The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, ‘People of the Sands’ (2025)

The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, ‘People of the Sands’

CHEHALIS

TRIBAL

NEWSLETTER

APRIL 2025 FIND HISTORY, HERITAGE & RESOURCES AT CHEHALISTRIBE.ORG

Wildfire readiness

Firewise USA training

prepares community

inside

May birthdays / 2

CTE highlights / 4

Coping with stress / 7

MMIW Walk / 8

Tribal Job Fair / 8

CTE summer registration / 10

Emergency Management

Team presents plans / 12

page 11

Beyond trauma

Poets lead group in

powerful experience

page 6

About 400

Elders and

friends

gathered at

Lucky Eagle

Casino &

Hotel for the

annual Elders

Luncheon on

April 17. The

day featured

exciting

raffles and

entertainment,

dancing, a

salmon lunch

and smiles.

Elders near and far

46 Indian nations represented at Chehalis Tribe’s grand celebration

By Bobbie Bush

The Chehalis Tribal Elders

Luncheon on April 17 was

another huge success! When the

doors opened at Lucky Eagle

Casino & Hotel Events Center

at 9 a.m., people were lined

up outside and down the hall.

Attendees came from 46 Indian

Nations from United States and

Canada. An impressive 395

Elders and friends signed in for

the day.

Everyone was asked to sign

a purple ticket for door prize

drawings and was gifted a swag

bag that featured a lunch box,

tissues, sticky notes, water bottle,

pop sockets, pen with flashlight

and compass, lip balm, healing

salves and good-smelling soaps.

Snacks were also included in

the bags that had nuts and dried

fruit, candies and granola bars.

At the opening, Chief

Community Relations Officer

Rodney Youckton welcomed

See LUNCHEON / page 3

Fisheries releases 25,000 salmon

Natural Resources Director Glen Connelly

helps corral salmon into a net.

Fingerlings

begin their

journey in

a vital step

to protect

important

resource

By Bobbie Bush

Chehalis Tribal Fisheries worked

with Natural Resources to release

25,000 coho salmon fingerlings into

the Black River on April 15.

Fisheries Manager Jesse McMahan

said the fish will return to the river in

three years.

While in their growing tanks, Black

River water was used to get them

accustomed to the smell of the river.

Returning salmon identify their origin

waters through sense of smell. The

salmon came from Skookumchuck

Hatchery through the state of

Washington.

After salmon arrive at Chehalis

Tribal Fisheries as fry, they are fed fish

meal while they mature. The salmon

See SALMON / page 5

2

MAY BIRTHDAYS

Londyn Adams

Bobby Beckwith

Steven Brouard

Tony Brown

Joseph Burns

Savanna Bush-Bird

Aurora Carter

Brandon Cash

Ilias Charles

Lucille Cush

Chyler Daniels

Leo Daniels-Meddaugh

Rodney Davis

Matteo Delgado

Joseph Dupuis

CONGRATULATIONS!

Happy 28th anniversary

Christopher. Love you more.

– Erika Pickernell

Curtis Dupuis

Lindsey Faga

Adam Flores

Cole Fulton

Roger Goldman

Jacqueline Pickernell

Michael Haltom

Harold Pickernell Sr.

Damius Hansen

Gavin Hernandez

Valea Higheagle

Merry Beth Hofstetter

Christian Hoheisel

Patricia Jones

Joel Jones

Serenity Klatush

Airel Klatush

Paula Klatush

Janice Latch

Steesha McJoe

Lauran McAllister

Dante McGee

Tein Meas

Sarah Moore

Emily Mordhorst

Shawn Ortivez

Tierra Garrety

Nora Ortivez

Janet Gleason

Van Stegall

Elijah Palmer

Duane GleasonWheeler

Jessie Goddard

Cyrena Ortivez

Teresa Pannkuk

Aidin Parkinson

Amara Penn

Robert Penn

Amber Penn-Rocco

Sasha Penn-Rocco

Erika and Christopher

attend prom in 1998.

