Meets Nov. 7 & 21. Agenda and links will be sent via Weekly Update & SUN Texts.
PME Board
Meets Nov. 16 & 30, online and in person. Contact Emily Sato at emilysato@ clearwatercasino.com or call (360) 5988703 if you would like to attend.
Suquamish Tribal Gaming Comm.
Meets Nov. 3 & 17. Museum Conference Room. Contact Angela Brainerd at (360) 394-8652 for details.
Meets online Nov. 15. Seafoods Retail is open Thurs-Sun. Contact Shanel Carlson at (360) 394-8512 for details.
Suquamish Museum new hours: Mon. & Tues. by appointment. Wed-Sun. 10am5pm. For board meeting info, contact TJ Johnson at (360) 394-8499.
Meetings are on first Tuesdays at 5:30pm at Suquamish Warriors Vet Center. For information, contact Bill Gemmell at (360) 536-0007.
Weaving Class Learn to make a reindeer ornament, Sat. Nov. 5, 10-11:30am. To register, contact Ashley Weller (360)3947123 or aweller@suquamish.nsn.us.
Daylight Saving Time Sun., Nov. 6. Fall back one hour.
Election Day Tues., Nov. 8.
Veterans Day Fri., Nov. 11. Tribal government offices closed.
Thanksgiving gift cards will be distribut ed Nov. 21-23 (Details to come via SUN). Government offices closed Nov. 24-25.
Suquamish Holiday Bazaar Nov. 19 & 20, Dec. 3 & 4, and Dec. 17 & 18, 9am4pm at House of Awakened Culture.
Wisdom Warriors Support Group Monthly Support group meets second Wednesday of each month. Next meeting is Nov. 9, 2-4pm in Council Chambers.
Getting Ready for Winter Culture Night Nov. 30, 3:30-7:30pm at House of Awak ened Culture. Info at (360) 394-8576.
Tribal Elder Ed Carriere (center) was honored for leading work on building the Mat House, now standing on Museum grounds. He was aided by many, including (from left) Spencer West, Duane Pasco, Betty Pasco, Lloyd Belmont, and Lydia Sigo, who was also honored for her years of service on the Museum staff. (Photo by Sarah van Gelder)
• 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, ad dress, 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.
Leonard Forsman Chairman
Josh Bagley Vice-Chair
Windy Anderson Secretary
Denita Holmes Treasurer
Rich Purser Member Sammy Mabe Member Luther Mills, Jr. Member
Reproduction of Suquamish News, in whole or in part, without written permission from the Suquamish Tribe is strictly prohibited.
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
Publishers of the Suquamish News reserve the right to refuse publica tion of letters to the editor and guest editorials. Submission of editori als 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.
Ceremony honors those who helped create the Mat House and also Lydia Sigo for her years of work at the Suquamish Museum
On the Museum grounds, sheltered under tall cedars, the Suquamish Tribe’s new Mat House was blessed on Oct. 14.
The creation of the Mat House was led by Tribal El der Ed Carriere, who designed the house with help from
master carver Duane Pasco. Gene Jones had split some of the cedar boards many years earlier; others were split on Museum grounds last year. Tule mats were created by Ed Carriere, with many coming by the Museum to help. (See February 2022 Suquamish News for more of the story.)
At the October blessing, Tribal Elder Dickie John son offered a blessing. Tribal Council member Denita Holmes led royalty and others in blessing the house with cedar bows and water, while Song and Dance sang and drummed. Tribal Elder Marilyn Wandrey presided.
Also at the ceremony, Lydia Sigo was honored for her years of service at the Museum, and she, in turn, ex pressed her gratitude to Marilyn Jones, former Museum director, for her mentoring.
Lydia Sigo and Ed Carriere were both wrapped in blan kets, and young royalty distributed gifts to all.
Photos by Sarah van Gelder and JoAnn Joe
It’s an early October morning at Chief Kitsap Academy and for Bearon Old Coyote and his carving class students it’s like Christmas has come early. Whatever chill might be in the air is cut through by a palpable excitement. Today is the day the construction fences come down and the keys are handed over to the red and black-trimmed building that’s been under construction since summer break.
Junior Nisrine Ridani was also impressed. A Suquamish Tribal Descendant, she grew up in Morroco and only recently moved to Suquamish with the rest of her family.
“It’s exciting. I knew carving was part of Suquamish culture, but I didn’t know much about it. I’d never even seen a canoe before,” she says. And now she’s looking forward to carving one.
Freshman Luther Mills IV says he’s thankful for the new building and the opportunities it will bring.
Old Coyote shows the kids around. “The classroom will be on this side,” he says, then pointing through a wall of windows, ”with the carving room in there.”
The new 1700-square-foot building has an open peaked ceiling big enough to work on 12-foot-tall projects. The facility will feature brand-new professional-grade woodworking machinery and carving gear. Big windows let in plenty of natural light, and a tall, pull-up garage-style door is big enough to bring in all but the widest of cedar logs.
“We’ve been waiting for this for quite some time now,” says Old Coyote. “I’m just excited that it’s finally here.”
Ever since Chief Kitsap Academy moved to its new campus in 2018, there’s been talk of building a carving studio here. And since then, Old Coyote’s high school carving classes have all started in the school’s 10-passenger blue van, where he’d take attendance then drive the students down to the old campus, next the Tribe’s fish processing plant.
Known simply as the carving shed, the cramped outbuilding was notoriously cold in winter and had seen better days.
