FIND HISTORY, HERITAGE AND RESOURCES AT CHEHALISTRIBE.ORG (2020)

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FIND HISTORY, HERITAGE AND RESOURCES AT CHEHALISTRIBE.ORG

CHEHALIS

January 2020

TRIBAL

NEWSLETTER

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

We will miss you

Chehalis tribal member

Manny Medina passes

Rez Animal Resources

Nonprofit organization

assists dogs and cats

page 4

pages 8-9

inside

Fred Shortman and

Margie Youckton retire / 2

Staff profile / 3

Lucky Eagle Casino news / 3

Raise for Rowyn / 5

February birthdays / 7

Heart disease awareness / 10

Students of the Month / 11

Chehalis icons honored

Employees who helped tribe grow say farewell at ACE luncheon

our longtime employees

who retired from the

Chehalis Tribe in January

and February were honored

during the ACE Employee of the

Month Luncheon on Jan. 31.

Employees from every

department attended the

tailgate-themed event. Natural

Resources and Administration

prepared hotdogs, chicken wings

and much more. After eating,

Assistant General Manager Jesse

Gleason announced Rita Benda

as the December Employee of the

Month.

Rita Benda works in Facilities

& Maintenance. She is

always smiling and helpful.

As a custodian, Rita usually

works a swing shift –

afternoons and

during the evening

The Chehalis Tribe

celebrates the ACE

Employee of the

Month (Rita Benda,

left) along with

retiring workers.

See RETIRING,

page 3

Protecting indigenous homelands

Tribal member Amber Penn-Roco fights for cultural and natural resources

Amber Penn-Roco is a partner

at Galanda Broadman law firm.

Seattle – The Galanda

Broadman law firm welcomed

Amber Penn-Roco into its

ownership ranks on Jan. 1.

Amber’s practice focuses on

Indigenous environmental

compliance, permitting and

litigation from the tribal

governmental point of view.

She represents tribes and tribal

citizens throughout the west.

“I am so proud of my work

at Galanda Broadman, where I

have been allowed to make my

passion into a practice,” Amber

said. “I am proud to call myself an

indigenous environmental lawyer.

I’ve dedicated my practice to the

protection of natural and cultural

resources and I’m thrilled to

continue my work as a partner on

behalf of Indigenous peoples.”

During the past several

years, Amber has fought for

tribal clients in Washington and

See PROTECTING, page 6

Fred Shortman retires

Writer and artist documented

Chehalis Tribe’s community

events, culture in newsletter

Margie Youckton, the Chehalis Tribe’s Payroll

Coordinator, served the tribe for 37 years.

Congratulations

Margie Youckton

Margie Youckton, the Chehalis Tribe’s Payroll

coordinator, retired in February after more than

37 years of service. When Margie started work

in 1982, there were about 80 employees. Margie

said Tribal Government employees came to the

Tribal Administration Building on payday back

then and lined up against the walls in a circle

so the chairman could hand out checks to each

employee.

Getting the payroll out on time every two

weeks has sometimes proved quite a challenge.

Margie can remember one time when a flood cut

off the reservation and the power was out. She

was instructed to get the payroll processed any

possible way. Margie ended up on the phone for

hours to work out a solution where the processing

company ran payroll at the same hours as the

previous payroll. On payday, checks were available

even if they were not 100 percent correct.

Floods, snow, sleet, power outages and

downed trees interfered with the payroll

schedules at various times, but that did not stop

Margie from delivering for employees.

Dedicated to her work

Margie’s payroll experience with the tribe

began with manual calculation and hand-typed

checks. Until 2013, all Tribal Government

employees would clock in and out using a heavy,

yellow, paper punch card stamped by a machine

in the Tribal Admininistration Building. Margie

had to review and input time worked by hand

each pay period. This required a great amount of

accuracy and hard work. The process was lengthy.

The tribe now has almost 300 employees.

The process has evolved into a technological

application with automated data processing that

captures time electronically and easily calculates

net checks.

Margie took her job seriously and very seldom

went on vacation or had time off during payroll

processing. Retirement will finally allow her to

enjoy her time and not worry about completing

payroll on time every time.

Please extend congratulations to Margie now

that she has clocked out for the last time. We

wish you the very best. Thank you, Margie!

After working for the Chehalis Tribe

for 37 years, Fred Shortman officially

retired on Jan. 31.

In the early 1980s, Fred began his

career with the tribe as the Elders’

coordinator. He held many other

positions leading up to his retirement in

2020 following 12 years of keeping the

tribe updated by publishing the monthly

Chehalis Tribal Newsletter.

Fred has held many titles. He was

the Human Resources coordinator,

provided security at the tribe’s bingo hall,

dispatch for law enforcement, worked

the streams and waterways with the

Fisheries Department and spent a brief

period of time in water quality. Fred even

served multiple terms on the Business

Committee.

As dispatch, he would get incoming

information and relay it to officers on

duty. He focused on delivering messages

in a clear and concise manner, which

helped as he transitioned into writing the

newsletter.

Fred’s outgoing personality and ability

to connect with most people of the tribe

and all age groups made him a great fit

for the job. He started working on the

newsletter in June of 2008. Fred found

it a way to do more than just witness and

be a part of the tribe’s growth.

