# greatwolf.com  www.luckyeagle.com  www.eagleslandinghotel.net  (2009)

> Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more.

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Aconfederated_chehalis%3Ab573167a3383a985

## Record

- **Collection:** Tribal code
- **Document type:** Tribal code

## Text

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greatwolf.com  www.luckyeagle.com  www.eagleslandinghotel.net 
Vol.
December 2009 2/12

Program
News

New Community Center Offers
Something for Everyone
The New Community Center has been
finished, and staff are moved into their
new offices. Drop by and check out the
new classrooms and see fun activities
being offered in our beautiful new
building.

CHEHALIS

TRIBAL
NEWSLETTER
 “People of the Sands” 

We currently have 116 students
signed up for the Tribal Education
Program. Our staff works with students
who are in kindergarten through grade
12 in the school district as well as in
an after-school program held at the
Community Center. The after-school
program hours are 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM,
Monday through Friday.

Chehalis Tribal Newsletter
PO Box 536
Oakville, WA 98568

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©Copyright 2009 CHEHALIS TRIBAL
NEWSLETTER is a publication of the
Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis
Reservation.

 Enjoys teaching
and learning our
tribe’s culture and
history, page 3

 Working alongside the Elders makes for lasting
memories, page 2

Elders Prove Tribe’s Bazzar Has
Area’s Best Christmas Shopping

Chehalis Tribe’s
Grand Mound Plan
Receives Award
By Lennea Magnus,
Planning Director

which went very smoothly and with much
success!
The Elders were seen bustling around
their own portion of the bazaar, providing
some delicious food for purchase.
The chowders that Chops made were
outstanding! They also were raising money
through a raffle. All of the vendors donated
items from their tables to the raffle. Some
of the raffle items were donated from the
Elders themselves.
The silent auction went well also. Items
included a knitted blanket and a beautiful
beaded barrette which was received from
the Beckwith family, a beautiful wreath
with cedar ornaments which the Red Cedar
Club donated, a nice leather jacket from Phil
Hamilton, a beautiful drum from Betty and
Lloyd Fulton, a carving from Jake and Tiny
Jones. and much more.
Many thanks go to all who volunteered
and helped with the donations.
Congratulations to all the winners!!

The Confederated Tribe of the Chehalis
Reservation’s Grand Mound Development
Plan was chosen as the winner in the
category of rural and small town planning
by the American Planning Association,
Washington Chapter, and the Planning
Association of Washington. The award
was presented at the APA WA/PAW annual
conference in Vancouver, Washington, on
November 13, 2009.
The award recognizes the best examples
of land use and community planning in the
State of Washington.
The concept for the Grand Mound Plan
developed from a conversation between
Chehalis Business Committee Chairman
David Burnett and retired Thurston County
Commissioner Bob McLeod, establishing
a new model of intergovernmental
partnership. The Chehalis Tribe funded the
project and served as lead planning agency.
Lennea Magnus, Chehalis Tribe Planning
Director, worked closely with project
consultant Maul Foster & Alongi, Inc. in
producing the plan.
A series of public meetings kicked off in
March 2008 and continued throughout the
year, with meetings hosted at the Eagle’s
Landing Hotel, Lucky Eagle Casino and the
Great Wolf Lodge. The July 2008 meeting at
the Great Wolf Lodge was attended by over
100 tribal members, agency representatives
and local community members.
In October 2008, Thurston County
commissioners were briefed on the Grand
Mound plan and approved a staff work plan
incorporating its elements. The final Grand
Mound Development Plan was produced
and presented to the tribe in January 2009.

See Bazaar, page 4

See Award, page 4

„„ Heritage: Elaine McCloud, Heritage

Coordinator, 360-709-1748
We are resuming our family tree classes.
They are held on Mondays starting at
5 PM at the new Community Center in
classroom 4. If you are attending for the first
time, please obtain your family tree from
Enrollment so we have a place to start. It’s
easiest to enter the building from the south
entrance, go through the library and then to
the classroom.
„„ Cultural: Diane Devlin, Culture
Coordinator, 360-709-1621.
The Cultural Program will be working
on pine-needle basketry in December. At the
beginning of 2010, we will work on making
coil baskets in the Red Cedar Hat Club, held
every Thursday. This is an open weavers
table. No need to sign up, just drop in and
join the weavers. The classes start at 3 PM
and run to 6:30 PM every Thursday, unless
the tribe has another community event
running on the same night. Then the class is
rescheduled.
„„Language: Dan Penn, Language
Coordinator, 360-709-1747
Language classes are held on Wednesdays,
5-7 PM. Carving classes are at the woodshop
by the Tribal Center on Wednesdays,
Fridays, and Saturdays. Please check with
me on scheduling changes. The canoe has
been moved into the woodshop, so come on
over and check out the progress and work on
other carving projects. Everyone is invited.
Come meet Mr. Dave Wilson, Master Carver
from Lummi.
„„Cheryle Starr, Events Coordinator,
has moved into her new office. She is in
charge of scheduling events. Spaces are
available to be used for events you might
be interested in holding. So contact her
to reserve a room. She can be reached at
360-709-1524.
„„Elders have been having lunch at the
gathering room. Check with Nancy
Romero, Elders Coordinator, for her
events calendar at 360- 870-0141.

