THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE CHEHALIS RESERVATION, ‘PEOPLE OF THE SANDS’ (2018)

THE CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE CHEHALIS RESERVATION, ‘PEOPLE OF THE SANDS’

CHEHALIS

TRIBAL

NEWSLETTER

November 2018 s HISTORY, HERITAGE AND RESOURCES AT CHEHALISTRIBE.ORG

Gathering honors our brave veterans

Thank you for

our freedom

Sassy, silly, sweet

Community goes all

out for Halloween fun

page 4

page 5

inside

Elders Thanksgiving / 2

Employee of the Month / 3

Officer sworn in / 5

Pledges combat violence / 8

Lucky Eagle mobile kitchen

for sale / 9

Students of the Month / 10

December birthdays / 11

Protecting our way of life

T

By Fred Shortman

he Chehalis Tribal

Fisheries and

Department of Natural

Resources (DNR)

programs held a meeting with

tribal and community members

to discuss the proposed Flood

Reduction Project on the

Chehalis River and the Airport

Levee Improvements for the city

of Chehalis on Monday, Oct. 22.

The state Department of

Ecology and the US Army

Corps of Engineers (USACE)

determined the proposed

projects could have serious

environmental impacts on the

Chehalis watershed.

Because of the large

number of potential impacts,

Environmental Impact

Statements (EIS) are required

to be prepared both on the state

and federal level. The first step

in the environmental review

process is to determine the

different types of the issues that

should be studied.

The DNR opened up a public

forum, or scoping period, for

those in attendance to provide

Strategy meeting for proposed flood

reduction project raises concerns

about river, fishing

their input.

Dozens

of community

members filled the

Elders Center to voice their

concerns and learn about

proposed projects that could

potentially harm Chehalis

Reservation lands.

Fisheries Biologist

Hope Rieden, Restoration

Coordinator Jason Gillie, Tribal

Historic Preservation Officer

Dan Penn and Environmental

See MEETING, page 7

DNR’s role on tribal lands

The Chehalis Tribe’s

Department of Natural

Resources operates various

functions throughout tribal

trust lands to help ensure a

better quality of life for the

people who live within the

reservation boundaries.

Department staff members

are responsible for monitoring

essential programs that are

crucial to the upkeep and

overall well-being of the tribe.

Programs they provide

are: agriculture, fisheries

research, forestry, air quality,

water quality, flood plain

management, realty and a

recently hired tribal historic

preservation officer.

See DNR, page 6

CTLF fundraiser pulls in $20,000

Organization helps fund

community developments

By Frazier Myer

Handcrafted tribal items were auctioned off at the

Chehalis Tribal Loan Fund’s annual fundraiser.

The Chehalis Tribal Loan Fund

(CTLF) organization held its second

annual fundraiser at the Lucky Eagle

Casino & Hotel on Thursday, Oct. 25.

Local businesses showed support with

their dollars, enjoyed a lunch and were

entertained by the Chehalis Canoe

Family and Native American storyteller

Gene Tagaban.

CTLF is a certified Community

Development Financial Institution

(CDFI). Its purpose is to assist Chehalis

tribal members, members of other

tribes and non-natives living in the

community.

See CTLF, page 12

2

ELDERS

Home-cooked meal and gratitude

Thanks is on the menu

By Frazier Myer

The Chehalis Tribal Elders

Program started Thanksgiving

festivities early with a homemade

turkey dinner on Nov. 15.

Our elders were delighted

to a full-course meal. Of course

turkey is a staple of the holiday,

but the feast included all of the

traditional Thanksgiving foods

such as mashed potatoes, stuffing

and cranberry sauce. Elders

Program Cook Ricardo Charles

prepared the feast.

Charles started his cooking

career at Lucky Eagle Casino in

2000, and brought his 18 years

of kitchen knowledge and skills

to the community as the official

cook for the Elders Center.

To be classified as an elder for

the Chehalis Tribe, individuals

must be age 55 or older. Charles

started preparing meals for the

group this past summer and has

received praise for the work he’s

doing to make sure the elders get

the best food possible.

He said it makes him happy

Elders Program Cook Ricardo Charles (left in red) whipped up a Thanksgiving feast for Chehalis tribal elders.

to see this group use the building

as it was intended for – to gather

and spend quality time together.

Charles is not a tribal

member but he grew up on

the reservation and around a

majority of the Chehalis elders.

“They’re basically like family

to me,” Charles said.

He views his job as an

opportunity to give back to elders

who played a huge role in helping

the tribe develop into what it is

today. He treats those he cooks

for with respect and care.

“I take my job seriously

because I would want somebody

to look after my elder,” Charles

said. “It means a lot to me to see

them happy.”

Before everyone dished up a

plate, Chehalis Elder Cindy Andy

blessed the food and everyone

in attendance with a prayer. The

oldest elders, those 80 and older,

were given the honor to get their

meals first. The newly reformed

Chehalis Tribal Youth Council

volunteered and did their part to

make the event successful.

The youth helped those who

needed assistance throughout

the evening. They acted as

servers by bringing drinks

and deserts. As elders stood

up to share a few words, they

had a lot of thankful comments

for the youth. A number of the

elders explained how grateful

they are to see the younger

generation step up and start

doing their part to contribute to

bettering the community.

Dolly Canales, member of the

Elders Committee, shared that

she was glad to see everyone

who showed up for the dinner

and appreciates all of the work

that goes into an event of this

magnitude. She was impressed

with the quality of the food

and the cook’s ability to serve

105 plates with minimal help

preparing.

Conference aims to keep elders safe

By Frazier Myer

On Wednesday, Oct. 24,

the Family Caregiver Support

Program for the Chehalis Tribe

provided community elders with

an all-day conference and lunch

at Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel.