Witness to tribe’s growth

Fred has had the privilege of

documenting the Chehalis Tribe’s ongoing

events and significant accomplishments

through the years. Many individuals, both

tribal and nontribal, have worked together

to get the tribe to where it is today.

Fred acknowledged that teamwork

created successful development.

“The economic growth of the tribe has

been huge,” Fred said.

He witnessed multiple grand openings

before his tenure with the newsletter,

such as Lucky Eagle Casino and End of

the Trail 1.

Once he was officially hired as

a documentarian, he was able to

photograph and write articles about

events such as the groundbreaking of

the Marriot Hotel in Grand Mound and

opening of the End of the Trail 3 store.

Interacting with the community

As for the non-economic side, Fred

documented the Wellness Center

and Community Center openings. He

attended hundreds of events and took

thousands of photos.

He participated in annual events

Fred Shortman filled multiple roles during

37 years with the Chehalis Tribe, including

working with elders, in law enforcement

dispatch and on the Business Committee.

and festivities throughout the years,

including the Canoe Journey, employee

picnics, Tribal Days, holiday parties,

graduation ceremonies and many more.

“I love meeting new people,” Fred

said. Working for the tribe allowed

him to interact with a majority of tribal

members.

He said he spent his childhood in

a foster home off the reservation but

came back when he was 18. He has been

reconnecting with his tribal people

ever since. Fred said he met most of the

elders when he started working as the

department coordinator in the early

1980s.

Fred reconnected with the traditional

ways as he spent time fishing the river. He

also created various forms of tribal art.

Time for art, river, fireworks

Moving forward, Fred will be seen all

around the Chehalis Reservation as he

plans to continue attending community

events.

He will be seen driving to and from

the river, watching baseball during Tribal

Days and selling fireworks during Fourth

of July celebrations. He is carrying on

with his artwork and is now delving

into wood carving. Fred donates much

of his art work to the Chehalis Tribal

Government.

Fred is an avid Mariners fan and

believes every year is their year. He has

two sons and enjoys singing karaoke with

friends and family. He said he will miss

working with tribal employees on a daily

basis and that his nearly 40 years of work

has been an “experience.”

He explained that as a tribal employee,

it’s important to remember that the staff

is responsible for serving the people of

the tribe. The newsletter is about serving

the people and keeping them informed.

staff profile

New Domestic Violence Advocate

Hello! My name

otters and tigers being

is Samantha (Sam)

my favorites. I love to

Sandstrom and I am

read and I’m always

the new Domestic

carrying a book or two

Violence Advocate with

with me.

the Behavioral Health

I also love to dance

Department.

and I’m trained in

I am originally

various styles including

from the Tacoma and

ballet and lyrical.

Samantha

Sandstrom

Olympia areas and

If I am not doing

attended college at

either of those things, I

Montana State University.

am spending time with friends

Go Bobcats!

and family, hiking Mount

As a military kid, I got to

Rainer, watching Netflix or

live in a lot of different places

playing with my dogs.

while growing up, including

However, my absolutely

California, New Mexico, North

favorite thing to do is travel.

Dakota, Montana and Idaho.

I’m super excited to be working

But Washington has always

here at the Chehalis Tribe

been home because all of my

as the Domestic Violence

family is here.

Advocate and can’t wait to get

I’m a huge animal lover with to know all of you.

RETIRING

From page 1

when everyone else went home.

She vacuums and cleans the

areas that the other custodians

are unable to get to throughout

the workday. This is important,

yet sometimes goes unnoticed

because nobody is around during

the hours she keeps the place

clean.

This award was a way to

show thanks for all of the hard

work Rita does and to give her

recognition among the rest of

her co-workers.

With a majority of employees

in attendance, this event served

as a fitting time to highlight a

few who have been a part of the

tribe’s growth during the past

few decades.

The Chehalis Tribe has four

people retiring this January

and February. Those recognized

were Lynn Hoheisel (Heritage

& Culture), Fred Shortman

(Information Technology),

Gerrie Sanders (Accounting) and

Margie Youckton (Accounting).

Each have worked for the

tribe since before Lucky Eagle

Casino was in operation and

have witnessed its growth from

50 employees to more than 300.

Jesse Gleason called each of

the individuals up to be honored

in front of the staff and Business

Committee members took part in

the ceremony as well.

Chairman Harry Pickernell

Sr. and Secretary Sheilah Bray

wrapped each of the retiring

staff members in custom-made

Pendleton blankets.

Seattle funny man Joel McHale

headlines Lucky Eagle Casino

Comedian Joel McHale will

perform live in concert at Lucky

Eagle Casino & Hotel in the

Events Center on March 28.

McHale, the former host of E!

Network’s weekly television show

“The Soup,” was born in Rome,

Italy. His family moved to the

Pacific Northwest when he was

a small child. He was raised on

Mercer Island and attended the

University of Washington, where

he graduated in 1995.

McHale also starred in the

NBC sitcom “Community” with

Chevy Chase, Allison Brie and

Ken Jeong. The show premiered

in 2009.

The Emmy-nominated actor

and comedian can next be seen

in the TV series “Stargirl,” which

premieres later this year.

Tickets for McHale’s show

start at $45 and are on sale now.

Main Street Bar

Join us in Main Street Bar

every Friday and Saturday night

from 9 p.m.-midnight for free, live

entertainment.

