Meetings
Elders Council meets at the Elders Lodge third Tues. of the month, 2-4pm. Contact Della or Melissa at (360) 394-8417 for details.
Suquamish Tribal Council April 12 & May 1. Agenda and links sent via Weekly Update & SUN Texts.
PME Board Meets April 12, 9am. Subsidiary Board meeting April 26 at SCCR. Contact Emily Sato at emilysato@clearwatercasino.com, (360) 598-8703 by 5pm the day prior to meeting for WebEx link to attend virtually.
Suquamish Museum
For Board Meeting info, contact TJ Johnson at (360) 394-8499.
Suquamish Seafoods Board
Meets online April 11. Contact Shanel Carlson at (360) 394-8512 for details.
Suquamish Tribal Gaming Comm. Meets April 6 & 20 at Tribal Gaming office. Contact Angela Brainerd (360) 394-8652 for details.
Suquamish Warriors
Meets on first Tuesdays, 5:30pm at Suquamish Warriors Vet Center. Contact Bill Gemmell (360) 536-0007.
Community Events
Wisdom Warriors April 12, 2pm, Tribal Council Chambers.
Giveaway Workshop for Canoe Journey Every Thurs. thru June 8, 11am-6pm at Old Tribal Center 15838 Sandy Hook Rd. Open to all.
Spring Break yusawiac Song & Dance Culture Camp April 4-6, 10am4pm at House of Awakened Culture
Easter Egg Hunt, Suquamish Museum, April 9, 10am-3pm. Contact (360) 394-7105 for details.
Renewal Coastal Jam April 29, 2-8pm at HOAC (see back cover for details).
Coming Up ...
2023 Annual Canoe Journey
July 24, Suquamish Canoe Family paddles from Lummi to Suquamish July 28 & 29, Suquamish hosting July 30, Muckleshoot landing.
Suquamish Tribe Spring Cleanup 2023
Neighborhood Dates
• Adams: April 11–15
• Tucker Topsoil: April 18–22
• George Lane: April 25–29
• Wee Wun: May 2–6
• Woolly Dog: May 9–13
• Sackman: May 16–20
• Eaglemere: May 23–27
• Indianola: May 30–June 3
Days & Times
• Tuesday – Saturday, 9:00am to 4:00pm.
Elders’ assistance will be available.
Items Accepted
• Household Trash
• Appliances
• Furniture
• Tires
• Mattresses
• Electronics (TVs, computers, printers, etc.)
Not accepting paints, oils, antifreeze, and similar items during this cleanup. A separate event for these items will be held in Fall 2023.
Contact:
Jaime Lawrence, Solid Waste Coordinator, 360-471-3500
Top, from left, Irene Carper is sworn in after being elected Tribal Council Secretary. Tribal Council, from left, Treasurer Denita Holmes, Luther “Jay” Mills Jr, Vice Chair Josh Bagley, Chair Leonard Forsman, Sammy Mabe, Secretary Irene Carper, and Rich Purser. Windy Anderson was honored for her service as Tribal Council Secretary. Second row, from left: Kippie Joe was one of the new Elders honored at General Council. The Elders at the House of Awakened Culture following their annual meeting. Photos from General Council by Jon Anderson, JoAnn Joe, and Sarah van Gelder.
Leonard Forsman Chairman
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
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Josh Bagley Vice-Chair
Irene Carper Secretary
Denita Holmes Treasurer
Rich Purser Member
Sammy Mabe Member
Luther Mills, Jr. Member
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.
strictly prohibited.
Leonard Forsman re-elected as Chair, Irene Carper elected as Secretary, Windy Anderson steps down
TheSuquamish Tribe re-elected Leonard Forsman as Tribal Council Chairman on March 19, 2023 and elected Irene Carper as Tribal Council Secretary. The election took place at the tribe’s annual General Council gathering, which also included honoring new tribal Elders and hearing reports from government and tribal enterprises staff.
“I am honored to be re-elected as Chairman of the Suquamish Tribe,” Forsman said. “We have a great heritage and an important mission to protect our way of life. I look forward to the responsibility of working with council, staff and our people to achieve our vision.”
Forsman was first elected to Tribal Council more than 30 years ago and he has served as chairman since 2005. He is also president of the Affiliated Tribes of the Northwest Indians and Vice President of the National Congress of American Indians and serves on the numerous boards across the state and region.
Irene Carper is returning to Tribal Council after serving two terms, from 2008 to 2014.
“I’m excited to work with Council, with membership and getting up to
date on all the projects they are working on,” she said.
Carper has more than two decades of experience working for the Port Madison Enterprises, and currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer. Carper is a graduating member of the Leadership Kitsap Class of 2008 and a graduate of the University of Washington Executive Development Program.