Elaine
SutterlictMcCloud

Chehalis youth learn to make
Christmas ornaments

„„ Youth Center: Tony Medina, Marla

Medina, Theresa Pannkuk, Jerry
Youckton, 360-273-9674.
„„ Higher Education: Racheal Mendez,
360-709-1698
„„ TELO/Education Program: JJ
Shortman, Nathan Floth, Tawni Willis,
Jason Gillie, 360-709-1578

Honoring
Elders:

The Annual Elders Bazaar attracts many vendors to come sell their wide
variety of beautiful hand-crafted items. The Elders also had a raffle, bake
sale and food for customers to purchase to raise funds.

By Fred Shortman, Editor
The Annual Elders Christmas Bazaar was
held on December 5 at the Lucky Eagle
Casino Events Center. There were over
70 vendors who showed up to have their
crafts available for sale. The bingo hall was
packed to the gills, making it one of the
largest bazaars around.
With the Christmas spirit in the air,
many families have their Christmas lights
put up and are now out shopping for that
special gift for their loved ones. Coming to
the Elders Bazaar is special to find unique
Native hand-crafted goods. And yes, you
could find it at this bazaar.
There was beadwork, carvings, clothing,
blankets, drums, paintings, and much, much
more. There were wall-to-wall venders and
you could shop at your leisure. And as last
year, Nancy Romero worked very hard for
the Elder Program to make this a successful
event! Great Job Nancy, your hard work and
dedication is greatly appreciated. During
her vacation, she received many phone calls
from vendors, and put this event together

Chehalis Tribal Weavers Learn Complex
Herringbone Style from Master Weaver
By Dianne Devlin, Culture Coordinator
Chehalis Tribal Weavers gathered at the new
Community Center Cultural Program class
room #166 to master the herringbone weave.
Fourteen women met for a full weekend of
weaving taught by Kathey Erin. The twoday class, held the weekend of November
21 and 22, began each morning at 9 AM and
lasted over nine hours each day. But the hard
work and dedication paid off for each of the
ladies.
This was no beginners’ class. Kathey
Erin, Master Weaver from Sequim, has
taught weaving classes for 15 years.
Kathey explained that she considered the
herringbone cedar to be the most advanced
basket weavers class she teaches. She told
us she was very impressed with the skill
level of the Chehalis tribal weavers who
attended her class that weekend. Everyone
who attended the class learned to master
the herringbone weave by designing a cedar
purse mostly comprised of the herringbone
weave, except the woven design in the front
of the purse.
Shown in the photo above is the diversity
of purse patterns, which demonstrates the
creative talents of Chehalis basket weavers.

Each of the purse’s designs features patterns
created with black-dyed cedar and yellow
cedar. The in-lay work of the two different
colored cedars created unique patterns that
personalized each weaver’s purse.
In addition to one-on-one directions
from the Master Weaver, Kathey provided

the weavers with a packet of detailed
instructions and full-color photos on the
techniques to completing a herringbone
cedar woven purse. For the final stage of the
purse, weavers where offered six different
patterns to choose from to compete the front
See Weavers, page 4

Chehalis Tribal members display their beautiful herringbone baskets at the
advanced classes taught by Kathy Erin. Front row L-R Evelyn Penn, Cheryle
Starr and Jessie Goddard. Top L-R Winona Youckton, Orinda Goddard,
Elaine McCloud, Diane Devlin, Sally Pickutark, Jodie Smith and Gloria Jones.

Youth and Elders Work Together Tribal Young Man Gets Noticed,
to Make Christmas Ornaments
then Named to National Panel
2

By Fred Shortman, Editor
On Tuesday December 8, the Culture
Program worked with the youth teaching
them how to make Christmas ornaments.
The class was divided into small groups
which allowed more one-on-one time to
teach young community members the
techniques of making ornaments. Sally
Pikutark, Marie Griswold, Elaine McCloud
and Dianne Devlin, offered several
ornament styles the youth chose
to make. They made angels,
snowflakes, beaded candy
canes, cedar stockings,
reindeer, and hearts.
They took them home
to hang on their
Christmas trees.

There was no preregistration for the
Christmas ornament classes. They are
offered as drop in classes for fun.
Many of the youth were joined by
parents and grandparents to help in
the making of ornaments. It was a
day to hear stories as everyone

Rhapsody
Simmons
4 years old
proudly
displays
her hand
crafted
Christmas
ornaments.
shared the special day working with the
youth, building some good memories and
working together on projects.
A similar Christmas ornament class was
repeated for the community on December
9, and a third class for the
Elders on December 10.