BOOSTED MULTIPLIERS

FOR EVERY TIER!

RISING STARS = 4X POINTS

SILVER STARS = 8X POINTS

GOLD STARS = 10 POINTS

The ACE

Awards in

January

featured a

delicious

tailgatethemed

goodbye for

four retiring

employee.

8 A.M.-MIDNIGHT

EVERY SUNDAY

IN MARCH

Obituary

Manny ‘Mandogg’

Medina

Aug. 19, 1980 – Jan. 2, 2020

Manny, a lifelong resident of The

Chehalis Reservation and a gift to us

all, left us the morning of Jan. 2. He

was born to Art and Jackie Medina on

Aug. 19, 1980. He was little brother

to Marco Black Sr. and big brother

to Marla Rose Medina. He was an

amazing son, brother, uncle, nephew,

cousin, godfather, best friend, bro and

boss who inspired many along his

journey.

He spent his entire career moving

his way up the ladder from a cashier

to senior manager with immense

dedication of the Chehalis Tribe’s End

of the Trail convenience stores. It all

started with one very small store and

eventually helped with the design and

layout of stores 2, 3 and 4. He took

pride 24/7 in the running of each one

of them.

During his off time, he loved

watching the Tomahawks play baseball,

selling fireworks, hanging out with

his homies and being the truest friend

anyone could ask for. He enjoyed

gatherings with family and friends,

watching Seahawks games, sitting

out in the prairie or center field of

Tomahawk Stadium, chilling with his

music loud and proud, taking cruises

to check competitor’s gas prices and

spending time with his main bro Rick

and his family.

He leaves behind his dad, Art

Medina; brother Marco; sisters

Marla and Alicia; nieces Carolann

and Bea; nephews Uriah, Marco Jr.

and Jacob; aunties Nancy, Gloria and

Cheryl; uncles Tony, Leroy, Mario

and numerous other bros and sisters,

nieces and nephews, god children and

a laundry list of homies who were a

major part of his daily circle.

He’s dancing in the sky with his mom

Jackie Black Medina; grandparents

Manuel Medina, Alice Secena Medina,

Helene Jake and Gilbert Jake; Aunt

Nena Medina; Uncles Mike Medina,

Steve Medina and Glen “Hook” Black.

Manny was laid to rest next to his

mother in the Secena Family Cemetery

on the Chehalis Indian Reservation in

Oakville on Thursday, Jan. 9.

A service was held at the Chehalis

Tribal Community Center at 10 a.m.

Jan. 9, a graveside service at the Secena

cemetery, followed by a lunch at the

Community Center.

Thank you for love, kindness

irst of all, I would like to thank each

and every one of our friends and family

members for the support received

during this hard time. Thank you to those of

you who came daily to our home, cooked for

us and cleaned up the house. It truly meant a

lot to me. No words can express how much it

was appreciated. I love you guys.

Thanks to everyone who made the day a

little easier on my family just by being there,

sharing their stories, words of kindness and

love. All of the flowers were so beautiful. All

of the love and support by all who cared and

loved my brother was unreal. From vendors

he worked with, all of his employees, coworkers and friends, it truly showed he was

a well-respected individual. Seeing the local

businesses show their support for him meant

a lot.

All of the cards I received from people who

knew my brother were heartwarming. This

really has left us shattered and definitely is

going to take some time to pull the pieces

together again. Thanks to his boys who

were there pulling together to help make his

final day special. Thanks to the guys for the

fireworks and those who donated and cooked

his favorite foods. Everything turned out

amazing.

Manny definitely was a well-loved guy. He

loved his job so much that he was working

from his hospital bed before he got too sick

to make sure his contracts were taken care of.

He made sure his employees were on task and

showing up for their shifts. Those shoes will

definitely be hard to fill.

Thank you to those who visited at the

hospital in his final days. I definitely didn’t

know we would lose him so quickly. Thanks

for those who checked in on myself and my

dad. He appreciates it greatly and it means a

lot. He said he may have lost a son but gained

so many more in his place.

A special thanks to his best friend, bro,

sidekick and righthand man Dustin “Rick”

Klatush. And a special thanks to Dustin’s wife,

Beth Klatush, and their whole family for just

being there in general the entire time. They

also helped with arranging everything for the

painting of his casket.

I want to make sure that I thank every

one of the individuals who helped honor

my brother and make the funeral happen.

It meant a lot. Thank you to everyone who

shared photos and, again, to Beth who put

the slides and selected the music for Manny’s

service. It definitely helped the healing

process and was appreciated. Thanks to Alicia

for being there, helping as much as you could.

I know this was just as hard on you, but you

held on strong as best you could. I love you. I

know I may be forgetting some people. I am

sorry. Thanks to those who traveled from afar

to be here for my brother. It meant a lot.

You never know when your last time

speaking to a loved one will be. Always say

you love them no matter what because you

never know if it’s your last telling them.

– Marla Medina

Group helps families heal, find hope

After devastating loss,

Raise for Rowyn

connects loved ones

to crucial resources

Raise for Rowyn, a local

nonprofit created to assist

families suffering from the

death of a child, has received

donations from both Lucky

Eagle Casino & Hotel and the

Chehalis Tribal Government

since it was established in April

of 2015.