“It’s hard to carve with gloves on,” says CKA sophomore Taylon Lowe, who was among the wide-eyed students filing through the new building. “Wow, we’ve got a lot of room now.”
“One of the things I love about carving is that you can make things to give to other people,” says Mills. Right now, he’s working on a rattle to give to his sister. “I started getting more into singing recently. So I just think it would be cool to sing with my sister at jams with a rattle that I made for her.”
Old Coyote says it’s a little bittersweet finally leaving the old campus.
“I love it down there. Being down by the water and all memories there. I grew up when that was the Tribal Center. My dad worked maintenance there, and I would go to work with him. I will miss being down there.”
Old Coyote first learned carving from his grandfather, renowned master carver Steve Old Coyote. “I was always out in his shed watching and learning. He helped me do a project when I was in elementary school, carving one of the Easter Island heads. That was the first thing I ever actually carved.”
Old Coyote credits others for helping him learn along the way, including Sammy Mabe, who showed him the finer points of carving paddles, as well as carving masters Dusty Humphries and Jimmy Price. Old Coyote says he still feels like he has so much more to learn.
“I’m still pretty green at carving, far from an expert or master for sure, but I love teaching our students the basics and helping their own talent grow,” he says.
Students at Chief Kitsap Academy — including (from L-R) Nisrine Ridani, Luther Mills IV, and Taylon Lowe — are looking forward to working in the school’s new Carving Den with instructor Bearon Old Coyote (top left).
“That’s another reason I’m so excited for this new building and to have this kind of space because it creates opportunity to collaborate with people like Jimmy Price or Dusty Humphries to work on projects. So we can all learn together,” says Old Coyote.
Once all the new equipment is moved in, and he and his students have had a chance to settle into their new domain, Old Coyote wants to inaugurate the Carving Den with an ambitious project.
“I want to do something big to start off — I’m leaning towards a welcome figure, maybe 10 to 12 feet tall, for our campus. Something that literally welcomes you as you’re driving in.”
King County and the Suquamish Tribe have signed a settlement stemming from the County’s release of sewage into Puget Sound. The agreement came out of settlement talks following a July 2020 notice from the Tribe that it intended to file a lawsuit for violations of federal clean water law and for infringement on the Tribe’s Treaty rights.
“The Suquamish Tribe is pleased that King Coun ty recognizes the seriousness of this issue and worked with us to protect Puget Sound,” said Suquamish Tribal Chairman Leonard Forsman when the agreement was announced.
The settlement requires upgrades to King County fa cilities, including the West Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. The settlement also requires the County to fund ecological restoration projects in Puget Sound that will support the recovery of salmon, orca, and other marine life.
And, King County will compensate the Tribe for past releases of wastewater, which impacted Tribal fisheries, and for the legal and technical costs of taking legal ac tion against the County.
“The Tribe took legal action when it became clear that the County was failing to protect the water quality in Puget Sound as required by the Clean Water Act, and the pollution was interfering with our Treaty fishing rights,” Forsman said. “We could no longer stand on the sidelines hoping conditions would improve.”
“In 2019, tribal canoe families from all over the Salish Sea landing in Suquamish during the annual Tribal Ca noe Journey had to paddle through one of the county’s largest untreated sewage spills. This pollution created an immediate health hazard for the tribal community and disrupted an important cultural event,” Forsman noted.
The 2019 event was just the latest in a series of pollu tion events. In July 2020, the Tribe notified King County that it was responsible for at least 11 significant illegal discharges of untreated sewage from the WPTP into the Tribe’s treaty-protected fishing areas, with individ ual discharge events ranging from 50,000 gallons to 2.1 million gallons.
Sewage discharges foul the water and habitat for aquatic species, result in closure of beaches where Suquamish Tribal members harvest shellfish, prompt recalls of commercially sold shellfish, interfere with tribal member harvest and sale of salmon, and disturb important cultural activities such as the annual Canoe
Journey. Fecal coliform bacteria pollution is a persistent threat to human health, and the safe harvest and con sumption of fish.
The settlement agreement, finalized on Sept 27, 2022, when the King County Council unanimously agreed to the terms, requires King County to:
• Upgrade infrastructure to eliminate or reduce fur ther untreated discharges into Puget Sound. A strict penalty framework is tied to the infrastruc ture upgrade deadlines, and if missed, the County
is required to pay $40,000 for a missed deadline and $10,000 for each additional month of delay
• Invest in environmental projects that will make up for the damage to marine habitats caused by the spills. These projects are tied to near-shore habitat restoration or other mutually agreed environmental protection projects in the amount of $2.4 million within five years.
• Compensate the Suquamish Tribe to cover legal and technical costs associated with the discharges
• Pay the Suquamish Tribe $2.5 million to compen sate for impacts to the Tribe associated with the last five years of discharges and future tribal impacts from any additional spills that might occur through the end of 2024.
• Pay additional penalties to the tribal mitigation fund for any spill events that occur after January 1, 2025, from WPTP’s emergency bypass.
“This framework holds King County accountable for protecting the water quality in Puget Sound,” said Chairman Forsman.
“The entire Puget Sound community deserves clean water. The shellfish, orca, salmon, crab, geoduck and shrimp all rely on a healthy marine environment, and all of our children – and children’s children – deserve clean water,” said Chairman Forsman.
