The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, ‘People of the Sands’ (2021)

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

CHEHALIS

September 2021

inside

Communications trainee / 2

Housing puts funds to good

use during pandemic / 2

Healing House / 3

Family nurse practitioner / 3

October birthdays / 4

Wear pink for breast cancer

awareness / 6

TRIBAL

NEWSLETTER

FIND HISTORY, HERITAGE, RESOURCES AT CHEHALISTRIBE.ORG

Serving his country

Chavez Secena charts a

new path in the U.S. Army

page 7

Enriching program

Heritage & Culture

preserves traditions

page 5

Burnett

helps tribe

stay on track

Lead for Facilities

& Maintenance has

big goals for future

By Frazier Myer

The Chehalis Tribal Planning Department leads a major project to update the wastewater treatment system.

Project upgrades

treatment plant

New wastewater system to better protect

tribal community and environment

By Frazier Myer

T

he Chehalis Tribal Planning

Department kicked off

installation of a new

wastewater treatment system

on the Chehalis Reservation on

Sept. 14.

The system will enable the tribe

to monitor wastewater activity and

know exactly what is being put

back into the ground. Ultimately,

the project will better protect the

community.

The ground on the reservation

is highly concentrated with sand

and other gritty minerals, which

causes water to seep through

it quickly and doesn’t allow for

proper filtration. The wastewater

plant is crucial for community

health.

The project delivers an upgrade

from the previous system. The

new sewage treatment plant is

larger with updated equipment.

This will lead to less maintenance

and allow it to service the entire

Tribe and Lucky Eagle Casino &

Hotel.

The system will keep drinking

water safe for those who live on

Chehalis tribal member

Jimmy Charles “Chuck” Burnett

is the Facilities & Maintenance

Director for the Chehalis Tribal

Government.

His family and friends have

called him by the nickname

Chuck his entire life. He said

embracing it occasionally

causes confusion when having

to use his real name because

the majority of people know

him simply as Chuck.

Burnett’s parents are Nadine

and Jimmy Burnett. His father

was a minister while raising his

children, which led to the family

moving around a lot. They left

Washington to relocate to Idaho

during Burnett’s early years. He

finished high school in Alaska

See BURNETT, page 6

or visit the reservation and offers

protection from natural threats

created in the environment.

The water treatment program

is constructed to have waste

transfer through it to create what

is known as class A water, which

is clean enough to put in rivers or

lakes. The tribe stores its water in

a man-made pond.

Brian VonCluck, Utilities

Project Manager for the Chehalis

Tribe, led the project on the

reservation.

See PROJECT, page 8

As Facilities & Maintenance

Director, Chuck Burnett has

tackled numerous projects

to benefit the Chehalis Tribe.

2

Connecting the past,

present and future

Charles Latch pivots to

career sharing stories

REACH OUT

Communications

Trainee Charles

Latch looks

forward to hearing

from the Chehalis

community.

Please contact

him at clatch@

chehalistribe.org.

Charles Latch is

also a talented

artist. His most

recent piece

is an intricate

carving made

from an alder.

Watch for

Latch out in

the community

as he attends

events and tells

tribal members’

stories.

Chehalis tribal member

Charles “Chuck” Latch joined

the Information Technology

department as Communications

Trainee in September.

Latch grew up and lived

most of his life on the Chehalis

Reservation. He is the son

of Janice Latch and has two

brothers (Calvin and Kevin Bray)

and three sisters (Sheilah Bray,

Stephanie Pickernell and Selena

Kearney), all enrolled Chehalis

tribal members. He also has two

children, Olivia and Charles.

Latch is passionate about

Native American art and history.

His favorite style is carving, and he

is currently working on a wooden

mask crafted from an alder. Latch

has put countless hours into

studying the craft and has worked

with artists throughout the Pacific

Northwest.

He has many years of

experience working with his fellow

native people on the Chehalis

Reservation. Latch worked for

both the Tribal Government and

Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel. He

worked in food and beverage for

10 years at the casino. While at

LEC&H, he moved from busser

and server to supervisor and

trainer. Latch also worked in

construction as an operating

engineer apprentice and heavy

equipment operator.