Thirty elders and a handful

of presenters filled the Chehalis

Room at the casino, and Dr.

Deborah Behre was the first to

present. She holds a Stay Active

and Independent for Life (SAIL)

exercise program for community

elders on a regular basis. She

got the morning started with a

shortened version of the workout.

Dr. Behre had the elders

perform a variety of stretches and

movements. The stretches are a

simple way to get the necessary

exercise that helps prevent falls

sss

CONTACT US

To learn more about resources

available for tribal elders,

contact Christina Hicks at

chicks@chehalistribe.org.

or related injuries. As individuals

age, the risk of falling and length

of recovery time increases.

Exercises Dr. Behre shared

can be done at home and even

performed sitting down.

Throughout the day,

presenters with resources

specifically for elders shared

what their programs offer and

answered questions.

Amy Loschert from Salish

Cancer Center explained

the “integrative model”

that incorporates standard

conventional cancer treatment

with evidence-supported

integrative therapies including

diet, acupuncture, nutrient

supplementation, herbal

medicine and lifestyle and

spiritual healing.

Health care programs such

as Medicaid and Medicare were

discussed. Representatives from

DSHS and Wisdom Warriors

also presented.

The Family Caregiver Support

Program plans to hold another

conference in February or March

that will cover topics suggested

by tribal elders.

The program sends a thank

you to presenters and elders who

attended the conference.

Elders learned how to strengthen

their bodies to prevent falls

during a conference Oct. 24.

3

50 percent off dining!

Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel announced last month

that starting on Jan. 2, Chehalis tribal members will

receive a 50 percent off dining discount at all Lucky

Eagle restaurants. This will replace the existing 25

percent dining discount Chehalis tribal members

receive.

Lucky Eagle is preparing to launch a new Players

Club program – Lucky Star Rewards. Players Club

members will receive a 50 percent off dining discount

when paying for the meal in full with points. This

benefit is one of the primary features of our new

loyalty program and will offer a whole new level of

value for our guests.

Unlike Players Club members, Chehalis tribal

members won’t be required to use points to receive

the discount.

The 50 percent discount for Chehalis tribal

members will be valid any day and time as long as

an enrollment card is presented. It does not require

the use of points and cannot be combined with other

discounts (same as the guest discount) and is not valid

for catering or banquets.

Ready to help with careers

Curtis DuPuis II was recently

selected as Lucky Eagle Casino &

Hotel’s new Tribal Member Career

Development Specialist. Curtis will

work closely with Chehalis tribal

members to identify career goals

within Lucky Eagle and guide them

on their path.

Curtis DuPuis II

He has worked at Lucky Eagle for

15 years in a variety of roles. He also

has worked for SPIPA performing case management.

Curtis is passionate about education, career mapping

and personal and professional growth. He is excited

to help fellow tribal members discover their passion,

cultivate their strengths and fulfill their dreams.

Curtis will work with Chehalis tribal members both

individually and in groups to identify career interests,

assess skill sets and develop a plan to help them

achieve personal and professional goals.

Oakville Shaker Church

Christmas Bazaar

DEC. 22 & 23 COMMUNITY CENTER

Unique and handcrafted gifts!

VENDORS: The table fee is a

nonperishable food donation

for local food banks and an item

from your table. Doors open at 8

a.m. for setup. See Marla Medina

in the Planning Department for a

business license.

CONTACT

Theresa,

360-388-0110

Brenna,

360-520-6100

Winona,

360-628-6416

The October

Employee of

the Month –

Caytee Cline,

Youth Service

Coordinator

for Behavioral

Health – was

selected for

her positive

attitude and

trustworthy

work in support

of tribal

members.

“I don’t feel like

just an employee

who works for

the Chehalis

Tribe, I really feel

like I’m a part of

this community.”

– CAYTEE CLINE

Employee of the Month named

Caytee Cline, Youth Service

Coordinator for Behavioral Health,

received the 2018 October Employee

of the Month for the dedication she

has to her job and engaging with the

tribal community.

As the Youth Services Support

Coordinator, Cline is developing

programs to help with youth suicide

prevention, but she also helps facilitate

plant medicine classes by bringing in

Herbalist Winter Strong.

The classes encourage tribal

members to interact with each

other while learning and practicing

traditional ways of medicine their

Native American ancestors used for

centuries.

Cline was unable to be in

attendance at the gathering that

took place with a Thanksgiving-style

potluck during lunch on Nov. 20, but

Leah Niccolocci (Behavioral Health

director) and Bobbie Bush (coworker) both explained to everyone

in attendance their reasoning for why

Cline is deserving of the award.

Niccolocci spoke about Cline’s

outgoing, supportive and positive

attitude. Co-worker Bobbie Bush

shares an office with Cline, and she

talked about Caytee’s involvement with

the Native American people.

Bush noted that it’s not always

easy to build a trusting relationship,

yet the tribal people on the Chehalis

Reservation seek out assistance from

Cline and can comfortably go to her in

confidence.

Cline is not Native American; and

she said it’s a “blessing” to have the

opportunity to work with the Chehalis

Tribe.

Cline is continually learning

about our culture. She said it’s been

a privilege to be able to have this

position and learn about Native people

and customs.

“It’s been exciting,” Cline said, “...

not only to learn, but to be accepted.

I don’t feel like just an employee who

works for the Chehalis Tribe, I really

feel like I’m a part of this community,”

Cline said.

With the help of the rest of the

Behavioral Health staff, she plans to

continue bringing guidance to the

community and do her part to make

it a better place to place to live and

work.

4

Curtis DuPuis speaks and service members and their families share a

meal during the 17th annual Veterans Day Appreciation Dinner on Nov. 11.

