C O M P L I M E N TA R YP e o p l e o f t h e Wa t e r

A PUBLICATION OF SQUAXIN ISLAND TRIBE

A P R I L 2 0 0 3

KL A H-CH E-MI NKL A H-CH E-MI N?acaciAtalbix GeA te HelV yex ti stuLtuleI.?acaciAtalbix GeA te HelV yex ti stuLtuleI.?acaciAtalbix GeA te HelV yex ti stuLtuleI.?acaciAtalbix GeA te HelV yex ti stuLtuleI.?acaciAtalbix GeA te HelV yex ti stuLtuleI. ?acaciAtalbix GeA te HelV yex ti stuLtuleI.?acaciAtalbix GeA te HelV yex ti stuLtuleI.?acaciAtalbix GeA te HelV yex ti stuLtuleI.?acaciAtalbix GeA te HelV yex ti stuLtuleI.?acaciAtalbix GeA te HelV yex ti stuLtuleI.

Annual General Body MeetingSATURDAY, MAY 3RD

Tribal Center GymnasiumSign-in begins at 8:30 a.m.First Roll Call at 9:00 a.m.

Elections will take place for two Council positions:

SECRETARY (currently held by Pete Kruger, Sr.)TREASURER (currently held by Steve Sigo)

Annual Art Auction to Benefit the MLRCSATURDAY, MAY 17TH

On Site This Year!!!Salish Design Workshop 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.Salish Design Presentation 4:00 - 5:30Cultural Performance 5:30 - 6:00Reception/Preview 6:00 - 7:00Auction (Both Live & Silent) 7:00

For more information, or to donate artwork,contact Dale Clark @ 432-3853

A Salute To OurDear Tribal Soldiers

We, your family at theSquaxin Island Tribe,

love youand are proud of you!

Our thoughts and prayersare with you.Thank you

from the bottom of our hearts!

County Commissioners Approve Special Commission of Tribal OfficersFunds Received from Little Creek Casino Community Contribution ProgramWill Fund 1 FTE Deputy Position to Serve Area Close to Squaxin Community

Mason County Commissioners unani-mously approved an agreement between theMason County Sheriff ’s Office (MCSO)and the Squaxin Island Tribe which allowsspecial commission of tribal officers.

According to the agreement, tribalPublic Safety Officers will now be able tonot only detain non-tribal suspects, but alsomake arrests, transport them to jail and fol-low up all the way through the court pro-cess. All this will be done with constantcommunication with MCSO.

According to law enforcement offi-cials, this agreement will help fill the gapsin jurisdiction and improve the timelinessof arrests.

L-R: Squaxin Island Attorney Kevin Lyon, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Robert Whitney,Mason County Sheriff Steve Wybark, Squaxin Island Chief of Police Russel Cooper, TribalChairman David Lopeman, County Commissioner Wes Johnson, County Commissioner JayniKamin, County Commissioner Herb Blaze and Squaxin Island Lt. Mike EvansContinued on Page 17.

KLAH-CHE-MINS Q U A X I N I S L A N D

T R I B A L N E W S

70 S.E. Squaxin LaneShelton, WA 98584

PHONE: (360) 426-9781FAX: (360) 432-0858

Articles and opinions expressed in thispublication are not necessarily the opinionsof this publication or the Tribal Council.

The Klah-Che-Min encourages TribalMembers to submit letters, articles,photographs and drawings to be consideredfor publication, but are subject to editing.

Contributing writers and artists includeSquaxin Island community members & staff.

Submissions Deadline:15th of each month

SQUAXIN ISLANDTRIBAL COUNCIL:DAVID LOPEMAN: ChairmanANDY WHITENER: Vice ChairmanPETE KRUGER, SR.: SecretarySTEVE SIGO: TreasurerPAULA HENRY: First Council MemberROY PEREZ: Second Council MemberCHARLENE KRISE: Third Council Member

Klah-Che-Min Staff:THERESA M. HENDERSON: EXT. #3945thenderson@squaxin.nsn.us

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CO M M U N I T Y

Running For Reelection

PETE KRUGER

Tribal Council Secretary

Since the annual General Body meeting isapproaching quickly (May 3rd), I want toannounce my intention to run for reelec-tion.

Most importantly, I want each in-dividual member of the Tribe to know Iconsider it a great honor to serve you. Youare the ones who ultimately make the deci-sions, and as your elected official, I standfor you.

As we sit down together at Councilto discuss serious questions and importantissues, I try to keep in mind our missionstatement that says, "Our greatest naturalresource is our elders. They are our history.Another valued resource is the children.They are our future. It is the privilege andthe responsibility of the adults to see to itthat the elders and the children are hon-ored and nurtured." As I consider how tovote, or what direction to give, I think first,"What would our elders want? How willthis effect our youth?" Sometimes the an-swers aren't always clear, and sometimes wejust have to do our best.

The past few years have been anamazing learning experience, because thereare so many important issues and projectsthe Tribe is involved with. We have bril-liant people (you, the members of our tribe)leading intelligent and hard-working em-ployees who put your plans and goals intoaction.

Annual Potlatch/NamingCeremony Is Coming UpOn Friday, April 11th at 5:00 several eldersand tribal members will be receiving names.The community is invited to join us fordinner and the naming ceremony.