Sally Pikutark
showing Roberta
(11 years old)
Youckton how
to make a
beautiful cedar
heart christmas
ornament.
What a fun day
making christmas
ornaments.

Published in eShare Newsletter July 2009 by TOGETHER!
We are proud to announce that TOGETHER!
staff member, Jesse Youckton, has been
invited to join the Native American Center
for Excellence (NACE) as an Urban Youth
Representative. He will be one of 14 expert
panelists from across the country to serve on
this national panel.
Jesse first met NACE staff while
representing TOGETHER! at the
Community Anti Drug Coalitions of
America (CADCA) National Leadership
Forum in Washington, DC, in February.
Jesse attended a NACE workshop and
provided input throughout the workshop,
catching the attention of NACE
representatives.
The mission of the Native American
Center for Excellence is to strengthen
substance abuse prevention efforts in Native
American communities. Sponsored by
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration, the center will
identify innovative and promising programs
and practices that prevent substance abuse
disorders and related problems among
Native Americans.
Jesse is a member of the Confederated
Tribes of Chehalis and has worked at
TOGETHER! as the coordinator for SPLAT!
–Students Protesting Lies about Tobacco

I was a peer educator in the Teens
Against Tobacco Use program, a curriculum
developed by the American Lung
Association, where teens go into elementary
classrooms and talk about the dangers of
smoking and give the kids reasons to not
start.
I also served with the American Cancer
Society helping them develop training
manuals for a youth initiative used in
multiple states and later adapted the
curriculum to be culturally appropriate for
Native communities. I have also served as
a trainer in different topics around youth
coalition development.
In 2004 I was a recipient of the Selecky
Award as the Youth Advocate of the Year
from the Department of Health in Tobacco
Prevention and Control. When I graduated,
I went to the UW where I studied American
Indian Studies. I had to stop my schooling
but plan to get my degree from The
Evergreen State College.
My goal has always been to help our
people and I feel I am meeting my goal.
I now serve on different boards and
committees across the state and country
making sure our people get the right
services, protection and proper education.

youth coalition since January 2008.

Want to Quit Smoking? Try 7 Tips
Will you or someone you love resolve to
quit smoking for New Year’s? The American
Lung Association is here to help you keep
that resolution. January is the perfect time
for a fresh start, and with today’s economic
challenges, quitting smoking is not only
good for your health, but also your wallet.
At current prices, when a pack-a-day smoker
quits, it’s like getting a $2000 bonus—tax
free—every year! Having a solid plan can be
the key. Here are seven tips for success and
resources that have helped thousands give
up smoking for good:
1. Talk to your doctor about the different
over-the-counter and prescription
medications available to help you quit
smoking.
2. Look into the different kinds of self-help
options available to smokers. Visit www.
lungusa.org for tools to help you quit, like
our Freedom From Smoking®Online.
3. Take time to plan. Pick your quit date a
few weeks ahead of time and mark it on the
calendar. If you can, pick a day when life’s
extra stresses are not at their peak, such
as after the holidays. Mark a day on the
calendar, and stick to it.
4. Get some exercise every day. Walking is
a great way to reduce the stress of quitting.
Exercise is proven to not only combat
weight gain, but also improves mood and
energy levels.
5. Eat a balanced diet; drink lots of water
and get plenty of sleep.
6. Ask family, friends and co-workers for
their help and support. Having someone to
take a walk with or just listen can give a
needed boost.

7. You don’t have to quit alone. Help is
available. Consider joining a stop-smoking
program like Freedom From Smoking®
offered by the American Lung Association.
For even more help, call our Lung
HelpLine at 1-800-LUNG-USA. Our nurses
and respiratory therapists can provide expert
advice on quitting smoking.
“Be aware that smokers have different
experiences when they quit,” says Norman
Edelman, M.D. American Lung Association
Chief Medical Officer. “Some may feel
tired or even easily excitable. Others may
feel light headed, nervous or irritable and
experience headaches in addition to craving
tobacco or sweets. Know these feelings are
normal and may last for several weeks. But
eventually they will pass.”
The American Lung Association’s
Freedom From Smoking® program has
helped thousands quit smoking and is
considered the gold standard for smoking
cessation programs. This seven-step
program is also offered in a group setting,
as many participants find the support of
others a beneficial component of the quitting
process. And perfect for today’s busy world
is Freedom From Smoking® Online www.
ffsouline.org) which brings the program into
the comfort and privacy of your own home.
“Quitting smoking is one of the most
important things that you can do for your
health,” adds Dr. Edelman. “While half of
adult smokers will die of smoking-related
causes, it’s important to remember that
it’s never too late to quit. The American
Lung Association offers the best tools and
resources available.”

