# THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBE (2023) > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Aport_gamble_sklallam%3A8890f7c6626a2966 ## Record - **Collection:** Tribal code - **Document type:** Tribal code ## Text THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBE | WWW.PGST.NSN.US | 360-297-2646 | JULY 2023 PGST CFS Welcome USDA Deputy Undersecretary In Celebration of Success of SNAP Pilot Program On June 14, Port Gamble S’Klallam Children & Family Services (CFS) hosted Stacy Dean, USDA Deputy Under Secretary, and a delegation from the department’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to discuss PGST’s success with a pilot connected to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Since 2009, PGST has been the only tribe in the country operating a Community Service Office (CSO) with the ability to perform eligibility and certification services related to SNAP benefits. As the only CSO in North Kitsap, the PGST office has served anyone—tribal and non-tribal alike—who finds themselves in need of benefits. Throughout the pilot, PGST’s CFS department was able to demonstrate efficiencies that allowed them to determine eligibility and provide benefits the same day. The success is in the numbers: in the time PGST has operated a CSO, SNAP participation within the service area has increased by over 60 percent. While the pilot program is a partnership between PGST, FNS, and the State’s Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), PGST staffs the department, receives minimal reimbursement, and is rarely asked to the table as a partner to discuss the program and how its managed. These were some of the points that were expressed during the day-long meeting. Stacy Mills, former SNAP director for PGST, gave a presentation highlighting the benefits of the program and lead the subsequent discussion. “I know personally what it was like to have your baby and be told there’s no food, no help for you,” said Mills. “With this program, families could come to one office to get everything they needed, which is wonderful but overwhelming. It was a lot, but we PGST CFS Director Cheryl Miller gives a tour of the Tribal campus to USDA Deputy Undersecretary Stacy Dean (middle) and Marirose Piciucco, DSHS/OOS Deputy Chief of Staff made it work because it does so much for our families.” She also talked about the impact of the program beyond the PGST community: “PGST is an amazing neighbor. They served the area (with eligibility determination), but, from day one, they said they would issue (an EBT card) to whomever has been approved and can get to our offices.” She described incidents where families would walk miles from Hansville or Poulsbo and have no way home other than on foot. CFS staff would often provide or find these families rides home after making sure they had the benefits they were entitled to. Mills detailed the challenges of keeping the program going, especially during the pandemic. For example, while state workers were able to access the tools they needed from home, PGST’s CSO employees could only gain access by going to a physical location. As a contractor, PGST CSO staff is also often the last to find out about changes to the program or the contracts that define the Tribe’s relationship to state and federal partners. ~SNAP Pilot Continued on page 7 PAGE 2 | JULY 2023 | PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBAL NEWS PGST Vision Statement Our vision is to achieve the full potential of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal sovereign nation to be selfsufficient, proud, strong, healthy, educated and respected. PGST Mission Statement The mission of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe is to exercise sovereignty and ensure self-determination and self-sufficiency through visionary leadership. We will ensure the health, welfare and economic success of a vibrant community through education, economic development, preservation and protection of the rich culture, traditions, language, homelands, and natural resources of our Tribe. Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe 31912 Little Boston Road NE Kingston, WA 98346 Telephone: 360-297-2646 Fax: 360-297-7097 Website: www.pgst.nsn.us Email: info@pgst.nsn.us Tribal Council Jeromy Sullivan (deceased), Chairman Matt Ives, Councilman Chris Tom, Vice Chairman Amber Caldera, Councilman Renee Veregge, Councilman Donovan Ashworth, Councilman Entity Directors • Kelly Sullivan, Executive Director • Greg Trueb, CFO • Tamara Gage, Administrative Director of Tribal Government • Destiny Oliver, Administrative Director of Tribal Services • Troy Clay, Chief Executive Officer, Noo-Kayet • Sam Cocharo, General Manager, The Point Casino • Nic'cola Armstrong, Executive Director, Tribal Gaming Agency • Andrea Dolan-Potter, PGS Foundation Executive Director • Kara Horton-Wright, Port Gamble S'Klallam Housing Authority Executive Director This newsletter is a product of the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe. For advertising inquiries or to submit items for publication, please contact Ginger Vaughan at ginger@quinnbrein.com. PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBAL NEWS | JULY 2023 | PAGE 3 IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING ELECTIONS FOR CHAIRMAN Tribal Council elections are being held on July 10, 2023, in the Main Tribal Admin Offices. The positions open for election are Council Person II, Council Person III, and the Chairperson. Out of respect to the family of our beloved Jeromy Sullivan, and the entire Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, we are postponing elections for the Chairperson position. Incumbent Donovan Ashworth, Bethany Swift, and Malissa Purser are running for Councilperson II. Incumbent Mathew Ives and Jonelle Grady are running for the Council Person III position. We will hold elections for these two positions only, on Monday, July 10, 2023. Jeromy was running unopposed for the Chairperson position—it is too soon to fill the vacancy and void he left behind. The Tribe will hold a special election later this year for the Chairperson position. In the interim, Vice Chairman, Chris Tom will continue to serve as the acting chair until a special election is held, for which we will give plenty of notice. More information will be provided as soon as possible on already sent/submitted absentee ballots for the July 10 election as well as a date and details for an upcoming special election. Please continue to pray for Chairman Sullivan’s family and our entire community. The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal Council: Chris Tom Renee Veregge Amber Caldera Donovan Ashworth Matt Ives PAGE 4 | JULY 2023 | PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBAL NEWS CONGRATULATIONS to our 2023 graduates! Miakoda Anderson Kingston High School David Armistead North Kitsap High School Ian Baze Kingston High School Sam Bidtah Kingston High School Tyler Chadwick Kingston High School Mayson Fulton Pilot Rock High School Mikayla Fundak Kingston High School Lawrence George Choice Academy Graham Heleniak Whitmore High School Jaymee Jones Marysville Pilchuck High School Kah-Ty Natrall Kingston High School Ashton Purser Kingston High School PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBAL NEWS | JULY 2023 | PAGE 5 Halle Purser Snohomish High School Mia Strode High School info not provided Liberty Sullivan Kingston High School Devon Tom Kingston High School Lavonne Tom Kingston High School Rosie Turrieta Chief Kitsap Academy Stephanie Webster North Kitsap Online Academy Selina Ramirez Olympic College High School Diploma Sonya Crocker-Redbird Northwest Indian College; BA-CARE Lakeisha Dovre Northwest Indian College; AA-ECE Jacob Fundak Northwest Indian College; AAS Karleigh Gomez Northwest Indian College; BA-NSL Not Pictured: Jonathan Landers (Baker Creek Community School) PAGE 6 | JULY 2023 | PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBAL NEWS Cherie Jacobs Western Governors University; BA-ACCT Richard Ogle Northwest Indian College; BA-NES Justyn Purser Northwest Indian College; BA-TGBM Angelina Sosa Peninsula College; AA-GDT Angel Stewart Northwest Indian College; AA-GDT Lonnie Gregory Nail Tech Certification Jade-Cree Ives CNA Joe Ives U.S. Indian Police Academy Molly Knowlton Northwest Indian College; CNA Matias Miguel U.S. Indian Police Academy Taylor Purser CNA Courtney Sullivan Northwest Indian College; ECE Certification Not Pictured: Matika Marino (Northwest Indian College; AA-GDT) Aspen Olney (Central Washington University; BA-Business