Brynn Johnson founded the

nonprofit organization after

her 17-month old daughter

Rowyn Leea Johnson was in

a fatal accident when she fell

underneath a moving vehicle

driven by a family friend on the

morning of Sept. 16, 2014.

After the passing of Rowyn,

the Johnson family received

support from locals in their

hometown of Tenino. Brynn had

worked at Lucky Eagle Casino

since she was in high school and

built relationships with people

on the reservation.

Brynn explained that John

Setterstrom, former CEO of

Lucky Eagle Casino, was one of

the first people to be there for

the family. The casino donated

food to help with the healing

process.

“We were just so overwhelmed

with the love and support of the

community,” Brynn said.

The help from the town of

Tenino and the Chehalis Tribe

inspired her to help other

families suffering from the

GET/GIVE HELP

To receive help, fill out the

assistance request form at

raiseforrowyn.org.

If you would like to join in

helping grieving families,

please visit the website or

send contributions to:

Raise for Rowyn, P.O. Box 631,

Tenino WA, 98589.

“Although there is so much

sadness involved with how

it (Raise for Rowyn) started,

there is so much beauty in it

as well.”– BRYNN JOHNSON

recent loss of a child.

The loss of Rowyn Leea has

led to the remarkable nonprofit

that has provided financial

support for those who suffered

the same devastating loss.

“Although there is so much

sadness involved with how it

(Raise for Rowyn) started, there

is so much beauty in it as well,”

Brynn said.

Raise for Rowyn has helped

more than 300 families in 21

states. Services include funeral,

headstone, cremation and

anything else that is part of

the final arrangements of the

deceased individual.

The organization doesn’t

just focus on raising funds and

financial assistance. It also

offers emotional support. Raise

Information

for elder

caregivers

9 A.M.-4 P.M.

MARCH 3

for Rowyn was established to

help raise spirits and hope and

provide faith for others. People

from the program maintain

a close relationship with a

majority of the families helped.

The program sends out holiday

and birthday cards to remember

loved ones who passed away.

Raise for Rowyn also helps

connect families to resources

for counseling. Because they

provide for such a wide-spread

area, sometimes research is

necessary to find local resources

for those seeking specific types

of counseling or therapy.

Raise for Rowyn recently

started a podcast called “Angel

Talk,” where ways to cope with

grief is discussed.

Multiple events are held

during the year to create

awareness and help raise funds

that go to those in need.

The annual 5k fundraiser

Run for Rowyn in Tenino is

scheduled for Saturday, June 20.

The Chehalis Tribe and LEC&H

have donated to the event every

year.

Another major fundraiser

the nonprofit offers is an annual

dinner, gala and silent auction,

which was first held at Lucky

Eagle in 2016 and 2017. The

group moved to a larger venue.

Chehalis tribal entities have

donated since the beginning,

and their contributions total

more than$35,000. Brynn

said the relationships she has

built with the Chehalis Tribe

have benefited the nonprofit

tremendously.

Raise for Rowyn is planning a

grand opening at the nonprofit’s

headquarters in Tenino this

spring.

March 6-8

Chehalis Tribal Community Center

461 Secena Road, Oakville WA 98568

TRUE DOUBLE

MENS ALL-NATIVE +1 TOKEN

1ST-4TH PLACE AWARDS

MVP, ALL-STARS, 3-POINT KING

CONTACT

Chehalis Tribal Community

Center Gathering Room

Orinda Goddard: email ogoddard@chehalistribe.org or

text 360-280-9186 / Skylar Bracero: email sbracero@

chehalistribe.org or text 360-522-0606

RSVP by Feb. 21: Community Wellness Manager Christina

Hicks at 360-709-1741, chicks@chehalistribe.org

* Fee must be paid before first game

(please make checks payable to Chehalis Tribe)

PROTECTING

From page 1

Oregon who seek to protect

the Columbia River Gorge and

Pacific Coast from fossil fuel

contamination.

On behalf of a treaty tribe, she

persuaded the Columbia River

Gorge Commission to uphold

a county’s denial of a railroad

expansion permit that was being

sought to increase fossil fuel

cargo in the Gorge.

She also helped the tribe

persuade the Washington State

Energy Facility Site Evaluation

Council to deny a permit that

would have allowed Tesoro

Savage to transport 360,000

barrels of crude oil each day

through the Gorge.

To accomplish these results

for her tribal clients, Amber uses

federal and state environmental

statutes, such as the National

Environmental Policy Act,

federal Endangered Species Act

and State Environmental Policy

Act, as well as federal Indian

treaties and tribal environmental

laws.

“I have the distinct honor

of helping tribes protect their

homelands for the sake of

the next seven generations,”

continued Amber. “I help protect

their air, their waters and their

spectacular sacred places. I am

indebted to my tribal clients

for the opportunities they have

given me.”

Amber also helped 66

“I help protect their air, their

waters and their spectacular

sacred places. I am indebted

to my tribal clients for the

opportunities they have

given me.”– AMBER PENN-ROCO

Grand Ronde Tribal citizens

who directly descend from

the tribe’s treaty chief avoid

political disenrollment. She cochaired administrative, trial and

appellate litigation that began

in 2013 and culminated with a

watershed appellate decision in

2016. That decision required the

family to be re-enrolled.