Saturday, April 12th, starting at12:00, is the fourth annual potlatch. Ev-eryone is invited to join us, Nisqually andseveral other tribes for singing and danc-ing. The first dinner is at 12:00 and thesecond dinner is at 5:00. Potlatches are notrestricted as far as attendance. This is a drugand alcohol free event. Since this is a cul-tural event, this rule is strictly enforced.Please come, and most important, bringyour children.

I have learned a lot being on TribalCouncil, and I think I'm becoming prettywell acquainted with the issues and the his-tory behind them. I will continue to serveyou to the best of my ability, keeping careof the elders and youth (especially their qual-ity education) as my top priority.

Thank you very, very much!!!Hoyt!

Please HelpSeveral church songs that were created onlarge poster paper were taken from the MaryJohns Room. It takes a great deal of timeto make these posters and they are used forchurch services for the youth and others. Itwould be greatly appreciated if these itemswere returned. Please call Lucy James at877-5871 or drop them off at the TribalCenter or the Mary Johns Room. No ques-tions asked!

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LI T T L E CR E E K CA S I N O

BINGO NIGHTFor

Tribal Members Only

Date: Friday, 4/4/03Time: Games start at 7:00

Wow! The newly remodeled Bingo/Showroom is complete andthe new General Manager, Doug Boon, would like tribal members

to be some of the first to see it.

• Closed to the public• FREE• Nearly $3,000 in cash and prizes, including Pendleton blankets,

TVs, DVD players, dinner for two in Legends and much more!

The showroom will be opened only to Squaxin Island tribal members

and their spouses.

(Must be at least 18 years old)

CASH D

RAWIN

GS CASH D

RAWINGS

Doug BoonGeneral Manager

Hi, my name is Doug Boon. I joined LittleCreek Casino February 24th, 2003 as thenew General Manager. As General Man-ager, I will oversee the operations and fu-ture expansion at Little Creek Casino.

I am a member of the Tulalip Tribes,and prior to joining your team, I served asthe General Manager for Red Wind Casinoin Olympia for three years and previous tothat at Jimmy G’s Casino in Lakewood, alsoin the capacity of General Manager.

I have a number of years experiencein the gaming industry and have an excel-lent track record for working with and fa-cilitating the growth of successful casinos.

I’m excited about our future growthas well as working with all of you at LittleCreek.

Introducing

4

Robert Whitener, Jr. - Late into the nighton Sunday, March 16th, the Tribal Councildebated the future of Island Enterprises. Igot to witness this event because Ray Petershad asked me to help Island Enterprise de-fine its future. He asked because Island En-terprise has had some difficult times andgenerally its history has been one of insta-bility and controversy. Ray and I both be-lieved that many of these problems couldbe attributed to the structure of Island En-terprise.

The process began with looking atvarious models used by tribes around thecountry and adapting the best for our use. Ibegan with a study that was completed bytwo Harvard professors, Joseph Kalt andStephen Cornell. The study was publishedin a book titled “What Tribes Can Do.” Thestudy looked at why some tribes had enter-prises that succeeded and why some failed.The authors, at first, thought that the studymight show that larger tribes with more re-sources, land or wealth, would be the mostsuccessful. What they discovered was thatthis was not the case. They realized thatthere must be another reason why sometribes did better than others. The answer, itturns out, was that the tribes that ran theirenterprises with the least interference frompolitics did the best.

Although this may seem obvious tomany, most tribes do not protect their busi-nesses from political interference. It is alsotrue that this has caused many problemswith ours as well. So why is this important?The answer lies in the “bottom line” or theprofit margin. Every business has a limitedprofit margin, let’s say for example 10% . Ifyou mess around with things like person-nel (requiring the enterprise to hire toomany people or not expecting them towork) you can severely cut into your prof-its. And with businesses that have smallprofit margins you do not have to interferevery much to make them fail.

One approach to try and avoid thisis to make a separation from the immediatecontrol of politics. The Tribal Council, af-ter considerable debate and review, adoptedan approach that has become known in In-dian country as the Ho-Chunk Inc. (HCI)model. HCI is owned by the WinnebagoTribe in Nebraska. HCI was established torun the enterprises of their tribe. They didnot run the tribal gaming facility, but were

directed to create and run businesses thatcould help reduce the tribe’s dependence ongaming revenues. This turned out to be veryimportant since, only two years after thetribe opened its gaming facility, the State ofNebraska allowed riverboat gaming to be-gin. The tribe’s gaming revenues droppedby 90% in one year. HCI began to expandits businesses on and off reservation andtoday is one of the most successful tribalenterprise operations in the country. Theirweb page is www.hochunkinc.com.

So what is this model? The idea isto create a tribally owned and charteredcorporation that is dedicated to tribal en-terprises. In our case this is now called Is-land Enterprises Inc. (IEI) IEI will have aboard comprised of two tribal council mem-bers, one tribal member who is not a tribalcouncil member, and two others with busi-ness experience who may or may not betribal members. This board will be empow-ered to develop, buy, sell, and operate tribalenterprises. The Tribal Council has initiallyappointed only three of the members. Theyare Andy Whitener as one of the TribalCouncil Members, Jay Johnson from Bankof America as one of the business membersand me as the second person with businessexperience. I will also serve as the Presidentand part-time CEO until a full time CEOis needed. This leaves two vacancies left tofill, the second Tribal Council positionwhich will likely be filled after the GeneralBody Meeting, and the tribal member rep-resentative. There will be a notice out soonasking for volunteers for this position. So ifyou are interested in where IEI is going, signup.