Brady Pickernell

William Pressnall

Lela Pulsifer

Joaquin Roble

Artie Romero

Raelynn Romero

Raymond Roof

Sheylee Rosebraugh

Rosalina Sanchez

Gerado Sanchez

Aiden Secena Sanders

Addison Sekishiro

Asa Simmons

Robert Smith

Jamie Smith

Eli Snell

Violet Snell

Rikki Sutterlict

Sunday Tejeda

Thomas Trott

Austin Vigil

Fawn Wittwer

Farley Youckton

Ann-Marie Youckton

Jesse Youckton

Destiny Ziady

3

LUNCHEON

From page 1

everyone to the luncheon. Wayne

Barr said a prayer for all and

helped bless the event with good

feelings.

Vendors set up in the hallway

to sell beads, ribbon skirts, hats

and artwork. It was a great

opportunity to shop. The Head

Start program held a bake

sale to support its end-of-year

graduation.

The menu featured

traditionally cooked salmon

(fish on a stick), oven-roasted

chicken, red potatoes, fire-roasted

vegetables, Italian pasta salad and

dinner rolls. Sugar free pies, cakes

and desserts finished the meal.

Pop music group Radio 80:

Seattle entertained the Elders.

People danced in the aisles and

the group jumped off the stage to

perform with the audience. The

music was good. The group could

have changed the words to the

Duran Duran song “Hungry Like a

Wolf ” to HUNGRY LIKE GREAT

WOLF! Maybe next year.

A photo booth was open

throughout the event so visitors

could get a picture to go as a

souvenir. Rhubarb the Reindeer

from the Tacoma Rainiers and

Lucky the Eagle from the casino

joined the festivities and posed

for pictures with Elders in the

audience. It was really nice to get

a picture with both of them this

year. The Tacoma Rainers is the

Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle

Mariners.

Eight youth volunteers brought

water and supported the visiting

Elders. The young volunteers

delivered door and raffle prizes to

Elders. It was nice to see young

people help the Elders, and their

The annual Chehalis Tribal Elders Luncheon brought together hundreds of

friends, family members and helpers from near and far on April 17. Lucky

Eagle Casino & Hotel Events Center was buzzing with happiness and fun.

work was greatly appreciated.

Cooks did an excellent job with

the traditional salmon. Three

fish pits and crews worked hard

all morning to feed the 400 plus

people at the luncheon. Thank you

for your help and the soul food.

It was a wonderful day with

laughs, jokes, hugs and excitement

from folks in attendance. People

wondered who would be there

and whether they might see their

cousins or relations from other

Tribes and communities. When

meeting up with folks that had

not been seen in quite a while, the

smiles were abundant.

Thank you to all of the

volunteers, staff and Elders who

worked hard to make this year’s

luncheon so memorable. See you

next time!

4

By Natalie Thomson

TALKING CEDAR RESTAURANT

By Natalie Thomson

CHEHALIS TRIBAL ENTERPRISES

CTE has implemented a Chehalis tribal member

development program to provide skills, knowledge,

and resources to aid tribal members in advancing

their careers. Twenty-seven Chehalis tribal members

who work for CTE were recently interviewed as a

first step to build their development plan.

END OF THE TRAIL 4

Our Grand Mound location is serving up convenience

with take-and-bake meals! Options include Buffalo

Wings, Chicken Tenders, BBQ Boneless Wings,

Chicken Parm Pasta Bowls and Chicken Bacon

Alfredo. Freshly created for your oven.

TALKING CEDAR BREWERY & DISTILLERY

Talking Cedar is partnering with Savage Brewing

Co. to launch three new beers. Backed by Seahawks

legends Lofa Tatupu, Kam Chancellor and Walter

Jones, Savage is in 150 Safeway and 150 Fred Meyer

stores across Washington. Chehalis Light, Raspberry

Blonde, Juicy IPA and Amber are available at the new

Winco in Centralia! Since the grand opening, Talking

Cedar brews have been flying off shelves. Talks are

under way with Winco corporate to expand into

Oregon, Idaho and SW Washington.

OAKSRIDGE GOLF COURSE

Oaksridge is back to peak season

rates. Cart availability varies. Guests can

call to check. Tribal member discount applies.

n Last 9-hole cart can be rented at 5 p.m.

n Last 18-hole cart can be rented at 4 p.m.

May specials: Crab & Artichoke Dip appetizer;

Pollo alla Parmigiana and Stuffed Dover Sole

entrees; Pineapple Upside Down Cake dessert;

and Blackberry Mule cocktail.

Live music: Musical acts from 6-8 p.m. Thursdays.