Outgoing Secretary Windy Anderson, who opted not to run for re-election this year, was also honored for her service to the tribe during the proceedings. Reflecting on her work, Anderson said she is especially happy to have gotten the BIA election done –a project she had been working on for 10 years. Anderson also helped shape the use of CARES Act funding for housing, pressing for the use of land leases for Tribal member homes.
Anderson plans to continue leading the tribe’s cannabis operation and focus on her work on the Constitution and Enrollment committees.
“The pandemic taught me that I didn’t need to do everything,” she said. “It felt good to run for Council and to bring change, but I still have a voice on the other side of the table.”
— Jon Anderson & Sarah van Gelder
Suquamish Elders meeting on the morning of General Council elected an Elders Council, made plans for the coming year, and reviewed the past year. The gathering at the House of Awakened Culture was the first in-person meeting of Elders since the pandemic hit in 2020.
The Elders Council, which has served throughout the pandemic years, was re-elected except for Patricia Medina, who chose to step down. Della Crowell nominated Kenneth Potts, and the full slate then ran without opposition. Bill Stroud will continue as chair, Tracy Tabafunda as secretary, Jim Henry as vice chair, Charlene Renquist as treasurer, and, at large, Dickie Johnson, Donna Sigo, and Kenneth Potts.
Also at the March 18 gathering, the Elders voted to take trips to Hawaii or Alaska. The Elders also heard a report from Scott Crowell at DCD about an initial study on a possible new Elders Lodge. An improved lodge would encourage participation and comradery at a time when the number of tribal elders is increasing, Council Chairman Bill Stroud said.
Elders who were present received a
Health Watch as their gift from the Elders Council. The Health Watch allows them to track their physical activity and monitor their health.
They also learned of plans for the year, including weaving classes, day trips, gardening, a salmon bake, making necklaces for the canoe journey, movie nights, assistance with computers, foot care, Elders honoring, and parties during the holidays. There are plans in the works for additional help with home maintenance, including plans to hire a handyman to help with Elder’s who live on the Port Madison Reservation.
— Sarah van Gelder
TheSuquamish Youth Council 2022-2023, was elected in June 2022 and introduced at the 2023 General Council. Members are:
Isabelle Chiquiti, Chair
ShoShyne Jones, Vice Chair
Tatiana Lawrence, Secretary Taliyah Ledesma, Treasurer Joseph Holmes, Male Rep. Talynn Marquez, Female Rep. Luther Mills IV, Historian
The spring break youth yusawiac camp is an interactive culture and language camp for Suquamish tribal members, Suquamish tribal descendants, Suquamish tribal households, and Suquamish program youth in grades 4–12. It is a collaboration between ʔiišədalʔtxʷ ʔə ti suqʷabš (Suquamish Family & Friends Center), Traditional Food & Medicine Program, Cultural Activities Program, and the Suquamish Language Program, with assistance from the Elders Program, Suquamish Museum, the Fisheries and Grants Departments. This is our sixth year of hosting culture camp. Every year we focus on teachings of the Suquamish people, language, history, and the practicing of our culture.
This spring, we are concentrating on Suquamish Song & Dance.
High School GPA, Term 2
Alexander, Ricky Cruz, Cody Foreman, Ky’lea
Free, Jayden Heath, Jesse Ridani, Nisrine
George-Bradley, Jeremiah Kinslow, Lucas Turrieta, Rosie
Gunther, Cayse Kumph, Trey Usman, Dejialyn
Hess, Hailey Marquez, Talynn
Jones, Sho-Shyne Martinez, Vernon
Lowe, Taylon Mills Iv, Luther
Oliver, Josh Notah, Hannah
Sloan-Niluka, Lily Ridani, Ibrahim
Tom, Lavonne Ridani, Yasmine
Williams, Cialesh Tom, Faith
3.0-3.49 3.5-3.99
Alexander, Ethan Lawrence, Kiera Ridani, Nardine
Beckwith, Ezekiel Ridani, Narjiss
Cruz, Lilia
Hayes, Gabriella
Lawrence, Jorden
Mabe, Phenix
We are excited to host our camp at: gʷədᶻadadalʔtxʷ House of Awakened Culture on April 4, 5 and 6. Camp programing will run from 10am–4pm with an option to do early drop-off at 8–9:30am and late pick-up until 4:30pm every day.
For more information, contact ʔiišədalʔtxʷ ʔə ti suqʷabš (Suquamish Family & Friends Center) at (360) 394-8576.
Suquamish youth prepare to be part of an MSNBC production, “Culture Is ... Indigenous,” which was filmed on the Port Madison Indian Reservation in late March. Song & Dance will be the focus of this spring’s youth culture camp.
and Shannon Holsey, President of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians. Peggy Flanagan, lieutenant governor of Minnesota, the first Native elected to that post, was the keynote speaker.
Northwest tribal leaders met with White House officials while in D.C. to discuss appropriating funds for tribal salmon recovery projects under the Inflation Reduction Act.
