the Suquamish Tribe. As such, we reserve the right to refuse to print any letter, for any reason.

prohibited.

Tribal Members to Gather In Person for General Council

The first fully in-person General Council meeting will take place on March 18 and 19, and there is excitement about sharing time and meals, as well as taking care of the Tribe’s business in person.

In his message in this year’s General Council Handbook, tribal Chairman Leonard Forsman gave this brief preview: “Our annual meeting, as required by our tribal constitution, is an opportunity to provide information, receive feedback and suggestions, and elect our leaders. This is also an important time to renew family connections, strengthen our tribal bonds, celebrate our accomplishments, and prepare to meet our challenges.”

As always, some of the most important business involves election of Tribal Council members. This year, the terms of chair and secretary are up for election. Nominations will take place on Sunday, March 19, followed by a primary — if there are more than two candidates — and a general election. By the end of Sunday, those elected will be sworn in.

Saturday at the House of Awakened Culture

The work of Saturday, March 18, begins at 8am with a morning Elders meeting. Elders will also

have the option to log in via Zoom (see How to Participate on page 8).

All tribal members are invited to join at 12:30pm, when General Council will open with a prayer and welcome, followed by a catered lunch. A Zoom connection (see page 8) is available for those who can’t or choose not to attend in person.

Adoption candidates will make presentations, but voting on adoptions will take place on Sunday.

At 1:45pm, the Youth Council and Port Madison Enterprises will give reports.

At 3pm, there will be reports from tribal government programs, including Fisheries, Human Services, the Healing House, and Wellness, and other Healthy Community topics. There will also be an update on the development of Suquamish Housing and the Master Plan.

The day will close with a prayer at 4:30pm.

Sunday will be in person only at Kiana Lodge Sunday, March 19, will begin at 9am with an opening prayer and welcome, followed by an introduction from the tribal chairman. Following approval of the March 19, 20, 2022, minutes, nominations from the floor will open for the positions of chair and secretary. Each candidate

will have up to five minutes to speak.

At 10:40am, there will be a report from the Elders Council and an Honoring of New Elders.

At 11am, primary election polls will open, if there are more than two candidates for either position, with Elders voting first. Lunch will be served at 12:15pm, and the primary polls will close at 12:30pm. While votes are being tallied, there will be a Treasurer’s Report on tribal finances. There will also be highlights from the tribal enterprises reports — a shorter version of the reports delivered in full on Saturday.

At 1:45, there will be a Legal/Governance overview, with the introduction of new board and commission members, and presentations regarding the Constitution Committee, the TCW Advisory Committee, and the Community Police Advisory Board.

At 2pm, polls for the General Council Election and adoptions will open for Elders only. Polls open to the general membership at 2:30pm.

At 3:15, there is time set aside for Comments from the floor.

The polls close at 4:30pm followed by tabulation

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Wellness

Tribe set to celebrate Healing House Grand Opening

Primary care services begin March 6

Suquamish Tribe həliʔilalʔtxʷ Healing House medical clinic will begin offering primary care to tribal members and their families starting March 6, with an official grand opening ceremony scheduled for March 17, the day before General Council begins.

“We are super excited to begin offering primary care at Healing House and get things started in a good way,” said Healing House Medical Director Dr. Kristine Ewing. “We hope by scheduling our grand opening right before General Council that more tribal citizens will be able to attend and see that for themselves.”

The event will begin at 1pm with prayer and blessings, traditional song and dance, along with remarks from tribal leaders and introductions of Healing House staff.

Suquamish Language Program Manager Lena Maloney will explain the significance of the Lu-

shootseed word for Healing House, həliʔilalʔtxʷ. Local dignitaries have also been invited to help celebrate the opening of the long-awaited clinic with the tribal community.

An open house will follow the ceremony with light refreshments until 3:30pm.

More than 50 people have already signed up to start receiving their primary care at Healing House. For now, only Suquamish tribal members and their families are eligible, but over time and as capacity allows, the tribe hopes to open up care to the members of other tribes, government staff, and enterprise employees.

In addition to primary care, the tribe’s Community Health team and WIC program also provide services at Healing House.

By Jon Anderson

How to access care at Healing House

A Q&A with Healing House Medical Director Dr. Kristine Ewing

Primary care services are set to begin at the Suquamish Tribe həliʔilalʔtxʷ Healing House in early March. As with any new service, exactly what is and is not available can be confusing. And all the more so with the often extra-complicated nature of medical care.

