Feb/Mar 2019 Vol.53 No.2
Aspiration
DREAM BIG | PAGE 20
C
NTENTS INSIDE
Congratulations to the rafe winners at the Get Out The Vote dinner.
ON THE COVER
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Dream Big
Aspiration
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03 05 06 07 08 12 13 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 28 29 31 32 34 36
Editor's Note Chairman's Message Notice of Public Hearing Community Happenings Recent Tribal Code Amendments Community Health Assessment Results Swinomish Baseball Uniforms King Tides and Sea Level Rise March 2019 Tide Table Environmental Protection and Poop-Sniffing Dogs Being Frank: Ruling Strengthens Habitat Protection Dream Big Aspirations of Melissa Simonsen at the Tribal... Bring Your Own Bag- Why? Wellness: Finding a Support Group The Good, the Bad, and the Unpredictable: Clam... Recycling the Un-recyclable NWIC, Swinomish Site: 2019 Happenings on Campus Science Corner: Smoky Summers: The New... Swinomish Collaborates with First Nations Elders and... Youth Spirit Program Growing Good Dirt Mrs. V's 2 Cents Birthdays and Announcements
editor’s NOTE
The Spirit of goliahlitza When I feel as if there is a hummingbird flying steadily within my chest, I’m learning to spiritually prepare myself, for it is time. My inner senses are telling me to get back on the path, for I am needed to fulfill a teaching. The crisp air begins to turn around me with just one ray of sun and warm drift of air.
I believe that an aspiration is guided by something special inside of everyone. When I aspire, my inner spirit tells me how and when to plan my next move. As I grow each year, I’m internalizing the power of who I truly am. Entrusting myself to listen to my inner beat, pacing myself, patiently waiting for the presence to be felt, to guide me. I wrote a poem describing my inner spirit's persuasion over me to achieve. As I am learning how to control what is deep within, I begin to witness a special glimpse of life in nature. It's up to me to use the teachings from those special moments and learn from the guidance that my spirit, goliahlitza, provides.
The sound of raindrops have stopped, so I must continue to keep a steady beat. I feel the transformation sinking in, I feel my weakness being uplifted and begin to gain strength as I am transformed into goliahlitza. Do you seek guidance from within? Whether you listen to your voice of reason, the inner child or the old soul, rest assured you are being guided by something special, and you have what it takes to achieve all that you aspire to do. goliahlitza Caroline Edwards
waQwaQus (WAK-WAK-oos)
Moon When Frog Talks
Late February/March is the "moon when frog talks," signaling the coming of spring. This is the time for harvesting herring and smelt. Herring are prepared in many ways — whole herring and threaded onto green twigs and dried, herring oil is collected and used to season food, and the roe is also eaten. Herring roe in the tidelands attracts flocks of ducks and snow geese. Ducks are valued as a source of grease, which is collected when the duck is cooked over an open-spit fire, the duck oil dripping into an open clamshell. During this moon and through the next two moons halibut fishing starts, but the seas are still rough so activities focus more on hunting elk and deer. The roots of Sitka spruce, red-cedar, and Oregon grape are collected for the inner bark, which is split and bundled for later use in making and dyeing baskets. Edible plants are also collected — the bark of serviceberry, giant horsetail shoots, and tiger lily bulbs are dug up to eat raw or boiled. In freshwater marshlands, the cattail roots are dug and boiled or dried, then pulverized into flour. Stinging nettles are also collected, and the leaves cooked for tea. Excerpt from ‘13 Moons: The 13 Lunar Phases, and How They Guide the Swinomish People’ By swelitub (Todd A. Mitchell) and Jamie L. Donatuto sw d bš qyuuqs News
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The official news publication
of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
T R I B A L S E N AT E
spee pots Brian Cladoosby, Chairman (360) 708.7533 | bcladoosby@
ya qua leouse Brian Porter, Vice Chair (360) 840.4186 | bporter@
sapelia Sophie Bailey, Secretary (360) 853.6458 | sbailey@
sOladated Brian Wilbur, Treasurer (360) 588.2812 | bwilbur@
pay a huxton Chester Cayou, Jr. (360) 770.3378 | ccayou@
The mission of qyuuqs News is to provide monthly communication to Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Members near and far. We are committed to serving as an apolitical forum for the Swinomish governing officials and all Community Members. qyuuqs News is not intended to reflect the official position of the governing body at Swinomish Indian Tribal Community but rather reflects the ideas, events, and thoughts of individual Community Members and Tribal staff. As such, the Swinomish Tribe makes no claim as to the accuracy or content of any of the articles contained therein. qyuuqs News 17337 Reservation Road, La Conner, WA 98257 Phone (360) 466.7258 Fax (360) 466.1632 *SUBMISSIONS Send your news tips, stories, and photos to qyuuqs@swinomish.nsn.us Submission deadline: 10th day of the month EDITORIAL Caroline Edwards, Editor | cedwards@swinomish.nsn.us
yal le ka but Steve Edwards (360) 840.5768 | sedwards@
taleq tale II Barbara James (360) 391.3958 | bjames@
SM OK O LO Leon John (360) 421.0406 | ljohn@
wa lee hub Kevin Paul (360) 540.3906 | tribalsenator@yahoo.com
kats-but-soot Jeremy Wilbur 360-770-7447 | jjwilbur@
squi-qui Joseph Williams (360) 853.5629 | jwilliams@ All Swinomish staff emails: FirstInitialLastName@swinomish.nsn.us
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SWINOMISH COMMUNICATIONS Heather Mills, Communications Manager | hmills@swinomish.nsn.us Emma Fox, Communications Specialist | efox@swinomish.nsn.us ADVISORY COMMITTEE Allan Olson, Tracy James, Kevin Paul This issue is available online at swinomish-nsn.gov/qyuuqs Photos credits: qyuuqs News Staff or as credited. All rights reserved.
Facebook: Swinomish qyuuqs News Linkedin: Swinomish Indian Tribal Community *qyuuqs News is made available for viewing on the Internet When submitting information, stories, and/or photos, please be aware everything published in the print version of qyuuqs News is also published on the Internet and is available to the world. Please consider carefully whether your submissions contain anything you feel may not be suitable or appropriate for the Internet. By submitting your information, stories, and/or photos to qyuuqs News, you agree to publishing your submission in both the print and online versions of qyuuqs News. qyuuqs News is a publication of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community produced by Swinomish Communications.
The start of this year was hard on our community. I give my condolences to the families that recently laid loved ones to rest. Our prayers are that your hearts heal quickly.
“Don’t try to get the list right, just get it started. Don’t worry about dreaming too big or too small. Just get started.” Aspiration, it isn’t a word we use in our everyday vocabulary, but it is something we all do. An aspiration, by definition, is a hope of ambition of achieving something; desire, hope, longing, yearning, urge, wish. I didn’t feel I was dreaming or longing for something better for myself during my growing up years here at Swinomish. It wasn’t until I was older that I started thinking about my future. I took a bookkeeping class in high school and just fell in love with working with numbers; I dreamed of being a Certified Public Accountant. Being on the Senate Council was not an aspiration for me in high school, but I did eventually decide to run for a seat. I told one of my friends soon after I was elected in that one day I was going to be Chairman. I clearly remember his response—he laughed at me! Aspirations are goals or objectives that are strongly desired. As soon as Nina and I had our two daughters our life aspiration was to provide for these girls in such a way that their growing up years would be better than ours were. Now we are praying for our grandchildren’s lives, praying that their lives will also be better than ours.
The Senate has taken a step to destroy historical trauma through education, providing full-ride scholarships to our tribal members. Many of our students are aspiring big as they take advantage of this service. Our most sizeable goal is to destroy historical trauma one generation at a time through the combination of all our programs. We are well underway with the expansion of the Swinomish Dental Clinic and are hopeful the facility will be open before summer. The aspiration here is to be able to serve more of our members. Two of our tribal members, Asiah Gonzales and Sarah Chagnon, are currently working to complete the Dental Health Aide Therapist program in Alaska. They will be coming home in June to jobs at the newly-expanded dental clinic. We are in the first stages of planning for Tallawhalt Phase II. Our goal is to build 50 homes just below the Shaker Church and Northwest Indian College. Our other goal is to provide tribal membership with Section 184 Indian Home Loan assistance as a path to home ownership. We also budgeted for the construction of a brand new center for our seniors! Swinomish had less than 10 jobs to offer when I was growing up in the 1960s. The Tribe had 40 jobs by the time I graduated in 1977. In 2018 we exceeded 1000 employees! Wow, I never even dreamed of the day when this would happen! One of our goals is the continued creation of opportunities to grow our workforce, enabling our tribal members to apply and work for the Tribe. I’m so proud of the work the Senate has done in turning these aspirations into realities—and we are not done! We have many goals we aspire to make happen for our members. spee pots Brian Cladoosby sw d bš qyuuqs News e e
the chairman’s MESSAGE
Just like all of you, the Tribe has aspirations. We want a healthy community, housing for all, jobs, and access to services.