Merry Christmas
and
A Happy New Year

Jesse Youckton Bio:
My name is Jesse
Youckton and I am
23 years old. I work
at TOGETHER!, a
community based
non-profit that
focuses on youth
violence, alcohol,
tobacco and drug
prevention in
Thurston County. I
have been the Youth
Coordinator for the
past two years. I
first got involved in
prevention when I
was a freshman at
Timberline High
School. I stayed
active as a volunteer
for TOGETHER!
throughout my high
school career and
beyond.

Jesse Youckton with GeoMarc Panelo, Caitee Borges,
Meghan Sullivan, Kim Vivian, and Deja Dunning from
SPLAT! at the Capital in Olympia. The group was
attending Policy Maker Education Day. They were
there to educate their legislators about the dangers of
second-hand smoke.

Students Get Praise, Dinner and
Movie for Getting Good Grades
By Jason Gillie, TELO Program Education Assistant
Congratulations to the following students
for passing all their classes, or making
dramatic improvements in their academics:
Michael Boyd, Alyssa Charles, Jonathan
Jack, Jr., Sarah Quilt, Marcus Youckton,
Ann Marie Youckton, T.J. Trott, Kayley
Trott, James Quilt, Kayla Nyreen, Jordan
Merriman, Shelby McCrory, Bobby Jones,
Geo Jack, Loyala Davis, Little Bear Davis,
Heather Daniels, Sidney Cole, Kaileen Bray,
Jacquelyn Bray, Jeanette Boyd, and Jordan
Bird.
All theses students were invited to dinner
and a movie with our Education Program

Chehalis
Tribal
Newsletter

420 Howanut Road
Oakville, WA 98568
(360) 273-5911 (office)
(360) 273-5914 (fax)
newsletter@chehalistribe.org

as a reward for their outstanding work in
achieving their academic goals. Everybody
enjoyed a delicious meal at the Oyster
House in Olympia. After the meal, all the
students agreed to see the movie “2012.”
Everybody had a great time.
We recognized the students for their
dedication in getting passing grades and
having good attendance. Our program
continues to encourage any students who
weren’t able to attend to strive to get their
grades up. We would love to have all
the students join us as a reward for their
academic achievements. Great job, students!
Business Committee
David Burnett, Chairman
Don Secena, Vice Chairman
Jessie Goddard, Treasurer
Cheryle Starr, Secretary
Dan Gleason, Sr., 5th Council Member
Chehalis Tribal Newsletter Staff:
Fred Shortman, Communications
Coordinator

Articles and opinions expressed in this
publication are not necessarily the opinions
of this publication or the Chehalis Tribal
Business Committee.
The Chehalis Tribal Newsletter encourages
tribal members to submit letters, articles,
photographs, and drawings to be considered
for publication. These are subject to editing.

From Everyone
at the
Chehalis Tribe

Contributing writers, artists, and
photographers include Chehalis tribal
community members and staff.
Submission deadline: 6th of each month
Printed: Each month

The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis
Reservation...
“People of the Sands”

i

3

Honoring our Elders:

Elaine Sutterlict“..enjoys teaching and learning about her culture...”