To help provide some clarity, Suquamish News sat down with Healing House Medical Director Dr. Kris-

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Wellness

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tine Ewing to get answers to some of the most frequently asked questions tribal members have been asking.

Q: So, let’s start with the basics. What exactly is primary care?

Primary care is a long-term relationship between a person and a physician. Primary care doctors see patients regularly for regular checkups and specifics concerns, taking time to get to know them and their medical history. They provide knowledge and support regarding longterm and chronic health concerns, including nutrition, stress management, and mental health. There are a lot of different types of primary care specialists, but at Healing House we have two main providers, myself and Dr. Alex Kraft.

Q: Are there differences in the kinds of services you and Dr. Kraft offer?

There are many similarities and, yes, some differences. I am Medical Doctor specializing in family practice. Dr. Kraft is a Naturopathic Doctor who also specializes as an acupuncturist. We can both see people for general care, including annual check-ups, prescribing medications, ordering labs, and, when needed, we can both refer our patients to specialists. I see people of all ages, including infants and children, and with all insurances. Dr. Kraft sees people 12 and older, and people over 65 with certain Medicare Advantage plans.

If you would like to establish care at Healing House, we can go over more specifics to help you decide who would be the best fit as your primary care physician.

Q: What do you mean exactly by “establish care”?

Typically, someone selects a single doctor as their primary care physician. The first appointment you have with them is called an “establish care” appointment. At this visit, which usually lasts longer than others, we will ask detailed questions about your medical history, family history, habits such as tobacco or alcohol use, medications, immunizations, and allergies.

As much as we can, we’ll review medical records, which may be in the form of paper records, going into electronic records stored on online through patient portals, and — increasingly — any records people have access to on their smart phones. All that information will be used to create what we call your chart — the record we use to make sure we’re tracking your health care in a good way.

When needed, we’ll make a follow-up plan together, which might include labs or radiology studies, a specialist referral, or check-up visits in the clinic. Depending on the nature of a patient’s medical challenges, they might need to be seen monthly or quarterly.  For some, a planned annual check-up may suffice. Patients continue to be ‘established’ with us if they have been seen at Healing House within the previous three years.

Q: Will Healing House provide urgent care?

Healing House is a primary care clinic, which is different from an urgent care facility.

Urgent care clinics specialize in providing medical attention for sudden and serious, but not life-threatening injuries or illnesses — things like sprains or some broken bones, cuts needing stitches, COVID symptoms, colds, and other infections. Urgent Care clinics are also typically open on weekends and after hours, and help take the load off hospital emergency rooms so the ERs can treat more serious, life-threatening conditions.

We are not staffed or equipped as an urgent care clinic. That said, Healing House will be reserving time every day for same-day appointments for tribal members and their families to address minor illnesses or injuries for our primary care patients. Those who have not already established care with us will be able to do that with Dr. Kraft or myself in order to get same-day care.

And just to be clear, urgent care clinics play an important role in health care, but they are not a good substitute for the long-term relationship and care that only comes with a primary care doctor. So, if you have not already established care with a primary care physician, please consider getting one — whether it’s with us at Healing House or elsewhere.

Q: Do patients need to see a primary care physician in order to see a specialist?

Typically, yes. Most insurance requires a referral from a primary care doctor, which basically tells the specialist what clinical question we are hoping to answer.  That means the primary care physician needs to evaluate and examine a patient in order

to formulate the question and determine the most appropriate type of specialist for the problem — or whether we can handle the concern in primary care, because often we can! This also helps us incorporate a person’s story over time. Ideally, the specialist sends us technical notes from the consultation so we can then review with the patient and their wider story in mind.

Q: If I change my primary care to the Healing House, can I still see my specialist physicians?

Absolutely! Continuity of care, or seeing the same physicians — both primary care and specialists — over time is typically best for patients. The beauty of having a primary care physician on your team is that we get to know your history and help you navigate and coordinate care across the larger health care system, whether it includes one or many specialists.

Q: How well does the Healing House staff understand the unique needs and culture of the Suquamish tribal community?

We are fortunate to have several Suquamish tribal members serving at Healing House. In fact, the first person most people will see when they walk into the clinic is Elizabeth Napoleon, who staffs our reception desk and will also be helping with appointments on the phone and scheduling following up care. The primary care team is also blessed with the extraordinary talents of Cecelia Williams, who is one of our registered nurses. Before joining our staff, Dr. Kraft had been working at the Wellness Center for the past eight years. Meanwhile, many of the Community Health staff, who also work at Healing House, are tribal members or descendants. And, of course, Dr. Barbara Hoffman brings a rich wealth of experience from her many years of service to our tribal community. We are all better because of each of their contributions.