The Tribe took legal action when it became clear that King County was failing to protect the water quality in Puget Sound.
to hear the needs of Indian Country regarding international trade. I spoke of the importance of Asian markets, especially in China, for our seafood product exports.
In respect to our state government relations, there were three meetings that addressed state/tribal issues. These included the American Indian Health Commission annual meeting that included a dinner and presentation on data sharing protocols. Public inquiries regarding health data prompted a discussion on how to protect our tribal data from misinterpretation.
The Washington Low Income Housing Alliance presented its findings to the Washington State Health Care Authority during a virtual meeting that included recommendations of best practices for providing adequate housing for at-risk populations in Washington State.
The Suquamish Tribe continues to maintain its diplomatic relationships with local, state and federal government representatives.
King County Council Chair Claudia Balducci visited the Port Madison Indian Reservation to learn about Suquamish cultural traditions, history, and our governmental priorities. We toured the Museum and had an informative exchange of information with staff and Suquamish Tribal Vice-Chairman Josh Bagley.
I participated in a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of Discovery Park. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Muckleshoot tribal historian Warren KingGeorge joined me and park supporters in recognition of the founding of the park. The West Point Archaeological Site is an important part of the park’s identity, and its occupation by our ancestors dates back 4,000 years.
Another interesting event was the investiture of U.S. District Court Judge Lauren King (Muscogee) held at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. Judge King has had a significant career as a tribal attorney both for her people and for several coastal tribes here in Washington State. I had the honor of speaking at the ceremony, witnessed by U.S. District Court judges, tribal attorneys, and tribal court judges, including our own Chief Judge Cindy Smith.
The Biden Administration requires federal agencies to conduct meaningful consultation with tribal governments. As part of that process, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai met online with tribal representatives
Members of the State Legislature traveled to Poulsbo to get feedback and updates on how local governments are managing mental health emergencies. The legislators, including Sen. Emily Randall (D-Port Orchard), discussed the roll-out of the “988” mental health crisis phone line and announced the addition of a #4 option reserved for American Indian callers to receive culturally appropriate outreach.
The Suquamish Museum Board met and received updates on new projects, staffing plans, and collections management. Heather Purser is initiating the new oral history project and is already conducting interviews.
I was asked to provide some words of welcome to the Bainbridge Island Rotary’s 75th anniversary celebration held at Kiana Lodge. The Bainbridge Rotary has accomplished many important projects and the group is looking to make more history in the coming years.
Thanks to everyone who helped honor the life of our recently departed Tribal Elder Ivy Cheyney. I was honored to offer a few words and to participate in the ceremonies out at Jefferson Head/Doe-Kag-Wats in her honor.
By Leonard Forsman, Suquamish Tribe Chairman
Tribal Council will meet on the following dates through the rest of 2022: Nov. 7, 21; Dec. 5, 12.
pədƛ’xʷayʔ - Time of the dog/chum salmon (November)
Phrase of the Week
Week one – pədƛ’xʷayʔ Time of the dog/chum salmon (November)
Week two – ʔuhigʷəd čəł ti stubšədədčəł We honor our warriors
Week three – ʔəsk’ʷədiid čəd txʷəl ti _____ I am thankful for _____
Week four – hiił təkiəłdat Happy Turkey Day (Thanksgiving)
Week Five – səxʷšic'əlwaʔs Sheath your paddles (December)
In-person Lushootseed language classes have resumed! We are inviting tribal families and community to drop in for our Wednesday night 5-7:30pm family language classes located at 15838 Sandyhook Rd. Poulsbo, WA 98370. Dinner is provided!
The following editorial by Chairman Leonard Forsman was published in the Seattle Times on September 30, 2022, the National Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools.
Sept. 30, Friday, is Orange T-shirt day, named for a child who had her shiny new T-shirt taken from her on her first day at a residential school. The T-shirt, a gift from her grandmother, was never returned.
The more formal name for today is the Day of Re membrance for Indian Boarding Schools. It’s a time to pause to recall the many ways our ancestors, our fam ilies and our communities were traumatized by the boarding school system, a project intended to erase our culture and ways of life — an effort many have called genocide.
The “Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative In vestigative Report” was released this year as a response to the identification of 169 unmarked graves of First Nations children who attended the St. Bernard Mission School in Alberta, Canada.
Requested by U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (member of the Laguna Pueblo), the report shows that the agenda was even broader then earlier thought: “The assimilation of Indian children through the Federal In dian boarding school system was intentional and part of that broader goal of Indian territorial dispossession for the expansion of the United States.”
In other words, they took our children in part to make it easier to take our lands.
This is not a surprising revelation to the Suquamish Tribe. The timing of the allotment of the reservation (1886), the beginning of mandatory attendance of Suqua mish children at Tulalip and other schools (1900-1920), the condemnation of the Old Man House village by the military (1905), and the passage of laws allowing forced sale of reservation lands (1906) was not a coincidence.
We urge Congress to establish a Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding Schools. The Nation al Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) after nearly 10 years of research, has identified at least 367 schools that operated in the United States. But NABS has located just 38 percent of the records for the 367 schools, and few have been fully analyzed.
We need to learn more, including the number of children forced to attend the schools, the number who were abused, died or went missing.
And we need to know the long-term impacts on the children and the families of children who were forced to attend the Indian Boarding Schools. The Truth and
Healing Commis sion can help with this much-needed investigation.