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Notice of Public Hearing Planning & Community Development Department
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Planning and Community Development Department Notice of Public Hearing Major Development: Tallawhalt Phase II Subdivision, File #2238
Notice is hereby given that Robert McGaughey, on behalf of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, has filed application #2238 for long plat division of land within the Swinomish Indian Reservation. The application was filed pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 20-04 of the Swinomish Tribal Code, Subdivisions and Binding Site Plans. Pursuant to the application, the applicant also proposes to establish a public use lot within the short plat to be dedicated for fire protection services. Information pertinent to this application is as follows: Project Proponent Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Agent Robert McGaughey Location of Proposed Plat Parcels P20867, 17167 Reservation Road, Section 36, Township 34N, Range 2E, Swinomish Indian Reservation, Skagit County, Washington Applicable Zoning This project is located within the Swinomish Village Urban Residential District, as designated under the Swinomish Zoning Ordinance and Official Zoning Map approved June 1, 2004. Project Description Long plat subdivision of 4.1 acres to construct infrastructure of roads (91,566 sf) and sidewalks, gravity sanitary sewer main (3,700 lf) and service laterals, domestic water main (2,600 If) and service connections, storm water collection and drainage system (6,700 lf), electrical, communication and natural gas utilities to support construction of 50 homes for the development of Tallawhalt Phase II Subdivision. The area to be cleared for this construction phase is 4.1 acres and 11,000 cubic yards of soil excavated for road and utility construction. 6 sw d bš qyuuqs News
Application documents and written comments are available for public inspection. Copies of all documents submitted by an applicant will be on file in the Planning and Community Development Department where they shall be available for public review and copying at reproduction cost during regular business hours. Required Approvals and Permits Long plat subdivision approval; Zoning Variance approval; Determination under the Tribal Environmental Policy Act; and Major Development Permit approval for construction of infrastructure Applicable Regulations STC Chapter 20-03 – Zoning; STC Chapter 20-04 – Subdivisions and Binding Site Plans; STC Chapter 19-01 – Tribal Environmental Policy Act; STC Chapter 21-01 – Regulating Archaeological and Cultural Resources In accordance with STC 20-03 and 20-04, a public hearing on this application has been scheduled with the Swinomish Planning Commission at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 28, 2019, in the Tribal Senate meeting room of the Tribal Administrative Building, 11404 Moorage Way, La Conner, Washington, for the purpose of determining action on the application. Persons desiring to comment on the proposed action should submit comments in writing to the Swinomish Office of Planning and Community Development, 11430 Moorage Way, La Conner, WA 98257.
Written comments must be received by February 28, 2019 at 6PM Responsible Official: Zam DeShields, AICP, Planning Director Contact: Tara Satushek, AICP, Senior Planner Address: Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Office of Planning & Community Development 11420 Moorage Way, La Conner, WA 98257 Phone: (360) 466.7280 Email: permits@swinomish.nsn.us
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COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS General Election Results Senate Seat 10: Eric Day
MARCH 10 Daylight Saving Time Starts @2AM Clocks are turned forward one hour
MARCH 20 Community Dinner | 6PM @ Youth Center *Community Dinners are subject to change
HOLIDAYS
Senate Seat 11: Brian Wilbur
MARCH 17 St. Patrick's Day
NEWLY-ENROLLED SWINOMISH TRIBAL MEMBERS Congratulations to the following individuals who were voted in during this year's General Council meeting as the newest members of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community:
Jeremy J. Cayou Spe'Cum, Emma Ann Charles Therese S. Finkbonner sw d bš qyuuqs News
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RECENT TRIBAL CODE AMENDMENTS Office of Tribal Attorney
The Swinomish Senate, the governing body of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, recently enacted the following code amendments:
Title 10, Chapters 1, 2, 6, 9, 10 & 11 – Community Health
At the December Senate meeting, the Senate revised the Tribe’s Public Health and Welfare Code. The Public Health and Welfare Code had gaps that needed to be addressed, including food safety and housing safety, as well as updating and expanding current codes to be more responsive to and better fit the tribal community’s health needs and goals. In order to reflect those goals, the name of Title 10 has been changed from Public Health and Welfare to Community Health. The amended chapters include Chapter 1, General Provisions; Chapter 2, Food Safety; and Chapter 6, Enforcement. The new chapters include Chapter 9, Housing Safety; Chapter 10, Recreation and Special Event Safety; and Chapter 11, Public Nuisance. The HESS Committee, Planning Commission, Swinomish Housing Authority, and the Elder Protection Committee reviewed chapters relating to their various concerns and made recommendations. The HESS Committee recommended the amendments, which the Senate enacted on December 4, 2018. These amendments will allow the Tribe to be more responsive to community health needs as they arise and facilitate improved coordination between tribal departments and programs.
Title 17, Chapter 11 – Tax, Trust Improvement Use and Occupancy Tax
At the November Senate meeting, the Senate revised the Tribe’s Tax Code. The Tax Committee recommended the amendments, which the Senate enacted on November 6, 2018. The amendments clarified some descriptions within the code, as well as made modifications to the administrative processes, authorization to collect taxes electronically, recording a Notice of Lien on seriously delinquent accounts, and streamlining the appeal processes in light of recent litigation.
Title 19, Chapter 4 – Environmental Protection, Shorelines and Sensitive Areas
At the October Senate meeting, the Senate revised the Tribe’s Environmental Protection Code. The Planning Commission recommended the amendments, which the Senate enacted on October 9, 2018. The Code was modified to update the lead agency, address climate change and sea level rise, add cultural values to wetlands criteria and flexibility in forest wetland management, raising and adding certain fees, tightening rules on repair of bank protection structures and for feeder bluffs, and addressing non-conforming use. The amended code and Constitution are available for review on our website at swinomish-nsn.gov. Paper copies are available for review at the Social Services or Planning departments, and through the Tribal Court Clerk, the Office of the Tribal Attorney, and the Senate’s Executive Assistant.
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Obituary
Pamela Mae Thomas-Kirk Pamela Mae Thomas-Kirk was born to Rose Marie Thomas (Edge) and Henry Ray Thomas on December 21, 1958. Passed on January 8th at Swedish Medical Center, First Hill Campus, Seattle, Washington. She attended La Conner schools, graduated high school 1976. After high school, she drove the preschool bus for Swinomish preschoolers. She worked as a hostess for Swinomish Casino, worked in housekeeping for the Channel Lodge and Country Inn in La Conner, WA. Pam enjoyed traveling to big drum powwows, where she took her sons Jacob and Justin to participate in grass dancing. She also traveled to Smokehouse gathering during the winters. Joined Smokehouse 2012. Pam helped with the Shaker Church in Muckleshoot, and other tribes. She enjoyed beading, weaving, shopping, traveling with the elders trips with her auntie Shirley on her big green limo. In 2013, she married James L. Kirk at Muckleshoot Pentecostal Church on March 10, 2013. She is survived by father Henry R Thomas, Sr., and husband James L. Kirk of Muckleshoot, WA. Children: Art (Rachel) Billy of Arlington, WA, Jason Billy (Pauline) Swinomish, Justin Billy (Jolene) Lummi, Jacob Billy (Julie) Swinomish, Alvie George - Puyallup, Ronald George -Puyallup. Siblings: Robert Edwards (Swinomish), Linda, Ronnie, Darlene, Theresa, Lorinda, Henry, Darren, Ray, Duane Thomas of St. Michael, Arizona. Grandchildren: Caitlyn and Evan (Arlington), Robin (Tulalip), Ruby Billy (Swinomish), Angelina Jimmy (Swinomish). Numerous cousins, nieces, nephews. Preceded in death by Rose M. Thomas (mother), paternal and maternal grandparents, Bernard H. Edwards (brother), Robin Denice Edwards (sister), Yazzi & Theodore Thomas (brothers), aunts and uncles Bernard H. Edge, Sr., Theodore R. Edge, Jr., Denise Edge, Andrea Edge.
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Contact: Christine Valdez Email: cvaldez@swinomish.nsn.us Call: (360) 708-2479
The family thanks everyone who came and supported them at the hospital and all those who sent prayers and continued prayers for the family.
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American Indian Health Commission for Washington State American Indian Health Commission for Washington State
www.aihc-wa.com www.aihc-wa.com
MEASLES
MEASLES MEASLES OUTBREAK OUTBREAK INFORMATION INFORMATION
Last Updated 2-12-19 Last Updated 2-12-19
Dear Dear Community Community Members Members Health officials in Washington are responding to an outbreak of measles. Health officials in Washington are responding to an outbreak of measles. By staying informed, we can all do our part to protect our families and By staying informed, we can all do our part to protect our families and communities. Here’s what we know: communities. Here’s what we know:
Number of Cases in Washington State: 53 cases in Clark Number of Cases in Washington State: 53 cases in Clark County, 1 case in King County (4 cases in Multnomah County, County, 1 case in King County (4 cases in Multnomah County, Oregon) Oregon)
Number of Cases in Tribal or Urban Indian Communities in Washington: Number of Cases in Tribal or Urban Indian Communities in Washington: NONE reported to date NONE reported to date
Schools: In schools where there has been exposure to measles, students Schools: In schools where there has been exposure to measles, students who are not immunized have been asked to stay home in order to protect the who are not immunized have been asked to stay home in order to protect the community community
What What is is Measles? Measles? Measles is a highly contagious disease. It can cause serious problems, including Measles is a highly contagious disease. It can cause serious problems, including pneumonia, brain damage, blindness, deafness and death. pneumonia, brain damage, blindness, deafness and death.
How How Do Do You You Get Get Measles? Measles? The measles virus travels through the air. You can get The measles virus travels through the air. You can get measles if you go near someone who has the virus, measles if you go near someone who has the virus, even before they start feeling sick. The virus stays in even before they start feeling sick. The virus stays in the air for up to two hours, so adults and children can the air for up to two hours, so adults and children can get sick by entering a room where a person with meaget sick by entering a room where a person with measles has been within the past 2 hours. sles has been within the past 2 hours.