Coming up are Jessica Blinn & Vince Brown on

May 15 and Colin Gage on May 22.

TEAM MEMBER HIGHLIGHT

Jeremy Klatush We’re excited to highlight

Jeremy as this month’s team member! As a

Cashier at End of the Trail 2, he plays a key

role in creating a welcoming and positive

experience for every customer. Since

joining the team, he’s become known for his

friendly attitude, great customer service

and strong relationships with customers

and co-workers. Jeremy is always happy

to lend a hand, creating a supportive and

upbeat work environment. “Jeremy

is very friendly with his customers and

co-workers. He always has a smile on

his face. I’m lucky to have him

on my team,” his manager said.

Outside of work, Jeremy

enjoys spending time with his

family. He’s a big fan of pho

and dreams of traveling the

country in an RV one day.

We’re lucky to have him as

part of the team!

Follow us on social media @ChehalisTribalEnterprises

5

SALMON

From page 1

are monitored and observed

daily for good health and kept in

grow tanks for three years before

they are released. Of the 25,000

salmon fingerlings, only 8% will

make it back to Black River.

Fish & Wildlife Technician

Jakeb Hoyle said as he scooped

the fish up in the tank, “This work

is important to food sovereignty.”

He rounded up the fingerlings

with Jesse and Natural Resources

Director Glen Connelly. Jesse

would hold a net in place and

then Jakeb or Glenn would corral

salmon with their nets into the

stationary net. After the dip net

was full of fingerlings, they walked

their net full of coho salmon to the

tube that had water flowing to the

river. Once there, they carefully

emptied the net. This process

made short work of transferring

all fish from the big blue tank,

setting them on their journey.

This work is important

to food sovereignty.

– FISH & WILDLIFE

TECHNICIAN JAKEB HOYLE

Fisheries Manager Jesse McMahan,

Fish & Wildlife Technician Jakeb

Hoyle and Natural Resources

Director Glen Connelly work together

to carefully move 25,000 coho

salmon fingerlings from their grow

tank to their new life starting in the

Black River. The hope is many

mature fish will return.

6

HEALTH/WELLNESS

Finding strength beyond trauma

Pouring feelings into

written word proves

a powerful experience

By Bobbie Bush

It was a partially sunny

semi-warm day on May 4 when

the third Trauma is Not Our

Tradition event kicked off in

the Gathering Room of the

Community Center.

Beyond Trauma: Finding

Strength in Our Stories through

Poetry was well attended with 27

people who signed in and a few

more joining later.

Dan “Bones” Gleason Sr.

offered a blessing to start. Dr.

Chau described the purpose of

Trauma is Not Our Tradition and

how it came to be three years ago.

Rena Priest was the first guest

speaker to read her work. Rena is

an acclaimed poet, essayist and

enrolled member of the Lummi

Nation.

As the sixth Washington State

Poet Laureate (2021-23) and

recipient of the Washington State

Book Award, Rena’s work is deeply

rooted in storytelling, culture and

advocacy.

Her upcoming essay collection,

“Positively Uncivilized,” will be

published in September 2025. It is

the winner of the 2024 Keepers of

the Fire Award.

Rena orated three of her

beautiful poems. “These Abundant

and Generous Homelands,” was

amazing. Thank you for the

inspiring words and especially the

free-write sessions.

The second guest speaker

was Carlos Andrés Gómez, a

Colombian American poet and

actor from New York City.

He is the author of several

award-winning works, including

the No. 1 SPD bestseller “Circling

Fatherhood” and the Poetry

International Chapbook prizewinning memoir “Man Up:

Reimagining Modern Manhood.”

Carlos is a star of HBO’s “Def

Poetry Jam,” TV One’s “Verses and

Flow” and Spike Lee’s box-office

hit “Inside Man” alongside Denzel

Washington.

He is one of the most soughtafter keynote speakers and spoken

The Trauma is Not Our Tradition event focused on the healing power of poetry with guest speakers and exercises.

Rena Priest

Carlos Andrés Gómez

word performers in the world.

Carlos orated “Abuelita,” which

is about his grandmother’s lived

experience. Beautiful is all that is

needed to describe it.

After the readings, participants

broke into two groups. One group

went with Carlos for a session on

“Man Up: Reimagining Modern

Manhood.”

The other group stayed in the

Gathering Room with Rena, who

facilitated a free-writing session in

three parts.