The Interior Department report recommends in vestments in lan guage preservation and revitalization to counter the impacts of the assimilation efforts of the fed eral government. We agree that lan guage revitalization is important and necessary. But the broader goal of as similation was to take our reservation and other lands, and the Suquamish Tribe will be pressing the federal government to increase investment in land restoration as part of the relief owed to our Tribe for the suffering and long-term impacts of the Boarding School era.
Tulalip Boarding School teachers and students. Many Suquamish Tribal members attended this school. (Photo courtesy of the Suquamish Museum.)
haʔlid ʔə ti pədt’əsəbil
Neighborhood Dates
We must also work on identifying best practices to address the trauma. Many of the students adapted, en dured and found ways to overcome and succeed within the system, and became mentors and leaders of their tribal nations despite the intent of the boarding school system. Still, many suffered in the past and many for mer students and their offspring continue to struggle today.
Anger and resentment are justified, but we must commit ourselves to the healing process. I believe some of the healing has begun through our investment in our cultural programs, including language revitalization, our new museum and the tribal Canoe Journeys.
This is a difficult and traumatic process for our peo ple, and we need to take care of ourselves as more in formation is discovered regarding burial sites and the destructive practices employed at the boarding schools where school instructors and officials worked to elim inate the language and culture of the Indian students.
Many of us might struggle with the challenges of reliving this dark era and its aftermath. Still, healing begins with a reckoning of what took place, and that means full disclosure, acknowledgment, and repara tions through land restoration.
By Leonard ForsmanSackman: Saturday, Oct. 29, 9am-3:30pm
Woolly Dog: Saturday, Nov. 5, 9am-3:30pm
George Lane: Saturday, Nov. 12, 9am-3:30pm
Adams: Saturday, Nov. 19, 9am-3:30pm
Note: no empty, leaking, or damaged containers.
• Liquid household wastes (up to 15-gallons/ household): paints, oils (including cooking oils), antifreeze, cleaning products, flammable liquids and solvents, and herbicides and pesticides
• Household batteries, aerosol cans, fluorescent tubes and CFL bulbs, mercury thermometers, and road flares
• Other household wastes (up to 10 items/ household): isobutane or butane/propane pressurized fuel canisters, propane bottles (1 liter or smaller), and auto batteries
We are not accepting household garbage, furniture, appliances, mattresses, or electronics.
If you have larger quantities or questions, please contact Jaime Lawrence, Solid Waste Coordinator, at (360) 471-3500
The Fall Distribution will be mailed or direct deposited on November 4. (Pickup is not available.) Please make sure your address is current with the Enrollment Dept. To update, contact Janis Marquez at: (360) 394-8437 or jmarquez@ suquamish.nsn.us before October 28.
If you would like to sign up for direct deposit, please contact Staci Jocson in the Finance Dept. at (360) 394-8432 or sjocson@suquamish.nsn.us by October 28. There is a form to fill out, and you will need to attach a voided check or a print out from your banking institution with your name, bank routing, and account number. Eligible enrolled Tribal Members must be age 18 years or over, on or before the distribution date.
The distribution is non-taxable, and no IRS Form 1099 will be issued.
Members who are in the ABON program will have the same distribution date and will not receive a separate payment. Monthly and quarterly amounts will differ. Members who are in the A&D (Aged and Disabled) program will not receive a separate distribution payment; their distribution will be added to their regular A&D monthly payments.
For more info about both ABON and A&D programs, please contact Craig Nelson in Human Services at: (360) 394-8535 or cnelson@suquamish.nsn.us.
In its tenth month, the Tribe’s reimagined re-entry program has formed a leadership Tribal member sub-team to bring forth the best healing opportunities for our community. Our most recent monthly talking circles have focused on ways to better care for Tribal members who are struggling.
“Being there for our Tribal members” was the theme of last month’s discussion, and the conversation turned to those in the Tribal community who are experiencing homelessness.
“With the weather getting colder and wetter, we have to find a way to be here for those who are homeless,” said Begin Again Program Coordinator Anna Mayes. “We can do something about their immediate needs to be warm and dry.”
The group decided to create a donation box and set it in the lobby of the Human Services and Fisheries building. Through December 12, the Begin Again team will collect new or gently used coats, hats, gloves, socks, boots, rain ponchos, blankets and sleeping bags to distribute to tribal members who will weather the winter months unsheltered.
Tribal Elder Aggie Pratt said, “It’s our native
to take care of our hurting. The time to do something is right now.”
In addition to donations for the homeless, Tribal members can contribute
to the Begin Again mission to provide connection to culture, community, and choices for personal wellness, says Mayes. “All suggestions and recommendations to move our community project forward are welcome.”
rnellenbach@suquamish.nsn.us
In the meantime, the Community Health team and WIC are already pro viding some care at the clinic.
And more will be added as new staff come online.
Here are the services currently avail able at Healing House:
At their regular meeting on Oct. 3, Suquamish Tribal Council approved four new job descriptions for key staff at the Healing House health clinic.
That approval paves the way for the Tribe to begin the hiring process for an office manager, medical assistants, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses.
Executive Director Catherine Edwards also told Council that clinic staff are on the cusp of purchasing the Electronic Health Records (or EHR) management software that will provide the clinic’s backbone for medical record keeping and secure, private communication with clients.
“It’s a hard time to be hiring medical professionals because of the pandemic. And those we do hire will need to be trained on the new EHR,” says the clin ic’s Medical Director Dr. Kristine Ewing. “But, as long as we can find the right people for these positions, we are now on track to celebrate our grand opening in early 2023.”