PROTECT PROTECT YOUR YOUR FAMILY FAMILY AND AND YOUR YOUR COMMUNITY COMMUNITY sw d bš qyuuqs News e e
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Obituary
Sharon Louise Edwards QUI-SO-LITZA
Sharon Louise Edwards was born on December 30, 1962, as the eleventh child to Russell and Alfreda Edwards. “Shannon Babe,” as she was lovingly called by friends and family, passed away on January 13, 2019, in her home. A prayer service was held on January 16 at the Swinomish Social Services Building at 6pm. A funeral service was held on January 17 at the Swinomish Gymnasium at 10am. Sharon grew up on the Swinomish Indian Reservation. With 10 brothers and sisters, she was born into a family that knew how to love and laugh. As a little girl, Sharon would always wait until the last minute to go to the bathroom. Cathi, her sister, would playfully tell her to “skinny up babe” when helping her unbutton her pants. Constantly mistaken for twins, although Cathi was a year older, Sharon and Cathi were always together and giggling. You would never find one without the other. As the baby, Sharon was her mom’s favorite and looked the most like her. This could explain why Alfreda held Cathi back from school to ensure that her girls would be in the same class. This didn’t work, because there were two kindergarten teachers that year, and they were placed in different classes. Sharon loved playing basketball and softball, with basketball being her favorite, just like her siblings. At a young age, Sharon experienced more health issues than a little girl that age ever should. She was run over by a back hoe tractor that resulted in her back being broken and, years later, getting rods put in place. After her middle school years, she had to wear a back brace. She didn’t let this stop her from riding bikes, playing basketball in Posey’s attic, and being a kid. Even with her medical issues, Sharon remained happy, loved with a big heart, and had a great sense of humor. Sharon received her GED and started her first job working at the Longhouse Restaurant. She then worked at the Swinomish Indian Bingo Hall. Once the Swinomish Casino was built, she became a table games dealer. During her 13 years at the casino, she trained new dealers on table games and was promoted to table games shift supervisor. Sharon later started working for the Swinomish Tribe as an accountant clerk.
on her face. You could always depend on her to lend a helping hand to others. During community dinners, you could find her in the kitchen, cooking and making jokes that were met with endless laughter. Sharon was a member of the Citipoint Church in Mount Vernon and the Swinomish Smokehouse We will always remember Sharon for her love for Jesus, great taste in music and her collection of wolves. It was important to her to get her family together to eat her famous fried rice. Her children and grandbabies were her life. She treasured her time with Quentin, “Boo,” and Ryan, “Sugar Doll.” If Quentin had a game, she was there cheering him on and offering him a snack of some sort. Sharon carried candy, snacks, and drinks wherever she went. She made sure that her children and grandbabies were always well taken care of. Sharon could be found watching “The Price is Right” or putting a 500+ piece puzzle together. She enjoyed playing card games, especially solitaire, and doing word searches. Her beautiful handwriting, contagious laughter, quick wit, big heart and humor will be greatly missed. Sharon is survived by her daughter Stephanie Edwards (Pat Larsen); grandchildren Quentin Edwards and Ryan Larsen; mate Michael Armijo; siblings Glen and Nancy Edwards, Janie and Troy Beasley, David and Dianne Edwards, Steve Edwards, Cathi and Kurt Bassford, and Michelle Edwards; dogs Bullet and Roscoe and numerous nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends. Sharon was preceded in death by son Anthony Edwards and Joe Brian Lopez Jr.; parents Russell and Alfreda Edwards; siblings Greg “Louie,” Ida, Carolyn, and Russell Edwards and Susan and Todd Wilbur; grandparents Alfred and Laura Edwards, James Edge, and Henry and Elizabeth Shumaker; nieces and nephew Jessica McDonald, Amy Edwards, Rachael Bobb, and Drake Edwards and grandma Ellie. We raise our hands to the Swinomish Police Department for the endless love, care and dedication they showed Sharon.
As we all know, Sharon loved to scare and tease. She was always up to something with that constant grin sw d bš qyuuqs News
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COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Community Health Assessment Results Kyra Herzberger, VISTA Intern
Total participants: 178
175 174
150
Participants who believe there is a shared feeling of pride and responsibility in the community
125 100 75
107
119
103
78
50
59
25
Participants who believe the community does its part to pass on Swinomish knowledge and values to younger generations
Participants who participate in community activities such as Swinomish Days and community dinners Participants who need remodels or repairs in their home Participants who feel satisfied with their home
0
Participants who utilize tribal housing services
Community Environmental Health program staff conducted their first Swinomish community health assessment during the summer to gain insight into the health and wellbeing of community members. The survey was conducted anonymously with 178 individuals participating. Of those participants, 65 percent were women; 25 percent were age 55 or older; 66 percent were affiliated with the Tribe; and 86 percent reported living on the reservation. To encompass the many complex components that contribute to health, the survey covered 11 topics including Swinomish culture and strengths; community challenges; employment and education; healthy housing; mental health and wellbeing; nutrition; physical activity; programs and services; quality of life; substance use and abuse; and Swinomish traditional foods. Participants reported that Swinomish’s strengths as a community include love; respect; caring and support for each other; and coming together in times of need. Sixty percent believe that the community is doing its part in passing on Swinomish knowledge and values to younger generations, and 58 percent agreed there was a shared feeling of pride and responsibility in the community: we are all in this together. We are happy to report that 98 percent indicated they participate in community activities such as Swinomish Days and community dinners, further emphasizing the importance of tradition and unity. Participants were asked to comment on areas where Swinomish could improve. Though participants reported 12 sw d bš qyuuqs News
that substance abuse is a significant concern, most people surveyed had not used substances in the past year! To highlight a few facts, 65 percent did not engage in binge drinking, 61 percent did not smoke cigarettes, and 92 percent abstained from other tobacco products or drugs, including the misuse of prescriptions. We celebrate these efforts and hope the trend continues! A lack of housing options was identified as another top issue, with 33 percent of participants reporting a need for remodels or repairs in their homes. However, the remaining 67 percent reported feeling satisfied with their homes. Tribal housing services were well utilized by 44 percent of survey participants. Of these, 42 percent said the services were helpful. The third most important issue identified regards the improvement of wellbeing, specifically assistance with stress and emotional trauma. The majority of respondents indicated they experience stress on a daily basis with money, feelings of being overwhelmed, and anxiety as the top contributors. However, the ability to come together in times of need meant that the majority of these people had someone to talk with, whether it was family, friends, or counselors. This information and the rest of the survey results are compiled into 13 separate fact sheets available at the Community Environmental Health office. We are thankful to those who participated in the survey and encourage everyone to think about ways in which you can improve your health in 2019.
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Swinomish Baseball Uniforms Tribal Archive
Uniform Details There were two types of Swinomish baseball uniforms: • The first simply said “Swinomish” • The second had a patch with “LAC” on it LAC stands for the “La Conner Athletic Club,” which was the recreational club on the Swinomish Reservation that formed in the mid-1920s. In 1931, under the leadership of Martin Sampson, the “LAC” formally organized with members, club officers, and dues. At its height the club had 29 members. The LAC was active through the early 1960s and not only included the baseball team but also
helped sponsor recreational activities, including canoe racing, on the reservation and assisted in serving at community funerals. We do know there were ball players from these families (and most likely more): Sam Currier, Edward Preston, Joseph Joe, Andrew Joe, Dewey Mitchell, Joseph Joe, Allen “Lollie” Frank, Alfred Edwards, Morris Dan, Henry Cladoosby, Shorty Fryberg, Alexander Willup, David Joe, Al Sampson We appreciate your help locating one of these artifacts from the Swinomish baseball teams, well-known for being formidable competitors from the 1880s on! Please contact the Tribal Archive if you have any leads on locating one of these historic uniforms. Many thanks! Email: Theresa at ttrebon@swinomish.nsn.us -orKrista at khamburg@swinomish.nsn.us sw d bš qyuuqs News e e
The Tribal Archive is asking for help from community families in locating an original Swinomish baseball uniform from the 1920-1940s era. Have you checked your attic, closet, and nooks and crannies to see if you might have one? If you do, we’d very much like to include it in the Tribe’s permanent collection! We also understand if you do not want to part with such a special item and would at least like to photograph it.
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Obituary
Bonita Alberta Quintasket Bonita Quintasket was born 1 year and 1 day after her big sister Janice on October 25, 1957 to Ronald and Claudette Quintasket. Bonita was a member of the Colville Tribe, however she lived most of her life in Swinomish. She attended elementary school in Omak, Washington, and then went to the La Conner Schools.
Photo by Robin Carneen
February 14, 2019 To the Chairman, Senators, cooks, cemetery workers, and everyone who helped: I appreciate everything the tribe did to help me get through this. I appreciate what my brother Willie Johnston did for me & the family-it helped a lot. My heart goes out to the whole tribe. I am getting stronger every day, but it is going to take awhile. Without everybody I wouldn’t have made it through this. Thank you to everyone, cousins, everyone who is checking on me every day. Special thanks to Caroline Edwards for the good job she does. I love everyone, Tuskadub, Johnny Dan sw d bš qyuuqs News e e
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Bonita was married to Johnny Dan Sr. the “Indian Way” according to Sonny Stone! Johnny was her life companion, seyown brother and soul mate. Bonita enjoyed cooking, home decorating and beading. Bonita became a member of the Swinomish Smokehouse. When she was younger she enjoyed playing league pool, and playing softball as a catcher for her sister. She spent some good times and cherished all the memories with her friends at the old lone tree tavern. Bonita quit drinking due to health problems, the doctor told her she had to quit, she just celebrated 22 years of sobriety. Bonita worked for the Swinomish Tribe as a receptionist for the Dental Trailer and also the Social Services Building. When she was training for her job as a receptionist, Bonita and Debbie Joe got to travel to a training in Washington DC and she often talked about her experience on this trip. Bonita loved to watch Young and the Restless and WWF wrestling with the guys. But most of all she loved her family, she was so proud of her daughter Lori and she was so happy to be a grandma to Arianna and Jaydee. Bonita always opened her home to everyone, she took care of her friends and the Brew Crew; always making sure that she had food and place for them to come visit. She would reprimand them when it was necessary! Bonita will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her. Bonita is survived by her daughter Lori An Martin and Francis, step daughter Lona Johnson and Joe, sisters Janie Joe, Becky George and Robert, Cheryl Anderson and Jim, Brother Jimmy Quintasket. Grandchildren Arianna Siddle and Jadee Dan. Uncle Phillip and Aunt Barb Quintasket, Aunt Bernie Stone, Aunt Marie Barber, Aunt Diane Vendiola and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, grandnieces and grandnephews, family and friends. Bonita and proceeded in death by her parent Ronald and Claudette, grandparents Albert and Agatha Irvine, Charlie and Etta Quintasket, her brother George Washington (Sha Boom), Sister Lori Ann Quintasket, nephew John Dan Jr., Uncle George Irvine and Aunt Bobbie Hawk.
Department of Environmental Protection
KING TIDES AND SEA LEVEL RISE Shannon B. Stewart, Water Resources Analyst
Aerial drone image of Kukutali Preserve and Photo By Robin Carneen Kiket Island tombolo around king tide on January 24, 2019.