During the months COVID-19

has impacted the tribal community,

Latch was hired by Facilities &

Maintenance to help clean and

sanitize buildings. He also worked

with Social Services as an assistant

cook and delivered meals to

Chehalis tribal elders.

As he spent time engaging

with the community, he saw the

Communications Trainee position

as an opportunity to become even

more involved with his people.

Latch is looking forward to

his new career in journalism and

sharing fellow tribal members’

stories.

He views multimedia

journalism as an outlet to connect

the past, present and future

generations and strengthen tribal

cultural knowledge and identity.

Housing uses money to offset COVID reverberations

Department provides

much-needed assistance

The Chehalis Tribal Housing

Authority received $324,515 from

the Department of Housing and

Urban Development in 2020.

This is what the funds were used

for:

n Purchased gloves, masks and

cleaning supplies for staff.

n Sanitized and disinfected

three units.

n Provided one-time utility

assistance in the amount of $400

per household to all tenants in

housing, homeowners in housing

and participants in CTHA’s Rental

Assistance program.

n Supplied 89 homes with

cleaning supplies.

n Forgave rent and mortgage

payments for half of March,

April and May for all tenants and

homeowners in housing.

n Provided technology

for remote work and video

conferencing.

n Installed air purifying ductless

heating and air conditioning to four

units.

n Provided dumpsters to tenants

for spring cleaning.

n Offered curbside garbage

pickup for two weeks.

n Assisted three participants

with emergency rental assistance.

n Purchased office furniture for

social distancing.

n Rehabbed one unit because of

severe water damage.

If you received emergency

assistance from CTHA already, you

might be eligible to receive more

help.

CTHA has authorized an

additional three months of

assistance.

Contact the office at 360273-7723 for more information

and to see whether you qualify

for emergency rental or utility

assistance.

EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE FUNDS ALLOCATION

In March 2021, Chehalis Tribal Housing Authority received $1.3

million in Emergency Rental Assistance Funds from the Department

of Treasury. So far, this is what the funds have been used for:

TYPE OF ASSISTANCE

PEOPLE

TOTAL

Past due rental payments

39

$65,291.72

Future rent payments

58

$39,416.08

Prospective rent

60

$118,831.91

Past due utilities

27

$8,646.74

Current utilities

38

$6,723.65

Prospective utilities

43

$20,706.63

Total funds:

$259,616.73

3

Jessica Small

tackles new

role at clinic

Family Nurse

Practitioner ready

to serve community

Support for healing journey

On Sept. 16, The Chehalis Tribe’s Caring For Each

Other House hosted an open house to share with the

Chehalis community that we are open and ready to help.

The Healing House provides support services for

trauma and crime survivors. Crime victims, domestic

violence and youth prevention programs are available. We

offer cultural teachings, body movement, grief and trauma

counseling and training.

The open house was well attended by the community

and Chehalis tribal employees. Healing House staff

members would like to thank everyone who visited. Special

thanks to Health Director Denise Ross for supporting our

event and mission.

Youth Prevention (Caytee Cline), Domestic Violence

(Samantha Sandstrom) and Victim Services (Jody Lusk)

programs are now housed in the Healing House!

Please watch for announcements about upcoming

events for youth, family and the community.

GIVING THANKS

Lucky Eagle Casino & Hotel honored Native

American Appreciation Day on Sept. 24 by

gifting tribal members a cedar bowl and

cutting board. The boards were customized

with the Chehalis Tribe’s basket logo.

Pictured are tribal elders who picked up

their gifts at the LEC&H Events Center.

The Chehalis Tribal Government used

the occasion to show its appreciation for

employees by giving staff the day off.

The Chehalis Tribe’s Healing House offers a safe

space for recovery from the trauma of violence.

Congratulations are in

order. After working as a nurse

in tribal health for the past

11 years, including six years

as a registered nurse with

the Chehalis Tribal Wellness

Center, Jessica Small is pleased

to stay on as a Family Nurse

Practitioner.

Small is a graduate of

Washington State University’s

Doctor of Nursing Practice,

Family Nurse

Practitioner

program. She

completed

her clinical

rotations at

family practice

locations

throughout

Jessica Small

western

Washington.

Small values the patient/

provider relationship and

building trust with each of her

patients. She enjoys getting

to spend time face to face and

learning how she can help

community members through

their health care journey.