One of the first steps that is plannedfor Island Enterprises Inc. (IEI) is to com-plete a survey of what you, Squaxin IslandTribal members, want and expect from IEI.Esther will be coordinating this survey andthe results should be ready for presentationat the General Body Meeting. Look for thepossibility of prizes just for answering somequestions regarding enterprise plans.

There have also been a lot of ques-tions regarding the cigarette factory. Thereis work underway to try and make a deci-sion whether or not it is feasible to start upthe plant. You might have seen or metAnsley Griffin. Ansley is an Omaha tribalmember that worked for Ho Chunk Inc. astheir cigarette distribution manager. Ansley

is assisting us in creating ways to marketany cigarettes that we may produce in thefactory. It is important to note that the origi-nal partner decided not to continue, so nowthis venture belongs solely to us. This pro-vides us with huge savings in start up costsdue to not having the expense of a two mil-lion dollar facility! Ansley and I are in theprocess of developing a business plan. Thisplan will help us make a decision whetheror not to proceed with the operation.

Other work that must be done isgetting all of the financial and personnelpolicies and procedures in place for IEI. Thiswork will start soon and the board will be-gin to plan for the future.

So what is the Future for IEI? I hopethe future holds promise in maintaining andincreasing our sale of cigarettes in theKamilche Trading Post under the state com-pact which is proving to be very successfulfor the tribe. I hope that we are able to de-velop a fuel blending facility that will resultin lower fuel prices and higher profits. Wewant to continue to improve and expandour seafood production and distribution.IEI may want to develop tourism basedbusinesses in and around the Little CreekCasino. IEI could have our own construc-tion company to construct our own facili-ties and for others. Along with these ideas,I hope IEI can actively pursue opportuni-ties for tribal members to run their ownbusinesses and perhaps partner with IEI tohelp get started.

These are but a few of the ideas anddreams that IEI could achieve. If you haveideas about how we can improve our eco-nomic future please do not hesitate to callme, my number is 360.280.7868.

BU S I N E S S EN T E R P R I S E S

Skookum Creek Tobacco Company

5

State of WashingtonGeoduck Job Opportunity

Job Class: 17010 & 17020Open to the Public

LAND TECHNICIAN 1 - SCUBADIVER GEODUCK PROGRAM$2053-2586 per *month (range 33)

LAND TECHNICIAN 2 - SCUBADIVER GEODUCK PROGRAM$2354-2984 per *month (range 39)

* Plus $7.50 per diving hour in addition tomonthly salary

Opens: May 2, 2001Closes: Further Notice

LOCATIONThese registers will be used to fill perma-nent, seasonal and temporary openings asthey occur with the Department of Natu-ral Resources, Aquatic Resources Division,Geoduck Program. These positions arebased out of Olympia and require exten-sive travel (70%).

HOW TO APPLYInitial screening will be based solely on theinformation contained in your applicationform. Send a completed Washington Statejob application and exam responses to:

Department of PersonnelApplications Unit600 S. Franklin St.PO Box 47561Olympia, WA 98504-7561

Application is available at:http://hr.dop.wa.gov/forms/dopforms.htm

NOTE: Employees are required to pass anannual dive physical and meet standards setforth in the Department’s Dive Manual.

LAND TECHNICIAN 1

DUTIES:Administers the geoduck clam and subtidalhardshell clam sales contracts and maintainsthe active tracts. Performs all aspects of com-mercial diving. Serves as a crew member ofa two person compliance team. Visits geo-duck sales areas on a daily basis to ensurethat harvesters are complying with contractprovisions. Conducts inspections and/orassists with investigation dives in sale areas.Operates underwater photography equip-ment. Writes routine patrol and investiga-tive reports. Serves as a diver for the Shell-fish program.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:Eligible applicants must have completed anaccredited (ADC) commercial dive schoolor equivalent military dive training and ac-tively worked as a commercial diver withinthe last five years and completed a mini-mum of 10 logged dives within the last year.ORActive involvement as a member of a pub-lic service dive team for a minimum of oneyear (e.g., fire department, law enforcement,university or governmental agency) withinthe last three years and completed a mini-mum of 10 logged dives within the last year.ANDBasic open water scuba certification,A valid driver’s license.

NOTE: Due to the sensitive and confiden-tial nature of these positions, backgroundinvestigations will be conducted prior tohire.

LAND TECHNICIAN 2

DUTIES:Prepares geoduck sales including coopera-tive use of experts to determine plan, in-ventory and survey/set up of site bound-aries, prescribing conditions and provisions

of contracts and conducting sales. Admin-isters geoduck sale contracts including in-spections to determine and obtain compli-ance with contract provisions, monitoringprogress, and ensuring correct billings andpayments. Performs all aspects of commer-cial diving. Serves as crew leader of a twoperson compliance team.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:Eligible applicants must have completed anaccredited (ADC) commercial dive schoolor equivalent military dive training and ac-tively worked as a commercial diver withinthe last five years and completed a mini-mum of 10 logged dives within the last year.ORActive involvement as a lead member of apublic service dive team for a minimum ofone year (e.g., fire department, law enforce-ment, university or governmental agency)within the last three years and completed aminimum of 10 logged dives within the lastyear.ANDSupervised dive operations in the role of leaddiver, dive supervisor or master diver for aminimum of three months. Duties shouldinclude dive team assignments, planningand operations, personnel training, andequipment acquisition and repair.