The ATNI Executive Board met to discuss organizational restructuring and office relocation. We are in a temporary facility until we can establish a permanent lease or purchase a building. Dates for the mid-year conference on the Coeur D’Alene reservation have been set for May 7-11.
ning to have the salmon bake and powwow return to the celebration again this year.
Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) had their monthly meeting of their board of advisors. We discussed upcoming funding opportunities for tribes including money for co-management and restoration activities. NAP is working hard to improve the investment of private foundation funding in Indian Country.
Thanksto everyone for making the General Council meeting a great success. Staff from both the tribal government and PME worked hard to make the meeting go smoothly. We will be responding to questions posed by the membership in the near future.
Our investment in intertribal organizations, like the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI), and the Washington Indian Gaming Association (WIGA) continues in our efforts to create unity and strength in Indian Country.
NCAI held the first Executive Council winter session in Washington, D.C., since February of 2020. I attended as the Northwest alternate delegate. Northwest tribes brought forward an emergency resolution opposing the Goldendale Pumped Storage project, which would seriously impact the gathering areas of the Yakama Nation. The resolution was passed. Other events included the State of Indian Nations address by NCAI President Fawn Sharp (Quinault) delivered at Museum of the American Indian. President Sharp emphasized current threats to our sovereignty and urged tribal leaders and tribal citizens to engage in the fight for protection of our tribal rights.
The annual NCAI women’s honoring luncheon recognized the first American Indian U.S. Treasurer, Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba (Chief Mohegan Tribe), for her historic accomplishments
The Washington Indian Gaming Association met at the Lucky Eagle Casino on the Chehalis reservation. I chaired the meeting in my role as WIGA vice-chair. We discussed the latest on the Maverick gaming lawsuit; the federal district court sided with the Shoalwater Bay Tribe’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The Maverick legal team has appealed this decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. We will continue to closely monitor and manage this case.
The Suquamish Tribe continues to expand services as funding and opportunities present themselves. The Healing House health clinic opened on March 17, 2023. The opening ceremony featured blessings and words from our elders, and traditional songs and dances from our Chief Kitsap Academy students and alumni.
Thanks to the Director of the Indian Health Service Roselyn Tso for attending our opening. Congratulations to all who worked on the project over the years.
While in Washington, D.C., I was able to virtually join the Elders Council meeting to answer questions and get reports on their activities. The elders will be representing us at National Indian Council on Aging conference in Cherokee, North Carolina, this fall.
The Salmon Homecoming Alliance is planning the annual event at Pier 62 in downtown Seattle on Saturday, September 23, 2023. We are plan-
The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art has opened an exhibit entitled “Indigenous Strength and Wellness” that runs through June 4, 2023. An exhibit opening ceremony was held prior to its opening and included Denita Holmes and Robin Sigo of the Suquamish Tribe as speakers. Several Suquamish artists including Kate Ahvakana, Denita Holmes, Peg Deam, and Danielle Morsette have works displayed in the exhibit. Community members Joey Holmes and Toma Villa and other Northwest artists are also featured.
I had the opportunity to conduct research at the Washington State Archives on the acquisition of Old Man House Park. A review of the Washington State Parks and Recreation records indicated that the current park acreage was acquired by State Parks in two purchases: 0.53 acres of property in 1950 and the additional 0.26 acres in 1951. State Parks purchased the land from individuals who apparently had bought the lots from General Construction Company, which acquired the land after the U.S. Army’s disposal. (The US Army sold the land rather than return it to the Suquamish Tribe).
The State Parks bought the Old Man House Park parcels as part of an initiative to acquire and preserve “the many historical sites located within the State of Washington.”
In 1949, the State Parks appointed a “research and advisory board” that included Dr. Erna Gunther, the well-known anthropologist from the University of Washington. Archaeological excavations at the site started in 1951. Interestingly, the archaeological excavation advocates approached the board again in 1951 to buy another lot to allow for further digging, but the State Parks commission denied the request.
I attended a meeting of the Bainbridge/North
Tribal Council meets April 12, May 1, and May 15. Watch for SUN alerts and Weekly Updates for details.
Kitsap Interfaith group. This is an organization representing religious organizations on Bainbridge Island and Kitsap County. We were able to update them on tribal issues including the Brackeen case at the US Supreme Court and our work on salmon recovery in our ancestral waters.
The University of Washington Board of Regents have been focused on funding asks to the state Legislature to support UW Medicine capital projects (including phase 2 construction for the Intellectual House for tribal students) and increasing wages for faculty and staff. We received reports on the content and status of these requests from our intergovernmental staff.
We also traveled to Olympia to talk to legislators about these requests. I also traveled to campus for separate meetings including the investiture ceremony for the new incoming Law School Dean Tamara Lawson. We are encouraging further investment in the UW Indian Law program. I also met with UW staff to get a better understanding of our American Indian/Alaska Native campus-wide school enrollment. Enrollment has flattened, and we are working to increase the number of tribal students. I also was a guest speaker at the UW American Indian Studies Native Nation Governance class where I spoke about tribal culture and history.