Powerful night pays respect to veterans

Dinner honors brave

citizens for service

By Fred Shortman

Military veterans and their

loved ones gathered at Lucky

Eagle Casino & Hotel’s Event

Center for the 17th annual

Veterans Day Appreciation

Dinner on Sunday, Nov. 11.

The dinner was hosted by the

Chehalis Tribe and Lucky Eagle.

Chehalis Tribal Police Sgt. Jake

Dickerson served as the MC

for the event. He thanked the

veterans and welcomed everyone.

Veterans stood and saluted

the colors as they were placed

on the stage, and the Chehalis

Tribal Royalty led the Pledge

of Allegiance. This set the tone

for a patriotic evening honoring

all veterans. Special guest Bart

Herigstead followed the royalty

by singing the National Anthem.

Chehalis Tribal Elder and

veteran Curtis DuPuis was the

first speaker. He reminded

everyone that Veteran’s Day is a

time to pay respect to those who

have served in the US military.

He thanked all veterans for

the services and sacrifices they

made in protecting the American

people. DuPuis explained that

it’s important to continue to pray

for all of the Prisoners of War

(POWs) who never returned

home from war and those

currently missing in action.

Remembering those lost

Kenneth C. Wojozynski

performed POW ceremony A

Place Setting for One. Wojozynski

said he is honored to have been

selected for the ceremony the

past 14 years. The powerful

ceremony symbolizes the POWs

who didn’t make it home.

The round table is arranged

with a white tablecloth, single

plate setting, wine glass

(inverted), salt shaker, slice of

lemon on a bread plate with a

pile of spilled salt, small vase

with single stem red rose, yellow

ribbon tied around vase, lit

candle and an empty chair.

Deserving recognition

Chehalis Tribe Chairman

Harry Pickernell Sr. delivered

an inspirational speech as

he described how military

personnel continue to protect

the freedoms celebrated in this

country. This is a day to stand

united in respect for those who

served the in U.S. military forces.

He explained that the

sacrifice, commitment and

unselfish act in protecting this

country and providing the

opportunity to celebrate together

deserve recognition.

Tribal member Marie Bird

prayed for the food. The casino

and the Chehalis Tribal Fisheries

Program prepared the meal for

the evening. Fish was cooked

in the traditional Chehalis style

over an open fire at the fish pit.

While everyone finished

their meal, MC Jake Dickerson

acknowledged the people who

made this special evening

possible. He gave recognition to

the Veterans Day Committee.

He also gave a special shoutout to all of the volunteers who

provided assistance wherever

it was needed. Everyone stood

and applauded the group of

volunteers for their hard work.

Elder and Veterans Committee

member Gloria Jones conducted

the raffle drawings. As Jones read

off numbers, volunteers brought

prizes to winners’ seats.

Entertaining stories

The guest speaker of the

evening was Cecil Cheeka, a

descendent of both the Squaxin

and Makah tribes. He also is a

veteran who served in the U.S.

Marines during the Vietnam War.

Mr. Cheeka’s humble, lighthearted and humorous outlook

made the evening entertaining.

He shared his story about

joining the Armed Forces and

described a lasting impression of

his boot camp drill sergeant.

He talked about his duties

while serving in the Marines.

After being discharged, he

stumbled into a career as an

actor. He admitted he wasn’t a

celebrity but made a living. The

in-depth stories he delivered

brought fits of laughter to the

crowd as they listened intently.

Beaming with pride

Gary Waer, Veterans Day

Appreciation Committee

member, led the Recognition of

Branches. He announced each

branch of services and requested

members stand to be recognized

with thunderous applause.

After Rebecca Ambrose

sang America the Beautiful, the

evening ended as everyone stood

and witnessed the flags being

retired. Chehalis tribal veterans

marched out of the room

beaming with pride. Marie Bird

closed with a prayer.

YOUTH CLASSES

Tsapowum Chehalis Tribal Behavioral Health will be engaging

with ages 12 and older Fridays from 2-4:30 p.m. to promote

awareness and suicide prevention! Here is the schedule:

n Teen dating violence: First Friday of each month

n Substance abuse: Second and fourth Fridays

n Suicide prevention and awareness: Third Fridays

We will follow the schedule of tribal or

Youth Center closures.

For additional information or if you do

NOT want your child to participate, please

contact us at 360-709-1818.

5

Boo week scares

up tricks, treats

By Fred Shortman

Leading up to Halloween

each year, the Chehalis Tribe

celebrates with multiple events

throughout the week and on

Oct. 31.

The Early Learning

Department kicked off festivities

on Oct. 25 by decorating one of

the buildings and arranging it

so children could visit stations

with a range of Halloween

amusements.

Kids and their families had

the opportunity to meet with Sgt.

Jake Dickerson, a familiar face to

those in Head Start because of his

community outreach. Dickerson

handed out coloring books and

other items and shared smiles

with the kids as they talked about

their costumes.

Children went from station

to station getting faces painted,

fishing for candy and playing

with slime.

The Events Department held

a Halloweekend celebration for

the whole community on Oct. 27.

The gym was packed with more

than 100 community members

dressed up and ready for the

annual costume contest.

The contest had separate

categories for all ages. Each

group had pictures taken

together and the winners all took

a prize home. Married couple

David and Jamie Bird stole the

show with their homemade Fred

and Wilma Flintstone costumes.

After a dinner provided by

Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel,

they filed into the Gathering

Room next to the gym for a dance

Children

decked out

in fabulous

costumes

trick-or-treat

around tribal

departments

and David

and Jamie

Bird enjoy

the spotlight

for their

winning look.

See HALLOWEEN, page 10

Public Safety officially welcomes officer

Kaysha Moroz follows

in family’s footsteps

Chief of

Police Kelly

Edwards

swears in

Corrections

Officer

Kaysha

Moroz on

Oct. 18. Moroz

is looking

forward to

engaging

the tribal

community at

future events.