Elaine was born in October 1952 to Bennie and Hattie (Hayden) Pikutark in
Portland, Oregon. Her grandparents were John and Bessie (Walker) Hayden.
Her grandmother was Upper Chehalis and her grandfather was Lower
Chehalis. Her great-grandparents were Tom Hayden and Lucy Bill Heck, who
was married to Silas Heck at one time. Her other great-grandparents were
Clara (Jacobs) and Joseph Walker.
Elaine’s father was Inupiaq (Eskimo) from near Nome, Alaska. She has an
older half-sister, LaVera Pikutark-Dubberly, who lived with the family in her
younger years. Elaine was the middle child of three siblings, Ronnie Pikutark
being the oldest, and a younger sister, Diane “Bub” Pikutark. Unfortunately,
Elaine inherited her love of photographs from her
Diane died in 1978.
Elaine was married to Bennie Sutterlict, Jr., (Yakama Nation) until his death mother. Elaine always encourages her family to get
together for photographs every year. This helps
in 1998. They met at Central Washington State College in Ellensburg. He had
create good memories and enables them to see the
just returned from a tour in Vietnam and she had just graduated. He had a
children grow up.
daughter from a previous marriage, Darcey Sutterlict- Maass. While married to
Bennie they had four sons: Kevin, Greg, Stephan and Rikki.
Taholah to see
Elaine remembers going to a powwow
Elaine has 16 grandchildren: Robert, Leona, Michael, Leroy Jr., Cheyenne,
a dentist. “We
in Seattle. They had the Grand Entry in
would take the
alphabetical order of tribal names. “They
Brittany, Emery, Cleo, Steven, Sarah, Deidrah, Teila, Mackenzie, Nawinathla,
whole
day
off
to
called out the delegation from the particular
Pataathla, and Lawyce. There are also four great-grandchildren: Anthony, Leroy
go
to
the
dentist.
tribe and the spotlight would shine on you as
III, Cyrus, and Michelangelo.
Uncle Clem,
you danced in. They had large delegations
In 2000, Elaine married Jack McCloud, Jr. (Nisqually Tribe).
Aunt Susie, Pat from various tribes in their beautiful beaded
Elaine spent most of her childhood on
the Chehalis Reservation after her family
moved back from Portland. They lived in
her grandparent’s house, the old Eyle house,
then moved to Lizzie Johnson’s house. The
houses had no electricity and no running
water. Family members hand- carried
water from Willamette Creek. The houses
were heated by pot bellied stoves wood
cooking stoves in the kitchens. Food was
floated in plastic bags in the creek to keep it
fresh. When there was oil, the family used
kerosene lamps. When there was no oil, they
used candles.
Elaine’s last move was to the house
where she presently lives. “When we first
moved in, we had no water and carried
water from our grandparent’s house. “I don’t
remember what year all of the reservation
got electricity and running water, but I
remember having wringer washer machines
at both houses and hanging clothes outside
or around the house,” recalls Elaine.
“Our chores included carrying water,
carrying wood, making kindling, and
washing dishes,” remembers Elaine. “Mom
got sick and told me I was going to have
to learn to cook. I had to bake biscuits
because we had no bread. She showed me
the cookbook and gave me pointers. I didn’t
understand the directions that well but tried
to follow them. I tried sifting the shortening
and it was a mess and I started to cry.”
Elaine and her family member went to
the Shaker Church, then the “Little White
Church.”
Elaine went to Oakville Public School
from the 1st to 12th grades, and graduated
in 1970. There was no kindergarten or
Headstart back then. “The Timberland
Library had a bookmobile that came out
here to Oakville. My mom loved to read.
We would all check out books, and if we
didn’t read them all, my mom usually did. I
remember walking up the bookmobile steps

and seeing all those books and thinking that
it was so special that I could check them
out.”
When Elaine’s family lived in Portland,
cousins would come and live with them,
starting with Edna Youckton. She came to
help out with the kids. When they lived
at Lizzie’s, cousins took turns living with
them. At that time there were a lot of house
fires and children would be parted out
while families rebuilt or found places to
stay. Elaine’s mom took care of the Hayden
family children for extended periods of time,
like during clamming season.
Christmas time back then was different
than now. “We received care packages,
usually an outfit and a toy,” says Elaine.
“Each gift would say ‘10-year-old boy’ or
‘8-year-old girl.’ One year mine came and it
said ‘boy’. Inside was a flannel shirt, jeans
and a toy for a boy. This was when girls
rarely wore pants.”
Elaine remembers picking strawberries
each summer. “It would be cold bushes
that greeted us in the morning and hot sun
beating down on us in the afternoon,” recalls
Elaine. “We weren’t allowed to goof around.
I remember Bub and I tried squishing berries
under our noses and saying we had bloody
noses, but it didn’t work.”
Summer was also time to go get eels.
Elaine and others would go with Uncle
Clarence Youckton to gather large black
ants for bait, then head to Rainbow Falls.
”The men would use a pole with a hook to
snag the eels. They would throw them up on
the rocks and we would grab them with old
socks we had on our hands. We would bang
them against the rocks and put them in a
gunny sack.”
The family would go to the “camp
meetings” at Little Boston for summer
vacations. They were joined by the Windsor,
Ortivez, Jones and other families.
Elaine remembers having to drive to

and all of us.
buckskin outfits and then there was us. We
Mom and Susie would pack a lunch and we were just a handful of kids who had never
would eat on the beach. The quack dentist
danced before and the arena was huge. Good
they had would give us a shot of Novocaine thing for me I didn’t wear my glasses, so I
but we wouldn’t feel its effect until we were couldn’t see all those people looking at our
heading home. As we hit Aberdeen, our
small little group.”
mouths would start getting numb.”
Elaine says her life growing up on the
Elaine and her sister took up basket
reservation with a large extended family
making, beadwork and Indian dancing when was filled with happy times and hard times.
they were in high school. “I guess the tribe “We were poor and struggled, but we were
must have got some sort of grant to offer
raised by a mother who told us she loved
culture enrichment classes. Mom had gone
only her ‘Heavenly Father’ more than us.
to Chemawha Boarding School and could
There are so many stories that only my kids
teach us to knit, crochet or embroider but
and grandkids have heard and some that I
not any traditional crafts. She said she must keep to myself. I enjoy telling my stories
have been a tomboy and that all she ever did and hope other Elders will have a good time
was make bottoms.”
telling their stories for our readers.”
Hazel Pete was their teacher and John
Donavan also taught. “I remember he taught
us how to play slahal games and
how to dance.
He told us
to go home
and ask our
parents what
kind of outfits
our people
wore. Mom
said until we
reached puberty,
you usually
wore nothing.
Then the girls
wore cedar bark
skirts. When it got
colder, you would
put on a cedar
bark cape and if it
rained you would
have a cedar bark
nt of
hat. Since it rained
ine in fro n in
la
E
d
n
ne (L) a
Childre
so much, we usually
o of Dia owanut Road.
t
o
rnell.
h
p
9
196
go Picke
nH
went barefoot. So
o
in
e
R
m
d
o
n
h
a
t
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their firs Cheyenne, Ros
we went with ‘Plan
)
R
L
front (
B’ and made cloth
dresses.”