Western Washington University’s President Sabah Randhawa visited our reservation accompanied by WWU Tribal Liaison Laurel Ballew
(Swinomish). They came to talk about Western’s partnership with Olympic College, which offers four-year degrees at the OC-Poulsbo campus, and to hear more about our higher education programs.
The Delta Kappa Gamma Society honored Bearon Old Coyote as an outstanding teacher for his work as a cultural arts instructor at Chief Kit sap Academy. The ceremony was held at Poulsbo City Hall and hosted by the city of Poulsbo. Coun cil members, staff, friends and family gathered to honor Bearon and the other area teachers for their work with our students. (See photo below.)
Federal and state government continue to en gage with tribal governments on strategies for preserving natural resources. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 Administrator Ca sey Sixkiller (Cherokee) invited me over to EPA headquarters in Seattle to talk to him and his col leagues about our treaty rights and our work pre serving our ancestral waters and ecosystems for present and future generations.
Dow Constantine, King County Executive, invited me to sit in on his “State of the County” address where he had a similar message about the county’s commitment to environmental protection.
Kitsap County Commissioner Rob Gelder met with us to ask tribal support of the Central Kitsap Treatment Plant capital improvements. This will upgrade the digesters that process all of the wastewater solids in the county.
We welcomed the meeting of the federal and state agencies that are managing the Natural Resource Damage Assessment for the Bremerton Gasworks site on Port Washington Narrows. We are at the beginning stages of analyzing the damages of this natural gas plant, which operated from 1930 to 1963.
Join
CKA instructor Bearon Old Coyote was honored as Outstanding Educator by the Delta Kappa Gamma Society at Poulsbo City Hall on March 21, 2023. Megan Feeney was also recognized for an earlier award she received during COVID.
Tribal Council Members Denita Holmes and Sammy Mabe joined me in meeting with Assistant Secretary of the Navy for the Environment Meredith Berger and other US Navy officials and staff to inform them of the Suquamish Tribe and our treaty rights protection efforts. We discussed the Navy’s proposed construction at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and our expectations for meaningful consultation on the project’s impacts.
— Leonard Forsman Suquamish Tribe ChairName Title Department
Rachel Parsons Community Nutritionist Human Services
Logan Green Finance Director Finance
Alan Deam DCD Construction Manger DCD
Jennifer Kerlee Court Clerk Tribal Court
*Marcus Mabe Housing Maintenance Manger DCD
Matthew Wagoner-Adamo Police Officer SPD
Islamuddin Shirzad Police Officer SPD
* Tribal member
Humans are relational beings; our brains are primed from birth to connect with others. Healthy and attuned relationships help us survive as a species, and are needed for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. As children, we depend on adults. Supportive and healthy parents/caregivers who provide safety, security, consistency/predictability, and positive engagement nurture children who grow into contributing, healthy and whole adults.
Unfortunately, a number of children do not receive the safety, security, and engagement they need. Additionally, if a child experiences an overwhelmingly distressful event, they can suffer trauma. Relational trauma occurs when this harm is caused by someone trusted by the child. Repeated or prolonged traumas can cause complex trauma responses which, without treatment, can hurt us psychologically, emotionally, physically and/or spiritually throughout life.
The effects of trauma can be devastating and life altering. Our brains convert resources meant for learning and growing to energy spent constantly scanning the environment for danger, merely trying to survive rather than thrive.
Relational trauma, especially when repeated, can make it difficult to navigate daily life. It can be hard to leave the house in the morning if you
believed the world is unsafe, that people are dangerous, that life holds no promise. We can feel guilt and shame, even when we’ve done nothing wrong, and those emotions often turn into anger and despair, resulting in self-defeating beliefs. One trauma survivor describes it this way:
“The best way I can describe how I experience life is by comparing it to watching a scary, suspenseful movie, anxiously waiting for something to happen, palms sweating, heart pounding, on the edge of my chair. What makes it worse is I think I’m the only one in the world who feels this way, that no one could ever understand, and if they did know what happened to me, they wouldn’t want anything more to do with me.”
Rather than taking a chance and trusting or engaging others, many will turn down life-enhancing opportunities, fearing rejection or abandonment.
Spiritual and cultural practices, community events/services, and well-meaning people can greatly help those who have suffered maltreatment, but if a person is fearful of connection, it can be difficult to initiate or to accept.
Many mental health or addiction-related services, although potentially helpful, can deepen
The Native Wellness Institute was in Suquamish on March 21-23, training tribal government staff in what it means to be trauma and healing informed. The training, organized by Tribal Courts, linked the struggles many tribal members experience to the history of trauma, beginning when early European explorers brought disease that killed large numbers of every community. The history continued with violence, the taking of lands, war, and eventually the taking of children to boarding schools.