By Fred Shortman

Corrections Officer Kaysha

Moroz officially joined the

Chehalis Tribe’s Public Safety

Department with a ceremony

in front of the Tribal Center on

Oct. 18.

Moroz’s grandfather played

a huge role in her decision

to pursue a career in law

enforcement.

“My grandpa has always been

a really good inspiration,” Moroz

said.

Her grandfather has served as

a longtime officer and detective

for the Lewis County Sheriff ’s

Department and is still working

for the county facilitating

polygraph tests. Moroz is

familiar with the Lewis County

criminal justice system because

she previously worked as a

corrections officer at the county’s

juvenile detention center.

In addition to following in

the family footsteps, she chose

this specific career path to help

people. She enjoys being a part

of something bigger than herself

and helping serve the community.

Moroz started out with the

Chehalis Tribe in June 2017 but

had to wait for an opening at

the police academy to get the

necessary certifications, which

she recently completed this past

September.

Her biggest takeaway from

her experience at the academy is

an understanding of how crucial

it is to know specific tribal laws

and keep up with policies and

procedures. Many officers who

return from training share the

same realization.

Though Moroz has worked

for the department for more

than a year, being sworn in

with community members

present gave her a sense of

accomplishment and connection

with the department and tribe.

Though she works in the back

of the jail and isn’t engaging

as much with the community

as a patrol officer would be,

Moroz plans on meeting and

interacting with folks at future

events and gatherings.

To meet demands of the

growing tribe, Public Safety is

expanding as well. Moroz is a

part of that expansion.

Moroz praises how helpful

Public Safety staff members are,

and she gives thanks to Chief

Kelly Edwards and Lt. Scott

Williams for offering her the

opportunity to start a career

with the Chehalis Tribe.

“It’s been a long time coming,”

Williams said in regards to

seeing officer Moroz receive her

official certification.

“We’re pretty excited about

Kaysha,” Williams said. “It’s very

good to see her come full circle

from where she started to being

sworn in.”

Officer Williams has worked

for the tribe for years. In earlier

days, they had only one officer on

duty for the whole jail at times.

He said it’s amazing seeing

the department bring new

members on board and what it

has developed into. For officers

like Moroz, there is no longer

just a single person working a

shift and they have assistance if

necessary.

Williams is looking forward

to working with Moroz and

welcoming new staff members in

the future.

6

DNR

From page 1

DNR provides a number

of services to the community

and Chehalis tribal members,

including notary services,

providing permits for wood

cutting and outdoor burning and

offering state park passes.

As part of the realty program,

DNR manages 16 rental homes

available for tribal members.

They coordinate land surveys

using a certified federal land

surveyor and provide land and

timber appraisals.

Meet the staff:

DIRECTOR GLEN CONNELLY

Connelly has worked for

the Chehalis Tribe’s DNR since

2004 and was promoted to be

the new director last year. He

grew up 3,000 miles from here

in a small town in northern New

Jersey. After Connelly earned

his bachelor’s in environmental

studies at Ramapo State

College in 1993, he moved

to Washington. He lives in

Olympia and is the father of two

sons, ages 18 and 21. He takes

great pride in working in the

community and looks forward to

utilizing his skills and experience

to protect and enhance tribal

lands and resources.

REALTY OFFICER

CHARLOTTE LOPEZ

Charlotte is a mother of four

and grandmother of seven.

She has lived on and near her

homelands of the Chehalis

Reservation her whole life. She

started working for the tribe

in 1991 and held numerous

positions before officially

becoming the administration

assistant for DNR in October of

2009. She worked closely with

the Realty office, which holds

the records of tribal lands, trust

and fee. She also keeps track of

individually owned trust tracts

within the Chehalis Reservation.

In addition to the Realty work

she’s done for years, Lopez also

works closely with the Regional

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) in

Portland, Ore., and the Olympic

Peninsula Agency in Aberdeen.

REALTY MAINTENANCE

SPECIALIST BRIAN A. BLAND

Bland began working for

the DNR Realty department in

August of 2018 and loves his new

career. Bland has a three-yearold son named Colten and is a

combat veteran with a passion

The Chehalis Tribe’s Department of Natural Resources team is made up of (from left): Dan Penn, Wayne Barr,

Colleen Suter, Glen Connelly, William Thoms, Charlotte Lopez, Brian A. Bland, Rickie Marion, Brandy Nies and

Sarah Myer, along with Jason Gillie and Kirsten Harma (not pictured).

for archery elk hunting and

anything related to the outdoors.

He’s looking forward to getting

to know and working with the

Chehalis tribal community.

REALTY SPECIALIST

AND ADMINISTRATIVE

ASSISTANT SARAH MYER

Myer started with the

department in March of 2015

as the administrative assistant

and recently accepted a position

in DNR’s Realty program as

the realty specialist. She enjoys

working with tenants to make

sure their needs are met and

to protect the Chehalis Tribe’s

assets. She spends her free time

with her two children, a 12-yearold daughter and 4-year-old son.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS

MANAGER COLLEEN SUTER

Suter began with the tribe in

September 2016 as the water

quality lab technician. She

received her bachelor’s from the

University of Washington with a

focus on aquatic chemistry and

stream ecology.

The rivers and natural

landscape is an intense passion

for Suter, both scientifically and

spiritually. Living in southwest

Washington for the past 24 years

has given Suter the opportunity

to apply her devotion to the

place she calls home. She is

involved in creating a holistic

approach to the environmental

programs with the tribe to

ensure the environmental and

cultural aspects of this land

are here and thriving for many

generations to come.