The 2018-2019 king tide season wrapped up at the end of January, and included three king tides that took place on November 26-28,
December 25-27, and January 2325. High tide heights around the reservation during these days ranged from 12.0 to 12.7 feet above mean lower low water. The Department of Environmental Protection visited several areas around the reservation to document shoreline conditions during the 2018-2019 king tide season. Focus areas included the Swinomish Channel around the village and in the northern agricultural land; SneeOosh Beach; McGlinn Island; Martha’s Beach; Lone Tree; and Kukutali Preserve. We collaborated with GIS Coordinator Jacob Tully from Land Management to capture a unique perspective via aerial drone footage at Lone Tree and Kukutali. King tide studies are an ongoing research initiative at Swinomish.
During the 2019-2020 king tide season staff plan to revisit these areas to document current conditions and any potential changes, as well as capture additional aerial imagery along the Swinomish Channel. We hope to make a public phone app that would assist us in tracking additional areas of interest or concern along the shoreline of the reservation. Our app would be similar to the Washington Sea Grant MyCoast app used to upload photos during king tide events throughout the state. Do you have questions or areas of interest you would like us to include in our ongoing king tide monitoring? Please contact Shannon Stewart at sbuckham@swinomish.nsn.us. sw d bĹĄ qyuuqs News e e
Each winter when the moon is at its closest point to the earth, a remarkable event occurs along our shorelines known as a king tide. A king tide is an extreme high tide that occurs every year, and this unique event offers a glimpse into what the future might hold for shorelines around the Swinomish Reservation. As sea levels rise, normal high tides of the future will start to resemble the king tides of today. Photos captured during a king tide are useful tools for visualizing how structures along the shoreline might be impacted in the future.
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TIDE TABLE: March 2019
Lone Tree, Snee-Oosh, North Skagit Bay | Department of Environmental Protection Day
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Fri 01 Sat 02 Sun 03 Mon 04 Tue 05 Wed 06 Thu 07 Fri 08 Sat 09 Sun 10 Mon 11 Tue 12 Wed 13 Thu 14 Fri 15 Sat 16 Sun 17 Mon 18 Tue 19 Wed 20 Thu 21 Fri 22 Sat 23 Sun 24 Mon 25 Tue 26 Wed 27 Thu 28 Fri 29 Sat 30 Sun 31
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03:33 10.36 ft 04:18 10.75 ft 04:52 10.93 ft 05:17 10.98 ft 05:38 10.98 ft 05:56 11.01 ft 06:16 11.07 ft
09:09 6.42 ft 10:02 5.99 ft 10:40 5.58 ft 11:09 5.18 ft 11:34 4.75 ft 11:57 4.24 ft 12:24 3.66 ft 00:15 1.22 ft 00:49 1.86 ft 01:24 2.68 ft 03:02 3.64 ft 03:43 4.68 ft 04:33 5.71 ft 05:39 6.57 ft 07:11 7.01 ft 08:45 6.83 ft 09:51 6.17 ft 10:41 5.26 ft 11:25 4.20 ft 12:07 3.08 ft 00:09 −0.31 ft 00:55 0.52 ft 01:41 1.60 ft 02:28 2.83 ft 03:17 4.07 ft 04:14 5.19 ft 05:25 6.06 ft 07:08 6.43 ft 08:52 6.15 ft 09:56 5.57 ft 10:39 4.96 ft
13:20 9.11 ft 14:21 9.09 ft 15:12 9.21 ft 15:56 9.38 ft 16:36 9.54 ft 17:14 9.65 ft 17:53 9.71 ft 06:39 11.13 ft 07:05 11.13 ft 08:32 11.03 ft 09:02 10.83 ft 09:34 10.53 ft 10:11 10.16 ft 10:59 9.79 ft 12:04 9.51 ft 13:19 9.46 ft 14:33 9.71 ft 15:40 10.13 ft 16:41 10.56 ft 17:39 10.86 ft 06:36 11.91 ft 07:10 11.94 ft 07:44 11.79 ft 08:20 11.44 ft 08:58 10.89 ft 09:40 10.17 ft 10:28 9.37 ft 11:28 8.62 ft 12:43 8.11 ft 14:02 7.99 ft 15:10 8.20 ft
00:23 9.21 ft 01:56 9.46 ft 03:20 10.00 ft 04:15 10.58 ft 04:55 11.07 ft 05:30 11.46 ft 06:03 11.74 ft
01:15 9.80 ft 02:40 9.96 ft 03:42 10.20 ft 04:25 10.38 ft
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High
20:28 0.64 ft 21:16 0.48 ft 21:57 0.37 ft 22:34 0.37 ft 23:08 0.49 ft 23:41 0.77 ft 12:53 3.03 ft 13:26 2.39 ft 15:03 1.79 ft 15:44 1.29 ft 16:30 0.91 ft 17:23 0.62 ft 18:24 0.36 ft 19:30 0.04 ft 20:36 −0.36 ft 21:36 −0.74 ft 22:31 −0.92 ft 23:21 −0.80 ft
18:34 9.72 ft 19:18 9.67 ft 21:06 9.56 ft 22:00 9.41 ft 23:05 9.25 ft
12:50 2.02 ft 13:33 1.10 ft 14:16 0.42 ft 15:01 0.05 ft 15:48 0.00 ft 16:37 0.23 ft 17:32 0.63 ft 18:34 1.04 ft 19:41 1.31 ft 20:46 1.41 ft 21:40 1.41 ft
18:35 10.99 ft 19:31 10.94 ft 20:28 10.75 ft 21:28 10.46 ft 22:32 10.14 ft 23:47 9.87 ft
Sunrise Sunset Moonrise Moonset 6:51 6:49 6:47 6:46 6:43 6:42 6:40 6:37 6:35 7:33 7:31 7:29 7:27 7:25 7:23 7:21 7:19 7:17 7:15 7:13 7:11 7:09 7:07 7:05 7:02 7:00 6:58 6:56 6:54 6:52 6:50
17:53 17:55 17:57 17:58 18:00 18:01 18:03 18:04 18:06 19:07 19:09 19:10 19:12 19:13 19:15 19:17 19:18 19:20 19:21 19:23 19:24 19:25 19:27 19:28 19:30 19:31 19:33 19:34 19:36 19:37 19:39
4:24 5:08 5:45 6:17 6:45 7:09 7:31 7:53 8:14 9:37 10:02 10:32 11:08 11:52 12:46 13:51 15:05 16:25 17:46 19:08 20:28 21:47 23:03 0:15 1:23 2:25 3:20 4:07 4:47 5:20
13:09 14:04 15:03 16:04 17:07 18:10 19:14 20:18 21:23 23:30 0:37 1:46 2:53 3:57 4:54 5:43 6:24 6:59 7:29 7:57 8:24 8:51 9:20 9:53 10:30 11:13 12:02 12:56 13:54 14:55
DID YOU KNOW?
ASPIRATIONS
Aspirations are long-term hopes or desires, and they are essential factors of personal motivation. Did you know there are common models of aspirations you can set in your own life? • A thing to do. Experience deeply enriches our lives and creates profound memories. Perhaps you would like to watch a sunrise while clamming with family members! • A place to go. Exploring new places helps to define our identity. Perhaps you would like to visit the home of a distant relative! • A skill to learn. Learning new skills increases our confidence and exercises our brain. Perhaps you would like to weave a basket, or learn to make fry bread! • An objective to achieve. Setting a goal and working to achieve it is rewarding and brings a sense of accomplishment. Perhaps you'd like to pull in Canoe Journey! sw d bš qyuuqs News e e
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Photo by Donna Ikebe
Katarina Edwards proudly displays her Kiwanis Student of the Month certificate.
Congratulations Katarina!
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND POOP-SNIFFING DOGS Lindsay Logan, Environmental Protection
When you think of environmental protection, a poop-sniffing dog is probably not the first thing that comes to mind, though Swinomish Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) staff have reason to think differently.
There have been concerns throughout the years about surface water pollution affecting reservation area streams and bays and impacts it could have on shellfish and fish habitat, particularly in areas along the west shore. DEP hired Spec, a border collie terrier mix, from Environmental Canine Services in mid-September to sniff out human waste in areas of concern. As one of the company’s newest sniffers, Spec was eager to get to work. All staff, including Spec, donned high-visibility vests before getting down to business. Soil and water samples were collected in conjunction with this effort and tested for E. coli, a reliable indicator of fecal contamination. If we can test the soil and water for waste using traditional lab methods, why do we need a fecal scent detection canine?
These specially trained dogs can provide immediate in-the-field results regarding the presence or absence of human sewage contamination. These rapid and onsite results reduce the time and expense of traditional water sampling and laboratory testing. How do they do it?
Spec and her canine coworkers have uniquely refined noses that smell odors at concentrations of up to 100 million times lower than humans can and can distinguish
Spec raises an alert at a culvert along SneeOosh Road, letting her handler know she smells human sewage in this culvert.
DEP staff Nicole Casper and Shannon Stewart take notes as Spec and her handler investigate an area along the west shore of the reservation.
the elements of one odor from another. Spec is trained to thoroughly sniff the areas her handler leads her to; if she smells something poopy, she is trained to lay down as an alert that there is contamination. If the area is clean, she simply moves on. What are we doing with the results?
The pathogens in sewage discharged into our waterways can harm the health of humans who swim, boat, and fish there, as well as harm the animals and marine life in and around the water. By having a better understanding of the sources of contamination (from Spec’s hard work along with verification from traditional lab testing) we are better equipped to identify the root of the problems and develop solutions to help improve water quality for the health of humans, animals, and the environment. sw d bš qyuuqs News e e
Water Resources Manager Nicole Casper attended a demonstration presented by Environmental Canine Services at the Skagit County Public Works Department and her interest was definitely piqued! The demonstrators utilized scent detection canines to identify and track the source of human pathogen pollution in surface waters, which can be caused by leaking sewer lines, illicit pipe connections, or failing septic systems. In short, these canines are trained to sniff out any human waste they find in the water.