In recognition of her various

professional accomplishments,

Super Lawyers magazine has

bestowed Amber with its “Rising

Star” honor for the last four

consecutive years.

During that same timespan,

she has served on the Editorial

Board for the National Lawyers

Guild’s prestigious journal

Review.

In 2016, Amber published

“Standing Rock and the Erosion

of Tribal Rights” in Review,

where she decried that, “Tribes

are suffering from an onslaught

of projects ... that imperil their

rights and their sacred duty

to protect their surrounding

natural resources and culture.”

She explained: “A tribe’s rights

are often attacked on multiple

fronts. Projects that threaten

them are often wide-scale and

multidimensional. Tribes are

often forced into a battle of

attrition in which they must

defend their rights before

a wide variety of decision

makers.”

In 2018, Amber also

published “Trump’s

Dismantling of the National

Monuments: Sacrificing Native

American Interests on the

Altar of Business” in Review,

condemning the Trump

Administration’s demolition

of Bears Ears and other

National Monuments, which

are also sacred spaces for many

indigenous peoples.

She excoriated President

Trump for his “utter disregard

for the preservation of the land

and for the recognition of tribal

interests. He has proven that

when those interests compete

with private business interests,

he will always protect the

businessman, to the detriment of

tribal people across the nation.”

Fearing, as she wrote in 2016,

“Tribes are suffering a death by a

thousand cuts” – through battles

in sacred places such as the

Columbia River Gorge, Standing

Rock and Bears Ears – Amber

is ever-committed

to protecting

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indigenous communities from

legal, environmental or cultural

harm.

Nine years ago, Amber

began her career at K&L Gates,

where she represented the

Duwamish Tribe pro bono in

their efforts to seek federal

recognition. She also worked

in the Native American Unit of

the Northwest Justice Project,

helping to provide access to

justice to indigent Indigenous

populations. Amber received her

law degree from the University

of Washington School of Law.

Amber was born and raised

in Chehalis. She is married to

David Caverly, a private chef,

and she is mother to their baby

girl, Lily.

In her free time, she enjoys

reading, hiking with her dogs

and going to street fairs. Amber

is an enrolled member of the

Confederated Tribes of the

Chehalis Reservation.

Galanda Broadman is an

Indigenous Rights Law Firm

with seven lawyers and offices

in Seattle, Yakima and Bend,

Oregon, and an affiliate in

Tucson, Arizona.

In existence since 2010, the

firm is dedicated to protecting

and defending indigenous treaty

and sovereign rights, economic

interests and human rights.

“I am excited for my future

with the firm and the ability to

take a more active role in our

team’s practice of law,” Amber

said.

“And I am

excited

to help

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against further environmental

degradation or cultural

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Tribe is seeking donations

are looking for donations for art work, Baskets,

of baskets,

carvings

carvings, or beadwork. and

Madebeadwork

by you, Chehalis Tribal

created

tribal

members

to display

Members. We want to fill the display

case in the

gathering

room.

The

artwork

will

be displayed

in the Gathering Room. Artwork

will bewith your

name

small

description

what

that you made.

displayed with your name and a short

We are grateful for any donations. If you have any

desciption. Contact Skylar at 360-709questions please contact Skylar at

1826 or sbracero@chehalistribe.org.

sbracero@chehalistribe.org or 360-709-1826.

Notice: Information displayed on this flyer, in email or on our website calendar is subject to

FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS

Charlotte, Ray-Ray and Bradyn Lopez: Happy birthday

shout out! All three of my beloved family members share the

same birthday during the month of February. Love Monique,

Monica and all of the kids.

JENNIFER BIRD

YEVGENI LUKIANOV

MICHEAL BOYD

CHOAN MACDOUGALL

DARYL BOYD JR.

DAKOTA MARCELLAY

MORE WISHES

DARYL BOYD SR.

SHELBY MCCRORY

KELSEY BRAY

AALYAH MEDDAUGH

VIRGINIA ‘DOLLY’

CANALES

TERRY MIDDLETON

LUKE CAYENNE

DEVIN OLNEY

LINKIN CHARLES

ALBERT ORTIVEZ III

JOURNEE CHARLESCAYENNE

ALBERT ORTIVEZHICKS

TOMMY COLSON

MEADOW OWENS

LAYNE COLSON

SABRINA OWENS

MARLA CONWELL

KILYNN OWENS

STEVEN CORTEZNAPOLEON

BAILEY PARKINSON

Coleton Youckton:

Happy birffday to my

oldest! I can’t believe

you are 8 years old

now. We all love you

so much. You make

mom proud of the

young man you’re

growing into.

Stevie Youckton:

You are nothing but

sass. You always have

something to say. We

love you and happy

birthday!

Dakota Marcellay:

How time flies by.

Happy 3rd birthday

big boy!

– From Raven John

LEVI DUPUIS

CATHERINE NEMETH

CHASE PEREZ

MARY DUPUIS

STEPHANIE

PICKERNELL

NORMA FLORES

LOIS POLING

XAVIER FLORES

AMY POTTER

TIMOTHY GARZA

BONNIE QUIRKE

MAGGIE GLEASON

JENNIFER REVAY

TOM HAYDEN JR.