She is passionate about

functional medicine and will

return to school to obtain a

functional medicine certificate.

This type of medicine is

a systems biology-based

approach that focuses on

identifying and addressing the

root cause of disease. Small

also has started the process to

provide treatment to those with

substance use disorders.

Small has been married

for 23 years and has two sons.

During her free time, Small’s

focus is on quality family time.

Her family enjoys camping,

hiking, exploring local rivers

and traveling.

She also works on projects

at home, such as creating a

mini-farm to help take steps

toward becoming completely

self-sufficient.

Small looks forward to

getting to know the community

well and help serve through her

practice.

4

OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS

CORTNEY BECKWITH

RICKIE MARION

ANDREA BORDELON-LANNEZ

ELAINE MCCLOUD

AVA BOYD

MARLA MEDINA

JOEL BROWN

KADYN MITCHELL

TREY BROWN

MADDEX MOWITCH

JACKSON BROWN

ALYSSA MULLINS

RITA BURKE

ESTRAEA MUSIC-OLNEY

MADISON CARTER

AMBER OLIVER

WILLOW CAYENNE

EDWARD OLNEY

WELSEY CHRISTJOHN

LEILANI ORTIVEZ

TABITHA COLSON

ANTHONY COMBS

ANGELA CORTES

TODD DELAMATER

JOSEPH DELAMATER

RAMONA FRICKE

TALIYAH FULTON

VIRGINIA GARITY

LESLEY GILLIE

DYLAN PALMER

ABIGAIL PALMER

DANIEL PENN

CASEY PICKERNELL

RYAN PITZENBERGER

HILARY POWELL

DAKOTA QUEZADA-KLATUSH

KAHLI REYNOLDS

DYLAN HJELM

RAYNA ROMERO

KAYTLIN

HOLMES-PICKERNELL

SCARLETT ROMERO

LEON HOUSE

LETICEA ROMO

AMARIA ROSADO

CANDICE JANSEN

SELENA KEARNEY

JOLI KING

TANYA KINKADE

Estraea Music-Olney:

Happy birthday to the

most amazing little

girl who is kind, sweet,

loves all animals,

is helpful, artistic,

musical and strong like

her Daddy. Mommy

and Daddy love you to

infinity and beyond!!!

ANDREA PHILLIPS

DELORES ROURKE

EDWARD SANCHEZ

GEORGE SANCHEZ

ANJOLYSA SANCHEZ

Kaytlin Pickernell: Happy 13th

birthday Kaytlin (aka Piggy),

love Mom, Dad and Emily.

PAULITA KLATUSH

JANET SANCHEZ

CONNIE KLATUSH

TOMAS SANCHEZ

DALE KLATUSH

STORMIE SANCHEZ

KAREN KLATUSH

KAYLEY TROTT

WILLIAM SECENA

RYDER VIGIL

BRUCE KLATUSH

JOHN SHORTMAN

TYMSEILA WASHBURN

ARYANA KLATUSH

CARMEN SHORTMAN

BRAIDEN WITTWER

CORRENA KLATUSH

LOI SIUFANUA-BOYD

ARLAND YOUCKTON

LYDIA KLATUSH-FROMM

TRISTAN SMITH

CLARENCE YOUCKTON

WALTER LEWIS

ROBERT TEAGUE

KENDALL YOUCKTON-MEDINA

Lydia Klatush-Fromm:

Rock ’n’ roll soul mama

says happy 40th

birthday, love Mom.

5

Classes teach vital ancestral traditions

Program helps tribe

maintain strong

cultural connections

‘I sat and

watched my

grandma

since I was

a little girl.’

By Charles Latch

The Chehalis Tribal Heritage

& Culture Program strives to

preserve traditions by hosting

a cultural Native American arts

class twice a week.

Community members ages

5 and older are welcome to join

the instruction-based courses

from 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesdays and

Thursdays.

Classes provide an opportunity

for tribal and community

members to gain a better

understanding and greater respect

for generations that thrived off

the land and its resources. Native

American people collected and

foraged material off the land to

create necessities for thousands of

years prior to colonization.