COVID-19 Testing – Community Health provides drive-up COVID testing to Suquamish Tribe Households and family members, Tribal government staff, and Tribal enterprise employees weekdays from 8:30am to noon. Park on the side of the Healing House build ing near the back and call the number posted on the building and a nurse will come to you.
COVID/Flu Vaccinations – Community Health provides initial COVID-19 vacci nations and boosters as well flu shots to Suquamish Tribe households and family members, Tribal government staff, and Tribal enterprise employees. Drive-up vaccinations are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30am to noon. Call (360) 394-8469 to schedule.
WIC – Anyone with children under 5 years old or pregnant, or who needs support with breastfeeding can get help with the WIC Program. For information about arranging services, please call (360) 394-8473.
For more information, call Health Clinic Director Steve Kutz at office: (360) 394-85552 or cell: (360) 620-3332.
By Jon AndersonWith fall final ly here, we’re gearing up for the holidays, starting with the big Halloween bash for the Tribal commu nity on Oct. 28. Hope you have a spooktacular holiday and enjoy time with family during the holiday season.
While some of us may or may not celebrate Thanksgiving, I would like to take a moment to count my blessings and give thanks for the honor of work ing for the Suquamish Tribe, working with the staff, and the ability to serve the community. I did celebrate my one year anniversary, and I’m looking forward to the next one!
We’re especially excited about Veterans Day this year since our Suquamish War riors will be going to Washington, D.C., for the National Native American Veter ans Memorial dedication on Nov. 11.
Holiday distributions are coming up on November 4 (see page 8). Remem ber to let Janis Marquez in enrollment know if your address has changed (jmarquez@suquamish.nsn.us). Or sign up for direct deposit by contacting Sta ci Jocson in Finance at (360) 394-8432.
Look for a full opening of the clinic in early 2023. Meanwhile, you’ll see ads for staff for the clinic, including nurses and the rest of the medical team.
We’re also hiring police officers, a hatchery manager, a forestry intern, and many more positions.
For the forestry intern position, we’re looking for a Suquamish Tribal citizen who will get on-the-job training and sup port while they go to school so they can eventually become our forestry manager. There will be other opportunities for Tribal members to learn on the job and pursue careers in Tribal government.
Check out our job board. There are many listings, and we are especially looking to fill positions with Suquamish family members.
We’re excited about the recent hires, with many new staff members coming from leadership positions in Indian Country.
The Museum Board did an excellent job when they hired Rita Lara (Oneida), who has a deep background with the Oneida Museum. If you have a chance, go meet her! It’s exciting watching their new proj ects take off. Heather Purser has started work on an oral history project, and she’ll be recording interviews with our Elders.
If you haven’t gotten it already, you should strongly consider getting the new COVID-19 booster as soon as possible.
That’s the advice from the Suqua mish Community Health manager Dr. Barbara Hoffman, who says the boost er shots will provide extra protection heading into the colder winter season and upcoming holidays as everyone begins spending more time indoors.
And now, with recent approval from the FDA, children as young as five years old can get the new booster.
The updated bivalent boosters were created to specifically to target the Omicron COVID-19 variant and now-dominant highly contagious subvariants.
The Omicron booster is available to those who have already had two boost ers as long as it’s been two months since your most recent booster. It is also available for those are pregnant or breastfeeding. Standard pediatric Covid vaccinations are also available for children six months and older.
Some say the pandemic is over, but we still have active COVID cases, and public health experts say that there may be another spike this winter. I hope you keep yourself safe and healthy as we move into the holiday season.
Please be careful when you gather, consider social distancing and masking when you are traveling or in crowds.
It is also flu season. If you haven’t yet gotten your flu shot, you can get one and also an Omicron boosters at the Healing House clinic on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30am to noon.
Beginning in November, if not a little sooner, we will have the Omicron boost er available for children age 5 and up.
Please stop by at the Museum gift shop. Rita and the museum staff have stocked some beautiful items there, and many were created by Suquamish Tribal artists. You can support the Museum and local artists when you do your holiday shop ping at the Museum gift store, and of course Tribal members get discounts.
We also recently hired Andrew Quin tana (Cochiti Pueblo) to be our Finance Director. Andrew is a Certified Public Accountant with a Masters degree in Public Administration. He has worked for Tribes and others, with a focus on financial audits. He is working with us on the 2023 budget, and you can get to know him at upcoming budget meetings. That’s it for now. Thanks and stay safe!
By Catherine Edwards Suquamish Tribe Executive DirectorDuring a major disaster, like an earthquake, or a small disaster, like choking on a bite of food, you may be the best and only person who can help a friend or family member in need. Are you prepared to help?
On Oct. 7 and 11, the Office of Emergency Management hosted nearly 100 people for Disaster Readiness Training. At workshops in Indianola and at the House of Awakened Culture, participants learned life-saving skills that can help their family and community during disasters.
Huge thank you’s to North Kitsap Fire & Rescue, Suquamish Community Health department, and the Indianola Beach Improvement Club.
If you missed the training, no worries! The Tribe’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will hold this training again in the future.
If your business, department or community wants to host a training, please reach out to Ben Jones at bjones@suquamish.nsn.us
Fall is here and winter is on its way, here are some suggested home maintenance tips to prepare your home and potentially avoid higher utility bills or costly repairs.