It’s little wonder that many who experienced these forms of trauma passed down their hurt to generations that followed.
Suquamish has invested in healing through the wellness program, substance abuse treatment, sobriety support, TCW, lots of support for children,
and many other ways those who take steps to heal are supported in doing so. This training was just the latest step.
“We wanted to offer this training to all staff to create a common understanding of trauma and its impacts on all of us,” said Alexis Anderson, Court director and Judge Cindy Smith. “We wanted to break down silos and enable all of us to better serve the community. And we wanted to create a common language for working with each other and the community. i.e. You are Awesome!”
The Native Wellness Institute draws on the teachings and traditions of ancestors to promote the well-being of Native people. The trainers, LoVina Louie (Coeur d’Alene/Colville/Nez Perce) and Gene Tagaban (Tlingit/Cherokee/Filipino) brought their own experiences and stories from
guilt and shameful feelings if required by the courts and other mandates. Voluntary participation under the control of the individual is always preferable.
Fortunately, those working for healing are increasingly knowledgeable about trauma and its effects on an individual throughout their life. Trauma-informed support understands there are links between trauma, its symptoms and behaviors, and the difficulty of accepting help and support. It takes time to create the safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness, and empowerment necessary for healing.
The good news is that once a person begins to heal, their focus can change from merely surviving to thriving, re-engaging in a life with purpose and meaning, bonding with healthy family and community culture and support, open to joy, wonder, and excitement about what is possible.
The curtain lifts that had separated us from others, and we begin to notice the services, people, and opportunities that have always been there. Life comes full circle when we can notice, with gratitude, the love, support, and encouragement available to us in our everyday lives.
— Lori Glover, LICSW, LMHCtheir ancestors to the training, and offered resources and videos, many of which can be found on their website: www.NativeWellness.com.
“We now have a collective capacity for understanding how it affects our community, our work, and ourselves, said Anderson and Smith. “This will help inform our practices and how we deliver services to our community.”
— Sarah van GelderTribal government staff and a tribal member-led support group teamed up to host a small but special welcome home celebration in March.
“The staff at Wellness and Human Services realized that we had an unusually large number of members away at treatment — people taking on the difficult work of changing everything about their lives,” said Brian Burwell, a clinical supervisor for the tribe. “We wanted to recognize the work that they are doing, a way to say ‘we see you.’ We also wanted to let them know that our community will be available both as support and as an accountability partner.”
The staff partnered with the Suquamish Wellbriety Group — a recovery support group that was started by tribal members and now meets weekly — to host a welcome home dinner for those who recently returned from inpatient treatment.
“Wellness and Human Services staff provided the food, but the work and the community support came from the Wellbriety Group,” said Burwell. “It was wonderful. I am grateful I had the opportunity to be part of something so important.”
If you would like to know more about addiction recovery options for you or a love one, contact Burwell at bburwell@Suquamish.nsn.us or (360) 394-8553.
— Jon AndersonIt’s April already! 2023 is off to a good start, and we are ending our first quarter.
Last month was action packed with General Council. I want to acknowledge Amanda Carper’s and Rosie Bayes’ hard work organizing and putting together a successful meeting. I also want to thank the IT staff who are always ready to assist.
Staff attended the Native Wellness Institute training, and we will be working on how we will implement what we learned. We look forward to offering this training for community members — look for an announcement soon.
We are recruiting for several positions, including a Cultural Director, which is very exciting!
I’ll be meeting with Legal, Courts and TCW as we await the outcome of the Supreme Court decision on ICWA to start planning what the future might look like if the Indian Child Welfare Act is ruled unconstitutional. We hope that the Supreme
For years, volunteers and staff at the Tribe’s Gorst fish rearing facility had only the most basic accommodations. A small shed has served as an office since at least the mid-1980s, with “soft” floors and infested with rodents, and an outdoor pit toilet. No hand washing. Hatchery culturists Scott Hammersberg and James Fergus have made do with that as office space and shelter for years, according to Fisheries Administration Program Manager Kim Kumpf.
The work environment will be greatly improving soon thanks to a new office building that arrived on site this winter. Arriving in two parts, the building was installed on a concrete pad close to Gorst Creek. The facility is located on city of Bremerton land, and it took some time to negotiate the details of the building site process. Plantings and some final improvements need to be completed before occupancy, which Marine Fish Program Manager Casey Schmidt expects will happen this summer.
The current office shed will be knocked down, according to Kumpf.
The Gorst facility is used to raise approximately
Court reaches the only obvious conclusion, but we want to be prepared anyway. Either way, we believe that thanks to our relationship with the state of Washington, we will be able to continue to preserve Native families and our sovereignty.
While Tribal Council lifted the state of emergency for COVID, it doesn’t mean that COVID is not still with us, and we will continue to take precautions to keep our community safe and government offices open.