The program promotes and

emphasizes the significance

of cultural preservation. The

Chehalis Tribe recognizes how

important identifying as a Native

American is to its members and

encourages maintaining a strong

connection to the land.

– Instructor

Karen Klatush

The Heritage

& Culture

Program offers

a creative

outlet for tribal

members to

carry on their

ancestral

traditions.

Instructor

Karen Klatush

displays a

beautiful quilt.

FALL SCHEDULE

COMMUNITY & CULTURE

Hours: 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Monday through Thursday

and 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday

Essential history

Class participants have the

chance to work with materials

their native ancestors used to

make what are now known as

traditional artifacts that were once

used as essential everyday items.

Instructors Karen Klatush and

Skylar White-Eagle Rosbaugh,

both enrolled Chehalis tribal

members, explain how to work

with raw materials such as cedar,

cattail, sweet grass, deer hide and

much more.

Klatush is surrounded by

artwork, including items she keeps

near her desk that remind her

of her ancestors. She has special

memories of her grandmother,

who gave her a handwoven coil

basket that Klatush shares with

pride.

“I sat and watched my grandma

since I was a little girl,” Klatush

said.

She remembers that her

grandmother was often

surrounded by cattail and raffia.

She would watch and learn as her

grandmother worked.

Klatush said the best part of

her job is working with tribal

YOUTH CENTER

Children must be picked up

by 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday

and 4:30 p.m. Friday

HERITAGE & CULTURE

youth, giving them a break from

electronics. She hopes they will

carry on their Native American

ancestral traditions.

Develop skills

The program’s classes teach

students a variety of skills, such as

weaving techniques (baskets, roses

and hats); beading; and creating

drums, moccasins and dream

catchers. There is something for

everyone.

Don’t worry about skill level.

The program offers opportunities

for both aspiring and more

advanced artists.

Participants will be able to

learn about exclusive rights tribal

members have to collect materials,

how and when to harvest items

such as cedar, display their

artwork and meet fellow artists.

Although dedicated times are

available to work on art projects,

the program is flexible and will

provide the time, space and

materials needed for community

members to work on specific

projects. An open classroom is

offered throughout most of the

week and staff members can assist

with artwork.

Klatush and White-Eagle

Rosbaugh operate the program

and arrange classes with

assistance from Youth Support

Services Coordinator Melanee

Stevens. Prior to joining the

Chehalis Tribe team, Stevens had

10 years of experience working

See TRADITIONS, page 6

Craft Nights: 4:30-6 p.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays

Ribbon Skirts and Shirts

class: Nov. 13-14

Ornament and Stocking

class: Dec. 11-12

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Halloween walk-through:

4-6 p.m. Oct. 31 in the Youth

Center Gym

Turkey Distribution: 10 a.m.

Nov. 17

Create a Christmas Candy

Bag: 1 p.m. Dec. 15

Community Christmas

Party: 11 a.m. Dec. 19

* All dates and times are

subject to change.

6

Think pink for breast cancer awareness

On Oct. 21, don your favorite

pink attire for Indigenous Pink Day,

a national breast cancer awareness

campaign for American Indians and

Alaska Natives.

The Native Women’s Wellness

Program asks men and women of all

ages to wear pink and share photos

on social media using the hashtag

#indigenouspink.

Breast cancer is the second

leading cause of cancer death and

the most common cancer found

in American Indian/Alaska Native

women.

The goal of Indigenous Pink Day

is to educate all Indigenous people

on the importance of early detection

and remind men and women to

keep up to date on screenings. One

in eight women will develop breast

cancer in their lifetime. Wear Pink

to honor relatives who have faced or

are now facing breast cancer.

BURNETT

From page 4

and moved back to Washington

for school and to start a family of

his own.

Prior to starting work with

the Chehalis Tribe in December

2020, Burnett worked on the

Quinault Reservation for 35

years. He worked for the Quinault

Nation and Bureau of Indian

Affairs. Burnett was responsible

for numerous jobs, from general

manager for a logging company

on the Quinault Reservation to

operating heavy equipment. He

also managed a road maintenance

crew through completion of major

construction projects.

Working for his own tribe “has

always been a dream of mine since

I was a young man,” Burnett said.

He remembers his childhood days

when he and his siblings would

attend general council meetings.