JOSEPH REVAY

THOMAS HECK

KIMBERLY HECK

RITA RIVERAHERNANDEZ

SHADOW HERNANDEZ

ZEDIKIAH SANCHEZ

SHARON TOLBERT

HALISA HIGHEAGLE

SUSAN SANDERS

MARIAH VASSAR

LILIA HOHEISEL

CATHERINE SECENA

KESAWIN WASHBURN

ALAYNA JESPERSEN

RAYMOND SECENA

RYAN WHITE EAGLE JR.

MACKENSIE JONES

SHAYLAH SEYMOUR

DAKOTA WILKINS

SHYLOH KINKADE

FRED SHORTMAN

RILEY YOUCKTON

TYLER KLATUSH

ATTICUS SIMMONS

STEVIE YOUCKTON

HEATHER KLATUSH

PATRICK SIMMONS JR.

COLETON YOUCKTON

KAREN LECLAIRE

JERRIE SIMMONS

ZAYDEN YOUCKTON

CHARLOTTE LOPEZ

LAURA STARR

KAYDEN YOUCKTON

BRADYN LOPEZ

CHERYLE STARR

ANDREA YOUCKTON

RAY-RAY LOPEZ

MEI-LIEN TANNER

Alayna Jespersen: Happy 6th birthday!

Love Mom, auntie and all of your cousins.

CHRISTOPHER TEAGUE

CARLA THOMAS

STAR THOMAS

Sabrina, Kilynn and

Meadow Owens: Happy

birthday! From KK and

family.

Improving the lives of animals

Organization reduces

the number of strays

on five reservations

Rez Animal Resources &

Education started in 2006 to

assist dogs and cats on five

Indian reservations in the

region. Tribes served include

Chehalis, Nisqually, Skokomish,

Squaxin Island and Shoalwater

Bay.

The organization became an

official IRS recognized 501©3

nonprofit in 2008.

The goal of the program is

to reduce the number of stray

and abandoned animals by

preventing unwanted litters

on five Indian reservations in

southwest Washington.

Research shows that

expenses/bills are the primary

barrier to people getting their

pets altered. RARE provides a

low-cost spay/neuter. This covers

the surgery, pain medications

and a rabies vaccine.

The organization was started

by Amy Loudermilk and Joyce

Bell.

After seeing the countless

number of sick and

underweight dogs, they decided

that something needed to be

done to help these animals.

Shelters near these tribal

communities do not provide any

services on the reservations and

the tribes are responsible for

their own animal control.

None of the five Indian

reservations where RARE

operates have an animal shelter.

Animal control is handled by

busy law enforcement officers

that do little to assist animals

unless they are creating a public

nuisance.

Living on a rural Indian

reservation can present

challenges for many dogs and

cats. There is little to no animal

control, most animals are not

spayed and there are numerous

stray animals left to fend for

themselves.

Historically, animal

control on the reservations

was addressed only when the

number of strays got out of hand

and dog packs became prevalent.

The lives of reservation

dogs and cats can improve

significantly with focused

attention on spay/neuter in

these communities. Spaying

and neutering pets is the most

effective method to curbing pet

overpopulation.

This is a critical step to

preventing both overpopulation

and the needless euthanasia of

so many animals.

The following are services

provided to any enrolled tribal

members from the five tribes we

serve. We will also serve any pet

owner that lives on one of these

reservations.

Spay/neuter vouchers

The purpose of this program

is to reduce the number of stray

dogs and cats by providing a

low-cost way for tribal members

to have their pets spayed/

neutered.

Vouchers are provided to tribal

members to help cover the cost of

the spay/neuter surgery. The pet

owners are referred to local state

licensed veterinary clinics for the

See REZ ANIMAL, page 9

REZ ANIMAL

From page 1

spay/neuter procedure.

A voucher is faxed to the

veterinary clinic that documents

that Rez Animal Resources &

Education will pay for the cost to

sterilize the pet identified on the

voucher.

Pet owners pay $5 toward

the cost of the procedure and

the remaining amount is paid

by RARE. We don’t limit the

number of pets that can be

spayed per household.

Emergency veterinary care

This program helps injured/

sick dogs and cats by providing

financial assistance to pet

owners to cover the cost of

emergency medical care.

This program is also a

voucher program that pays a

portion toward veterinary care.

We have seen animals needlessly

suffer because their owners did

not have the financial ability to

pay for veterinary services. Dogs

with severe cases of mange and

other parasites are common on

these Indian reservations.

The goal of this program is

to alleviate animal suffering

by helping low-income tribal

members pay for their animals

to be seen by a veterinarian.

Pet vaccine clinics

Rez Animal Resources and

Education conducts pet vaccine

clinics every year on several

of the Indian reservations we

serve. These events are held

at a central location on the

reservation to make it easy for

tribal members to access.

Local veterinarians volunteer

their time, which helps make

this a low-cost event. Tribal

member pets are vaccinated,

given de-worming medication

and treated for fleas.

This is all at no cost to the

pet owner. RARE receives

all vaccines at minimal cost

directly from veterinarian supply

companies.

LASTING IMPACT

The following numbers show

overall program numbers for

Rez Animal since 2006.

Spay/neuter program: 1,731

Emergency medical care:

1,338

Pet rescue and adoption: 259

Pet care education

CONTACT INFORMATION

Website: rezanimals.com

Contact: Amy Loudermilk,

President of Board, at

253-370-6392

Educating pet owners on

pet care is also an important

service provided by Rez Animal

Resources & Education.