• Clean your gutters, it is a dirty job but it can save your roof and prevent water damage. Make sure gutter downspouts are draining water away from your home’s foundation to ensure a dry crawl space, and re-check after every large windstorm.
• Disconnect outside hoses and install a hose bib cover, and wrap water pipes beneath home.
• Check windows and doors for air leaks. You may need to reinstall weather stripping and door sweeps as they wear over time and can prevent cold air entering the home.
• Clean your heating devices, replace furnace filters, adjust thermostats as necessary.
• Switch the direction of ceiling fan to ensure proper air flow/ heat distribution.
• Have your chimney cleaned, inspected, and recertified prior to your first fire.
• Check your smoke detector batteries and replace them if needed.
• Check or purchase new fire extinguisher, replace if needed.
• Clean your dryer hose and clear it of lint.
By Lois “Lane” SullivanSuquamish OEM is building community volunteer teams. If you want to join, head to the Suquamish OEM website, https://bit.ly/SuqTribeOEM, to sign up. Volunteer teams are open to all Tribal members, residents of Suquamish and Indianola, to Tribal employees and to friends of the Suquamish Tribe.
If you want to go deeper into emergency preparedness skills, this is the group for you! CERT members go through a 20-hour class on all things disaster. CERT teams work with First Responders during disasters and regularly train with other emergency teams throughout the region.
This program is about getting your neighborhood and block organized for disasters. Leads are the point people for their neighborhoods and will work with other leads across the Port Madison Indian Reservation and with the Tribe’s Office of Emergency Management to build community resilience.
This team is trained in assessing buildings and infrastructure for damage before and after disaster. No construction or engineering knowledge required!
You can get trained to operate radio emergency communications that will still work even if the reservation is without cell service or electricity. Join this group if you are interested in emergency communications or HAM radio.
Do you want to volunteer for special events with the Tribe? The Office of Emergency Management recruits and manages volunteers for large events such as Tribal elections or Chief Seattle Days.
To sign up for any of these teams, or to get involved in your community’s emergency planning, head over
to the Suquamish OEM website at https://bit.ly/SuqTribeOEM or point your phone at this QR code. Or email Ben Jones, the Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator at bjones@suquamish.nsn.us.
Champions - Scuba Squad (Colville)
2nd Place: K.T. (Suquamish)
3rd Place: Bad Boys (Tulalip)
Champions: PNW Ballers (Tulalip)
2nd Place: Suquamish
3rd Place: Still got it (Colville)
Champions: CDA (Coeur d'Alene, ID)
2nd Place: Puget Sounders (Suquamish)
3rd Place: Coyote Creek (Colville)
The weekend of Sept. 24, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe hosted their first AllNative Women’s Softball Tournament.
The Suquamish Tribe was represented by Suquamish Tribal Members: Denita Holmes, Amanda Carper, Katelyn Carper, Brandy Boure-Bullchild, Rachel Nellenbach. Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal members were: Angelina Sosa-Ives, Lauren Moon, Rayna Espinosa- Ives, Molly Knowlton. Yakama Tribal member Napua Korsak and token Holly Skinner.
The ladies had early morning games and battled hard in the tournament and took 4th place.
All Stars for the team went to Amanda Carper and Holly Skinner.
Top left to right: Nana Korsak, Angelina Sosa, Holly Skinner, Amanda Carper, Rachel Nellenbach, Denita Holmes
Bottom left to right: Rayna Espinsosa Ives, Brandy Boure-Bullchild, Katelyn Carper, Molly Knowlton. Not pictured: Lauren Moon (got a line drive to her leg while pitchin, had to go to ER)
Suquamish men’s team will be playing in the Bremerton
Games are played in Bremerton at the Sheridan Park
contact We-laka Chiquiti at (360)
What a movie night we had this October! We had over 30 elders who came to the Poulsbo Theater. The most popular movie of the night was The Woman King. The only complaint was the ICEE machine was broken. Our Elders like their ICEEs! We attended our first weaving gather ing since the pandemic at Muckleshoot called “No Frills Basketry”. What a wonderful day! Many of us ran into our weaving friends who we have not seen since the pandemic. There was so much laughter in the room!
We had 32 Elders who went to the WA State Fair. The most popular foods were the Elephant Ears and roasted corn. The food items were rather expensive, for instance a turkey leg was $20!
Let’s talk about Foot Care for October. We had over 38 Elders who came in to have their toe nails trimmed. Glad to report we lost no toes during this event! Remember, if you are a diabetic, it is SO important to have monthly foot care by a nail professional. All you need to do is call Della or Melissa for an appointment.
We had some Tribal Elders from out of State come for a visit. Laura Yaeger (Crowell) drove in from Colorado and stayed with her sister, Della for a week. She left with lots of smoked salmon. We had a surprise visit from Lori Wolfe and Robin Camacho (Webster family). Lori lives in California and Robin lives in Nevada. Their brother is Bill Gem mell. They both came to foot care and were surprised to see their uncle, Lea McMillan. Don’t forget when you’re in Las Vegas, make sure you stop by Robin Camacho’s restaurant, Stick’s Tavern, 203 S. Water Street, Henderson, Nevada 89815. They have delicious food and pe riodically serve our Suquamish seafood. Make sure you let Robin know you are in the house, when you visit.
The memorial for our Elder Ivy Cheyney was lovely. Many people attended, including friends and family from out of town. Many stories were told about this grand lady. Purple was abundant, as that was Ivy’s favorite color.