Admin) Amanda Terry (Washington State University; BA) PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBAL NEWS | JULY 2023 | SNAP Pilot, Continued from Cover Throughout these frustrations, the PGST team has always found solutions because they recognize that some families would rather forgo benefits than work with a state-run office. PAGE 7 During the visit, Cheryl Miller, director of CFS, and Jaclyn Haight, director of Early Childhood Education (ECE), gave a tour of the Tribal campus, including the CFS and ECE buildings, and the Tribe’s Food Bank. The day started with a traditional song from the S’Klallam “To see how clients interact with us versus how they feel Singers and, before lunch, kids from ECE performed a about going through the state is huge. They trust us; gone dance for the guests. PGST Council members Matt Ives is the idea that we’re against them because they know we and Amber Caldera were in attendance throughout the will make sure the services they can access are available,” day. said Mills. Lunch was a buffet of traditional foods complete with a The June 14th meeting was meant to serve as an oppor- talk by Culture Director Laura Price on the significance of tunity for FNS to announce an expansion of the program harvesting and preparing these foods to the PGST people. to other state tribes who were interested in operating their own CSO. In attendance were representatives from The day ended with a recognition of Mills’ work, includQuinault Indian Nation, Lummi Nation, Quileute Tribe, ing a gift from DSHS presented by Piciucco. Mills, who and the Spokane Tribe of Indians. During an open dis- now works in Quality Improvement for the PGST Health cussion period, many of these individuals expressed ap- Clinic, got the CSO program off the ground in 2009 and preciation for PGST’s efforts, but also voiced skepticism ran it for over a decade. that they would be able to operate their own programs because of the restrictions and requirements placed by FNS. “This program has always been about making sure the services for our community’s most vulnerable continue,” said “I appreciate the value this program can bring, but I’m Mills. not sure we would be interested in operating our own office,” said Mary Papp, Tribal TANF Manager for the Quinault Indian Nation. “Now if you would allow us to just issue (EBT) cards, we could do that and it would be of immense value, but that isn’t a possibility right now. We just can’t staff and operate a full program as it is now.” Dean said she understood the frustrations experienced by PGST and stressed that FNS was working on solutions. At the meeting, she was able to share that one imminent change was the recognition of traditional foods so they can be purchased using SNAP benefits. “We see (the expansion of the pilot program) as paving the way for tribes across the country. Thank you for the work you do,” said Dean. Marirose Piciucco, DSHS/OOS Deputy Chief of Staff, also expressed her appreciation: “I want to thank PGST and its government for changing the conversation around food access. You have been so successful in this program. Thank you for your bravery and determination in bringing this program to your people.” Piciucco embraces former PGST SNAP program director, Stacy Mills PAGE 8 | JULY 2023 | PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBAL NEWS PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBAL NEWS | JULY 2023 | PAGE 9 H A P P Y BIRTHDAY PAGE 10 | JULY 2023 | PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBAL NEWS ...to everyone celebrating in JULY! July 1 Domonique Adams Tammy Decoteau-Avalos Danielle Folz Kelly Potter Sally Seachord July 2 Aiden Flores July 3 Ruth Anderson Kalel Ellenwood Aliyah-Lynn Sullivan Brooke Wellman Jennifer Wooster July 5 Lydia Decoteau James Jones Jr. Tyson Oliver July 6 Jaxon Cox Whitley Cox Richard Harvey Jr. July 7 Summer Callihoo Stephanie Newell-Foucher Patricia Newton Edward Tom July 8 Stephanie Cannon Joshua DeCoteau-Mcleod Jonelle Grady Alexandria Mishkie Donovan Phillips Scarlett Treakle Haylee White Stacey Wise July 9 Kassidy Jackson Kyle Sheehy July 10 Summer Hager Alexyss Jones July 11 Coraline Alarcon-Sullivan Kyla McGovern Lowell Nystrom Todd Stroud July 12 Monica Fulton Robert Jones Jr. Colby Ponce-Ramirez Aubrey Roberts Tracy