As the sun starts to shine through the clouds more, we hope that everyone gets a chance to get outside and also join Sammy and his staff up at the Fitness Center. We are really excited about the Elders fitness class! Our Elders can use the step counters they received at the Elders Council meeting up at the Fitness Center to get all of their steps in, and bring that blood pressure down!
April is Child Abuse Prevention month, and the TCW department has activities planned –look for those announcements in the Weekly Updates!
— Catherine Edwards, Executive Director2 million Chinook from December until they are released in to Gorst Creek in June. These fish support the Sinclair Inlet fishery, which is one of the tribe’s most lucrative fin fishery, says Schmidt.
About 350,000 Coho salmon are also raised at the facility from May until they are moved to delayed-release net pens in Agate Pass in March. There they are adapted to salt water and fed for a few months before being released.
This delayed release survival strategy increases their survival rate and supports an on-reservation Coho fishery, according to Schmidt.
‘First step in a health care vision for our people’
Citizens of the Suquamish Tribe celebrated the grand opening of the new Healing House health clinic March 17.
“Our Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855 promises us a physician,” noted Suquamish Chairman Leonard Forsman in remarks to dozens of tribal members and dignitaries assembled under a sunny sky outside the clinic’s entryway.
Some 168 years later, he said “those promises are starting to come true here. This clinic is just a first step in a vision that we have in providing health care for our people.”
Opening the ceremony, Tribal Elder Marilyn Jones offered a prayer of thanks. “We thank you for the beautiful people who will come here. We thank you for the healing hands who are going to work in this building, for the people who are going to share their knowledge of healing with our people,” she said.
In her blessing on the clinic, Tribal Elder Della Crowell said, “this has been a dream of the Suquamish Tribe for many, many years. ... I know our ancestors are looking down on us and their hands are up and they’re smiling.”
Students and staff with Chief Kitsap Academy’s Song & Dance group, offered songs to help inaugurate the clinic with the sound of drums and singing and the graceful movements of the dancers. As the songs drifted into the air, a pod of orca whales passed by along the Suquamish waterfront a short distance away.
Language Program Coordinator Lena Maloney, with her assistant Joey Holmes alongside her, explained the Lushootseed name for the clinic, h ə l i ʔ i l a l ʔ t x ʷ. The root words, she said, are a combination of life and becoming well.
The new 4,000-square-foot building has served as the home of the Tribe’s Community Health team since July, where nursing staff have provided vaccinations and COVID testing, among a wide range of other services.
Community Health Manager Dr. Barbara Hoffman recalled helping start the Tribe’s health care program more than 20 years ago with a tiny staff. These days, she said couldn’t more proud of her ten-person staff made up largely of tribal members and descendants. Joining Community Health at Healing House is the new Primary Care
Team, which began seeing their first patients at the beginning of March.
Healing House Medical Director Dr. Kristine Ewing introduced each of the new staff and spoke of what she has learned to be their super powers as the team has come together.
Front desk receptionist and tribal member Elizabeth Napoleon, for example, will be the first person most new patients meet, said Ewing. “Every day, every new patient is a new adventure and she is weathering it and thriving. Her super powers are her common sense and getting things done and her openness to new experiences.”
Registered nurse Cecilia William is another tribal member on the primary care staff. “Her super powers are her persistence and tenacity and her mindfulness. I will also say her command of baby sign language is also source of fun in the clinic,” said Ewing.
All told, between two physicians, several nurses and support staff, the primary care team bring well over a 100 years of clinical experience to Suquamish, said Ewing. Clinic Director Steve Kutz, a member of the Cowlitz Tribe, brings nearly half of that total. “Steve has been a nurse longer than many of us have been alive. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the Indian Health Service,” said Ewing.
Director of Indian Health Service Roselyn
Tsopraised the tribe’s efforts to bring top-notch heath care to its citizens.
“Let me tell you something, to have two doctors here already is a huge accomplishment,” said Tso to a round of applause. “Doctors at that! Not mid-level providers, which there’s nothing wrong with, but I hear from tribes all the time how much they want doctors. So, I just commend you for striving for that and getting the best that you have here.”
Acknowledging and thanking dignitaries and delegates from all levels of county, state, and federal government, Forsman said he was excited to see the new clinic fully open and now begin offering a wider range of health care options to tribal members and their families.
“With the state of health care in Kitsap County, I think we’re very fortunate to have this option,” said Forsman. “I really appreciate everybody’s hard work to get this clinic here.” He noted a tribal clinic is especially important “for our local people here who may have an aversion to going to a non-tribal facility, they can now come here with some of the best professional people we’ve been able to recruit.”
The ceremony closed with the ceremonial cutting of the red ribbon across the clinic entryway by Tribal Elder Dickie Johnson.
— Jon AndersonLearn how to say Healing House in Lushootseed, həliʔilalʔtxʷ by pointing your phone at this link.
continued from March 2023 Suquamish News
Owen Bradley Goodson Born: 8/16/2022
Parents: Regan Bradwell and Cecil Goodson
Grandparent: Edward Bradwell
Great grandmother (Yaya): Dickie Johnson
Can you find the hidden words listed below?