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BEING FRANK
RULING STRENGTHENS HABITAT PROTECTION Lorraine Loomis, NWIFC Chair
A recent Washington Supreme Court ruling has strengthened a state law aimed at protecting the waters, shorelines, and streambanks essential to salmon recovery. The ruling also reflects the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the culvert case that the state has a duty to protect habitat so salmon are available for tribes to exercise their treaty rights. Since 1943, the Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) process – administered by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) – has been one of our frontline defenses to protect salmon. An HPA is required for any activities in and around state waters that can threaten fish, shellfish, and other natural resources. That includes everything from construction of a hydroelectric dam to maintenance on a private dock. Most state natural resources agencies that issue permits can use civil law enforcement tools like high fines and stop work orders to ensure compliance. WDFW could only levy a $100 dollar per day fine and could not issue stop work orders. The agency could use criminal law enforcement tools like referring violators to local prosecutors, but clogged courts made convictions slow and difficult. 18 sw d bš qyuuqs News
WDFW wanted to use additional civil enforcement tools like providing technical assistance before moving on to fines, stop work orders, and criminal prosecution. It was clear that changes were needed. In 2011, WDFW embarked on a nearly four-year process to amend the HPA rules that included gathering extensive input from the public, construction industry, local governments, tribes, environmental groups, and others. The process quickly turned into a debate over HPA permit fees, program jurisdiction, and enforcement. Several bills introduced in the state legislature to resolve the conflicts but went nowhere. One of the largest sticking points was the scope of WDFW’s enforcement authority. Critics claimed the agency could regulate activities only below the high water mark along streams and marine shorelines. Supporters argued that few projects take place entirely below the high water line and can dramatically affect streamflows, water quality, and fish. Opponents filed suit in Thurston County Superior Court challenging WDFW’s jurisdiction, but the court ruled that the agency’s existing area of responsibility was clear. State
Attorney General Bob Ferguson came to the same conclusion when asked to issue an opinion in the case. Dissatisfied, opponents took the case to the Washington Supreme Court, which ruled unanimously in early December that the plain language of the HPA law clearly does not limit WDFW authority above the high-water line. That’s a win for salmon at a time when their numbers are declining because we are losing habitat faster than it can be restored and protected. Healthy streambanks help keep water temperatures low, stabilize sediment, and contribute to diverse instream habitat that salmon – both hatchery and wild – need to thrive. Our marine shorelines provide critical habitat for prey species like sand lance that salmon feed on. Protecting and preserving habitat gains are essential to salmon recovery. This ruling helps ensure that completed habitat restoration projects aren’t undermined by construction or other activities above the high-water mark. We applaud the Washington Supreme Court’s decision because we believe that all natural resources are connected and that we are connected to them. Limiting how and where those resources can be protected compromises their health and our ability to manage them effectively in the future. Being Frank is a monthly column written by the chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. As a statement from the NWIFC chair, the column represents the interests and concerns of treaty Indian tribes throughout western Washington.
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We would like to send out a heartfelt thank you to the Swinomish Community who turned up to support our tribal youth at the Swinomish Education Dinner. We had a wonderful time on Wednesday, January 23, celebrating the accomplishments of our students! Also, we would like to thank the La Conner School District staff who joined our celebration and participated in a meaningful way to support our young scholars. To the families of our students, please continue to lend your support to their success! This will have tremendous impacts for their future! Thank you, once again! -Swinomish Education Department
Please welcome Lisa Warriax as the newest member the Swinomish Grants department. She brings over 20 years of grant management, administration, and writing to the table. She received her Masters of Social Work from Eastern Washington University, with a focus on public administration. Lisa’s work experience includes a variety of non-profit and governmental positions focusing on prevention. She is a member of the Chinook Indian Nation, and during her time off she is found fishing, hiking, or crabbing with her husband, Moonfire, and two daughters, Jazmin and Rayne. “Thank you for the opportunity and pleasure to not only help with the sustainability of Swinomish, but look towards our future in not only technical assistance, but writing grants and nourishing Swinomish way of life.” sw d bš qyuuqs News e e
THANK YOU!
Meet the Grants Department's Newest Team Member
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DREAM BIG
Caroline Edwards, qyuuqs News Editor
•Aspiration• a hope or ambition of achieving something You aspire in many ways before you achieve a goal. When true aspirations arise, it’s your internal clock that gets you on your feet looking for opportunity. Think of an aspiration as a stepping stone, each one leads you to that one thing you desire to be. You control the amount of effort you put into it, no matter the size of the aspiration. Aspirations link you to the path of what you desire most: your dreams. When you aspire, you are truly evolving and growing: it is an opportunity to become the person you yearn to be. What is it that you dream yourself to be? This is not as deep of a question as it may seem. Think about what you achieve on a daily basis. While they may not seem like aspirations, you accomplish achievable goals more often than you think. When you dream big, it’s easy to feel as if what you desire is just out of reach or impossible. Dreaming on a larger scale brings you places you never thought you would travel. Try to be as steady as you can as you move forward in your approach.
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If you feel you lost sight of where you are going, or got off track and cannot find the hope within yourself to dream, you’re not alone: this is something that happens to all of us. People will either challenge you, inspire you, or even try to defeat you. You must never give up. In the long run it is up to you take that one step (or many steps) to begin following the one thing that drives you to push yourself towards your hopes and dreams. Your aspirations will change and transform as you grow. Don't feel upset if you do not feel you have any hope to prosper. Look around you, look at how incomplete things would be without your contribution to the people in your life and your community. Your aspirations are what led you to be who you are today. Never give up the hope to dream. There is no correct order of how you live up to your aspirations. You must approach each opportunity with an open mind and an eager heart. The dream you seek is right there, even when you feel like you are going nowhere.
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Aspirations are goals you accomplish on a day-to-day basis. While this is not something you might actually think about, the actions that you make are based on decisions to take that big leap. It might not feel like the evolution of your aspirations, but they are. Try challenging yourself. After all, you’ve taken this step before unknowingly, try accepting it and evolve. The tiniest steps are the most important ones. As in nature, you must nurture your dreams both large and small until they are mature enough and, for some, until a dream is whole again. The aspiring journey creates the ‘I did this!’ feeling. Who doesn’t want to feel that way?!?! Time is only important if you choose not to do something. You are only delaying yourself. No one can take your aspirations away from you but yourself.
Do not lose hold of your dreams and aspirations. For if you do, you may exist but you have ceased to live. -Henry David Thoreau
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Aspirations of Melissa Simonsen at the Tribal Prosecutor’s Office I have enjoyed the honor of working as a team member of the Swinomish Healing to Wellness Court since 2017. Individuals who participate in this program receive recognition and support from our team as they work diligently towards sobriety and healing. These participants are determined to graduate with the skills necessary for lifelong sobriety and healthy living; each graduate is a blessing to our community. I have many aspirations for the program and this year endeavor to: • • •
Focus on the legal documents and partnerships necessary for expanding the Swinomish Healing to Wellness Court program Welcome new participants who have drugrelated charges in Skagit County, and possibly Island or Whatcom counties. Include more Swinomish members, members of other tribes living on the reservation, those living in Swinomish transitional housing, and individuals who are in treatment at the Wellness Center. We need to coordinate MOUs and partnerships with other drug courts under Swinomish Tribal Code 3.09-090 to accomplish this. These partnerships will enable people to transfer their county criminal cases to the Swinomish Healing to Wellness Court.
I am encouraged by the help and guidance we receive from Judge Abby Abinanti of the Yurok Tribe and the partnerships that she has with Humboldt County, her neighboring county. To learn more about how well these partnerships work for tribes and fighting the opioid epidemic, check out Judge Abinanti’s documentary “Tribal Justice” available at pbs.org.
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BRING YOUR OWN BAG- WHY? Kyra Herzberger, VISTA Intern, Community Environmental Health Part 6 of 12
waterways where all manner of creatures from seabirds to fish mistake them for food or becoming entangled in them—both of which can lead to death. Consider this perspective: an item we use for a matter of minutes contributes to the deaths of one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals every single year. Furthermore, the impacts of producing plastic bags are tremendous, as the manufacture of them requires 12 million barrels of oil (a nonrenewable resource) annually. Due to the complexity of the food web, what harms one marine animal harms all marine animals. Even when these animals aren’t consuming plastic directly, it still manages to make its way into their bodies. When microplastics float in the ocean they act as sponges and soak up contaminants. If a fish swims along and eats these microplastics, they are also consuming the contaminants. And when something comes along and eats this particular fish (be it human or not), they too are eating these contaminants. The alternative, paper bags, also take massive amounts of resources and energy to make, but they hold more than a standard plastic bag, are made of renewable resources, and break down better.
When the La Conner Town Council unanimously voted to ban businesses from providing plastic bags to their customers in June 2018, they became the first town in Skagit County to do so. La Conner officially joined more than a dozen cities in Washington that already ban plastic bags, including Bellingham, Shoreline, Tacoma, and Friday Harbor. With plastics pollution posing a greater threat every day, plastic bag bans are gaining traction. This may seem like an inconvenience to consumers and businesses, and some may ask: How big of a deal are plastic bags anyway? Plastic bags are a huge deal if you are a seabird or marine creature! Of the 100 billion plastic bags used in the United States every year, only 5 percent are recycled. The remaining 95 percent end up in landfills or 22 sw d bš qyuuqs News
Did you know a plastic bag can take 5-10 years to decompose? Even at that they don’t completely decompose. A paper bag takes only a month. The best option is to bring your own reusable canvas bags, or you can even re-purpose an old t-shirt! Visit mommypotamus.com/no-sew-t-shirt-tote-bag-tutorial to make your own no-sew t-shirt tote in just ten minutes. If Seattle is any indication, passing plastic bag ordinances works. In 2016, a report issued by Seattle Public Utilities found that plastic bags in residential garbage dropped from 262 tons to 136 tons between 2010 and 2014 while the amount of bags in commercial and self-haul waste streams reduced by 78%. Though it may take some getting used to, banning plastic bags is a achievable step towards creating a better environment for all its inhabitants.