Seachord Gwendolyn Thomas July 13 Duane Aikman III Isabella Decoteau Marshall Dixon Denise Ellenwood Patrick Ingraham Valarie Jones Roger Sullivan July 14 James Montgomery July 15 Christina Charles Yvonne Gouley Conner Leavitt Tanner Sullivan-Cheyney James Walker July 16 Bradley Crawford Dennis Decoteau Courtney Ives Anthony Jones Jr. July 17 William Henry Jr. William Jones Sr. Jayse Jones Taylor Patrick July 18 Mickey Fulton Sr. Messiah Gilbert-Jones Kaitlyn Gutierrez Colton James July 19 Megan Frederick Abigail Hall July 20 Tristan Moran Jr. Madden Swift July 21 Marley Ives Kimber White July 22 Leroy Charles Virginia Fulton Vanessa Newton Naleilee Woodruff July 23 Gordon Fulton Dale Purser Ashley Seachord Carilla Sims July 24 Misty Jones Zailena McLean Josie Strode Desmond Wellman July 25 Tristin Casperson Summer Olson July 26 Zachary Chesnin Andrew Ives Robin Newman Raven Tom July 27 Rhonda Holland Lillian Ives Trinity Ives July 28 Javon Ashby Shane Baze Benjamin Brandt Joey Buckman Fred Michalscheck Jr. Chayton Sullivan Jacob Sullivan July 29 Shyia Fulton Brock Heleniak Eric Whisler July 30 Ariana Akins Mellynie Ives-Griggs Sholana Purser Isaac Reynolds Madison Sullivan Renee Veregge July 31 Ida Jones PORT GAMBLE S’KLALLAM TRIBAL NEWS | JULY 2023 | PAGE 11 CHECK IT OUT AT YOUR LITTLE BOSTON LIBRARY COMMUNITY NEWS— We are now open 10 am to 6 pm Monday-Thursday, Fridays 10 am to 5 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 2pm. Call 360-860-5080 to place a hold, make a curbside appointment, or speak to staff person. Join Us: Please see schedule of events on Page 8 Now Through August... Take on Challenges & Win Cool Prizes Participate in the Dig Into Reading Challenge, read for 10 hours and celebrate with a book or journal to take home. Read 50 hours to earn a drawstring bag for all your Summer Learning goodies or read all 100 hours for your very own celebratory 100-hour Reader T-shirt! Or complete the Dig Into Learning Challenge or Bingo Bonus Challenge for an end-ofsummer prize drawing entry. For more information stop by the library or visit www.krl.org. Reading Recommendations Project 562: Changing the Way We See Native America by Matika Wilbur (Swinomish / Tulalip): In this 10-year project, Wilbur photographed and interviewed over 562 federally recognized tribes, urban Native communities, tribes fighting for federal recognition and Indigenous role models in the United States. The resulting work is an unprecedented repository of imagery and oral histories that overcomes historical inaccuracies and stereotypical representations, and accurately portrays contemporary Native Americans. (Nonfiction • Book • 2023) Inhabitants: Indigenous Perspectives on Reloading Our World from Ben-Alex Dupree (Colville Confederated Tribes) & Colleen Cooley (Dine): This feature documentary follows five Native American communities across deserts, coastlines, forests and prairies as they restore their traditional land management practices. As the climate crisis escalates, these time-tested practices of North America’s original inhabitants are becoming increasingly essential in a rapidly changing world. (Documentary DVD • 2022) To Shape a Dragon’s Breath: The First Book of Nampesiweisit by Moniquill Blackgoose (Seaconke Wampanoag): In this series launch, Anequs, an Indigenous teen, finds the first dragon egg seen in her community in generations. According to the Anglish who conquered her people’s land, Anequs must enroll in an approved dragon academy and raise the hatchling by its standards, or the creature will be killed. Debut novelist Blackgoose deftly and beautifully interrogates colonialism through her fantasy lens. (Fiction • Book • 2023) Magazines All Recipes - published six times a year To help make your cooking adventures a success. • Friendly - We love trading ideas and hanging out with fellow home cooks. • Supportive - Struggling with dinner inspiration? We are here to help! • Creative - Cooking is an art. We like to experiment and express ourselves. • Approachable - We do not judge—all cooking levels and recipes are welcome. • Down-to-Earth - We love good food, period. It does not need to be fussy to be great. • Fun - Like you, we enjoy friends, family, cooking, and having a good laugh. 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