During the past 12 years,

we have participated in 37

community resource fairs held

by the tribes. We regularly place

articles in the tribal newspapers

to educate tribal members about

animal care.

Our goal is to educate the

tribal community on responsible

pet ownership to prevent animal

suffering and improve the lives

of dogs and cats.

DOGS AND CATS SPAYED AND NEUTERED

Tribe

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total

Chehalis

598

Nisqually

282

Skokomish

337

Squaxin Island

356

Shoalwater Bay 0

158

Total

164

139

162

167

123

139

183

173

146

193

1,731

EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE

Tribe

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total

Chehalis

Nisqually

649

342

Skokomish

113

Squaxin Island

356

Shoalwater Bay 0

210

Total

111

156

112

165

120

148

133

147

1,338

DOGS AND CATS RESCUED AND ADOPTED

Overall numbers 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Total

at reservations

10 21 13 24 32 39 38 18 12 12

17 259

HEALTH/WELLNESS

Pops of red show support for heart health

When it comes to beating

heart disease and stroke, change

can be the cure. Chehalis

tribal employees were asked to

participate in National Wear

Red Day on Feb. 7.

According to heart.org, if you

have any of these signs, call 911

and get to a hospital right away:

1. Uncomfortable pressure,

squeezing, fullness or pain in

the center of your chest. It lasts

more than a few minutes, or

goes away and comes back.

2. Pain or discomfort in one

or both arms, the back, neck, jaw

or stomach.

3. Shortness of breath with or

without chest discomfort.

4. Other signs such as

breaking out in a cold sweat,

nausea or lightheadedness.

5. As with men, women’s

most common heart attack

symptom is chest pain or

discomfort. But women are

somewhat more likely than men

to experience some of the other

common symptoms, particularly

shortness of breath, nausea/

vomiting and back or jaw pain.

Major risk factors that you

can modify, treat or control heart

problems:

n Tobacco usage

n High blood pressure

n High blood cholesterol

n Physical inactivity

n Obesity/being overweight

n Diabetes

Chehalis tribal employees proudly wore red on Feb. 7. to raise awareness for heart disease and help save lives.

Preventing heart attacks

Too young to worry about

heart attack? A heart attack can

occur at any age. If you’re older

than 40 if you have multiple

risk factors, work closely with

your doctor to address your risk

of developing cardiovascular

disease.

Heart attack prevention is

critical. It should begin early in

life. Start with an assessment of

your risk factors. Then develop a

plan you can follow to maintain a

Help fight Medicare fraud

Con artists might try to

get your Medicare number or

personal information to steal

your identity and commit

Medicare fraud. Protect yourself

from Medicare fraud. Guard your

Medicare card like it’s a credit

card. Remember:

n Medicare will never contact

you for your Medicare Number

or other personal information

unless you’ve given them

permission in advance.

n Medicare will never call you

to sell you anything.

n You might get calls from

people promising you things

if you give them a Medicare

Number. Don’t do it.

n Medicare will never visit you

at your home.

n Medicare can’t enroll you

over the phone unless you called

first.

More information is

available at medicare.gov/

forms-help-resources/

help-fight-medicare-fraud.

low risk for heart attack.

For many people, their first

heart attack is disabling or even

fatal. Do everything you can to

lower your risk.

Learn heart-health basics

Reducing your risk starts with

smart choices:

n If you smoke, stop. The

American Heart Association has

tools to help you quit.

n Work with your doctor

to manage your risk factors.

These might include high blood

pressure, high cholesterol and

diabetes.

n An active lifestyle and good

nutrition have also been shown

to be helpful in preventing heart

attack.

SAIL INTO FITNESS

Stay Active and Independent for Life is a strength,

balance and fitness program for older adults

CLASSES ARE 10:30-11:30 A.M. MONDAY/WEDNESDAY

AND 11-NOON FRIDAY IN THE ELDERS BUILDING

SAIL exercises can be done standing

or sitting and consist of:

n Warm up: 3-5 minutes

n Aerobics: 18-20 minutes

n Balance exercises: 10 minutes

n Strength exercises: 15-18 minutes

n Stretching: 8-10 minutes

Students of the Month

Ulises Klatush

Madoleen Goddard

Emily Pickernell

Fifth grade

Oakville Middle School

Sixth grade

Rochester Middle School

11th grade

Rochester High School

Ulises Klatush, 11,

likes everything about

the fifth grade and

really enjoys school

because he gets to visit

his friends throughout

the day.

Ulises is the son of

Connie Klatush, and

grandson of Paula and Dale Klatush Sr.

He has chickens and a pig.

He likes watching movies with his

family and going fishing at the river

with his uncle. He also enjoys playing

baseball and hide-and-seek at home.

Spending time with his friends at

school truly makes him happy. What

makes him successful is following

directions. His advice to classmates

is to be nice to each other and the

teacher.

Ulises said he couldn’t choose a

favorite dinosaur because he really

likes them all. He also said that he

would want to have super speed like

the superhero Flash.

His favorite person is his grandma.

He said that she’s nice and drives him

around to wherever he needs to go.

Ulises is a big fan of the cold

weather. He wishes it would snow

more so he could go out and play in it.

When he grows up, he wants to be a

fisherman in Alaska.