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FINDING A SUPPORT GROUP Rose Ness, Swinomish Wellness Program
The support you are trying to find is out there for less than the cost of a cup of coffee, and that support system will even provide you with a cup of coffee! Support groups offer safe places to learn and talk about feelings; achieve self-insight; gain an understanding of others; and find hope—and these are just some of the benefits of attending. Read on for some tips and information that can help orient you on your journey to finding the right group for you.
"Support groups offer safe places to learn and talk about feelings; achieve self-insight; gain an understanding of others; and find hope."
There is a support group meeting available for everyone and everything •
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Meetings are free
Meetings are free; however, a basket is usually passed around for donations. These proceeds help the group be self-supporting in paying meeting space rents and purchasing refreshments, among other things.
Different support groups host different types of meetings •
Closed groups are for individuals who identify with the primary purpose of the group. For example, only those who identify as having a problem with drinking can attend a closed Alcoholics Anonymous group. • Open groups welcome all guests. • Speaker meetings, where someone tells his or her story, are usually open to all. The “No Reservations Meeting” meets the first Saturday of the month in the Swinomish gym from 7-8:30 p.m.
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Alcoholics Anonymous was started in the 1930s. It is the first 12-step support group to exist. Meetings are easy to find and newcomers are welcome. Visitors are not required to speak. Groups for other issues follow the same format as Alcoholics Anonymous, including Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, Marijuana Anonymous, and Gamblers Anonymous. All of these support groups are opportunities to realize you are not alone. Al-anon meetings are 12-step support groups that welcome family members of those with substance use issues. Al-ateen is for teenagers. Anyone affected by a family member or loved one’s gambling can find support through Gam-anon. Many other types of meetings exist, including Rational Recovery and religion-based groups. What they have in common is an opportunity to share personal experiences and feelings as well as learn coping strategies and firsthand information about diseases and treatments. Did you know there are online support groups? There is support available right at your fingertips!
Swinomish Wellness Program is committed to you! If you want to learn about support group meetings or need assistance finding one that is right for you, counselors are available at the Swinomish Wellness Program (360.466.7389) and at the La Conner middle and high school.
ONLINE RESOURCES: Gamblers Anonymous: gamblersanonymous.org Al-anon: wa-al-anon.org Gam-anon: gam-anon.org sw d bš qyuuqs News 23 e e
Alcoholics Anonymous: district4aa.weebly.com Narcotics Anonymous: nwwana.org Cocaine Anonymous: caofwa.org
The Good, the Bad and the Unpredictable: Clam Population Trends in Washington Lindy Hunter, Fisheries
Shellfish have been a part of the daily life, diet, and culture for the Swinomish people since time immemorial. As climate change brings about increasing environmental variability and habitat instability, pressure builds to learn as much as possible about local bivalve communities and the primary factors impacting them. Do different clam species show comparable population patterns through space and across time? Will changes in the environment affect similar species in the same way? What environmental changes are most influential in determining shifts within populations? Questions such as these are becoming increasingly relevant to more than environmental enthusiasts and shellfish biologists – they are important to everyone! The Swinomish Fisheries shellfish team tackled these and other questions in a research paper recently published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography. Using a long-term dataset, the team described population patterns and identified factors influencing three important clam species: butter clams, native littleneck clams, and cockles. Along with collaborators from the Skagit River System Cooperative and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 28 years of data and a statistical tool, 24 sw d bš qyuuqs News
called dynamic factor analysis, were used to explore these relationships. The data analyzed came from clam populations located on 11 beaches throughout Puget Sound, including beaches on Whidbey and Camano Islands. Our analysis highlights some of the complex interactions that occur on the beaches around us and underfoot. Multiple decades of data show that butter clam populations increased throughout Puget Sound since the late 1980s, although recent trends indicate a decline could be starting. Native littlenecks also show similar patterns throughout Puget Sound but, in the case of this species, they have been declining on every beach since 1989. Matching population patterns on different beaches throughout Puget Sound sends a hint to biologists that population patterns are determined by larger environmental forces rather than beach-specific factors. Conversely, swings in cockle populations indicate that they are probably more affected by local factors rather than large-scale factors. Analysis efforts also identified an oceanographic phenomenon as a potential environmental driver of bivalve population change. The North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO) tracks salinity, nutrients and chlorophyll-a along the coastal current system of the Pacific Northwest. The relationship between clams and the
NWIC Intern, Layla Westendorf, assists SRSC with the clam survey.
NPGO makes sense, as the NPGO likely affects larval and juvenile clams via nutrient supply. Results indicate that when larval and juvenile clams do well, adult populations are better a few years later and vice versa. All of this research was born from the curiosity of Fisheries Manger Lorraine Loomis. Lorraine wondered where all the native littlenecks had gone and asked the shellfish team to help her figure it out. Her inquisitiveness prompted collaboration and put a valuable long-term dataset to good use, which the team will continue to build. If you have questions, curiosities, or an interest in exploring relationships in marine communities, please come see us in the Fisheries office and pursue your answers.
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Recycling the Un-recyclable Kyra Herzberger, VISTA Intern, Community Environmental Health Program
Did you see in the news that scientists found a way to generate light using only scrap metal? It is an “aluminating” discovery. All bad jokes aside, the significance of this discovery is great: a lot of what we throw away can be recycled and salvaged to make new products. In our last qyuuqs News article we covered the basics of curbside recycling and although these services have gotten better, there are still many items the service won’t accept such as batteries, electronics, and light bulbs.
Luckily there are many free resources available in our community so that we can start recycling these unrecyclable items today! Lowe’s: Takes your plastic bags and films, cell phones, light bulbs, and batteries. E-cycle Washington: A program that takes TV’s, computers, laptops, monitors, tablets, e-readers, and portable DVD players. Drop-offs are accepted at Goodwill and Value Village. Ecyclewashington.org Best Buy and Staples: These businesses will take your old keyboards, mice, printers, toner cartridges, and cell phones. Skagit County Household Hazardous Waste Facility: A service available to all Skagit county households. The facility is open Monday-Friday from 10am-4pm and on the first Saturday of each month from 10am-4pm. They accept a wide variety of materials including paint thinners, antifreeze, and herbicides.
Photo by Eric Shoemaker
Skagit River Steel & Recycling: A free service for recycling planters and pots, paper products, steel, and more. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 8am4:30pm. Experts estimate that e-waste will increase by 8% every year so it is important to start thinking about these hard to recycle items, not just plastic bottles and cans. If your electronics and appliances are still in good shape, donate them to places like Goodwill and Value Village or give them to a friend!
Check out these online resources! For more information on these local recycling resources, visit: skagitcounty.net/Departments/ PublicWorksSolidWaste/hhw.htm skagitriversteel.com/recycling-services To learn more about E-waste, visit: thebalancesmb.com/e-waste-recycling-factsand-figures-2878189 ifixit.org/ewaste sw d bš qyuuqs News 25 e e
In this modern age of technology, many of us have cell phones, computers, and other appliances we no longer use collecting dust in our homes, or have in error contributed such items into landfills. These items, known as e-waste, contain high amounts of lead that can leach into the environment and carry severe health effects on our blood, kidneys, and nervous systems. Furthermore, these gadgets contain precious resources like copper, silver, and gold that could be reused in making new devices.
NEW BEGINNINGS Shelly Vendiola
Wintertime marks the transition into a new year, and new beginnings. As an educator reflecting on this month’s qyuuqs News theme “aspirations,” I feel that any house of teaching and learning is, and should be, a place wherein aspirations manifest. Schools are where students learn about subjects and matters that influence how they live, work, play, and pray in their home and community environments; where students learn tools and skills to survive in the world; where understanding is created and nurtured through practice and sharing stories; where traditional languages are restored; and where leadership is nurtured.
right, and it is an acquired right as written in the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott. Our ancestors who signed the treaty did so under great distress and in the face of forced relocation and diminished ancestral homelands. They knew to include our acquired right to hunt, fish, and gather in our usual and accustomed places. Thankfully they were thinking of generations to come when they outlawed alcohol and replaced it with schools that would teach the skills necessary to survive and thrive in a changing world. There are no longer boarding schools whose primary focus is westernized education and assimilation. We are finally able to indigenize our own tribally-run college and to teach our own history in an environment where our identity is valid and amplified.
From a Northwest Indian College (NWIC) Native Studies Leadership Swinomish site perspective, the intent of the college is to appropriately reveal culture and identity in the context of place, our place: Swinomish, swedebs. It is a place for remembering our ancestral heroes and what they did to protect and preserve this place we call home so that we can pursue education as we do today. My mother told me long ago that knowledge is power and, to me, remembering our ancestors is a sacred process that informs our identity.
Although we have come a long way from the boarding school model, we are still working to decolonize the academy, embrace our own ways of knowing, and grow the next generation of leadership. As a teacher and lifelong learner, this is an aspiration I am proud to be connected to.
We are blessed for the opportunity to teach and learn here at Swinomish, to have NWIC in the center of our village, and to have our leaders value education so highly. Learning about and understanding our own history, language, and culture is our inherent
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What an exciting time we are in, as our tribe continues to grow, and as scholarships are made available to all who aspire to better themselves and thereby strengthen their families and our community.
To all our students and community members: may this year be fruitful and full of growth, transformation, and aspirations.
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Northwest Indian College, Swinomish Site 2019 Happenings on Campus Shelly Vendiola, Northwest Indian College, Swinomish Site Faculty
NWIC Community Advisory Board
Northwest Indian College (NWIC) is excited to announce that following the signing of the memorandum of agreement between the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and college, the NWIC Community Advisory Board was formed (formerly the Native Studies Leadership Advisory Group). The NWIC Community Advisory Board will work under the Swinomish Education Department’s education subcommittee. This board will support students and staff at the Swinomish site in an advisory capacity, helping students navigate their education and providing guidance to staff to ensure good faith efforts and strategies are employed with integrity and equitably in support of students and in alignment with community needs.
Carrie Bill and Dean Dan Jr.
Jennifer Willup and Phillip Morris
Work Study, Interns, and Tutoring
Tutoring is provided on-site by recent Native Studies Leadership graduate Phillip Morris. He is on campus Monday and Tuesday in the afternoon and evening, and is available on Wednesdays by appointment. Please drop by or contact him at: pmorris@students.nwic or Qualtion360@ gmail.com.