Maya Wonder Purser Born: 1/3/2022
Parents: Christopher Purser & Jolene Cari
Grandparents: Ron Purser & Elodie Atkinson, Stan Cari & Lee Ann Crimbring
Paisley Rae Woods Born: 12/17/2022
Parents: Jillian Woods (Mills) & Bradley Woods
Grandparents: Luther(Jay) Mills Jr. & Joanie Mills
During our cold weather recently, the Belmont/Tabafunda/Brice families sent us pictures of themselves lounging poolside in shorts, while we tribal brothers and sisters in Suquamish were freezing. The Tabafundas were off to the US Virgin Islands, enjoying sun and fun, while here at home we enjoyed (you guessed it!) MORE freezing rain and snow.
Elders Council worked hard on their annual meeting; many people attended. Treasurer Charlene Renquist flew in from sunny Florida, other Elders came from far and wide. Elder Joanne Collins came down from Canada, and Lori Wolf came up from California! We sadly report that Patty Medina resigned as Member-At-Large, but are grateful to Ken Potts for taking on the position. Patty was honored with a blanket-wrapping. We give many thanks for her service. The winning votes for the 2023 Elders Trip was Honolulu, Hawaii, and an Alaskan cruise.
May the April showers not dampen your spirit! Happy Easter to those who celebrate the holiday.
This comes from Elder Teri Bayes, who cooked many years for the Early Childhood Center. This dish was a favorite of the children, and was recently requested on Facebook. It is a yummy alternative to pie.
1-1/2 cups flour
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 sticks softened butter
2-1/2 cups of sliced and peeled apples
6 to 8 oz sliced or shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together flour, graham crackers crumbs, brown sugar, baking soda and butter. Set aside 1-1/2 cups of crumb mixture. Pat the rest into an ungreased 9x13 baking dish or sheet pan. Put cheese on crumb mixture.
Combine sliced apples with 3/4 cup of sugar, then layer mixture over cheese. Sprinkle remaining 1-1/2 cups of crumb mixture over apples. Bake 30-35 minutes. Let cool & cut into squares.
Happyspring, and welcome to warmer days. We are seeing longer days, a little warmer weather, and more sunlight. Work is going slow and steady with everyone doing their best to bring quality and quantity to the Suquamish Tribe.
Each day I come in and hope to find the very best in my work and the folks I work with, learning, sharing, and teaching each other the Tribe’s culture and history. I enjoy the knowledge I have learned over the years from my Elders and continue to learn each day as I grow here in the job.
The best way to educate the wider community is to educate the folks you work with and showcase the richness of the culture and history of this wonderful place. All too often people believe that they know a place because they live here. However, I grew up here and I only knew a little bit about things until I started doing the Oral History and working for the Suquamish Tribe. The more I did research, shared stories with Elders, asked questions, and had an open mind to really listen and
learn, the more I saw the richness of this place I grew up in and love.
What I want folks to understand is that the place you live and work is a place of rich stories, history, culture, peoples, legends, spiritual beliefs, and myths. Open your hearts, minds, and ears to the world around you, and you will grow and understand all the others in the community and around it so much better.
We are all human and come from many different backgrounds, yet in many ways we are similar in our understandings of the world.
I am thankful to the Elders who came before me who chose to share their stories with me, and to those who are now sharing with our youth and me. They give me the understanding that we always are learning and never stop. No matter how old we are, we are always learning.
If you wish to share your stories with me, contact me at (360) 394-8526 or mjones@suquamish. nsn.us and I will gladly set up an appointment with you. Alternatively, you can contact Heather Purser at (360) 204-9041 or hpurser@suquamish. nsn.us and she will gladly set up an interview with you as well. Thank you.
— Marilyn G. Jones Traditional Heritage Specialist
Nine year old tribal member Victory Mowitch (AKA Numpa) got interested in Motorsports at a young age, from playing with Hotwheels, watching Disney’s “Cars,” NASCAR, Indycar, and Formula 1.
In late 2020, his guardians took him to an indoor karting business, and he discovered the excitement of racing. He competed in the junior league races until late 2021, and went on to complete in many of the 2022 Oregon state Karting Championship series and the Padholder Super Cup Regional Series, finishing the season with two wins and six podium finishes.
Numpa was awarded the championship trophy for the 2022 season in his class against 18 other kids ranging in age from 7-11 years old.
This year he plans to defend his state championship title, competing in events throughout the region.
— Cookie Boyd
Basketball filled the hoops with the teams that Suquamish Sports and Recreation have sponsored this past season both adult and youth teams. This season we had many teams participating in both Native tournaments and area leagues.