“I remember thinking that it

would be fun to work here for our

own people and try to contribute

and do my part,” Burnett said.

He thought of it as his duty as

an enrolled member to help the

tribe grow and prosper. After

hearing about the Facilities &

Maintenance director vacancy, he

was encouraged by his daughter to

apply and become more involved

with the Chehalis people.

Burnett oversees janitorial,

transfer station, grounds crew,

water and wastewater building

maintenance, HVAC and fleet. A

CONTACT US

The wellness program has mobile

mammography clinics at each SPIPA

site. To find out if you’re eligible for

a free or low-cost mammogram,

contact Community Wellness

Manager Christina Hicks at 360-7091741 or chicks@chehalistribe.org.

CREATIVE WITH PINK

A group photo will be taken at

11:55 a.m. Oct. 21 at the Wellness

Center. Send Hicks a photo of you

rocking pink via email or text

360-628-2638.

GET SCREENED

Talk with your health care provider

for advice and information on breast

cancer screenings.

‘In my mind, if things are

operating smoothly, most

people don’t even see or

hear from us.’

– Facilities & Maintenance Director

Chuck Burnett

major project he headed this past

year is a complete overhaul of the

infields at Tomahawk Stadium and

Legends Field Complex to prepare

for Tribal Days in May.

Burnett secured a company to

repair the roof on the Wellness

Center. Also on the horizon are

plans to paint the water towers

to ensure proper function for the

future.

A long-term project Burnett is

leading is restructuring the sewer

system for Tribal Government

buildings and housing districts.

He also is overseeing installation

of a generator to back up the

wastewater system in case of a

lengthy power outage. Burnett

wants to play a part in crisis

management.

When Burnett first became

director, he focused on wrapping

up ongoing projects. Now that

he has settled into his role and

provided a structured staff

schedule, he is developing goals for

the future. Burnett wants to reduce

the number of calls regarding

repairs to allow his crew to provide

maintenance and upkeep.

“In my mind, if things are

operating smoothly, most people

don’t even see or hear from us,”

Burnett said.

He wants to make sure the

department is efficient while

developing a solid working

relationship with the rest of Tribal

Government employees.

Two of Burnett’s favorite

pastimes are spending time with

loved ones and staying involved

with baseball and softball. Burnett

has two daughters and one son.

He had his oldest daughter,

Christibeth, with his first wife.

After reconnecting with his

childhood sweetheart and second

wife, they welcomed son Ryan

and daughter Arielle. His children

are grown and have careers, but

a love for baseball and softball is

something they all share.

Burnett played ball in his

younger years and coached his

kids through high school. He

has taught baseball and fastpitch softball to generations

of youngsters and continues

to give pointers to players at

tournaments.

Burnett looks forward to

growing with the Chehalis

Tribe and being involved with

the community. His goal is

to maintain buildings and

infrastructure on tribal lands as

daily operations expand.

He hopes to bring the Indian

National softball tournament to

the Chehalis Reservation, which

is a big task but would generate

recognition for the tribe.

Classes teach weaving with

traditional materials.

TRADITIONS

From page 5

with the Alaskan Natives. She

specializes in plant medicine.

During the COVID-19

shutdown, Stevens partnered

with the program to maintain

participation. Heritage &

Culture and Youth Services

made adjustments to continue

serving the tribe.

Amidst the shutdown,

Klatush, White-Eagle Rosbaugh

and Stevens put together and

distributed nearly 300 kits for

adults and 300 for youth. The

take-home kits were intended

to keep community members

active and culturally aware.

“I want people to know we’re

still here,” Stevens said.

Though she doesn’t

work directly with Heritage

& Culture, her program

collaborates on activities

year-round.

Stevens said it’s crucial to

discover ways to be involved

and connect with the

environment and culture. She

explained that each individual

needs to feel grounded to

properly function and reach his

or her full potential.

CONTACT US

To learn more about

the program, to-go kits,

volunteering and how to

become an instructor,

please call Skylar WhiteEagle Rosbaugh or Karan

Klatush at 360-709-1721.

Heritage & Culture

recently held its first

Culture Camp. Attendees

learned techniques for

beading, carving, painting,

wire wrapping, sewing and

more at the free event

at the Chehalis Tribe’s

Community Center.