Q: If someone has more questions, what’s the best way to get answers?

I encourage all tribal members and their families to come to our grand opening on March 17 from 1-3:30 pm where we will be able to answer any questions during our open house after the ceremonies. It will also be a good opportunity to get to know us a little and see the space we are creating for our community. Of course, you can also always reach out to us at (360) 394-1350 or health_clinic@suquamish.nsn.us with any general questions or to make an appointment.

By Jon Anderson

Chairman’s Report

Holmes as one of the 20 under 40 in Kitsap County. This award, presented by Leadership Kitsap, highlights Denita’s role in preserving our culture, as a new tribal leader, and as a mentor to her children and other youth of the Suquamish Tribe.

The Kitsap Athletic Roundtable inducted Morrie Black Eagle into the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at Kiana Lodge. I had the honor of saying a few words at the welcoming on behalf of Morrie, who worked for the Suquamish Tribe as IT director and later as our deputy executive director.

TheTribal Canoe Journey is a powerful ceremonial event that unites the tribes of the Pacific Northwest in preserving our culture. The teaching and learning takes place over the course of days and weeks on the water in our canoes, on the lands of our hosts as we share songs and dances and gifts, and through the passing of traditional knowledge from our elders to our youth.

This year’s host, the Muckleshoot Tribe, held a planning meeting for the 2023 journey at their event center. The landing will be at Alki on July 30. We will have a two-day hosting here at Suquamish on July 28 and 29.

Nigel Lawrence, skipper of the qal’qalaxič (killer whale) youth canoe, is teaching a course on the history and protocol of the canoe journey at the University of Washington this spring, and I look forward to being a guest speaker at one of the class days.

The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians held their winter conference in Portland, Oregon, after a three-year absence due to Covid restrictions. The winter gathering featured presentations from representatives of the White House, the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of Energy, and other federal and state agencies, and the National Congress of American Indians. The nine tribes of Oregon hosted the conference, which included a culture night at the Lloyd Center and a reception at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Here in Kitsap County, there were several honoring and recognition events in early 2023, including the recognition of our Treasurer Denita

The Bainbridge Island Historical Museum awarded the Suquamish Tribe the “History Heroes” award at their annual meeting in recognition of our contributions to the preservation of Bainbridge Island History. The Museum thanked the Suquamish Tribe for sharing our stories and traditions with visitors and citizens of this community: “These stories and traditions will continue to be passed along through the generations — teaching all of us many valuable lessons about the land, culture and traditions of the Suquamish Tribe.”

Culturally Based Education

We continue to advocate for a culturally based public education for our students and their classmates. In order to achieve this, we must educate administrators and school board members about tribal history, culture, and sovereignty. The Tribal Leaders Congress on Education held a virtual meeting, hosted by the Suquamish Tribe, to allow the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction to present the curriculum enabled by State Senate Bill 5252, which requires public school superintendents and school boards to receive this training.

We continue to work internally here at the Suquamish Tribe on curriculum development, concentrating on kindergarten and 12th grade units with our consultant Elese Washines, a citizen of the Yakama Nation, who is an experienced curriculum developer.

The Chief Kitsap Academy School Board, which consists of the entire Tribal Council, met with staff to receive an update on teacher recruitment and retention, grant applications for capital improvements in the school, and progress made in improving student success.

The U of W Regents joined trustees from other colleges and universities to meet with legislators regarding the needs of the state’s higher education system. A common ask is for pay increases for faculty and staff to address inflation and retain talent. I joined staff and one student in making a specific U of W ask of key legislators seeking their support for Phase 2 of the Intellectual House on the Seattle campus. This will provide a place dedicated to serving tribal students by adding a building for teaching and learning, including a student programming space, meeting rooms, and an art lab/elders lounge.

The Kitsap Economic Development Alliance called a meeting of government and business leaders to discuss the future of Kitsap County in respect to economic growth. Leadership discussed the lack of affordable housing, recruiting new businesses, and concerns about preserving the environment. I emphasized the need for balance between growth and protecting our natural ecosystems.

The Nisqually Tribe hosted the monthly meeting of the Washington Indian Gaming Association. Our legal team gave an update on the Maverick lawsuit against the State of Washington challenging our tribal-state gaming compacts; the lawsuit has since been dismissed as a result of a procedural motion made by the Shoalwater Bay Tribe. Rebecca George, WIGA Executive Director, reported that there would be no non-tribal gaming expansion bills heard in the state legislature this year.