Born: June 21, 1935
Passed: Sept 13, 2022
Ivy Cheney was the second-born child of Lily and Richard Belmont. She died of natural causes in the home of Vicky Doyle, Ivy’s eldest daughter.
On Oct. 6, dozens of family and friends gathered at the House of Awakened Culture to celebrate her life.
This was her eulogy, presented by Doyle.
Mom enjoyed life. And she lived a full life. She was laughing and joking up until the very end.
Ivy had four siblings — Maureen, Dickie, Richard, and Sheri. Mom lived in Washington State her entire life. She went to Koontz and Bremerton High.
Mother was full of life and very com petitive, and always stood out as one of the best. She played baseball and foot ball, bowled, golfed, picked blackberries, and hunted.
She had a rocket arm. Nothing went through her. Once in a women’s golf tournament she hit a hole-in-one on the
first swing of the first hole. She and her partner took the tournament!
She married Dad, Donald Dean Cheyney, on a Feb. 13, her favorite number. They were married for 56 years before he passed. They had four children — Donnie, Vicky, Lily, and Michael. She loved her many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Many more in the Suquamish community called her Gramma or Auntie.
She loved people and her Tribe. She served on the Suquamish Tribal Coun cil. She worked for her Tribe as an Elder Liaison, did the Elder honorings, and went on the Elder trips. She was known by many and always stood out.
She was a very beautiful woman her entire life. If you met her, you didn’t forget her.
I brought her to my home on Aug. 22. Mom always made us promise not to put her in a convalescent home. It was a promise I kept. We set her up in a big room and opened my home to everyone. I took care of mom day and night for 22 days. It is the most honorable thing I’ve ever done.
She passed from this earth to begin her new journey on Sept. 13, 2022.
Thank you, Mom, for asking me to take care of you at the end of your journey on earth. I miss you every day. I love you.
The Raven Canoe Family paddled Ivy Cheyney’s ashes, carried by her daughter Vicky Doyle, from the House of Awakened Culture to the Suquamish Tribe’s sacred beach Doe-Kag-Wats on Oct. 6.
Two eagles flew with them for the journey as a seal led the canoe through the water. On the last curve approaching the beach, a chorus of seagulls sang her ashes along.
“I could hear the ancestors singing,” said Doyle. Sacred Water drummed and sang Ivy’s ashes to the beach, where friends and loved ones were waiting. Ivy’s ashes were spread there, according her wishes.
“Thank you to the many hands that helped make this a loving day for Ivy’s journey,” said Doyle. “The family is forever thankful.”
Photo by Jon AndersonFollowing the memorial, attendees made the trip out to Jefferson Head beach, to watch the solemn ceremony of her final canoe journey. Ivy’s beloved husband’s ashes had been scattered there at Jeff Head when he passed. At Ivy’s re quest, her ashes were spread there also. They are now reunited forever.
We send condolences, love and hugs to Dave Weber (and family) for the loss of his wife Kim Weber, who was a mem ber of the Skokomish Tribe.
As always, we offer prayers and sup port to those in need and to our Elders who are in the hospital. Remember KINDNESS.
By Della Crowell & Melissa LundAt our last Elders Council we overheard Tribal Elder Ken Potts talk about this recipe. It sounded so good, so we thought it needed to be shared. Thanks, Ken!
• Sprinkle salt & pepper on top of 1 lb. of halibut (cut into equal portions).
• Heat two TB butter and 1 TB olive oil over medium heat in a sauté pan.
• Swirl the mixture until slightly browned, add fish top side down. Sprinkle with more salt & pepper. Cook five minutes, then gently flip fish over (don’t splash hot fat!).
• Add 2 lemons (sliced ¾” thick) to pan, cook about 3-5 more minutes. Poke fish to test for doneness, or insert knife to see if the fish flakes. Remove halibut and lemon slices to a platter before the fish is completely cooked, to avoid drying out the fish.
• Pour off all but two TB of the fat in the pan. Over medium heat, add 2 tsp chopped garlic, sauté one minute. Add 1/4 C white wine, cook until reduced. Add 2 TB lemon juice, 2 TB drained capers, and 2 TB chopped fresh parsley, sauté one more minute, remove from heat and whisk in 2 TB butter to make a sauce.
• Put fish back into the pan along with liquid from the platter, bring heat back to medium. Spooning sauce over top of fish, cook for 30 more seconds, then remove halibut pieces back to platter.
• Serve each portion topped with cooked lemon slices and some of the pan sauce.
For many people who experience Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort’s amenities, gaming is an enjoyable leisure time activity. But for those people whose gaming activities are unhealthy, there is help.
Suquamish Wellness Center’s Tomas Axtelle, a licensed mental health counselor, is accepting clients who are seeking help to address problem gambling, as well as family members who are struggling to cope with the challenges of living with/loving someone who has a gambling problem. These services are open to all at no cost.
When someone is struggling with gambling problems to the point where they recognize that they need help, they often call the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling Helpline at 1-800-547-6133. This is a Washington non-profit providing gambling addiction treatment support, information and education, advocacy, research, and prevention services. Many are referred to a list of counselors trained to work with these issues; in the West Sound, there is Axtelle and a problem gambling counselor in training at the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe.