Advanced open water scuba certification orequivalent,

A valid drivers license.

EXAM PROCEDUREThe exam is an evaluation of your experi-ence and training. We will mail your scoreto you, but we cannot tell you your rank-ing on the list of job applicants.

Keep a copy of your application and examresponses. You may be asked to providethem if contacted for an interview.

This announcement is published by theWashington State Department of Person-nel.

For questions about this recruitment, call(360) 664-6260.

AQUAT I C S OP P O RT U N I T Y

LE A R N I N G CE N T E R/CO M M U N I T Y

6

Champions for KidsOur very own Mark Snyder, Youth Coor-dinator, was recently honored at the “Cham-pions for Kids” celebration on February 24,2003. The celebration, presented by TO-GETHER Youth Violence, Alcohol, To-bacco, Drug Prevention, was held at SaintMartin’s Pavilion for community advocatesthat go above and beyond for the youth oftheir community. Other citizens honoredincluded 28 volunteers and employees oflocal school districts, hospitals, churchyouth groups, YMCA and organizationssuch as Girl Scouts of America and Com-munity Youth Services. Event sponsors in-cluded Providence St. Peter Hospital, FredMeyer, Capital Medical Center, Friends ofYelm, Puget Sound Energy, Olympia Fed-eral Savings, Heritage Bank and many otherlocal businesses and organizations.

“Mark’s dedication, commitmentand strong participation in the Squaxin Is-land Youth Program have had a huge im-pact on building future leaders of the com-munity,” the event program read.

Way to go Mark, Congratulations!!

Peak Fitness Walk/RunThe rain stopped briefly at 4:15 pm on Fri-day, March 14, 2003, as a total of 31 staffand community members participated in abrief walk/run. Starting and ending at theHealth Clinic, the group chose either thehalf-mile loop down Klah-Che-Min andround the baseball field and tribal centeror 1.2 mile loop down Klah-Che-Min andaround T-Peeksin. Community elementaryand middle school students joined in as theydeparted from their buses.

Participants received a bottle of wa-ter and a lanyard to carry their keys aroundtheir neck.

Due to popular demand, morewalks will be scheduled in late afternoon.Call Patty Suskin, Diabetes Coordinator, formore information.

In the meantime, see more on Page11 about Peak Fitness and the WalkingClub.

Congratulations Chas

Chas Parish graduated from the Journey toSuccess Program at Five Tribes Career Cen-ter on Friday, March 21st.

By completing the course, Chas re-ceived 18 college credits, and she plans toattend South Puget Sound CommunityCollege this fall.

Way to go Chas!!!

LE A R N I N G CE N T E R

7

Shelton School DistrictBoard membership NeedsThe Shelton School District is made up offive director districts. Director Five will bein need of a director for the next term be-ginning in November.

The time for declaring one-self acandidate for the position is July 28 throughAugust 1, 2003.

Interested candidates should con-tact the Superintendent of Shelton SchoolsJoan Zook.

Scholarship CornerThere are currently several pre-college work-shop opportunities available, but time isrunning out. Please come to the Tu Ha’Buts Learning Center for more informationand program descriptions, or call Lisa at432-3882. These are the programs open atthis time:

Washington Internships for NativeStudents (WINS)The (WINS) program offers American In-dian students the opportunity to gain im-pressive work experience, learn firsthand theinner workings of a government agency andmeet other American Indian students fromacross the country.

(WINS) is a visionary effortfounded on the idea that young people ofthe sovereign Native American nations canbuild leadership skills while living, study-ing, and interning in Washington, D.C.,and bring those skills back to their com-munities. Participants attend, at no ex-pense, an intense academic program for 10weeks in the summer or 15 weeks in the fallor spring. They gain skills, knowledge, aca-demic credit, and practical experience. Eli-gibility requirements:- Current enrollment in a college degree

program- Completion of the sophomore year of

college before the internship begins- Minimum 2.5 GPA- Membership in a recognized tribe

Vision Summer 2003 Program atClarkson UniversityWhat’s your vision of the future? Do youlike to travel? Like to explore new ideas?Like to meet new people? Want to preparefor graduation and beyond?- Native American junior or senior in high

school- 2002 high school graduate- Carrying (or carried) average grades (80)

or higher- Have an interest in new educational and

employment tools - Willing to reach out and grab this op-

portunity- Spend July 5-26, 2003 at Clarkson Uni-

versity

Tu Ha’ Buts LearningCenter Staff HoursThe Tu Ha’ Buts Learning Center staff isavailable during the following hours:

Kim CooperDirector8:30 – 5:00 432-3904

Mark SnyderYouth Coordinator9:30 – 6:00 432-3872

Walt ArcherEducation Liaison7:30 – 4:00 432-3826

Lisa EvansAdministrative Assistant8:30 – 5:00 432-3882

Sally Scout-MooreCultural Activities Assistance12:00 – 8:00 432-3882 (Wed.-Sat.)