Natural Resource Preservation

The Port of Seattle held a virtual meeting with Tribal Council representatives and staff to provide their analysis of potential impacts on Port property and operations of the U.S. Coast Guard’s proposed expansion at Terminal 46. We expressed our concerns about the project’s potential impact on treaty fishing and resources.

We also met with the Port of Bremerton on their request for support of their breakwater replace-

Tribal Council Schedule

Tribal Council meets on March 13. Watch for a SUN alert with details.

ment project at the Port Orchard Marina. Tribal Council and staff is in support of the project due to the deteriorating condition of the breakwater. We are working with the Port of Bremerton to improve accommodations for our fishing fleet that use the reserved moorage space at the marina.

The Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council held their monthly meeting focusing on future growth in Kitsap County. The Council is projecting population growth of over 346,000 people by 2044, requiring nearly 33,000 additional housing units. We will continue to try to steer the growth to the cities to prevent sprawl into the rural areas that would damage salmon habitat and water quality.

The Washington Environmental Council held a virtual conference hosted by Pyramid Communications. The event was intended to educate non-profit environmental organizations about the priorities and vision of the tribal nations as we work to protect treaty resources. We emphasized the importance of tribal consultation and dialogue regarding our respective strategies for preserving the natural environment, which sometimes don’t completely align.

The Suquamish Tribal Fisheries Department held an all-fishers meeting at the House of Awakened Culture. Staff gave harvest reports, and our fishers expressed their needs and priorities including requests for increased enforcement measures to reduce gear damage and theft.

Government-to-Government Work

The Suquamish Tribal Council traveled to Olympia to meet with key legislators on some of our legislative priorities. Our state lobbyist, Amber Lewis, organized the meetings. Some of our top requests were support of Early Learning funding, preservation of salmon hatchery funding, more authority for extradition of offenders fleeing our reservation, and protection of our tribal-gaming compacts.

Naval Base Kitsap held their change of command ceremony at Subase Bangor. The Navy relieved Captain Rich Massie who will be succeeded by Captain John Hale, who grew up in Tennessee, and has worked on or commanded submarines for most of his Navy career. Both Captain Massie and Captain Hale referenced the Navy’s commitment to working with the Suquamish Tribe to protect tribal treaty rights.

We have been working with the Washington State Ferries on artwork and interpretation at

the newly renovated Colman Dock terminal in downtown Seattle. A team of tribal member staff has worked efficiently with our Communications Department and our Tribal Historic Preservation Officer to develop cultural and historic information for use in interpretive panels on site. This will be a great addition to our efforts to educate the public about our tribal heritage.

BKAT is a non-profit television channel that provides public programming on local cable channels and on their website including meetings of local government. They are interested in producing more programming on tribal heritage, and we are working with them to expand their content.

By Leonard Forsman Suquamish Tribe Chairman

Proposed Amendments: Chapter 5.15- Exclusion of Tribal Members from the Port Madison Indian Reservation

The Suquamish Tribal Council is seeking written comments on proposed amendments to Suquamish Tribal Code Chapter 5.15—Exclusion of Tribal Members from the Port Madison Indian Reservation. Please submit written comments by March 31, 2023. Contact the Office of Tribal Attorney for a copy of the proposed amendments.

Suquamish Tribal Code Chapter 5.15 – Exclusion of Tribal Members from the Port Madison Indian Reservation, adopted by Resolution 2022170 on October 24, 2022, contains a provision in Section 5.15.1(c) stating that any Suquamish tribal member may be excluded from the Port Madison Indian Reservation and all lands subject to the Suquamish Tribe’s jurisdiction if convicted of a violent crime that results in “serious” bodily injury, as defined by tribal, state, or federal law. The proposed amendments would:

• Revise Section 5.15.1(c) to enable Tribal Council to exclude tribal members who have committed assaults that result in “substantial” bodily injury, as defined by tribal, state, or federal law.

• Revise “Port Madison Indian Reservation” to “Port Madison Reservation” within the title and throughout the chapter.

Questions? Call us at (360) 394-8576 or email: fandfcenter@suquamish.nsn.us

Submit comments or requests for a copy of the proposed amendments to: Office of Tribal Attorney, STC Chapter 5.15 Comments, P.O. Box 498, Suquamish, WA 98392 or by email with the subject line “Chapter 5.15 Comments” to: bbrueseke@suquamish.nsn.us.

Written comments are due by March 31, 2023. Please feel free to forward this notice to any and all interested people. Thank you.