The focus for the free write

was the difference in perceptions,

expressions and thoughts.

Rena presented three pictures

and asked the group to describe

them based on visual perceptions

then to describe how the images

made them feel, what the group

would do with the material in the

images and the sound each would

make.

It was interesting to hear the

descriptions folks shared.

Rena revealed the images all

contained a commonality. The

pictures were of parts of the moon,

moon rock, micron microscope

images of moon dust and a picture

of the full moon over Seattle with

the Cascade mountains in the

background.

The focus of the session with

Carlos was on how males are

coerced into assumption of masks

to cover their true feelings. The

men were asked what they would

communicate if they could write a

letter to their 13-year-old self.

Raffles were drawn for door

prizes. Each table featured

flowerpots and potted plants that

were given to participants.

The event brought to light

how each person has different

perceptions of events in their lives

and interprets them uniquely.

Thank you, Rena, Carlos and the

Behavioral Health crew for a great

time.

Lastly, the food spread was

spectacular! It was healthy, tasty

and delicious.

7

Coping with stress and anxiety

Strategies to manage

uncomfortable feelings

By Lea Finnell Townsend,

Clinical Supervisor/

Lead Mental Health Counselor

Anxiety and stress are a part

of life. However, they can feel

overwhelming and sometimes

debilitating. Both feelings are

natural occurrences that are hard

wired in our brain to help us

survive. Our brain is designed to

detect threats and rewards.

When a reward is detected,

such as a co-worker giving us a

compliment, watching a funny

movie or eating an ice cream cone,

feel-good chemicals in our brain

called dopamine and oxytocin are

released. Comfortable emotions

such as joy, happiness, satisfaction

are experienced.

When our brain detects a

threat, such as a co-worker’s rude

comment, a parent yelling at us or

even a traffic jam, stress hormones

called cortisol and adrenaline

are released. These create

uncomfortable emotions such as

worry, fear and irritation.

Not entirely negative

The survival response is helpful

if a real threat is taking place.

The release of stress hormones

prompts our body for a fight or

flight response. This might feel

like your heart racing, tense

HERE TO HELP

If you find that stress and

anxiety are getting in the

way of life, therapy can help.

Contact Behavioral Health at

360-709-1733.

muscles, faster breathing or an

overall feeling of restlessness. Our

body prepares us to run away from

danger or stand our ground and

fight.

It’s helpful if we need to run

away from a chasing dog or fight

off an attacker but not helpful if

we are stuck in traffic and late for

an important meeting.

Stress and anxiety do not need

to be viewed as entirely negative.

For example, feeling stressed or

anxious about a final exam in

school can be helpful to motivate

us to study and be better prepared.

Stress usually subsides after

the event or stressor is resolved.

Anxiety on the other hand is

defined by a persistent, excessive

worry that doesn’t go away even in

the absence of a stressor.

Anxiety is usually caused by

something that hasn’t taken

place yet, worrying about what

might happen or what could

go wrong. Where stress can be

short term and is in response to

a recognizable trigger, anxiety

lingers and often might not have

an identifiable trigger.

Decreasing levels

The good news is that we can

do things for ourselves that can

help ease uncomfortable sensations

associated with stress and anxiety:

n Exercise has been proven

to be very effective in managing

anxiety. If our body is in a fight

or flight response, acting on it

helps decrease the level of stress

hormones and increase feel-good

chemicals in our brain.

n Other helpful self-care

strategies include getting at least

eight hours of sleep a night, eating

a well-balanced diet and staying

away from drugs and alcohol.

n Coping tools are strategies

we can use to manage difficult

emotions in the moment while

experiencing them. For example,

mindfulness is a great coping tool

to manage symptoms of anxiety.

This is the practice of paying

attention to the present moment

without judgment.

n Try the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise:

Using our senses immediately

forces us into the present moment.

Pause what you are doing and look

around your space. Name 5 things

you see (out loud or to yourself ).

Then listen and identify 4 things

you hear. Now identify 3 things

you can smell and focus your

attention on the scent. Next, locate

2 things you feel (touch). This can

be your clothing, a soft blanket, a

stone you can feel in your hand.

Finally, find 1 thing you can taste,

such as a piece of gum or candy.

Notice the flavor and sensation.

If you are experiencing stress

or anxiety, try the strategies

above and reach out for support.