Mark your CalendarsDream Keepers miniseries on ABCProduced by Hallmark EntertainmentSunday, May 11, 2003, 8-10pm ET/PTMonday, May 12, 2003, 9-11pm ET/PT

The World ofAmerican Indian Dance on NBCSaturday, April 19 at noon PTOne Hour Documentary produced byFour Directions Entertainment, anenterprise of Oneida Indian Nation

American Indian AchievementRegional Scholarship- Be a full-time student (at Eastern Wash-

ington University during the 2003-2004academic year

- Be a documented member of a federallyrecognized tribe

- Must demonstrate financial need

Association of American IndianPhysicians National NativeAmerican Youth InitiativeDuring this week long program, AAIP willprovide the following NNAYI scholars:- A broad perspective of the health sciences

and biomedical research- An introduction to national health and

scientific institutions- A national network of Native American

health professionals, scientist, role mod-els, and mentors

- Counseling on academic strengths andweaknesses

- Information on the demography of Na-tive American populations and diseasesaffecting Native American communities

- Information on current health legislation/policy and educational issues affecting theacademic and professional progress of Na-tive Americans.

- Workshops on:• academic and coursework require-

ments• standardized examinations• application process/financial aid• leadership/communication skills• assertiveness, networking, and pro-

fessional behavior• study and test taking skills• interactive learning and time man-

agement

8

A Message From TribalChairman David Lopeman

March 19, 2003

Dear Tribal Membersand Tribal Employees,I am pleased to let you know that the TribalCouncil moved this week to ensure a drugfree workplace. The Council adopted a ran-dom drug test program for itself, generalgovernment and all its enterprises. Theprogram is to be in place within 60 days.

The Council considered a randomdrug test program during last year’s retreat,then again in July 2002. During this week’sretreat the Council revisited the July 2002proposal and adopted it.

The program calls for random testseach quarter. The Tribe will use an inde-pendent service to select the individuals tobe tested and the day and time of testing.Two groups will be formed for testing. Thefirst will be the Tribal Council members,directors, enterprise managers, enforcementpersonnel, those who regularly operate tribalvehicles, and those who work with childrenon a regular basis. The second will be allother regular and part time employees. Thechance that any one of the people in thefirst group will be tested will be twice thatof the second group.

The testing will work like this: ifthere are 40 people in the first group, 10people will be selected from the list of 40for testing in the first quarter, then 10 peoplewill be selected from the list of 40 for test-ing in the second quarter, and similarly 10in the third and 10 in the fourth quarter.For the first group, the total number of testsduring the year will equal the total numberof people in the group. The testing rate iscalled 100% testing. Because the selectionis random, any one person could be selectedfour times during the year or not at all dur-ing the year.

For the second group, the testingrate will be 50%. Assuming 120 people inthe second group, the total number of testswill be 60 during the year, 15 tests eachquarter. The 15 will be selected from thelist of 120 each quarter.

If a test is returned as positive orinconclusive, the procedures and penalties

set out in the Tribe’s existing drug testingpolicies apply.

Staff has been asked by Council toamend the existing employee handbooksand employee policies to incorporate thesechanges and to implement the programwithin 60 days.

The Tribal Council has long ex-pressed its commitment to a drug free com-munity.

I am pleased that the Council isleading the way, testing itself, as we moveto protect our community, our workplace,and our children. Please join me in sup-porting a true drug free workplace.

- David Lopeman Tribal Chairman

CO M M U N I T Y

Sandy RossireParalegal/Legal Assistant

Kwi dache. My name is Sandy Rossire (pro-nounced “row sear”) and I am so lucky tobe here!

I am the new paralegal/legal assis-tant working with Kevin Lyon and KellyCroman in the Squaxin Island Legal De-partment. I am delighted – and honored –to be a part of this team. I’ve been in thelegal field for many years, on both the eastand west coasts, and I come to the SquaxinIsland Legal Department from ten years ata well-known law firm in Olympia.

I’m an avid gardener and look for-ward to the awakening garden around theLegal Department building – no doubt youwill see me out there on my lunch hours,trimming and weeding! I also like to read,knit, sew, listen to music and watch oldmovies.

And my thanks to all I’ve met herewho have made me feel so welcome and athome.

Hoyt.

New Employee

ViewpointJust One Man’s Opinion...Recently, I was part of a small group dis-cussing ways to improve community par-ticipation in public meetings. A commu-nity member expressed the thought that thebest way to get public involvement is to cre-ate a controversy.

One way to create constructive con-troversy is by “Letters to the Editor.” TheKlah-Che-Min is a wonderful newsletterand the staff does a great job, but generallyits content is noncontroversial and the few“real” news stories only reflect the views ofthe tribal government.

I don’t imagine there will be an in-dependent newspaper covering hard newsand events in the Squaxin island commu-nity any time soon and you cannot justpublish every letter for a variety of legal andethical reasons. However, if the review ofLetters to the Editor was placed in the handsof an independent board of communityvolunteers instead of the tribal government,maybe it would encourage individuals toexpress their views and opinions and, justmaybe, create some constructive controver-sies. Many newspapers have similar boardsthat could be used as models.

This is just my opinion - what’syours?

Brian L. Thompson

9

NAT U R A L RE S O U RC E S

Skookum CreekRestoration ProjectJohn Konovsky and Tracy Farrell - Twothousand conifers were planted within 13acres of stream buffer this March alongSkookum Creek behind the Little CreekCasino. The Squaxin Island Tribe initiatedthe restoration of 150-foot buffer zones onboth sides of the stream.

The restoration of the buffer zonealong Skookum Creek will provide up to90% of the ecological functions once thevegetation has matured. This is a continu-ing project that underscores the Tribes com-mitment to a long-term perspective of habi-tat and the natural surroundings. Beforetribal acquisition, this land was used as hayand pastureland by Wayne Clary.