The Parks and Recreation winter league has concluded with all our teams having winning seasons. This year we had teams participating in the 3rd grade girls, whose record was 8-1, our 5th grade boy’s record 8-1, and the middle school boys. The teams all finished the season with winning records. Only the middle school team had playoffs and the Suquamish boys finished a respectable second place in the playoffs having to play in the upper gold division. They finished as league champions going undefeated in the silver division and were moved up during the season-ending tournament. Team members for the boys Jr High division were: Joseph Holmes Jr, Papi Lawrence, Bryson Miller, Silas Old Coyote, Jaryk Belgarde, Henryk Goller, Jamie Napora, Sy Sullivan, Ethan Alexander, Kenai Ledesma, Aiden, Eddie Grace, Trevor Mcnew, Sully Korsak, and Cheyenne Damien.
This year we had a total of three teams participating in the Pee Wee Association League of Kitsap County. The EE team is for beginners ages 5 and 6 years. The team continued to improve all season long and came ready to play every game. The Girls D team consisted of 9 years and under. They finished league in 2nd place with a record of seven win and two losses. The girls played for county championships March 25 at the East Bremerton Community Gym. The game was a nail biter, basket for
basket the whole game going into overtime!! The Suquamish girls held on for the WIN ending the season as County Champions in their age division.
The Boys B string team consisted of players of 9 years to 11 years. They finished tied for first place with a record of 9 wins and 1 loss. The boys played a hard fought game in the championships falling short of the Win but finishing overall 2nd. We are all PROUD of all the kids who have been playing this season. Their hard work showed through every practice and every game. We watched them improve every time they stepped on the court.
The youth teams also participated in the native youth tournament in Puyallup and Nisqually.
Suquamish men’s basketball team participated in the Adult Bremerton Basketball Winter League and finished the season tied for second place with
a record of five wins and two losses.
We also have had both adult men and women participate in the Neugen Kautz Jr. Memorial Basketball Tournament in Nisqually with the Suquamish women’s taking third place.
— Craig Miller
Erica Cardiel
Kal-a-Kwah-te Deam
April 2
James Henry Jr.
Lanikai Bagley
April 3
Dawn Adams
Dennis Clark
Willow Manley
April 4
Cori Silvey
Faith Morton
Jordan Baldwin
April 5
Lynn Swanson
Savannah Hill
April 6
Leslie Crowell
Shayla Sigo
April 7
David Watson
Jalysha Covarrubias
Jean Belmont
Katelynn Pratt
Michael Zaiss
Randi Smith
Veronica Rhodes
April 8
Ashley Bradley
Felix Rhodes
Jody Miller
April 9
Breanna Crenna
Martin Parkinson
Robert Cordero
Rosemary Deam
Serene Williams
April 10
Clae-wha-ah Williams
Maxwell Dawes
Samantha Webster
Sea-ots-ton Jones Jr.
April 11
King Stewart
Kyah Pugh
Niccola Armstrong
April 12
Kaikumi Rosario
Tara Witcher
Tracy Iseminger
Trishandra Pickup
April 13
Anthony Forsman
Brenda Vogel
Jonathan Morsette
Modoulamin Suso
Patricia Ostenberg
Tess Cordero
April 14
Alfred Youngblood Jr.
Anthony Baldwin
Chal-chee-quin Williams
Kira Purser
April 15
David Adams
Katheryn Sandoz
April 16
Chelsea Jones
Marcus Eller
Mila Bagley-Morsette
April 17
Genevieve Molina
April 18
Michael Chee
Sierra Jackson
April 19
Conner Maloney
Merle George
April 20
Kelly Melson
April 21
Ariella Valencia
Denise Pezzanite
Erika Pugh
James Wilson
Michelle Kerns
April 22
Daria Whitney
Ebony Neal
Jacob Hill
Mark Crowell
April 23
Cathy Kimmel
Nicholas O’Brien
Ralena Maloney
April 24
Cameron Younger III
Henley Wilson
Teri Bayes
Travis Silvey
April 25
Aleia Talmadge
Christopher Purser
Hi-Ya-Ton Williams
Jesse Silvey
Lea McMillan Jr.
Sophia Hirschy
Steven Anderson
April 26
Destiny Campana
Gabriel Reynolds
Joseph Bagley
Makayla Featherston
April 27
Jesse Ives
April 28
Enoch Scheer
Lee Berlin
Misty Sigo
Timothy Aslakson Jr.
April 29
Andrew Jackson-Nickel
Dylan Jackson
Edward Schaefer
William Lawrence
April 30
Alizay Boyd
Christopher Beckwith
Renee Hommel
The Suquamish Cultural Committee will be accepting written bids from Suquamish Tribal Members for traditional handmade gifts for the 2023 Tribal Canoe Journey.
Maximum cost per gift is $2,000.
Submit bids by Monday, May 1, 2023.
Six gifts will be chosen by the Cultural Committee. Send bids directly to Tina Jackson tjackson@suquamish.nsn.us |360-394-8455