7

Tribal member follows his dream in the Army

Chavez Secena unearths

strength, determination

in training as well as the drill

sergeants. He trained with people

from diverse backgrounds. His

best friends at camp were guys he

met from West Virginia.

‘It broke down the

civilian part of me

and built me back

Inspiration from home

up as a soldier.’

Throughout the six months at

By Frazier Myer

Chehalis tribal member Chavez

Secena, 21, completed 22 weeks

of basic military training from

Feb. 5-July 9 at Fort Benning

Army Base in Columbus, Ga.

Chavez grew up and was

raised a majority of his life on the

Chehalis Reservation. His mother

is Rachelle Wells-Ferguson and his

grandparents are Bill Secena and

Georgette Wells.

“I’ve always been interested in

the Army ever since I was a kid,”

Secena said. His grandpa played

a major role in his upbringing

and taught him a lot about how to

approach life.

“He taught me how to always

care for people and treat everyone

with respect,” Secena said. “It is just

how my grandpa raised me.”

Secena believes joining the

Army and serving his country

shows compassion for others. He

hopes to be a role model for fellow

tribal members and the general

public, especially the younger

generation.

Secena was given the job of

indirect fire infantryman and is

a member of the mortar squad.

He will provide the first support

to soldiers on the front line. Only

1 percent of the United States

population joins the U.S. Army;

out of those, just 1 percent are

placed in the infantry, where

close-range combat is possible.

Building strength

The six-month training was

hard mentally and physically,

according to Secena. Drill

sergeants pushed them close to

their limit every day.

“I’m very grateful that they did

that because it made me humbler,”

Secena said. “It broke down the

civilian part of me and built me

back up as a soldier.”

Secena got in great shape and

built up his endurance from the

daily workouts, running and drills.

He lost 21 pounds training thanks

to activities such as running while

carrying a heavy bag and hauling

mortar equipment.

He shaved his 1-mile time down

to six minutes and 18 seconds,

2-mile time to 13:35 and 5-mile

run to 40 minutes. Secena braved

an endurance run called a ruck,

which requires a change of pace

– Chavez Secena on his

six-month Army training

Chavez Secena

celebrates with

his mom Rachelle

Wells-Ferguson

after completing his

military training and

becoming a member

of the U.S. Army.

and is intended to become more

challenging with each mile. After

a couple months of getting in

shape, he was able to complete the

5-mile, 8-mile and even 12-mile

runs easier.

The housing situation at Fort

Benning was very similar to the

movie “Full Metal Jacket.” They

were placed in a giant room with

rows of bunk beds stacked next to

each other. Each building housed

56 troops sleeping in one room.

The oldest trainee was 36 and the

youngest was 17. They went to bed

at 9 p.m. each night and woke

up at 4 a.m. every day to began

physical training.

5 phases of training

Training was split into five

phases: red, white, blue, black and

gold. In the red phase, soldiers

built confidence. The white phase

introduced training in firearms

such as pistols and machine guns,

throwing hand grenades and

mounting grenade and rocket

launchers. The blue phase taught

proper techniques for repelling

down towers and introducing the

mortar system.

In the final two phases, troops

learned how to perfect tactical

movements for specific scenarios

in the field, began simulated fire

and practiced with live rounds.

Forge ahead

Secena said the hardest part

of his entire training experience

was the forge, which came after

the blue phase was complete. He

described it as “one full week of

just sweating.”

It was the breaking point for a

lot of people.

Secena celebrated his 21st

birthday while pushing through the

forge. He trekked 53 miles during

a one-week period, completing 27

miles in just one day. The troops

had to finish the task in full gear

while carrying equipment.

The forge is the point in

training when the Army trains

soldiers how to prepare for an

enemy, set up and ambush, remain

quiet while walking through the

woods and set up a patrol base.

Another part of the grueling

week was an obstacle course,

which included climbing over

a wall and crawling in the

mud underneath barbed-wire.

Simulated bullets added to the

pressure and stress. During part

of the course, there were pipes in

the ground that went off when

soldiers would get close.

“I got close to one of those

pipes and it blew up right in my

face,” Secena said. It caused his

ears to ring and the mud in his

face distorted his vision, but he

kept crawling through the mud

and completed the course.