The conifers were planted in the ri-parian zone to promote shade and channelstructure which happens after the trees ma-ture and fall into the stream as a result ofdeath and decay over several decades. Theseprocesses are important for the enhance-ment and perpetuation of this stream forits use by salmon. Shade will provide coolerwater temperatures and predator avoidanceby giving juvenile salmon cover from over-head. Large wood in the channel will createpools that also cool the water and stabilizeand maintain lower temperatures. Pools alsoprovide resting points, food resources andadditional protection from natural preda-tors.

It will take nearly 100 years for thetrees planted this month to fully establishthe ecological functions of shade and chan-nel structure. In the interim, the trees willstabilize banks and improve water quality.Understory plants will be added to thisrevegetation project to create varied struc-ture and bolster the natural functions of theyoung trees as they mature. Native shrubswill also be planted under the BPA powerlines within the riparian buffer zone to pro-vide some habitat where conifers cannot beused because of height restrictions.

This project work is being done bya Washington Conservation Corps crewcontracted through the Thurston Conser-vation District. Larry Ross from the SquaxinIsland Cultural Resources Departmentadded an educational component by speak-ing to the crew about the cultural impor-

tance of natural resources and the signifi-cance of salmon and native plants in thearea they were working on.

Additional work done by theSquaxin Island Natural Resources Depart-ment on Skookum Creek includes streamtemperature monitoring, channel surveys,soil analysis and evaluations of the riparianbuffer. One study is evaluating short termoptions for improving channel structure andshade requirements by constructing log jamsalong parts of Skookum Creek using ma-ture trees harvested elsewhere.

NOTE: - Josh Henderson markedthe buffer zone and took soil samples whileemployed last summer.

Natural ResourcesAnnouncementsSubsistence PermitsThis is a reminder that subsistence permitsare required when digging clams on the is-land. The Natural Resources Code was justreviewed, and it came to our attention thata lot of people were unaware of this require-ment. So, if you are going to dig clams onthe island, please come in to the NaturalResources Department to get a subsistencepermit.

Hunting TagsBecause hunting season is over, we wouldappreciate the prompt return of all huntingtags, so we can compile the data. If all ofyour tags are returned by April 15th, yourname will go into a prize drawing.

Sean Arquinego of Conservation Corps

John Konovsky on site with Roy Warnick and Susanne Feucht of Conservation Corps

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What is the CPT Anyway?Cathy Humphreys - In 1987 a child inSnohomish County named Eli Creekmorewas returned home to his father by a statecaseworker. Eli was killed by his father thenext day. When all the service providers satdown at the table to sort out what had hap-pened, they learned that had they been ableto sit down together and staff this case, thechild’s death could have been prevented. Itwas then that Governor Booth Gardner andother state officials developed the CPTwhich stands for Child Protection Team.

The original purpose of this teamwas to staff the return home of any child inthe state system, with all the service provid-ers to ensure that the return home is safe.At the same time, the state determined thatservice providers who work with childrenare mandated reporters and are required bylaw to report suspected child abuse and ne-glect to law enforcement or Child Protec-tive Services (CPS). The service providersare also allowed to participate in teamstaffings about cases to ensure the safety andwell being of their clients. Most CPT teamsare comprised of community service pro-viders such as counselors, pediatricians, psy-chologists, chemical dependency counse-lors, school district representatives and acommunity member. Occasionally a pros-ecutor and/or someone from law enforce-ment will be appointed to sit on the teamfor a while.

I have been a part of the SheltonDivision of Children and Family Services(CFS) original CPT since 1988. They staffmonthly in Shelton all returns of childrento their parents and case closures. They alsostaff cases at caseworker’s request when theyare seeking ideas for case plans or when thereis conflict on a case.

The Squaxin Island Tribe is aheadof other tribes in that they have a functionalCPT. Rather than monthly meetings, ourteam meets weekly and provides input tocase plans as well as staffing returns andplacements. Our goal is to protect childrenfrom abuse and neglect.

Occasionally family members willcomplain about the CPT. Because we main-tain confidentiality, it isn’t possible to letthe community know what the issues areon cases. I hope that this information willhelp you understand the intent and purpose

April is Child AbusePrevention MonthCathy Humphreys, ICW - I was deeplymoved by the writings of Gary Brown andLori Hoskins in last month’s newsletter.Their stories remind me of the importance

of recovery and whatit takes to keep it.

Addiction can turnloving people intodestructive, desperatecriminals. The heartand soul of thesepeople cannot bereached when they

are at the mercy of their addiction.Loving detachment is what it takes

for family members to survive their lovedone’s abuse, or THEY WILL BECOMESICK TOO.

Loving detachment means under-standing and acknowledging when lovedones are under the influence and havinghealthy boundaries so they don’t take ad-vantage of us. It also means allowing themto be responsible for their behavior.

While this sounds cruel, what theyare doing to their body and soul is cruelerand something they may never recover from.

If we want to be effective in havinga healthy community for our kids, we needto learn about recovery and model healthyboundaries and activities. You may noticethat people who are busy contributing totheir community and donating time toworthwhile events are not desperate addicts.

My dad always said, “You get whatyou give in life.” Teaching ourselves andour children to give could have long lastingresults. The best way to prevent abuse is notto allow it to happen. Let’s trade our badhabits for healthy ones and make a differ-ence in a child’s life. To you families whoalready are doing this and have inspired meto write this, thank you. Thanks to Garyand Lori for giving their stories. They maymake a difference in a child’s life.

of the team. The children of the SquaxinIsland Tribe have the best possible systemwatching over them in the Child Protec-tion Team. I want to thank the team mem-bers for their many hours of contributionto this community.