Connect with loved ones and

talk about what is bothering you.

Make time to prioritize your

self-care and know that, if you are

struggling, you are not alone.

8

Vocational Rehab

assists job seekers

The Chehalis Tribal Vocational

Rehabilitation team hosted its

first Tribal Job Fair on April 29.

The event saw a strong turnout

of more than 20 individuals from

the Chehalis Reservation and

surrounding communities.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Counselor Carol Strader and

Administrative Assistant Erika

Pickernell hosted the event.

Job seekers arrived prepared

with resumes and had the

opportunity to connect with

numerous tribal employers,

including Chehalis Tribal

Enterprises and the new Hope and

Healing Clinic.

Several attendees also took

advantage of computers set up

by the VR team to access job

application websites for Great

Wolf Lodge and Lucky Eagle

Casino & Hotel.

Each participant received a

raffle ticket for a chance to win

prizes donated by Rachel from the

Higher Education Department.

Stay tuned for details about the

next department job fair coming

soon!

The Tribal Job Fair on April 29 put

attendees in touch with valuable

Vocational Rehabilitation resources.

Support for

MMIW Walk

Oakville School District’s Missing

and Murdered Indigenous Women

Walk 2025 started at 2:20 p.m. at the

high school track on May 5.

The walk is meant to raise

awareness about the disproportionately

high rates of violence experienced by

indigenous women and girls.

The red hand symbolizes the

connection between the physical and

spiritual worlds.

Participants wore red clothing in

solidarity.

MORE INFORMATION

To learn about services

Vocational Rehabilitation

team offers and for

questions, contact Carol

Strader at cstrader@

chehalistribe.org or

360-709-1702 or Erika

Pickernell at epickernell@

chehalistribe.org or

360-709-1704.

9

Due for a mammogram?

USDA FOOD PICKUP

10:30 AM-1:30 PM MAY 22

COMMUNITY CENTER

If you or a member of

your household are

enrolled in a federally

recognized tribe or

you live within the

reservation boundaries

of the Chehalis,

Nisqually, Skokomish,

Squaxin Island or Port

Gamble S’Klallam

Tribes, you might be

eligible for SPIPA’s

program. The USDA

food pickup offers

food to fill up your

freezer, refrigerator and

cupboards. Items are

first-come, first-served.

Must present tribal ID at

the time of pickup.

MORE INFORMATION: CALL 360-426-3990

9 AM-3 PM MAY 15

Assured Imaging will be at the

Chehalis Reservation. Women

age 40 and older are eligible

to use the Swedish Mobile

Mammography bus if they:

CONTACT: Call

Chehalis Tribal

Wellness Center

at 360-273-5504

to schedule your

mammogram

Meet income guidelines

n Bring a photo ID

n Have no new lumps or

other concerns

n Fill out SPIPA forms

n Are able to stand for exam

INFORMATION:

Contact Community

Wellness Manager

Christina Hicks at

360-709-1741 or

chicks@chehalis

tribe.org

n

NATIVE WOMEN’S HEALTH

PROGRAM-CHEHALIS TRIBAL

WELLNESS CENTER

IVE A

,

RECE OGRAM

M

M

A

M

D

T AN

A GIF S CARD!

A

$25 G

Chehalis Tribal Wellness Center

Podiatrist Clinic

Dr. Behre 2025 dat

Will be here on the following da

Jan 21, 2025

1:00pm to 4:30pm

Feb. 4, 2025

8:00 am to Noon

Happy feet,

good health

Feb. 18, 2025 1:00pm to 4:30pm

DR. DEBORAH BEHRE WILL

OFFER

PODIATRIST

CLINICS

Mar.

4, 2025

8:00am

to Noon

AT THE CHEHALIS TRIBAL WELLNESS CENTER

ON THE FOLLOWING

DATES: 1:00pm to 4:30pm

Mar. 18,2025

The Native Women’s Wellness Program

is continuing its Pap-a-Thon through June

If you schedule a pap exam and complete it during

May or June, you might be eligible for a $25 gas card.

Participants must fill out the SPIPA screening and consent

form. You must have the pap exam. If you get the HPV vaccine,

you might also be eligible for a $25 gift card.

Please talk to your health care provider about

vaccine eligibility and for questions about whether

you are due for a pap or HPV vaccine.