Native Studies Leadership Program
The Native Studies Leadership program houses the foundational cultural sovereignty courses that students are required to take during their first and second years for all NWIC degrees. This year the Native Students Leadership program welcomes NWIC senior Jenn Willup as an intern. Jenn is working to develop traditional plants curriculum in support of our classes and activities. We are excited to have her on board as the program continues to evolve.
Important Dates NWIC Closure: President’s Day, February 18 Midterms: February 11-15 Last day to withdraw: March 1 (see Swinomish Site Manager) Last day of winter quarter: March 22
NWIC Swinomish site contacts
Enrollment and registration | ABE/GED | Running Start Program
Gaylene Gobert, Site Manager/First & Second Year Advisor: ggober@nwic.edu Kathy Humphrey, ABE/GED: khumphrey@nwic.edu Linda Willup, Running Start Program/Instructional Tech: lwilllup@nwic.edu Native Studies Leadership Program or the NWIC Swinomish Community Advisory Board
Shelly Vendiola, NSL Faculty/Advisor: svendiola@nwic.edu Please visit our website and click on Student Life for more information: nwic.edu sw d bš qyuuqs News 27 e e
Swinomish site support is ready for the new year. Carrie Bill is continuing to serve as a work study student helping with general on-site logistics while Dean Dan maintains his work as the 13 Moons Garden intern. Dean will be working in partnership to care for the garden with Myk Heidt who is a coordinator for the Swinomish Community Environmental Health program. We are very excited these two students continue to support the needs of the students and garden.
Science Corner
Smoky Summers: The New Pacific Northwest Community Health Problem Kelsey Larson, Air Quality Specialist, Department of Environmental Protection
Smoke from British Columbia wildfires consumed our local air during August of 2018. A particular memory for me from this time is of ordering takeout from Judy Fu’s Snappy Dragon. While this is an odd memory in hindsight, it stands out because on that day – when the air was filled with smoke – that takeout was the only reason I risked leaving my apartment. As soon as I opened the door I started coughing; my eyes watered and my throat felt tight. I was outside for all of 5 minutes, but I felt poorly for the next 4 hours. Unfortunately these smoky summers are likely to become a regular occurrence in the Pacific Northwest, as wildfires are predicted to increase in frequency and severity. A local cause for concern is that fire season occurs during the hottest time of the year in a region where residential air conditioning is the exception. For people that rely on open windows to remain cool in their homes, they are forced to make a choice: excessive heat or poor air quality. This circumstance is a serious community health issue. If I could magically solve this problem, I would install air conditioners in every single Pacific Northwest house. Unfortunately, I’m not magical, and that would be incredibly expensive. However, there are steps we can take individually or as a community to prepare for the possibility of upcoming smoke events in 2019. Limit your exposure to outdoor air as much as possible. Shut all of your windows. If possible, turn your ventilation system to recirculate. If you have air conditioning, use it. If your air condition has a filter, check to make sure it is a HEPA filter and replace it every six months unless otherwise noted. If you don’t have a ventilation system or air conditioning, again, shut the windows. If you can afford them, air purifiers are a good option to keep clean the air in a small room like a bedroom. Some air purifiers will create ozone (which is a toxic gas), so look for an air purifier certified by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The $25 solution to cleaning your indoor air is a box fan, some duct tape, and a HEPA filter. Tape the filter to the 28 sw d bš qyuuqs News
front of the box fan and you have a cheaper air purifier. Change the HEPA filter when the color changes from white to brown. I would not suggest putting the fan in the window, due to the likelihood that the fan shape and window frame don’t match. Have I mentioned shutting the windows yet? When you go outside, wear protection. N95 masks are the best kind of masks for filtering smoke; two straps to secure the mask tight over your face and filter small particles. N95 masks are stocked at the medical clinic or can be purchased at a local hardware store. When it comes to masks plan ahead: emergencies create shortages. Those that have asthma or trouble breathing should ask their doctor if they can wear a N95 mask due to the restriction in airflow. As we move closer to summer, I will be installing PM2.5 monitors with the end goal of having real time air quality measurements available online. I will send out alerts in case of poor air quality forecast. My one-year goal is to create a “clean air” space that will be available for the community – particularly for the children, elderly, and those with asthma or heart conditions. If possible, and with community interest, another goal would be finding, applying for, and obtaining funding to make sure people can safely stay in their homes and not suffer from heat and poor air quality exposure. Do you have any question or comments about this issue? Contact Kelsey Larson at: klarson@swinomish.nsn.us or (360) 708.3118
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Swinomish Collaborates with First Nations Elders and Parks Canada in Clam Garden Restoration Efforts Myk Heidt, Community Environmental Health Coordinator
Courtney Grenier, Joseph Williams, Myk Heidt, Jamie Donatuto
On the night of January 20 and under the light of the super blood wolf moon, Senator Joseph Williams, Marine Ecologist Courtney Grenier, Community Environmental Health Analyst Jamie Donatuto, and myself joined our hosts as we embarked on two different boats to reach the gardens. After a thirty-minute moonlit ride we arrived at the first
clam garden on Russell Island during an extreme low tide. The weather was cold, crisp, but without wind, and did I mention the MOON! Around a cozy beach fire we introduced ourselves and enjoyed a discussion led by First Nation elders. They explained how they are utilizing their ancestral teachings to restore the traditional practice of clam gardens in Canadian waters today. Their clam gardens are constructed during low mean tide by building a rock wall to increase beach area where clams can live. Where there are clam gardens, you will find an abundance of clams and sea life. Restoring the clam garden
Our first task was to remove a large pile of seaweed covering the beach. We used buckets and rakes to collect the seaweed, moving it upland to fertilize the trees. Next, we raked the
compacted shell beds to aerate them and give the clams “elbow” room. After completing work on the first garden we traveled to Salt Spring Island. The elders introduced us to a large but well-established clam garden measuring over 3,280ft long! This site was much harder to work on. In the black of night and during the eclipse of the moon, we moved rocks of all sizes to make digging on the beach easier. Some of our buckets cracked under the weight of the heavy rocks. As with any big project, many hands and lots of jokes made the work fun and much was accomplished. We raise our hands and would like to thank our new First Nations friends and Parks Canada for hosting us and for showing us the ropes – or should I say the “rakes” – on how to build a clam garden! sw d bš qyuuqs News 29 e e
First Nations elders are experts at cultivating clam gardens, a practice passed down from their ancestors who maintained these gardens for generations. In an opportunity to learn from their knowledge, a group of Swinomish staff members teamed up with First Nations elders and Parks Canada for some handson experience restoring two clam gardens off the coast of Vancouver British Columbia.
MONTHLY MONEY MATTERS Dear Resolute Robert, My New Year’s resolution is to get my finances on track. Can you offer any practical advice? Signed, New Year’s Wish Dear New Year’s Wish, With the holidays over, it’s time to jump back into the daily grind of work and school. You’re one of the 40 percent of Americans who, according to Forbes, made at least one New Year’s resolution for 2019: shed a few extra pounds, spend more time with family, or finally tackle that credit card debt. Unfortunately, only 8 percent of us will actually achieve our goals. Failure is usually attributed to resolutions that are vague, hard to measure, or just too complicated. So, here’s the solution to those resolution woes. Keep your resolution clear and concise. Imprecise goals such as “I’m going to work harder at managing my money” or “I’m going to lose weight” are pretty much doomed to failure. Here’s an example of a better way to state a financial goal: “I will save an additional 3 percent from my bi-weekly paycheck. Then, on the first of each month, I’ll add those extra savings to my credit card payment.” Set a time-frame. In order for goals to work we need to have a specific time-frame to measure and track our success. For example: “I will pay off my $2,000 credit card balance by December 2019.” Create a realistic strategy for how to accomplish your goal. “I’ll be able to save that extra 3 percent by eating
out only one night a week, eliminating all unnecessary clothing purchases, and making all of my own gifts for birthdays and holidays.” List the biggest challenges you’ll face along with a plan for overcoming them. Here’s an example: “My greatest obstacle will be the temptation to splurge on a new summer wardrobe. I’ll overcome this by looking at less costly ways to liven up my look such as a new hair style, becoming more physically fit, and searching my closet for brand new clothes I purchased but have never worn.” The key to setting and achieving goals is closely aligned with their level of difficulty. This is something psychologists call “flow.” Flow occurs when a challenge matches our skill set and we’re fully engrossed in an activity. This is also when we’re most creative. If a goal is too easy, you get bored. If a goal is too complicated, you’ll get stressed, discouraged, and quit. Lots of luck for a fruitful 2019! This article was provided by First Nations Development Institute with assistance from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. For more information, visit firstnations.org.
Learn how to use it. Call the Wellness Program at (360) 466-1024 to pick up a kit. 30 sw d bš qyuuqs News e e
Youth Spirit Program Leah Gobert, Youth Spirit Assistant Manager
Youth Spirit Holiday Celebration
The Youth Spirit program hosted a holiday celebration at the La Conner School District (LCSD) office in December. Youth participated in a white elephant gift exchange that included of a pair of socks, candy, and extra items each youth decided to add on his or her own. The gingerbread house building activity was a big success. The process of making buttercream frosting and using food dye to create color was a humbling experience for youth; creating gingerbread houses showed the need to have a strong foundation for stability (a metaphor for life); and the experience introduced team-building skills as well as an open dialogue for accepting suggestions from one another. We also had an older sibling show up to join in on the fun in support of their younger sister! A big thank you to Tracey Parker and Swinomish Family Services for purchasing supplies.
enjoy after school Wednesday thru Friday from 2:35-4:30 p.m. (hours may vary based on community events). Do you have questions about the Youth Spirit Program? Please contact Tanisha or Leah: Tanisha Gobert, Manager Phone: (360) 499.9446 Email: tgobert@swinomish.nsn.us Leah Gobert, Assistant Manager Phone: (360) 399.5805 Email: lgobert@swinomish.nsn.us
Youth Spirit Goals
Youth Spirit program goals are dedicated to improving and supporting the physical, social, emotional, and cultural wellbeing of our youth. The program accomplishes this by offering academic enrichment through a life-skills based curriculum that promotes healthy social norms, self-expression, and resiliency. The program offers after-school enhancement activities in La Conner schools to further support healthy lifestyle opportunities. The program works to support the connection between the Swinomish and LCSD. This year marks the second year of five for a grant funded by the Office of Minority Health. It is our goal that we help shape program participants in becoming successful young adults and future Indigenous leaders in this time. It is through our collaboration with the other departments, LCSD staff, and community parents and elders that we are able to do this kind of work. The Youth Spirit center is located on the La Conner Middle School campus in a portable building next to the Little Braves Club. Our center provides a safe environment for youth to sw d bĹĄ qyuuqs News
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13 MOONS COMPOST GARDEN WORKSHOP
Growing Good Dirt
Myk Heidt, Community Environmental Health Coordinator
stockpiling dry plant materials, and clean gardening gloves for participants. NWIC students, community members, and Youth Spirit students joined in, along with Community Environmental Health Vista Intern Kyra Herzberger.