HE A LT H & HU M A N SE RV I C E S

Low Cost Sexual HealthCare In Mason County

Today, free birth control is availableto more people in Mason County than everbefore. There is a new program called “TakeCharge” which provides free services tomany women and men in our area. To getthese services, women and men must sim-ply be able to have children (Men andwomen who have been sterilized, or womenwho have gone through menopause are noteligible). Families and individuals musthave an income that is 200% of poverty levelor less. By calling the Planned ParenthoodClinic, the staff can help you find out if youor a family member might be eligible. Manyworking families are still eligible for thesefree services.

If you are a young person from age13-19 or you have a family member in thisage group who might need sexual health carewe have a special Teen Clinic. For morethan a year the Teen Clinic has served sexu-ally active teens with free birth control, preg-nancy tests and testing for sexually trans-mitted diseases. All services at the TeenClinic are free and confidential. The TeenClinic is open every Wednesday from 2-6p.m. and is located in Shelton next to theCollier building at 310 W. Birch Street. Inthe state of Washington teens from the ageof 14 can get Sexually Transmitted Infec-tion checks on their own without anyone’spermission. From puberty on they can re-quest birth control at a clinic or purchasethese items at a store. These services areconfidential to teens at the Squaxin HealthClinic as well as Planned Parenthood inShelton and Olympia. If you or a familymember have questions about these services,please call one of the following numbers:Squaxin Health Clinic

427-9006 open Mon. – Fri.Shelton Planned Parenthood

426-2933 Mon. - Wed and Fri.Olympia Planned Parenthood

754-5522 Mon. - Fri.

The Indian Child Welfare Caseworkerswant to thank Misti Saenz-Garcia for herdedication and service as a foster parentsupporting the families and community

of the Squaxin Island Tribe.

Gary Brown

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A Peek at the Peaksas You “Climb”Mount Washington is the highest peak eastof the Mississippi and north of the Caroli-nas. It stands at 6,228 feet above sea leveland is in the White Mountains of the Presi-dential Range, which also includes MountAdams, Mount Jefferson, Mount Madison,and Mount Monroe. 1642 marked the firstrecorded climb to this summit, and it wasnamed after George Washington. Geologi-cally, Mount Washington is formed mostlyof granite, offering little vegetation at thetop, though its slopes maintain forests ofconiferous trees. Today this mountain is apopular tourist attraction and vacation area.

Mount Mitchell is the highest peakeast of the Mississippi at an altitude of 6,684feet. It’s part of the Black Mountains, anorthern section of the Blue Ridge Range.This peak is named after professor ElishaMitchell, who measured the altitude in1835 and discovered it was higher thanMount Washington. Upper elevations haveevergreens, and the slopes are covered withhardwoods and pine—home to a variety ofplant and animal life. Mount Mitchell StatePark is at the summit, covering over 1,200acres of reforestation and recreational land.

As your Peak Fitness challengeprogresses, you’ll move out west to Texasand Guadalupe Peak, at 8,749 feet, in theGuadalupe Mountain Range. Over 200million years ago this range was below sealevel and was a reef in an inland sea thatcovered 10,00 square miles of what is nowTexas and New Mexico. Today the desertand mountains meet, creating a rare mix-ture of desert vegetation at the base and for-ests in the high country. Many animals in-habit this range including elk, mule deer,wild turkey, raccoon, porcupine, kit andgrey fox, coyote, and occasionally black bearand cougar.

Mount Hood has 9 routes to thesummit. These range from a relatively easysouth side to the dangerous routes up thesheer north face. Mount Hood stands at11,239 feet and rises out of the CascadeRange, east of nearby Portland, Oregon.Once an active volcano, eruptions weresighted as late as 1865. Now only steam andfumes escape from vents on the upperslopes.

Currently, there are 80 staff andcommunity members participating in thePeak Fitness Events.

Enjoy the climb, and watch formore information in May about our nextmountains in Peak Fitness!

HE A LT H & HU M A N SE RV I C E S

ChecklistMark your calendar. Write in the time,place and activity you’ll perform eachday for the week. Honor the appoint-ment just as you would any other im-portant event on your calendar.

Enlist support. Identify friends andfamily members who will encourageyou and help keep you accountable.

Track your activity. Use the Peak Fit--ness log form for a visual reminder of progress.

Anticipate obstacles. Make a list of pos-sible barriers to success and brainstormways to get around them.

Reward yourself. Good health is itsown reward, but it’s a lot more moti-vating along the way to relish your ac-complishments. Identify milestonesand meaningful rewards for your climbto peak fitness.

Time to Get Moving,Be Active!By now, I hope you are on your way to en-joying the benefits of Peak Fitness. Even ifyou are not participating in the Peak Fit-ness program, any activity is better thannone!

A few of the benefitsof being active include:• Become stronger & healthier• Have more energy• Improve your mental strength and en-

durance• Protect yourself from the pain of heart

disease, cancer & osteoporosis• If you have diabetes, activity will help to

lower your blood sugar level.

Prescription PickupPrescriptions can no longer be deliveredto your home; they must be picked upat the clinic. If you need MarcellaCastro, CHR, to pick up a prescriptionfor you, please call by 3:00 p.m. Theywill then be available for pickup before5:00 p.m. Home deliveries will be madefor elders and people with disabilities.Special arrangements may be made insome circumstances. For more informa-tion, or to request a prescription pickup,call Marcella at 432-3931.