While some are referred by the helpline, others come to Axtelle after choosing to “self-bar” at the Casino, a service that the Suquamish Tribal Gaming Commission has offered for many years. In these cases, the individual contacts a Gaming Commission Officer and completes a form in which they request to be barred from entering the Casino premises. Such individuals who then attempt to enter the Casino are intercepted by Gaming Commission Officers or Casino Security, and are required to leave. All who complete the “selfbar” form are offered a referral to the Wellness Center. Others are referred by the Suquamish Tribal Court for a problem gambling assessment and treatment recommendations.
“I can provide tools and strategies to assist my clients to make progress towards their goals. Family involvement is encouraged.”
Axtelle works with clients to identify both strengths and areas of vulnerability that can impact treatment outcomes and overall recovery. Together, they look at what gambling has provided for clients and identify healthy alternatives to meet those needs.
He also offers support for family members who are impacted by a loved one’s problem gambling. Counseling around finances is available for both individuals and family members.
Axtelle shared one story of an individual who was referred by the court. This client had a severe and persistent mental illness that significantly impacted their gambling behavior (and vice versa), according to Axtelle. Initially, the client was dismissive of the idea that gambling was a significant problem. During treatment, they not only maintained abstinence from gambling, but also identified the negative impact that gambling had on their life, and could articulate meaningful reasons to sustain abstinence and recovery, Axtelle said.
Under the Suquamish Tribe’s Gaming Compact with the state of Washington, a percentage of gaming income is invested in helping those who identify as having problems with gambling. In addition to supporting Wellness problem gambling services, the money has also helped fund the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling,
The Port Madison Enterprise Board’s policy on responsible gaming states the following: “The Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort is committed to providing a fun and safe environment for both patrons and employees. An essential component of this commitment is to ensure that our patrons can responsibly enjoy casino games as a form of entertainment.”
Still others contact the Wellness Center directly at the main reception (360) 394-8558 or call Axtelle at (360) 394-7139.
How does treatment work? When Axtelle receives a direct contact or referral, he reaches out to the individual to schedule an appointment.
“My first priority is to establish a therapeutic relationship and help them identify their goals,” he says. “Goals range from wanting to better understand gambling patterns to acquiring/maintaining abstinence and building a satisfying life without gambling,” he said.
The Casino includes problem gambling help information and/or hotline numbers in all print, digital, tv, and radio advertising, and on every page of its website. There is also a dedicated section of the Casino website for responsible gaming, which includes PME’s Policies and Procedures. Guests can also find literature on problem gambling resources in person at the Security Podium.
Visit the Clearwater Casino Resort website’s section on responsible gaming at https://www.clearwatercasino. com/responsible-gaming.
You can reach Tomas Axtelle at the Wellness Center at (360) 394-8558 or (360) 394-7139. The Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling helpline is 1-800-547-6133.
Khristian Havey-Tamplin
Surveillance Observer Tribal Gaming
*Heather Purser Oral History Project Coordinator Museum
Alex Kraft Health Clinic Physician Tribal Health Clinic
Heather Beckwith Janitor/Groundskeeper Museum
Thad Heberling Prevention Education Coordinator Tribal Child Welfare
Rod Malcom Biologist/Ecologist Natural Resources
Renee Greenfield CPS Investigator Tribal Child Welfare
* Tribal member / **Descendant
November 1
Chalakwatud Chiquiti Rayn Hendricksen Scot McPhee Wilsie Hawk
November 2 Savannah Ranes Windy Anderson
November 3 Antonia Ewing Carlos Virella Hali-aleetsah Deam Krystal George
November 4 Hazel Ginn
November 5
Jayden Sigo Jill Howard Sebastian Pool
November 6
Jenavieve Old Coyote-Bagley JoAnn Joe Julian Rodriguez
November 7 Vince Peterson November 8 Tara McNally Travis Demain
November 9
Andrew Vejar Christopher Santos David Lindell Isaiah Devore Krystopher Hyatt-Tansill Tyler George
November 10 Brooklyn Ives Frances Whitehead Marta Belmont Torri Rubeck November 11 Jason Napoleon Jennifer Hess November 12 Augustina Purser George George Vernelle Trevathan
November 13 Kathryn Johnston
November 14 Gregory George Susan Henry November 15 Aliana Chiquiti Ethan Willis Marlin George III Nathanial Pratt Ryan Cobb Xavier Medina November 16 Michael Pelch Quelisha Brealan-Bayes
November 17 Donna Sigo Marlayna Old Coyote Ryan George Shawn Hawk Jr. Thomas Cordero Jr.
November 18 Patricia Vollenweider
November 19 Alaric Jackson Angelia Cordero Avery Purser
November 20
Brenda Anderson Kiera Lawrence Madison Cordero-Edgley November 22
Duwayne Oakman Mellene Kurtz Sequoia Chargualaf
November 23 Aaron Nelson Alexander Warner Kana’i Lawrence Sheri Wilson November 24 Clifford Adams Ethel Jones Kristen Caldwell Skyler Bakken
November 25 Amanda Stieger Jace-Anthony Adams Krista Cornn Michelle Brown Rachel Nellenbach River Alexander November 26 Marilyn Jones
November 27
Armando Chavez Brandon Smith Elijah Covarrubias Elilai Abraham Erik Alexander Kale Kalahan William Jones IV November 28 Charles Lawrence Cory Winnie Luther Mills III November 29 Azure Boure Kiarra Armstrong Talynn Marquez November 30 Alycia Covarrubias Rudolph Smith
Poulsbo,
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