CONTACT US

For more information about the Native Women’s

Wellness Program, contact Community Wellness Manager

Christina Hicks at 360-709-1741 or chicks@chehalistribe.org.

Apr. 8, 2025

CLINIC DATES

Apr. 22, 2025

May 20: 1-4:30 p.m.

June 3: 8 a.m.-noon

June 24: 1-4:30 p.m.

8:00am to Noon

1:00pm to 4:30pm

July 15: 8 a.m.-noon

July 29: 1-4:30 p.m.

You can call the Chehalis Triba

Podiatrists diagnose andness

treat conditions

of the foot,at 360.27

Center (CTWC)

ankle and related structures of the leg. They are the

to for

schedule

appointment

most qualified doctors to care

your feet.an

They

go

through four years of training in a podiatricDr.Behre.

medical

school and three years of hospital residency training.

Don’t miss your chance to be seen by Dr. Behre.

CALL THE CHEHALIS TRIBAL

WELLNESS CENTER AT

360-273-5504 TO SCHEDULE

AN APPOINTMENT

10

CTE Vocational

Skills Centers

summer school

registration

Participation in CTE Vocational Skills Center

programs is an excellent way for students in

grades 9-12 to experience CTE hands-on learning

opportunities in a fun and supportive environment.

The following is a list of centers in our region and

the registration dates for their summer school classes.

Registration is open at some schools and others will

open soon:

New Market Vocational

Skills Center

Where: Tumwater

Summer school

registration: Open now

Session: 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

6/23-7/15

Open house: 5-7 p.m. June 11

Fall registration open but mostly full

Phone: 360-570-4500

Link: shorturl.at/rK6Kb

Pierce County Skills Center

Where: Puyallup

Summer school registration: Open now

Sessions: 7:45 a.m.2:45 p.m. 6/23-7/11, (2) 7/14-7/31

Fall registration: Open now

Information: 360-800-4800, pcsc.bethelsd.org/

enroll-now

West Sound Vocational Skills Center

Where: Bremerton

Summer school registration: Open now

Session: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. 6/23-7/11

Fall registration: Open now

Information: 360-473-0550, wst.smapply.org

Twin Harbors Skills Center

Where: Aberdeen

Summer school registration: Open now

Contact: Lynn Green, lgreen@asd5.org

Information: 360-538-2038, thsc.asd5.org/

summer-programs

Puget Sound Skills Center

Where: Burien

Summer school registration: Closes May 16

Session: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. 6/30-7/18

Information: 206-631-7300, shorturl.at/bDYLb

Profile of Native colleges, universities

For those in the process of choosing a college to

attend, you can find an in-depth profile on Tribal

colleges and universities at shorturl.at/kCZbZ. TCUs

play a crucial role in supporting Native American

communities by providing educational opportunities

while aiming to fulfill the mission of tribal selfdetermination and service to their communities.

17th annual

Cancer Walk

NOON MAY 25

MEET AT THE

GATHERING ROOM

11

EMERGENCY PREP

Hazard Mitigation Pl

(HMP)- Risk Assessm

Discussion & Commun

Wildfire Protection P

(CWPP) Review

ATTEND A MEETING

Wednesday, April 16th:

From10 AM to 12 PM

Chehalis Tribal Community

Center

The Gathering Room

461 Secena Rd.

Oakville, WA 98568

TAKE THE SURVEY

PUBLIC NOTICE

Chehalis Tribal Emergency Management will h

to gather public input for updating the Hazard

(HMP) & for the proposed Community Wildfire

(CWPP).

The purpose of the meeting is to present the h

completed to date, as well as the hazards ran

severity and impact. Maps developed during

available for review, and citizens are encoura

feedback and input on the hazards as present

Public input will help us to further analyze the

affecting residents and recommend possible

impact.

This is also an opportunity to review the Draft

Protection Plan and provide input and comme

risk in our community, as well as identify idea

The outside

of structures on the Chehalis Reservation are

risk.

studied for reduction of wildfire hazards as part of the

recent Firewise USA training.

Essential training boosts wildfire readiness

By Clint Davis,

Emergency Management Manager

The Chehalis Tribal Public

Safety’s Emergency Management

Team led a critical Firewise USA

training on April 21 in partnership

with the state Department of

Natural Resources (DNR).