Staff Profiles: Youth Center Director and Behavior Health Youth Counselor

I’m Tony Medina, a tribal
member and the Youth
Coordinator for the Youth
Center for the past 12 years.
I grew up in California in
a small town called Port
Hueneme. While growing up,
I played a lot of sports. It was
great to be encouraged by
my parents and six brothers
and sister. After graduating
from high school, I worked
for Northroup Factory. I did
some landscaping to earn
extra money to purchase my first Harley.
Motorcycles have always been my love. It
was nice how far $2 worth of gas could get
me. Riding my first Harley had me hooked
from the start.
In the 1990s I decided that California
was getting too crowded, and decided
to relocate to Oakville, Washington, and
started working with the youth during tribal
summer programs. I also worked at Mima
Nursery where I met Jolene, my beautiful
wife of 16 years. My now extravagant
son, Kendell, who is 15 years old, is one
of my biggest supporters. Both volunteer
at the Youth Center and put up with my
demanding schedule.
As for hobbies, I love working with old

cars, trucks, and motorcycles.
Taking a piece of junk vehicle,
and making an operateable
piece of junk is cool. I’ve also
learned that keeping weeds out
of roses is nearly impossible.
I’ve been weeding roses
practically all my life. While
growing up in California, my
mom Alice always grew
roses in front of the house.
Weeding the rose garden
was one of my many chores.
Another of my passions
is cooking. Since becoming a diabetic
nine years ago, it’s been hard not to eat
tacos, enchiladas and especially homemade
tamales. I was raised on those foods and it
makes it difficult in maintaining the diabetes
diet. Now I only cook them for friends and
family.
These youth on the Rez keep me going
all the time. I love playing games with
them, feeding them, and on occasion,
help them in study hall preparing them
for an upcoming exam. There’s nothing
more gratifying seeing the first set of eyes
appear, as they race from the bus stop to
be the first kids at the Youth Center. Even
though the paperwork at the center can be
overwhelming, working with the kids is

Youth Center
Director

great! Each day I look forward to seeing
all the youth show up. So if you ever get a
chance, swing by the Youth Center. It will
make your day when you see those smiles
and big eyes of joy as the youth play and
have fun.

My name is Gail Hurst. In 2007, I came to
the tribe under contract to be a Chemical
Dependency Counselor for 90 days. I was
later hired permanently.
I’ve been married to my husband for
15 years (modern Brady Bunch) and have
six beautiful children (five daughters
and one son) and six grandchildren. We
met at a concert held by the elementary
school our children attended. I’ve been a
Washingtonian all my life, and thoroughly
enjoy living here.
I’m currently the Youth Counselor. My
hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays
from 8:30 am until 5:00 pm. Tuesdays
and Thursdays my hours are 10:30 am to
7:00 pm. My office is located in the
Behavioral Health Clinic. Between 3:00
to 5:00 pm on Monday, Wednesday
and Friday you can find me at the
Community Center working in the
youth program. I love working with
the youth and my time is committed

to giving them the skills to avoid getting
involved with, or getting uninvolved with,
alcohol and drugs.
This next year we are hoping to have
a healing garden -- the group room in the
Behavioral Health Clinic painted by Elders
and youth who want to volunteer. (The
theme should represent the Chehalis Tribe.)
There will be more youth activities that
promote prevention and sobriety coming
later in 2010.
There will be a news flyer starting in
January on signs and symptoms of substance
use, abuse, and dependency, along with
news from Vocational Rehabilitation, Mental
Health, and Prevention. This will be coming
out to the community every four months.
My hobbies are quilting, music (I play
a variety of stringed instruments), roller
skating, hiking, movies, and exploring the
Northwest (via a motor home).