WATER QUALITY

COORDINATOR

RICKIE MARION

Marion is a Chehalis tribal

native whose mother, now

passed, was Dionne Heck. She

obtained her bachelor’s degree

from The Evergreen State

College, where she focused

on environmental studies and

human nature.

After graduation, her passion

and curiosity drove her to try

and figure out a position where

she played a role in enhancing,

preserving and preventing

further degradation of the

systems so crucial to humans and

other species. Serendipitously,

the Chehalis Tribe had a position

open up that was perfectly

relevant to her studies.

GIS TECHNICIAN BRANDI NIES

Nies joined DNR in

May 2018. One of her main

responsibilities is creating,

managing and visualizing

spatial data relevant to the tribe

and its people such as land

ownership, water quality and

fish populations of the Chehalis

Basin.

Originally from Cumberland,

Maryland, Nies graduated with

a bachelor’s in psychology but

changed career paths when she

enlisted in the United States

Army as a Korean cryptologic

linguist, spending three years in

South Korea.

After enlistment, she worked

in the GIS industry for more than

10 years. She helped support

the Defense and Intelligence

communities by developing,

training and marketing GIS

software and solutions. While

working full-time, she obtained a

master’s in geospatial intelligence

and geoinformatics from

George Mason University in

Fairfax, Virginia. She chose to

focus on geospatial intelligence

by working at the National

Geospatial Intelligence Agency

(NGA) where she directly

supported the national security

effort to combat terrorism.

FOREST AND LAND

SPECIALIST WAYNE BARR

Recently this fall, tribal

member Wayne Barr started as

a forestry and land specialist

for DNR. Barr has been around

tribal functions as the years

progressed. He started working

for the tribe more than 12 years

ago as a laborer and dump truck

driver for CTC.

He’s working on the new

grounds on the Brown Property,

pulling brush and evergreen

stickers with a mini excavator.

He also has worked with the

bison out on the Wilson property

– feeding, watering and making

sure they are comfortable with

their living space.

See DNR, page 7

7

DNR

From page 6

CULTURAL RESOURCES

SPECIALIST WILLIAM THOMS

Chehalis tribal member

William Thoms is a descendant

of the Secena and Sanders

Indians.

Thoms is a lifelong student

and lover of the arts who fully

embraced the irony of moving

1,500 miles to learn about his

own backyard. Graduating

with the highest honors from

the Institute of American

Indian Arts in 2016, Thoms’

renewed cultural curiosity

led him back home where he

hopes to share his passion and

MEETING

From page 1

Programs Manager Colleen

Suter represented the tribe.

They provided information

regarding the scoping aspect of

the proposed project and asked

for feedback and input.

The public forum discussed

the need for communication

between tribal departments

and the tribal community to

create a better understanding of

the process and the amount of

involvement the tribe has on the

project.

The tribe has sustained its

way of life by relying on the

waterways for centuries. Aspects

of the conversation proved to

be emotional and thoughtprovoking.

Several people voiced their

concerns on how the proposed

project could potentially affect

the livelihood of tribal members

and the impacts the dam would

have on tribal fisheries.

Representatives from DNR

explained that this is an initial

step in the process and the

meeting was held to better

inform community members.

With the need to move

forward with this portion of the

process, the environmental staff

requested tribal members write

down their concerns about how a

dam could cause environmental

problems. The information will

be compiled and used to submit

a formal letter to Ecology and

USACE as soon as possible.

In years past, logging,

floods and other activities in

the watershed upstream from

knowledge with the community.

In addition to supporting the

Historic Preservation Office in

its compliance efforts, Thoms’

primary role is in the curation

and conservation of the tribe’s

shared material history.

TRIBAL HISTORIC

PRESERVATION OFFICER

DAN PENN

Began working for the

Historic Preservation Office in

2012 and previously worked for

the Chehalis Language Program

for five years before that.

RESTORATION COORDINATOR

JASON GILLIE

Gillie has been with DNR for

almost three years and enjoys

sss

INFORMATION

To learn more or for a copy of

documents, please contact

Chehalis Tribal Department

of Natural Resources Director

Glen Connelly at 360-7091854 or gconnelly@chehalis

tribe.org, or Environmental

Programs Manager Colleen

Suter at 360-709-1858 or

csuter@chehalistribe.org.

For more information about

the Chehalis River Basin Flood

Damage Reduction Project,

go to chehalisbasinstrategy.

com/strategy.

the Chehalis Reservation

significantly contributed to

depleted fish runs. Tribal

members are concerned with a

potential dam – even a diversionstyle one. They fear it will greatly

impact fisheries on the Chehalis

River and want to know how the

tribe will be compensated for

destruction or disaster.

Dams historically have proven

to have a detrimental impact on

all species in the area, including

fish, eels, amphibians and all

sorts of land animals that provide

sustenance to tribal families.

They discussed the potential

threat that installing a dam

could pose on tribal members’

drinking water. One of the main

concerns addressed by a tribal

elder during the meeting is that

native people are stewards of the

land and it’s their duty to stand

up and speak for it.

his job and the people he works

with. They are working on a

restoration site on the Tribe’s

Brown property. Gillie is a part

of a project to plant a 150-foot

riparian buffer on the main stem

of the Chehalis River.

In addition to his work on the

restoration project, he also sits

on the ASRP Steering Committee

for the tribe. Gillie has a 5-yearold son who also is an enrolled

member of the Chehalis Tribe.

sss

CONTACT US

Stop by the office at 28 Niederman Road in Oakville or call

360-709-1851 for questions

about DNR programs.

WATERSHED COORDINATOR

FOR THE CHEHALIS BASIN

KIRSTEN HARMA

Harma is responsible for

coordinating efforts to restore

and protect salmon habitat

throughout the Chehalis Basin

watershed and bringing people

together to talk about how to

better manage water resources.