Suquamish Housing Applicants

All housing applications must be updated at least once a year to remain on the active waiting lists for both HUD and Fair Market rental programs.

Questions?

Please contact Rachel Nellenbach to request an update. (360) 394-8418 or rnellenbach@suquamish.nsn.us

Tribal Government

(General Council, continued from p3)

and announcement of results, and the swearing in of elected Council members.

Do you have questions or concerns? Please contact Amanda Carper at acarper@suquamish.nsn.us.

Resources for General Council

Resources for General Council will be available before, during, and for two weeks following the gathering. To get a digital copy of the General Council Handbook, other handouts, reports, and more, aim your camera phone at the QR code above or go to: https://bit.ly/SuqTribGC2023Resources

How to Prepare for General Council

Sign up for Childcare

Staff at the Marion Forsman-Boushie Early Learning Center will offer childcare for children from six weeks old to 11 years old for those attending General Council.

Please sign up by March 10. For more information and to sign up contact Wilma Lady at (360) 908-6133 / wlady@suquamish.nsn.us

Coming from out of town?

For Tribal members traveling from out of town to attend General Council, the Tribe has reserved a limited number of discounted rooms for Saturday and Sunday nights at the Clearwater Casino Resort. Call (800) 375-6073 and use this code: 21765 when making a reservation to get the General Council discount.

Get Your General Council Handbook

General Council handbooks will be distributed during General Council. You can also get a digital copy any time at: https://bit.ly/SuqTribGC2023Resources.

If you will not be attending in person, you can request a hard copy be mailed to you. Contact Amanda Carper at acarper@suquamish.nsn.us for your copy. (Limit, one per household please.)

Update Your SUN Information

Make sure your SUN contact information is current so you can receive updates on when polls open and when the results of the election are announced, and hear about any last minute schedule changes. Simply go to https://bit.ly/ SUNupdate. (*See ad below for details.)

How to Participate

Sat., March 18, Elders meeting Come to the House of Awakened Culture at 8am

OR

Log on to https://bit.ly/ GC2023Elders

Or call: (253) 205-0468

Meeting ID: 819 8047 7720 Passcode: 334073

Sat., March 18, all tribal members: Come to the House of Awakened Culture at 12:30pm.

OR

log on to Zoom at: bit.ly/SuqTribeGC2023

Or call: (253) 215 8782

Meeting ID: 814 1521 0995 Passcode: 348972

Sun. March 19, all tribal members: General Council, including reports and voting, begins at 9am at Kiana Lodge, in person only.

Stay up to date with the latest General Council News - Update your info today!

Tribal Council Candidate Statements

These statements were received in response to an open call to tribal members who plan to run for Chair or Secretary at the 2023 General Council. Candidate statements are not required to run for Tribal Council.

Calvin Medina

Hello Suquamish,

I would like to be considered for the position of Council Secretary to further serve our people in a role beyond our corporation.

Born in Oregon where my parents ran their own Pizza Time restaurant, I was raised in Bremerton and my summers growing up were spent in Suquamish with my family. I also was involved with competing at Chief Seattle as a Fancy Dancer. During the breaks between dancing I would assist My auntie Doots in selling snowcones. I am of the Alexis bloodline, named after my Great Grandfather, Charles Calvin Alexisson to Patty (Alexis) Medina.

I began serving our Suquamish community/ tribe in 2001 at the age of 15. At this time I left for Canada with a group of men to learn how to

carve cedar canoes for practical use on our Journeys. This led to the carving of our second canoe as well. Those experiences shaped me into a young man who wasn’t afraid of hard work, long hours and being on my own away from home.

After graduating high school I moved to Hawaii, where I would continue being in the workforce. I spent multiple years living out of state. In 2010 I made the decision to move back home to Washington state. This is where I began my career in retail as a clerk at the Masi shop. During that time I worked all shifts as needed, including at different stores. Eventually I would be promoted to manager in training, with that success I obtained a leadership role at Agate Dreams.

Through the years I have matured into a patient, and logical problem solver who demonstrates dedication to our businesses and wellbeing of our people. My current position is the Assistant Director of Retail.

I cannot promise to be the person who is well liked by everyone. I’m positive there are people reading this that I have offended in some way and I’m Sorry, not everyone will always be pleased.

What I can promise is that I will always be my authentic self. Now, how does being myself help you, the membership? I am a critical thinker, and I seek solutions from experienced peers when needed. However, I do not have all the answers, but I will work to find them. There of course will be the “tough” conversations/decisions and I will do my best to stay honest in them.

I am not one to “go along” with ideas/decisions because it is easy, I will do my thinking and own research.