Behavior
Health
Youth
Counselor

4 Bazaar (continued from page 1)

Weaving (continued from page 1)

Eleven New Homes Will Provide
Pride in Home Ownership

of the purse. Kathey prepared died black
cedar for each student to weave between the
yellow cedar to make the designs pop.
At times there was more laughing going
on then weaving, but that is normally the
way Chehalis weavers work together, and
Kathey joined right in with the anecdotes.
Each of the weavers shared what the
completed purse meant to them. Everyone
agreed that with two long days of hard
work to complete the project, they would
wear their purses with great pride. And they
should! The purses are real head turners.
Congratulations to all who completed the

And thanks for your support!
A down turn to this day was the economy.
Yes, even though things are looking up,
vendors mentioned that things were slow.
But towards the end of the day, it was a
lot better. Many said that they had been to
other bazaars this year, and it’s the same all
over. They said vendors do well here at the

Chehalis Tribal Elders Christmas Bazaar!
They do enjoy coming to the Chehalis
Elders Bazaar and they’ll be back next year.
So, if you’re looking for a beautiful hand
made Native gift, remember to stop at the
Chehalis Elders Bazaar which is held the
first Saturday of December each year.

project. Every participant has added one
more weaving technique to their many
artistic talents.
The Cultural Program will be working
on pine-needle basketry in December. At the
beginning of 2010, we will work on making
coil baskets during the Red Cedar Hat Club.
Every Thursday is the Red Cedar Hat
Club. This is an open weavers table. No
need to sign up, just drop in and join the
weavers. The classes start at 3 PM and run
to 6:30 PM every Thursday, unless the tribe
has another community event running on the
same night; then the class is rescheduled.

10th Annual SPIPA Auction Raises
More Money than Ever for Five Tribes
By Fred Shortman, Editor

Despite the freezing temperatures, the construction workers continue
working on this beautiful new home. Tribal member families are anxiously
awaiting the completion of their new homes on the Vosper Property.

By David Boyd, CTHA Executive Director
CTHA is under way in the construction
process in building 11 new single-family
homes at the Vosper development. At
present the CTHA has qualified eight
tribal member families to enter into home
ownership under a lease mortgage contract.
The remaining three homes will be available
to qualified applicants under a rent-to-own
program which will be available in the near
future for families to apply.
The home buyer families were qualified
through a lengthy mortgage process.
Families chose their style home from
multiple floor plans of varying styles and
sizes of which their families were eligible
for. The families will select the carpet, vinyl
and interior fixtures to best suit their taste
and design, and select the exterior color
of their home. Stetz Construction from

Spanaway received the contract award and
has begun the process of construction. Each
home will be finished within 120 days from
the start date of construction.
The CTHA will designate one of
the homes to be a model home for the
community to tour, thus allowing families
to see firsthand the quality homes being
constructed for tribal member families.
These are very exciting times for the
entire Chehalis tribal community. The
CTHA Board of Commissioners and staff
will be available to discuss questions or
concerns to include all available programs
the Housing Authority offers to qualified
Chehalis Tribal members and families.
Contact the Housing Authority staff at 360273-7723.

Award (continued from page 1)

Grand Mound is a rapidly urbanizing, but
unincorporated, community adjacent to I-5,
20 miles south of Olympia.
In 2008, the Great Wolf Lodge
opened, attracting more than 300,000
visitors annually to the indoor water park,
conference center and 500-room hotel.
The existing patch-work of ownerships
and regulations presented an immediate
challenge to the project planning team.
Potential conflicts were addressed through
an open and collaborative process designed
to reconcile tribal and county regulations
and to satisfy tribal and non-tribal property
owners’ concerns.
Building on a platform of trust and
confidence in the planning process, broad

agreement was reached on the future
direction for the community. By engaging
Thurston County, property owners and
numerous business stakeholders, the 2,300acre study area now has a broadly supported
template on which future growth can be
managed.
The Chehalis Planning Department
would like to thank the Chehalis Business
Committee, tribal members, the Grand
Mound community, Rochester residents,
Thurston County Commissioners, the
Thurston Regional Planning Council, the
Thurston Economic Development Council,
and all who participated in this planning
effort.
Visit the Chehalis Tribe’s website at
www.chehalistribe.org and
click on Planning under
“Resources/Services” to
view the plan. Copies of the
plan are also available in the
Chehalis Planning Office.

Chairman David Burnett
and Lennea Magnus
with the Rural and Small
Town Planning Award
giving us the thumbs
up .

Chehalis Tribe
Holiday Closures
December 23: 1/2 Day-Closes At noon
December 24: All Day
December 25: All Day
December 31: 1/2 Day-Closes At noon
January 1: All Day
Any questions, please contact the
Tribal Center at 360-273-5911

Tribal Community
Christmas Party
Sunday, December 20
Starts at 11 am
At the Lucky Eagle Casino
Lots of fun activities for the tribal
community.
Bingo, dinner, crafts for the dids
and Santa will be there for photos and gifts.
Please contact Cheryl Starr,
Events Coordinator at 360-709-1524.