Prior to arriving at the

Chehalis Tribe, she worked

in a variety of sectors on

water resource management,

environmental conservation and

scientific research in the Pacific

Northwest, Canada and Central

America.

There were a number of

additional questions and issues

raised. The tribe worries about

the release of flood water and

how it will impact their lands

like it did in recent years.

Everyone at the meeting

agreed that flooding has

happened for many years and

that man-made improvements

have caused many severe

flooding events for the cities of

Centralia and Chehalis, as well

as the reservation low lands.

Questions were raised on

how thoroughly governmentconducted studies have shown

the impacts flooding has on the

reservation. It’s believed that

building this dam might affect

tribal families – present and

future – with their ability to fish

and have access to their water.

Tribal people explained how

their ancestors harvested fish

and lamprey eels for generations.

The traditional way of living has

carried on in numerous tribal

families for centuries.

For most who oppose

this project or similar dam

constructions on the Chehalis

River, it’s not just about the

source of food. The methods

and teachings of food gathering

are an important cultural value

to natives. They are deeply

concerned that building on

the river will disrupt how they

maintain and preserve their

cultural identity.

They still harvest fish and eels

today, but if the proposed water

retention site is successfully built

on the river, the tribal people

are uneasy about what could to

happen to fish spawning grounds.

Chairman Harry Pickernell

Sr. closed the meeting with his

own comments on transparency

and his willingness to be more

involved in the processes.

Tribal members provided seven

handwritten sheets with specific

comments to incorporate into

a final letter that was signed

by Chairman Pickernell and

submitted to the state on Oct. 29.

SANTA BREAKFAST

You are cordially invited to dine

with Mr. Claus at 9 a.m. Dec. 15 at

Great Wolf Lodge in Grand Mound

* Northwest Territories Ballroom

8

HEALTH/WELLNESS

Cornstalk

a symbol of

connectedness

for community

By Caytee Cline, Caytee Cline,

Youth Service Coordinator

for Behavioral Health

Employees throughout the Chehalis Tribe

pledge to stop domestic violence.

& encourage healthy relationships

Tribal

community

makes

domestic

violence

awareness

pledges

Article and photos

contributed by Tana

Charley, Domestic

Violence Advocate for

Tsapowum Behavioral

Health

Greetings Chehalis tribal

community! I wanted to give a

quick update on our outreach

awareness activities.

October was Domestic

Violence Awareness Month. My

goal in creating awareness is to

provide all of us with safe, healthy

relationships at home, work and

in the community. We should treat

each other with dignity and respect,

teaching our children the value of

a healthy relationship, and never

condone or commit acts of domestic

violence.

On Oct. 30, department director

Leah Niccolocci, fellow staff

member Caytee Cline and I went

around the community and were

able to connect with 100 employees

from various departments and

received numerous domestic

violence pledges from employees.

We also handed out domestic

violence awareness bags filled

with purple candy and informative

information relating to domestic

violence.

I want to thank everyone who

let me take their picture as well as

everyone who participated in our

awareness pledges.

I appreciate your time and stand

against ending domestic violence.

I also want to thank all of the

directors for their participation.

The past few months, community

members and employees have all

driven down Anderson Road and

looked over and even had to do a

double take at something intriguing

on the side of the road along a part

of the new sidewalk.

When I first drove by it, I

thought to myself (in disbelief ) “is

that a cornstalk?” After taking a

closer look, I realized that’s exactly

what it is – a single corn stock

sprouting with the seasonal change.

During the next couple months,

I was excited to watch the cornstalk

grow on the side of the road all by

itself. It was a strange connection

that grew over time.

There were moments I

wondered if I would come back

from the weekend off work and the

cornstalk would be gone. Then, to

my surprise it had grown bigger

and stronger.

When the grass started growing

along the road, the maintenance

crew would mow that area, yet

they made it a point to leave the

cornstalk standing. Every time that I

See CORNSTALK, page 9

A stalk

of corn

along

Anderson

Road was

tended to

by kind

souls and

left to

flourish

through

the

season,

even

given a

festive

fall look.

9

CORNSTALK

From page 8

would return to work or after seeing the

maintenance crew doing their rounds, I

thought that the resilient plant would be

gone.

But to my surprise, it was always mowed

around and left alone. I was ecstatic to

see the cornstalk continue its journey. My

moments of joy continued through the

summer into the fall.

The most rewarding thing to see about

this lonely

cornstalk is

sss

the way it

was cared

for. No one

RESOURCES

was asked to

Caytee Cline: 360take care of

709-1818, Native

the cornstalk;

Connections R.E.D.

nonetheless,

R.o.A.D Suicide

it was cared

Prevention Grant

for. No one

Suicide Lifeline:

was told not

800-273-8255 (TALK)

to take from

Chehalis Tribal

the cornstalk,

Behavioral Health:

but no one

did. No one

360-709-1733

was asked

Crisis textline: Text

to give the

741741– then hit “send”

cornstalk a

Bereavement support:

fall welcome

206-291-7279

with a

Recovery helpline:

scarecrow

866-789-1511

friend, but

Trevor Project –

someone did.

LGBTQ: 866-488-7386

In a sense,

this single

plant that

just popped up serves as a tool to bring the

community together.

Connectedness is a big protective factor

against suicide. During the holiday season,

there will be many moments we will

connect with family and friends. Embrace

those moments, your loved ones, the ones

who need love and the traditions your

families have created. Remember to be the

cornstalk on the side of Anderson Road.

Stand strong, grow tall and connect with

those around you.