In times of change I want to be three steps ahead, not two steps behind.

I want Suquamish to thrive, NOW and forever.

Thank you, for your consideration.

Leonard Forsman

I am taking this opportunity to announce that I am running for re-election as Chairman of the Suquamish Tribe. I have been honored to serve as Chairman and Council Secretary in the past and would be humbled to continue to serve in my current position.

By working with fellow council members, tribal government staff and the tribal membership we have accomplished a lot here on our reservation and beyond.

We have received significant federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan that we have used to directly support tribal citizens and also invest in new housing construction, down payment assistance and home improvement. This historic investment in Indian Country was not by accident. The appropriation was the result of the hard work of present and past leadership here and in the greater Northwest to educate Congress and

the White House about their trust responsibility to Indian Tribes.

We are also seeing massive federal and state investment in culvert removal from salmon bearing streams and we are going to finally achieve our dream of having Chico Creek barrier-free. We are also holding other government agencies and private corporations accountable for their impacts to our ancestral waters through settlements with King County for sewer spills and others for their past actions.

We are also opening our new health clinic and are excited to expand our services to our elders, adults and children as the operation matures. We are working to integrate our culture and traditions into our care delivery and look forward to hearing how to best achieve this goal moving forward.

We continue to have challenges to address and opportunities to seize. Further investment in education of our youth to prepare for their future. I serve on the Tribal Leaders Congress for Educa-

tion and as University of Washington Regent to help increase education opportunities for Suquamish and other native students whether it be college or trade school. There continues to be threats to our economy by outside gaming interests. I serve as the Vice-Chairman of the Washington Indian Gaming Association that serves to protect the Indian Gaming industry. Climate change and other threats to our treaty resources are growing as this region population expands. As President of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and Co-Chair of the West Sound Partnership for Ecosystem Recovery I work with other tribes and local governments to protect our waters from pollution.

I hope you will support my candidacy for Chairman of this great tribal nation and I will do my best to protect our treaty rights, invest in opportunity for our tribal citizens and continue to represent our tribe on a government-to-government basis.

Welcome, new citizens of the Suquamish Tribe!

Brooks Abigail Baker Born: 12/27/2022

Parents: Lucas and Mary Baker

Grandparents: Deanna and Mark Baker

Great Grandparents: Don and Merrilee George

Carlito Virella Born: 8/22/22, 10 lb 4 oz

Parents: Carlos Virella II and Heather Davis

Grandma: Kippie Joe

Easton Accos Born: 03/21/2022

Parents: Joli Accos and Leonard Accos

Grandparents: Melissa (Belmont lineage) and Mark Lund.

Name: Pele Blaze-Dean Adams Born: 7/31/2022

Parents: Steven Adams & Lehualani Fontes

Grandparents: Anthony Ambrose Adams Sr., Marian Dean Sparks, Silas Fontes, Patricia Selam

Enhanced Tribal Card Orientation

Monday March 13, 1-4pm Tribal Council Chambers, Lobby

Kim Kumpf and Heather Schultz will be there to answer all of your questions. Having trouble with your application? Kim and Heather will be happy to talk you through it!

For more information:

Kim Kumpf 360-394-8438 kkumpf@suquamish.nsn.us

Heather Schultz 360-394-8444 hschultz@suquamish.nsn.us

Wellness

Community Health welcomes nutritionist

Rachel Parsons is the Suquamish Tribe’s new Community Health Nutritionist, tasked with working with departments throughout Tribal government to ensure everyone from the youngest children to eldest Elders are getting the delicious and nutritious meals they need to live their best lives.

Parsons will be a familiar face to many. She has been serving the tribal community for nearly three years as the tribe’s WIC Program coordinator.

In her new role, she will work the Marion Forsman-Boushie Early Learning Center and Elders Program, provide trainings and classes for staff, parents, and children, and work with the food production and cultural staff. She’s already been writing the Elder’s Lunchroom meal plan for about a year now.

“As her role grows, she hopes to work more with the Traditional Foods Program, Wellness, Tribal Child Welfare, Chief Seattle Academy, and more,” said Community Health Manager Dr. Barbara Hoffman. “In the meantime, she would love to hear from anyone who has thoughts, ideas, wishes, or concerns about how better nutrition can play a bigger role in our tribal community.”

You can meet Parson at the next Wisdom Warriors meeting on March 8 at 2pm in Council Chambers where she will be leading an activity. Or contact her directly at (360) 990-1699 / rparsons@suquamish.nsn.us

By Jon Anderson

Elders

Paving the way for

community, culture, and care Community Development building in progress

Suquamish Community Development is literally paving the way to new housing opportunities for tribal members, along with other improvements big and small across the Port Madison Reservation.