Important skills

The tough mental challenges of

training is designed to help teach

soldiers how to work through

challenges they encounter. Some

people were unable to complete

the training and were sent home.

The camp started with 236,

but only 219 completed the full

22-week program.

Additional training included

rifle shooting. Secena improved

tremendously while in training.

His stress shooting score rose from

21 out of 40 to 39 out of 40.

He was motivated by his peers

Fort Benning, Secena was able to

contact family and friends only by

letter or phone. He was given one

10-minute phone call each week,

which he looked forward to almost

every Sunday. He called his mom,

grandparents and close friends.

“Just hearing them talk on the

other side of the phone inspired

me to keep moving on and

pushing forward,” Secena said.

He was able to leave the Army

training base on rare occasions.

Those days included holidays such

as Memorial Day and the Fourth

of July. The drill sergeant also

allowed troops to leave camp to

relax and recover after the forge.

Fresh outlook

“Going through basic training

made me humbler and made me

appreciate everything that I have

because they take that all away,”

Secena said. “I see everything

differently now ... I really

appreciate everything that I have.”

Secena said he no longer takes

for granted the quality food he is

able to eat, being able to choose

his meals and drinking anything

besides water.

The worst part of the experience

was getting punished and having

to do drills whenever someone in

his camp was disciplined. If one

person messes up, the whole team

is punished.

The drill sergeants would

always remind them “one team,

one fight.”

A new life

After he completed training,

Secena was honored with and

received his crossed rifles pin,

which signifies troops turning

into soldiers. He briefly visited

Washington to see his friends and

family for 10 days.

Secena is stationed at his first

base in Fort Hood, Texas. Because

the U.S. is not at war at this time,

he will be stationed and continue

training to prepare for active

combat.

Secena encourages anyone

interested in joining the Army to

never give up on being a part of

the military.

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,

photographs 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 and staff.

NEWSLETTER STAFF

Frazier Myer, Charles Latch,

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

chehalistribe.org

Chairman: Harry Pickernell Sr.

Vice Chairman:

LeRoy Boyd Sr.

Treasurer: Sheilah Bray

Secretary: David Burnett

Fifth Council Member:

Jason Gillie

© copyright 2021

The Chehalis Tribal

Newsletter is a

publication of the

Confederated Tribes

of the Chehalis

Reservation

8

An

extensive

overhaul

of the

Chehalis

Tribe’s

wastewater

treatment

system will

provide

significant

benefits

to the

community.

PROJECT

From page 1

Construction began after years of planning

and development and a lengthy process

to finalize the new system’s design. It was

important to ensure the project would be done

correctly and fit the tribe’s needs.

The Planning Department worked with

the state and filed applications through the

Department of Ecology to receive a loan from

the Clean Water Safe Evolving Fund (CWSRF)

for the project.

The Chehalis Tribe contracted with Roglin’s

Construction. Roglin’s is the company that

completed the roundabout project during the

summer of 2020.

The structure the Planning Department

and designers developed increases the system’s

ability to move water in and out, creating more

efficient water flow management. They also

enhanced the electronic equipment that runs

the main plant to control the entire system

better than in the past.

This project benefits the Chehalis Tribal

Government because it will now control the

membrane bioreactor, which determines

what goes into the ground. The Utilities team

will manage the system and provide services

to those living in the area. Additionally, the

project will better equip LEC&H and allow

room for growth.

VonCluck headed the project with assistance

from various other project managers. He

reorganized the agreement with the state,

WIC THROUGH SPIPA

Breastfeeding help, health

education, checks to buy food

and services referrals

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

Nov. 11 at the Wellness Center

CONTACT: Debra Shortman at 360-709-

1689 or wicnutrition@spipa.org

developed the scope of work, selected the design

team and put together the proposal for the

construction crew to make this major overhaul

successful.

In total, the wastewater project will span

more than five years, from when the need for

an upgraded wastewater plant was realized to

completion. It’s scheduled to be wrapped up by

early spring.

USDA food program

9:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Oct. 21

at the Community Center

South Puget Intertribal

Planning Agency’s program

offers food to fill your freezer,

refrigerator and cupboards

CALL: Debra Shortman at

360-709-1689 or 360-438-4216