* Special tribal member rate available

through February 2019

WIC THROUGH SPIPA

CHECKS TO BUY FOOD, HEALTH

EDUCATION, BREASTFEEDING

HELP, SERVICES REFERRAL

NEXT DATE: 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Dec. 6 at the Wellness Center

CONTACT US: Debbie GardipeeReyes, 360-462-3227 or Patty

Suskin, 360-462-3224

Chehalis: Debra Shortman, 360-709-1689

USDA FOOD PROGRAM

The SPIPA’s program offers an assortment

of food to fill your freezer, refrigerator and

cupboards. The next date is Dec. 14 from

9:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Chehalis Tribal

Community Center.

SIGN UP: Call Debra

Shortman at 360-709-1689 or

360-438-4216 from 8 a.m.4 p.m. Monday through Friday

10

STUDENTS OF THE MONTH

Dylan Burke

Hunter Ortivez

Rachel Simmons

Fifth grade

Grand Mound Elementary School

10th grade

Oakville High School

Sixth grade

Oakville Middle School

Dylan Burke really

enjoys math because

it is easy for him and

he gets his work done

quickly.

If Dylan could have

a superpower, he would

choose to be able to

fly because it would be

cool and fun. His favorite dinosaur is

a T-Rex because they are the “coolest”

looking. Football is his favorite sport

because it is fun and he is really good

at it.

With a million dollars, Dylan said

he would use some of it to help out his

family and donate some to charity. He

would buy a house with the rest of the

money. Not anything too big though

– he just wants a reasonable house for

himself.

If he could change one thing about

his school, it would be eliminating

some of the rules he thinks are random

or unreasonable. If not eliminate the

rules, he would change them to be more

reasonable.

His favorite person is his mom,

Daphne, because she is his mom and he

loves her.

Hunter Ortivez’s

favorite subject is

English, and baseball

has always been his

sport for as long as he

can remember. He looks

up to his role model

and big brother Gary

Ortivez.

He said his brother proves to people

that no matter where you come from,

you can do great things.

If he were chairman, Hunter would

invest money into helping the youth

and develop after-school programs and

sports programs.

If he had a million dollars, he would

buy his parents a house. When he grows

up, he hopes to own his own restaurant

because he loves to cook.

His favorite dinosaur is a

velociraptor!

If she were

chairwoman, Rachel

Simmons would help

people in need by giving

them a home because

every life matters.

She wishes there was

a larger Community

Center with a big library

and a place to teach sports. Her favorite

sport is softball.

Rachel’s favorite subject is English

because she likes reading. And when

she grows up, she wants to be a police

officer, firefighter or veterinarian.

Her favorite person is Mya Ortivez

because she is good at sports and she

wants to be like her.

HALLOWEEN

From page 5

party for the kids. Most weren’t shy

about showing off some of their best

moves while the in-house DJ kept

kids dancing into the night.

On Halloween morning, Early

Learning brought the children

around to meet Chehalis tribal

employees at every department. At

lunchtime, employees had fun as

they enjoyed a meal and contest.

A few of the costumes disguised

employees so well that they

were unrecognizable, such as

Glen Connelly from the Natural

Resources Department who

dressed up as a pirate. People from

the Planning Department and

elsewhere showed great creativity.

Marla Medina made the group

laugh as she stood in front wearing

her baby board outfit. Janet Stegall

impressed the judges with a soul

stealer costume and won best

dressed for the female category.

FROM THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

Congratulations on your success in school!

Keep up the good work. As a reward for your

commitment to school and personal growth,

each student of the month will receive a $25

gift card.

NOMINATIONS

To nominate your child, please contact

K-12 Program Counselor Makayla Ortivez

at mortivez@chehalistribe.org. Tell us the

reason your child should be considered.

Deadline is the last Friday of each month.

Students of the Month is contributed by the

Chehalis Tribe K-12 Program

From steam

punk chic

to minions

to painted

giraffes,

Halloween

brought out

all ages to

celebrate

Halloween in

style.

11

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

LAELA BAKER

sss

CHASE BECKWITH

JOHN BIRD

MORE WISHES

MARIE BIRD

JOHN BIRD: Happy

40th birthday and

Merry Christmas to my

youngest brother! Love

you to the moon and

back, Jenni and family.

NANCY BLACK

ASHTON BOYD

KAILEEN BRAY

JONAH BROWN

SAMUEL LAMONT: To

my firstborn – happy

birthday. Eighteen

years flew by. Love you

to the moon and back

Bigga. Always, Mom,

Lex, Jaxon and Gordon.

LANCE BURGESS

KONER BURNETT

CRAIG BURNS

PHILLIP BUSH

ELLA CAMP

ANTHONY OLNEY:

DYANI CAYENNE

JOSHUA CHUM

RUBEN CHUM

REBECCA POTTER: Happy birthday. Love Mom, Dad, Amy Kelsey and Katy.

GLENDA COMENOUT

RACHEL CORTES

Happy birthday,

from your family that

thinks you’re the best

husband, brother,

daddy, stepdad, poppa

and uncle ever!

REBECCA YOUCKTONLEGG: I want to wish

LANA COSMAN

you a very happy

birthday. Love your

Gramma and family.

JASMINE ESPARZAKLATUSH

ALYSSA FERN

VICTORIA FLORES

YVETTE FULTON

SHAWN GODDARD

ALLISON GOLDMAN

RICHARD HILL

MELANIE HJELM

ZACHARY HOFSTETTER

JULIET KRAMER (above): Happy 4th birthday.

You have brought so much joy to my life!

I love you, Momma.

ALEXIS and SAMUEL STARR-WRIGHT (left):

Happy 14th birthday Alexis and happy 18th

Samuel. Love Mom, Jaxon and Gordon.