Madoleen Goddard,

12, is the daughter of

Orinda Goddard and

Rick Reynolds. Her

grandparents are Jessie

and Derwin Goddard.

She has one brother

and one sister, a turtle

and a dog. She has fun

watching movies and going on road

trips with her family.

She enjoys being with friends

at school. Her favorite class is a

technology course because friends

make it fun. She always makes an effort

to be as successful as she can be.

“I do all of my homework and pay

attention to my teachers,” Madoleen

said. She makes sure she keeps track

of all of her work to prevent missing

assignments. Her advice to fellow

classmates is to respect teachers and

complete their homework.

Madoleen plays third base and

pitcher in softball. She practices with

her mom and papa. Her great-grandpa

Mel Youckton is her favorite person.

She said she likes to hear his stories

and really listens to the advice he gives

about baseball and fast-pitch.

When she grows up, Madoleen

wants to be doctor. She plans to attend

the University of Washington.

As chairwomen of the tribe, she

“would make sure that the tribe spends

its money on important things. I would

encourage kids to get good grades so

they can go to college.”

She would also implement programs

to prevent teens from drinking and

smoking. She wants a better future for

all tribal people.

Emily Pickernell, 16,

has a 3.7 GPA. She is

the daughter of Chris

and Erika Pickernell

and she has a little

sister. Her family

likes to joke around

whenever they spend

time together.

She said, “My favorite person is my

Mom because she inspires me to be

strong.”

While at school, Emily enjoys social

time with friends. Her favorite subject

is photography. Taking pictures for

a living is something she views as a

potential career. She is also interested

in the medical field and is thinking

about studying to become a nurse.

To make her school better, Emily

would improve the quality of lunches

and help decrease/eliminate bullying.

She suggests that if others want to be

successful, they need to keep up on

their assignments. She said turning

work in late creates more problems.

Emily is involved in sports; she plays

volleyball and competes in bowling

for Rochester High School. She

aspires to play volleyball for a college

team, where she plans on studying

photography or nursing.

If she were a photographer for a

day, she said she would take pictures

around the Chehalis Reservation to

show people outside of the community

what it is actually like

If she was chairwoman of the

tribe, Emily would “share what our

community is like and show people

that their negative stereotypes are

wrong.”

NOMINATIONS

To nominate your child, please contact

K-12 Assistant Jodie Smith at jsmith@

chehalistribe.org. Tell us the reason your

child should be considered. Deadline is the

last Friday of each month.

CONGRATULATIONS TO HONOR ROLL STUDENTS

Chehalis tribal K-12 students

with a GPA of 3.2 or higher:

Adison Sekishiro

Anna Johnson

Autum Torres

Ben Johnson

Cameron Snell

Dominic Delgado

Emily Holmes-Pickernell

Gavin Torres

Hunter Shortman

Isaak Hofstetter

Jeanna Atkins

Kaylena Delgado

Koner Burnett

Leala Baker

Lauran Quilt

Medoleen Goddard

Madyson Pickernell

Malikah McNair

Mya Ortivez

Natalie Nelson

Payton Simmons

Segan Phillips

Students of

the Month is

contributed by

the Chehalis Tribe

K-12 Program

CHEHALIS TRIBAL NEWSLETTER

The Confederated Tribes

of the Chehalis Reservation,

‘People of the Sands’

NEWSLETTER STAFF

Articles and opinions expressed

are not necessarily those of this

publication or the Chehalis Tribal

Business Committee.

TRIBAL CENTER

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.

Frazier Myer, Audra J. Hill and the

Information Technology Team

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.

OHS athletes take a bow

Oakville High School honored 12thgraders Mya Ortivez and Nathan Boyd

during the 2020 Senior Night in between

the boys’ and girls’ final home game of

the season on Friday, Feb. 7.

The gymnasium was packed full for

the final double-header of the year, and

Oakville boys and girls played host to

the North River High School teams. The

Oakville girls do not have any Chehalis

tribal members playing on the 20192020 team but honored Mya Ortivez,

who played the previous three seasons

with OHS.

Mya had to sit out this season because

of a knee injury but the school district

wanted to thank her for her contribution

through the years.

Mya has represented Oakville well

as a student-athlete. She is a multisport athlete and is exceptional in the

classroom. Her family, which includes

aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins and of

course Mya’s mother and father, attended

the Senior Night ceremony.

As for the boys, they have numerous

Chehalis tribal members on the team but

Nathan Boyd is the only senior in the

group. He was honored during the Senior

Night celebration as he geared up for his

final high school game inside the Oakville

gymnasium. Nathan’s family members

were in attendance and took part as he

was honored. This season, he was joined

by little brother Ashton Boyd.

Both Mya and Nathan will have many

memories of their high school hooping

days to cherish as they move on beyond

high school.

Oakville seniors Mya Ortivez and

Nathan Boyd say farewell to high school

basketball and are recognized for their

contributions on the basketball court.

BUSINESS COMMITTEE

chehalistribe.org

Harry Pickernell Sr. Chairman

Jessie Goddard:

Vice Chairman

Sheilah Bray: Treasurer

David Burnett: Secretary

Leroy Boyd Sr.:

Fifth Council Member

The Chehalis Tribal

Newsletter is a

publication of the

Confederated Tribes

of the Chehalis

Reservation

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.