The training focused on site

surveys and fire risk assessments

designed to help both homeowners

and Tribal rental properties

become better prepared for the

threat of wildfires and structural

fires.

Jesse Duvall, Washington State

Firewise Coordinator, collaborated

with Emergency Manager

Clint Davis and Emergency

Management Coordinator Cal Bray

to deliver hands-on training to 12

Tribal staff members.

Attendees included

representatives from

Chehalis Tribal

Natural Resources,

Housing, Planning

and Facilities

departments.

The training

equipped participants

with the tools and

knowledge to conduct home

ignition zone assessments and

recommend mitigation strategies

such as creating defensible

space, managing vegetation and

hardening structures to reduce

wildfire risk.

These strategies are based on

national best practices outlined

by the National Fire Protection

Association (NFPA) and are

implemented in coordination with

DNR under the Firewise

USA program.

This effort directly

supports the goals of

the Chehalis Tribe’s

recently completed

Community Wildfire

Protection Plan

(CWPP), reinforcing

a whole-community

approach to fire resilience. The

training marks an important step

Clinton

Davis

in building

internal

capacity and

promoting long-term fire safety for

Manager

theEmergency

Chehalis community.

By(360)

increasing

awareness and

709-1770

providing actionable steps, the

cdavis@chehalistribe.org

Firewise

USA initiative empowers

Tribal departments and residents

to take proactive measures that

will help protect lives, homes and

cultural resources from wildfire.

CONTACT US

For more information, go

to nfpa.org/educationand-research/wildfire/

firewise-usa. Please reach

out to the Tribal Emergency

Management Team if you

would like your home

surveyed for risks and Cal Bray

reduction of hazards.

Call Manag

Emergency

360-709-1770

Coordinator

or email

(360) 709-169

EM@chehalis

cbray@chehalistri

tribe.org.

Questions? Contact:

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

Tribal members are encouraged

to submit birthday and anniversary

wishes, letters, articles, photos

and drawings to be considered

for publication in the newsletter

(materials are subject to editing).

Contributing writers, artists and

photographers include Chehalis

tribal community members/staff.

STAFF

Communications Coordinator

Frazier Myer, Communications

Specialist Bobbie Bush,

Designer 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

VISION STATEMENT

To be a thriving, self-sufficient,

sovereign people, honoring our

past and serving current and future generations.

BUSINESS COMMITTEE

© copyright 2025

Chairman: Dustin Klatush

Vice Chairwoman: Sheilah Bray

Treasurer: Farley Youckton

Secretary: Cheryle Starr

Fifth Council Member:

Thomas Trott

The Chehalis Tribal

Newsletter is a

publication of the

Confederated Tribes

of the Chehalis

Reservation

12

SUBMIT COMMENTS

To view the plans, scan the

QR code. For questions or

to submit comments, email

EM@chehalistribe.org.

Chehalis Tribal Emergency

Manager Clint Davis informs the

community during the meeting.

Outreach aims to mitigate hazards

Insights to help protect

homes, lives, resources

By Clint Davis,

Emergency Management Manager

On April 16, the Chehalis

Tribal Public Safety’s Emergency

Management Team hosted a

community outreach meeting to

present the Draft Community

Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)

and the Draft Hazard Mitigation

Plan (HMP) for the 2025-26

renewal period.

The meeting brought together

a range of stakeholders, including

local landowners, community

members and representatives from

key agencies and departments.

Notable attendees included

Chief Nathan Drake of the West

Thurston Regional Fire Authority,

members of the Chehalis Tribal

Department of Natural Resources

(DNR), Stephanie Bishop from

the Thurston County Conservation

District and staff from other Tribal

government departments.

The event featured

presentations from Chehalis Tribal

Emergency Manager Clint Davis,

Natural Resources Director Glen

Connelly and Chief Drake, who

discussed current firefighting

capabilities and how the Firewise

USA Program can help reduce

wildfire risks.

Their insights highlighted

important strategies for

increasing preparedness and

protecting homes, lives and vital

cultural resources.

By embracing the Firewise

USA initiative, the Tribe and

community members are

encouraged to take meaningful,

proactive steps to enhance wildfire

resilience throughout the region.

Public comment period on the

draft plans opens April 21 and will

remain open for three weeks.

Community members and

stakeholders are invited to review

the plans and submit feedback or

suggestions for improvement.