JUSTIN IRIZARRY

CRYSTAL JONES

JEREMIAH JONES-BAKER

JUSTIN KARL

SAMUEL STARR-WRIGHT

ALEXA STRAWDER

RAVEN THRAILKILL

MARY WEBER

CAYDEN KLATUSH

JULIET KRAMER

ANTHONY OLNEY

JOSHUA SANCHEZ

BRADEN YAWN

DERRICK KLATUSH

MONICA LOPEZ

EUGENE ORTIVEZ

HELEN SANDERS

AARON YOUCKTON

LOREN

KLATUSH

JASON LYONS

HUNTER ORTIVEZ

JACOB SECENA

JERRY YOUCKTON

ROSEABELL MCALLISTER

NATHAN PATTERSON

KIRSTEN SECENA

KINDRA YOUCKTON

KATELYN MCCLOUD

LIBBY PENN

LEAH SECENA

LAUREN YOUCKTON

SHANIA MCCLOUD

MADYSON PICKERNELL

KLY MEAS III

REBECCA POTTER

JAMES

SEYMOUR

ADAM MEDINA

ELIJAH REVAY

MICHAEL

SIMMONS

NATASHA MOORE

ANDREA ROBERTSON

KIM STARR

FRAZIER MYER

RANDI ROBERTSON

ANTHONY SOEBY

JEANA NYLAND

KEIRA ROSADO

MIA SOEBY

ROBERTA YOUCKTON

REBECCA YOUCKTONLEGG

BLADEN ZAHNER

CHEHALIS TRIBAL NEWSLETTER

The Confederated Tribes

of the Chehalis Reservation,

‘People of the Sands’

Articles and opinions expressed

are not necessarily those of this

publication or the Chehalis Tribal

Business Committee.

SUBMISSIONS

We encourage tribal members to

submit letters, articles, photos

and drawings to be considered for

publication (subject to editing).

Contributing writers, artists and

photographers include Chehalis

tribal community members and

staff. Submission deadline is

the first of each month (printed

monthly).

NEWSLETTER STAFF

Fred Shortman, Frazier Myer,

Audra J. Hill and the

Information Technology Team

TRIBAL CENTER

Main line: 360-273-5911

Address: 420 Howanut Road

Oakville, WA 98568

Office: 360-709-1726

Fax: 360-273-5914

CHEHALIS TRIBE’S

VISION STATEMENT

To be a thriving,

self-sufficient, sovereign

people, honoring our past

and serving current and

future generations.

BUSINESS COMMITTEE

chehalistribe.org

Harry Pickernell Sr.

Chairman

Jessie Goddard:

Vice Chairman

Sheilah Bray: Treasurer

David Burnett: Secretary

Leroy Boyd Sr.:

Fifth Council Member

© copyright 2018

The Chehalis

Tribal Newsletter

is a publication of

the Confederated

Tribes of the

Chehalis

Reservation

12

sss

INFORMATION

Chehalis tribal members Sylvia Cayenne and Rodney Youckton attend

the annual fundraiser for the Chehalis Tribal Loan Fund.

CTLF

From page 1

The organization is designed

to provide financial assistance in

a time of need and also is meant

to teach and give community

members knowledge and general

understanding of different areas

of finances. The tools provided

help individuals reduce potential

risks that come with taking out

a loan and ultimately improve

their livelihood.

As people filed in for the event,

they registered and picked up a

paddle for the live auction. They

had the opportunity to view both

silent and live auctions items and

purchase raffle tickets for a 50/50

drawing. They even took a few

minutes to eye some of the sweet

desserts, which they would later

have a chance to race for during

the “dessert dash.”

The event started with

an introduction to welcome

everyone and a banquet provided

by Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel.

As everyone finished up the

meal, Tagaban shared his story

of “The Raven,” which highlights

the significant role storytelling

has played in Native American

culture for generations. He said

everyone is a storyteller.

“We are more than what we

do,” Tagaban said during his

presentation. “Our life is a story.”

Tagaban kept the audience

attentive and laughing. He even

invited Chehalis tribal attorney

Mildred Kennedy onto the stage

to drum as he put on his wooden

raven mask and finished his story.

For the rest of the afternoon,

organizers auctioned off donated

items, including a handheld leaf

blower, various gift baskets and

a round of golf for four.

Many of those who attended

the auction showed interest in

the Native American arts and

Loans offered by CTLF:

n Business

n Consumer

n Debt collections

n Home improvement

n Fireworks

Services provided:

n Business development

n Business consulting

n Tax preparation assistance

For more about the program

or loan requirements,

contact CTLF staff:

n Lawrence SpottedBird,

Executive Director (lspotted

bird@chehalistribe.org)

n Diana Pickernell, Loan

Coordinator (dpickernell@

chehalistribe.org)

n Phone: 360-709-1631

crafts donated by Chehalis tribal

members. They bid on a range

of Native art pieces from a cedar

rope necklace to a Chehalis Tribe

wooden plaque. The plaque was

part of the live auction at the

end and was purchased by the

Chehalis tribal government. An

autographed guitar by the band

Loverboy and an African safari

valued at $6,300 were some of

the other items.

Lisa Miles, Chief Executive

Officer for Lucky Eagle Casino

& Hotel, purchased the safari.

A signed

Loverboy

guitar and

handcrafted

pieces

were

among

items

auctioned

off.

Chehalis tribal member and

music enthusiast Karen

Klatush went home with the

autographed Loverboy guitar.

Lucky Eagle donated

$1,000 to the fund, and other

companies made donations of

$250 and $100. The winner of

the raffle did an admirable deed

by donating the money back to

the organization.

The Chehalis Tribal Loan

Fund raised more than $20,000

in revenue to increase the loan

pool and support those in need

of assistance. The loan fund

offers numerous services. Money

raised at this event will benefit

many areas of the organization.