Among the latest developments, in Suquamish Tribe’s developments:

Snooker Lane almost ready for building

HOAC roundabout paved

Commons Building nearing completion

Chief Kitsap Academy’s new 5,000-square-foot Commons Building is almost finished.

The multipurpose building will provide enough space for CKA’s entire staff and student body to gather for assemblies.

Look for a grand opening announcement soon.

To improve access to the House of Awakened Culture, the gravel circle was paved in February as well.

“I’d like to thank the Tribal Council on behalf of the Elders for the paving,” said Elders Council Chairman Bill Stroud. “It’s going to make a huge difference for Elders navigating around there and it really looks good.”

Meanwhile, Tribal Council Chairman Leonard Forsman said improving access to the back parking lot-side entrance is also being assessed.

Road paving was completed for the new Snooker Lane housing area in February. With final touches on site preparation for the new 12-lot development nearing completion, tribal members interested in building their own home in the neighborhood will soon be able to begin the application process.

“This is a different kind of development than we’ve ever done before, so I think it requires the creation of some policies that are a little bit different than we’ve done before,” said Community Development Director Scott Crowell briefing Tribal Council on the draft polices.

Among the expectations are that applicants show enough income for a home-building loan or have the money available to pay for it themselves before being assigned a 1/4-acre lot in the new neighborhood.

“These are meant for people who are not low income but can’t go out and buy a $700,000 house,” said Crowell. The new policies and procedures for the development were reviewed by the Housing Board and revised with their input. More specifics will be presented during General Council before final approval of the application process.

Expanding low-income housing

Enetai Townhomes planning enters new stage

Design work on the tribe’s 20-unit Enetai Townhome development is now in Phase 2. This phase involves more detailed planning that incorporates feedback from tribal members on the initial mock-ups, including the addition of more storage space in each unit.

An environmental review of the building site in Suquamish Shores will be underway soon, paving the way for groundbreaking later this year. Construction is expected to be completed in 2024.

New Elders Lodge study underway

Community Development continues to steadily chip away at the waiting list for low-income housing, with completion of a new five-bedroom home on Harris Ave. in Suquamish. The home is expected to ready for move-in in April.

Construction of up to two more low-income single-family rental homes on the reservation is expected to begin this year. Meanwhile, a house on Totem Lane, next to the Museum that was previously used by the Language Program, will be renovated and added to the low-income housing inventory this year as well.

An architecture firm has been retained to draw up initial plans for a new Elders Lodge. Drawing from a wish list of recommended features provided by Tribal Elders, the feasibility study will help assess costs.

Early planning calls for building the new facility on the same location as the current Elder Lodge, adjacent to Waterfront Park overlooking the Puget Sound, but on an expanded lot.

By Jon Anderson

Culture and Community

Traditional Heritage Specialist

Learning more about the new laws and how they affect our Ancestors and their returning to us is important to us as tribes. I am glad we have Leonard and others on Tribal Council who are working to keep us updated on these issues. Our Ancestors should never be disturbed — however, when they are and we are charged with their reburial, we are respectful and mindful to do this as soon as we can to give back their rest. We will be having some return of Ancestors, and I will notify you about what we will be doing, and date and time, via Tribal mailing, should this be an event that is open to our tribal community.

It’s the third month of 2023, and we are welcoming in new weather and better days. I am working on updates of Ancestors and interview transcriptions. Waiting for my new computer to arrive.

I went to the Burke Museum with the Elders, and it was so exciting to see a piece of a 3,000-year-old basket and to learn that Ed Carriere replicated it! We toured the archives and saw where they house baskets, bentwood boxes, beadwork, and many other things. We had lunch at Off the Rez and then stopped at Dicks for treats. It was a wonderful day to enjoy and share knowledge with folks from the Burke!

I am hoping that you are still working with Heather Purser to do interviews and will assist her in getting these done to fulfill the grant she is working on. This is very important to the grant, however it is even more important to us as tribal members to record our history for the future generations!

I am also still working on recording your hunting, gathering, and other stories for the future generations and would like to set up appointments. Please contact me at either (360) 3948526 or mjones@suquamish.nsn.us, and I will gladly set a date and time to work with you.