Delia Kaubin
January 31 – Growing Good Dirt, a workshop about creating quality compost for a healthy garden, kicked off a series of 13 Moons garden workshops at Northwest Indian College (NWIC).
Why Host a 13 Moons Garden Workshop?
In 2018 NWIC and Vista interns saw an increase of community interest as they worked diligently to revamp the 13 Moons Garden Medicine Wheel and build an elder’s garden; community members would often stop by to ask if they could help. During this time it was suggested that Swinomish Housing Authority (SHA) tenants who need to work off a utility bill could be granted an opportunity to work in the 13 Moons garden. We brought this idea to SHA, and 32 sw d bš qyuuqs News
they agreed to honor a tenant’s participation in the 13 Moons gardening activities as a means of working off a utility bill.
Sonner Campbell, Delia Kaubin, Sara Cladoosby, Leah Gobert and four Youth Spirit students gathered additional fresh plant materials (commonly referred to as green materials) which they chopped up and put in a bin. The 13 Moons Gardens uses a threebin system, which works well for a large garden with lots of plant material, and allows us to have compost in various phases all at once.
The positive response of bringing so many into the garden over the last year benefited so many and so much. This workshop series aims to engage the community further by providing opportunities to bring more individuals into the garden.
In order to prepare the first bin, all plant material must be chopped into 3-4 inch pieces and mixed according to the recipe included below. We also added layers of torn up newspaper and cardboard. Water is added so the materials are moist but not wet. The bins are black which is good because that attracts heat from the sun and starts “cooking” the compost. The compost needs to be completely turned at least once each week to allow good air flow, and water added as needed to keep it moist but NOT soggy! You can tell when the compost is cooking well; just like cooking food, it smells really good when you lift the lid, a nice earthy sweet smelling compost.
Growing Good Dirt: A workshop Dean Dan, the groundskeeper for the 13 Moons Garden, prepared for our first workshop by
If it stinks or smells sour it is too wet and not breaking down. To fi x this, try tossing in a handful of dry dog food to get it working.
Gaylene Gobert offered extra credit to NWIC student participants and continued education units (CEUs) to NWIC alumni. Tanisha and Leah Gobert offered support to the garden by encouraging Youth Spirit students to participate as well.
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Delia Kaubin, Sara Cladoodsby, Sonner Campbell, and Dean Dan Jr.
When the first bin compost has broken down to about 2-inch size pieces of plant material it’s time to move it to bin two. When the material in bin two breaks down to about half that size, move it to bin three where it cooks for another month before being added to the garden and flower beds to enrich the soil. For a small home garden, a pile on a tarp can work well too. The finished compost is usually at the bottom and you will have to scrape away the top layer of compost to get to the fine compost, so it can be a bit more work depending on how big your pile is. Did you know that dirt and compost are alive? According to Seattle Tilth, one gram of healthy soil is home to as many as
500 million organisms including bacteria, yeast, algae, protozoa, and insects. These tiny creatures build soil nutrition, hold water and ward off plant disease. If soil is healthy, plants are healthy and robust. If soil is poor, plants struggle to survive.
Compost Recipe • • •
4 parts dry plant material, cardboard, newspaper, wood chips 1 part green plant material, kitchen scraps 1 part dirt from your discarded garden pots or planters or from your garden
Mix well, moisten with water, cover with a lid or tarp, and stir weekly.
Some Items Don't Mix With Your Compost
Do not mix meat, bones, dairy, or processed products into your compost.
Homemade compost does not get “hot” enough to break down these items. Furthermore, these items attract rodents, dogs, raccoons, and other pests and make your compost stink. NEVER put cat litter or animal feces in your compost. Diseases can be transmitted to humans from animal feces.
Garden Humor
Why do potatoes make good detectives? Their eyes are always peeled What do you get if you divide a pumpkin’s circumference by its diameter? Pumpkin Pi What do you call a stolen yam? A hot potato. Follow us on Facebook for upcoming workshops and events: 13 Moons at Work sw d bš qyuuqs News 33 e e
Limit water for a while and add some layers of cardboard or newspaper and stir well. That should get it cooking again.
Mrs. V’s 2 Cents Diane Vendiola
Spanish Dancer chant, I still remember a saying I learned in Girl Scouts: “Good, better, best. Never let it rest, until your good is better, and your better is best.” I loved to jump rope with my friends when I was a kid. Two of us would turn the rope while the rest of us took turns jumping until we missed. “Missing” meant whoever was jumping didn’t jump quickly enough and the rope hit their foot. The first jumper would jump in while the rope was already turning, continue while everybody said a chant, and exit and enter the rope on cues from the chant. My favorite jump rope chant went like this: “Not last night but the night before, 24 robbers came knocking at my door. I went out…” At this point the jumper would jump out of the rope, run around a rope turner, and jump back in without missing. “All they wanted was a bottle of gin. I had none, so this is what they said: Spanish Dancer turn around and around…” The chant went on with the jumper having to do each activity dictated in the lyrics, like “touch the ground” or “spin around” without missing the turn of the rope. I was in Girl Scouts about the same age I was jumping rope and trying to make it all the way through the chants without missing. In the same way I never forgot the
ATTENTION: AFTER-HOURS HOUSING & UTILITY EMERGENCIES
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While my jump rope days are over, I practice the motto I learned in Girl Scouts every time I celebrate New Year’s Day. I take the whole morning to consider the previous year and all the adventures I had. I summarize them and am always pretty amazed at all the living I did in just one year. After all this reflection, I decide on a couple of things that I might do better to make the coming year better, and maybe even the best! My dad used to tell my brother and me to always remember kapwa. Dad said that kapwa was about remembering that every one of us, no matter who we are, including the man on the street, the homeless, the store keeper, the important guy, the boss, we are in this life together. We are all human beings, together. I try to keep that teaching in mind while determining my aspirations for the coming year. Remembering kapwa and aspiring to do better is not about the approvals of others or making an impression on anybody. It’s the same thing that Auntie Vi Hilbert used to admonish us to be: “Don’t be lazy, be industrious, work hard to use whatever gifts you have to make life better for all of us.” And as Martin Luther King said, “Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase.”
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CURRENT OPEN POSITIONS - As of January 23
To view details about open positions and download our General Employment Application, visit swinomishcasinoandlodge.com/careers. All positions are “Open until filled” unless specified. Email applications to: jobs@swinomishcasino.com Fax applications to: (360) 299.1677 Mail or hand deliver to: Swinomish Casino & Lodge 12885 Casino Drive, Anacortes, WA 98221 Questions? Call Human Resources at (360) 299.1642
FACILITIES CUSTODIAN (FT) HEAVY DUTY CLEANER (FT) FOOD & BEVERAGE BANQUET BARTENDER (OC) BANQUET SERVER (OC) BUSSER (FT/PT) COOK (FT) DISHWASHER (FT/PT) FOOD COURT CASHIER (PT) FOOD COURT LINE COOK (PT) HOST/HOSTESS (FT/PT/OC) RESTAURANT SERVER (FT/PT/OC) GAMING SLOT ATTENDANT (FT) SLOT TECHNICIAN (FT) TABLE GAMES DEALER (FT/PT/OC) GUEST SERVICES PLAYERS CLUB ASSOCIATE (FT)
LODGE GUEST SATISFACTION ASSOCT. (FT) HOUSEMAN (FT/PT) LAUNDRY ATTENDANT (FT/PT) ROOM ATTENDANT (FT) MARKETING BRAND AMBASSADOR (OC) DIGITAL MARKETING ASSIST. (FT) INTERACTIVE MEDIA INTERN (PT) SECURITY SECURITY OFFICER (FT) SECURITY OFFICER/ EMT (FT) SURVEILLANCE SURVEILLANCE OBSERVER (FT) VALET VALET ATTENDANT (FT)
HUMAN RESOURCES & TRIBAL EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS OFFICE (TERO) JOB OPENINGS • • • • • • • • • • •
Tribal Mental Health Program Counselor/ Coordinator Certified Medical Assistant Payroll Specialist Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Tribal Gaming Agent IT System Administrator Archaeology Technician Grant Writer (on-call) Tribal Mental Health Counselor Staff Attorney Police Officer - Entry Level or Lateral
Full descriptions of the job announcements listed above are available on the Swinomish website: swinomish-nsn.gov/resources/human-resources
HOW TO APPLY: Return completed application, cover letter, and resume to: Personnel Office Swinomish Indian Tribal Community 11404 Moorage Way La Conner, WA 98257 Fax applications to: (360) 466.1348 Or email to: aiedwards@swinomish.nsn.us Applications must be received in the Personnel Office by 5PM on or before the job closing date. Questions? Call the Personnel Office at (360) 466.1216 or (360) 466.7353
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As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for a comprehensive benefit package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement planning, and more. Other perks include generous paid time off and discounted meals.
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I WILL GRADUATE.
Divinity Kochuten, Jasmine Cayou, Chloe Edwards, Raymond Baker, Scott Cayou, Demonte Wolf-John