The 10th Annual SPIPA Art Auction at
the Lucky Eagle Casino was another
tremendous event. The South Puget
Intertribal Planning Agency will be using
75% of proceeds for an investment fund.
The remaining 25% will be used to meet
the immediate needs of the tribes’ youth
programs and provide services for Elders.
All the funds raised will advance the health,
education and welfare of the five SPIPA
Consortium Tribes (Chehalis, Nisqually,
Shoalwater, Skokomish, and Squaxin
Island).
People came and saw some handmade
intricate Native artwork. The craftsmanship
was awe-inspiring and will be proudly
displayed by the winning bidder. Many were
donated by Native artists, weavers, carvers,
and businesses that had been auctioned off
to assist SPIPA to achieve this worthwhile
fund raiser.

during the Christmas holiday season. He
solicited from and cajoled donors to fund his
“Christmas Fund.” Bob was SPIPA’s Indian
Santa Claus. Please join us in memorializing
Bob’s commitment to our children and
continue the work he began.

The Thrill of Bidding
Each bidder signed in and received their
number to used in the live auction. There
was a silent auction displayed on tables
along the walls. People wrote down a bid
on an item that they were trying to win.
The closing of the silent auction tables was
announced during the live auction. As the
tables were closed, you could see winning
bidders smiling as they headed to pay for
their successful bid.
Then the live auction began. Chad Ehli,
from Ehli Auction, was the auctioneer for
the day. You could hear his voice ring across
the loudspeakers as he announced the next
Children’s Christmas Fund Gets Help
item up for bid. It was entertaining and
This was one of the biggest fundraisers
competitive as each item was displayed
that the auction has had, raising over
throughout the room to get the winning bid.
$56,066. This gives the tribes $1,000
Bidders raised their numbers in the air as
more than in the past auctions. In addition
they competed for the item they chose.
the auction raised $2,720 for the Tribal
There was also a delicious seafood dinner
Children’s Christmas Fund in memory of
prepared by the casino. Johnny Moses from
Bob Bojorcas.
Tulalip was there to provide entertainment.
Bob served on the SPIPA Board of
He is fluent in seven different languages
Directors from the 1990s until his passing
and kept everyone involved as he shared his
in December 2008. He took in troubled and
stories with the audience.
homeless Indian and non-Indian youth and
Many heartfelt thanks go out to everyone
got them involved in co-curricular and extra- who helped make this such a success!
curricular activities to keep them get out of
A special thank you goes out to all the
trouble. Bob worked very hard to assure that sponsors, business, artists and all the
children at the Shoalwater Bay Tribe and
people who came out to bid and support our
other Indian children would receive presents worthwhile cause.

Focusing on Loved Ones Can Help
You Stay Sober During Holidays
By Lorrie Bonifer, Prevention Specialist
The Holidays are perhaps one of the hardest
times of the year for newly sober people.
During this time some drink for joy and
others medicate for pain.
The best way to stay sober this season
is to possibly come up with a new tradition
with your loved ones. Consider family
sledding at White Pass. The best part is that
it’s free.
There is another great family event on
February 27 and 28, which is also free. It is
the 24th Annual White Pass Winter Carnival.
This family-oriented event features a huge
snow castle, professional snow sculptors
from around the US and Canada, live
music, fireworks, a torchlight parade, a kids
carnival, and a snow sports competition.
Other ideas are watching movies at home
with hot chocolate and popcorn. There’s also
family scrap booking, and board games, or
go clam digging. Keeping busy with your
loved ones is imperative to helping you stay

sober. Your loved ones will cherish the time
spent with you.
Another way to stay sober is to find
a project you and your loved ones can
work on together. It can be a project like
finding someone in need and help them.
You can invite them to your Christmas
dinner, help them with cleaning, firewood,
groceries, or even something like cutting
them a Christmas tree, or making them a
Christmas basket with home made things in
it. Sometimes just going out of your way to
help others can, in turn, actually help you.
The decisions you make today control
your life tomorrow. Life really is about
choice and consequences.
Please be safe for the Holidays, May
God bless you! If you need help through this
holiday season to stay sober please contact:
Lorrie Bonifer 360-709-1717 or email
lbonifer@chehalistribe.org. My office has
been relocated to the Wellness Center.

WIC

Commodities

Women, Infants, and Children
Pick up at the Wellness Center
8 AM to 4 PM
January 7
February 4
March 4

WIC provides healthy foods and nutrition
information for you and your child up to
age 5. Fresh fruits and vegetables are part
of the WIC foods!
Contact Debbie Shortman at 360-709-1689

Friday, January 15
Friday, February 12
Tuesday, March 16
Pick up is available at the Community
Center between 10 AM to 4 PM
Contact Shirley or Bonita at
360-438-4216 or 360- 438-4235
for more information and
applications for commodities

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Aconfederated_chehalis%3Ab573167a3383a985. Public record. Not legal advice.