By Marilyn Jones

New Hires

Name Title Department

Shawn Blocker Environmental Scientist DNR

*Jazmine Ortiz Forestry Intern DNR

Rya Hawks Science Teacher Education

Ashley Kennedy FMLY. SVCS/Activities Coord Education

*Jana Mills Receptionist Education

Thomas Tall Bull ASST.Hatchery Manager/Enhancement biologist

WISDOM WARRIORS

Living Wise… Living Strong

CHRONIC DISEASE SELF-MANAGEMENT SUPPORT GROUP (DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, PAIN , DEPRESSION OR OTHER CHRONIC HEALTH CONDITIONS)

MONTHLY SUPPORT MEETING

2ND WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH

March 8, 2023 2 PM TO 4 PM

In Council Chambers

Plant teaching about nettle, nutrition presentation from Rachel Parsons, RD Community Nutritionist, talking circle and goal setting.

Suquamish Tribal members, their households and Tribal government employees welcome.

Sponsored by Suquamish Community Health Programs

BARBARA HOFFMAN AT 360-394-8468

Fisheries

Jose Bethea Maint. Director Maint.

Casey Dickson On Call Plant Worker Seafoods

Drea Fulton On Call Plant Worker Seafoods

Mateo Sipai On Call Plant Worker Seafoods

Jennifer Vancleave Health Clinic LPN Tribal Health Clinic

* Tribal member / **Descendant

March 1

Grace Clark

Jared Charette

Maximum Pezzanite

March 2

Della Crowell

Jade Myers

Marc Pugh

Talia Adams

March 3

Ainslee Moss

Cecilia Serrato

Danielle Kimmel

Donnie Adams

Kaleo Nahanee

Selena Adams-Chapman

March 4

Christopher Puckett

Janelle Mills

John Kerns Jr.

William Joe

March 5

Brycen Sigo

Cheryl Lawrence

Nanette Sanchez

Robert Purser Jr.

March 6

Charles Dryden

Gabriel Day

Lydia Sigo

Winona Sigo-Heredia

March 7

Eduardo Reynoso-Purser

Joseph Reynoso-Purser

Wendy Boure

March 8

Amanda Rubeck

Joan Bagley

Kaeleigh Patrick

Mikea Moss-Robideau

Morgan Bradwell

Shelly Thomas

Thomas Pratt

Vincent Charualaf

March 10

Carl Mack

March 11

Modelle Mudd

March 12

Charles Landsaw

Philip Holt III

March 13

Hannah Ballard

Juli Morton

Kate Ahvakana

Mark Lewis

March 14

Christine Sheppard

Hailey Crow

Mary Alexander

Tyzaiah Lawrence

March 15

Cheyenne Myers

Jamie Surratt

Lillian Ballew

Wahim Williams

March 16

Kalise Cordero-Dizon

Kippie Joe

Ricky Oakman

March 17

Dickie Johnson

Kaidyn Setten

Kaylie Contraro

Lenora Bagley

Marie Sanders

Neil Howard

Riley Adams

March 18

Jeffrey Hoffman

Shannon Bayes

March 19

Amber Horejsi

Jolene Haas

Michael Smith Jr.

Steve Clark

March 20

Anthony Adams

Edward Midkiff Jr.

Neoma Boure

Shayna Bagley

March 21

Aidyn Saldivar

Diana Riggins

Dylan Fleck

Tyson Oakman

March 22

Cherrie May

Isabelle Hedges

Lucas Baker

Malachi Brown-Flath

Mason Johnson

Teniya Lewis

March 23

Ave

Maria MacDonald

Camilla Pratt

Elaina-Rose Hayes

Francisco Smith

Joshua Bagley Jr.

Lorilee Morsette

Petrina Joe-Lanham

Robert Purser III

March 24

Avah Seier

Caleb Snow

Thomas Fowler

Tyler Marquez

March 26

Jase Kramer

Kyle Turner

March 27

Dorene Mclntosh

Eric Greer

Isabella Cordero Laguna

Leonard Barnes IV

March 28

Ciarra Covarrubias

Izabella O’Brien

Juanita Lentzy

Khloe Mortensen

Tegan Ledesma

Zhoe Mortensen

Birthdays March

March 29

Brittany Adams

Cassandra Fowler

Jacob Anderson

March 30

Antonio Guardipee

Clinton Jenkins

Erica Isom

Lawrence Sigo

Malora Chee

Ricky Alexander

Tataya Lawrence

Victor Chee

March 31

Grace Alexander

Juanita Mabe

These workshops are a way to help create gifts for the Tribal Canoe Journey Giveaway. No experience is necessary. All help is greatly appreciated, even if you can only spare 30 minutes.