If you are struggling with becomingmore active, here are some thoughts:• Shoot for 30 minutes of activity each

day—at least 10 minutes at a time. Startslowly with 5 minutes at a time & buildgradually.

• Make time to visit with a friend or a fam-ily member by taking a walk with them.It is a great way to combine fitness withfriendship.

• Choose activities you enjoy• Play more: feel like a kid again by play-

ing ball, flying a kite, or swinging.

Other ways to become more active:• Hide the remote: change the channels

the old fashioned way—by getting up.Use commercials to brush your teeth, putaway some dishes, sort clothes, or do alittle cleaning.

• Practice inefficency: make lots of tripsto the car for groceries, park at the endof the parking lot & walk to the build-ing, walk instead of driving to the tribalcenter, or senior lunch.

• Use leg power: walk the dog, walk thereservation, just walk when you can!

• Start a garden & work it for the benefits!Call Paula Henry at 432-3934 if you areinterested in starting a community gar-den.

Do you want to start walking, but are hav-ing trouble getting started? The SquaxinIsland Tribe Walking Club is starting! Be-ginning in April, meet on Thursdays at theSenior Center at 12:40 p.m. for a short walkafter lunch. Depending on interest, we mayadd days or change to a different day andtime after April. Call Patty Suskin at 432-3929 for more information.

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Casey KilduffHIV/AIDS Testing, Counseling

and Prevention AdvocateFor those of you who have not yet heard,the Sally Selvidge Health Center and thepeople at SPIPA have brought a new faceto the area. My name is Casey Kilduff and Iam the new HIV/AIDS TCP (Testing,Counseling and Prevention) Advocate forSquaxin Island. Most of the work I will bedoing will be out of the health clinic and inthe form of outreach around the commu-nity.

I have lived in the Puget Sound areafor the past six years. Before that, I was in asmall town in the foothills of the SierraNevada Mountain Range. Currently, I sharea home in Olympia with my two cats, Jackand Charlie. They keep me on my toes. Icame to this area to attend college. I spent afew years at Evergreen and have since gradu-ated. Something that keeps me grounded isworking in my garden. I can grow beauti-ful vegetables, but I am not too great atkeeping flowers alive.

The work that I have been involvedwith in the Thurston County area has beenfocused on violence prevention and com-munity development. I am an advocateworking with survivors of domestic violenceand sexual assault, I teach self-defense classeswith a collection of women who have beenteaching locally for around 20 years, and Iam on the board of directors for the Olym-pia chapter of PFLAG. In the past, I havevolunteered in homeless outreach, juvenilejustice, and anti-oppression based projects.My real passion has been developing net-

National IndianCouncil on AgingSubmitted by Lea Cruz - This Message toAmerica is the result of the National IndianCouncil on Aging's Year 2000 Conferencein Duluth, Minnesota. More than 1,200 el-ders from 105 tribes across America at-tended and contributed to the words in thismessage. As you read this, think about ourelders. They came together in a true spiritof cooperation, setting aside tribal and po-litical differences so that we and our chil-dren might have words of wisdom to helpthroughout our lives. Please forward andpass this message to as many people as youcan, both Native and non-Native. These arethe words of Native American elders, butthe values expressed in this message can beappreciated by all of humanity.

SPIRITUAL MESSAGEFROM OUR ELDERSAs we stand before the dawn of a new mil-lennium, we pray for America's survival, oursurvival. We pray that we will be givenstrength by the Creator to follow the foot-

steps of our forefathers to share our love,respect and compassion for one another.There is good in everyone because our Cre-ator has put a little of Himself in all of us.

We pray for forgiveness for the painand suffering we have caused one another.

We pray that our children will notrepeat our mistakes.

We pray that we can respect the di-versity of America; all life is sacred. Everychild born is a precious gift of our Creator.It is our sacred trust to embrace childrenfrom all walks of life because we are part ofthe same family.

We pray that children will honorand respect their elders-that is where the wis-dom comes from. This respect will not al-low forgotten elders. We are all equal, witheach having our own special gift to contrib-ute. These values allow our youth to becomeleaders and workers in our society. Children,you are our future and our hope for thepeople. Stand and be courageous.

We pray to learn and use the wis-dom of all that has come before us, toachieve personal successes and to contrib-ute to those of others. Only when our youngones learn respect for everything can theyevolve.

EARTHWe pray for respect and love of MotherEarth because she is the foundation of hu-man survival and we must keep her pollu-tion-free for those who will travel after us.Protect her water, air, soil, trees, forests,plants and animals.

Do not just take and waste re-sources. Make it a priority to conserve. Theland is given to us by the Creator to carefor, not to own. If we take care of the land,the land will take care of us.

UNITYWe should have respect for each other. Wepray for commitment and responsible be-havior in order to help those in need and togive them support and friendship. Be anexample in life that others may follow; servepeople, community and country.

We should all strive to be leadersand contributors. Do not sit back and letothers plan and do all the thinking. Let usunite together so that we may have thestrength to protect our future. Strength

New Employee

HE A LT H & HU M A N SE RV I C E S

works between community resources andcommunity members in order to create ben-eficial relationships for both sides. I enjoybeing a liaison and a contact person whocan make connections for people.

The reason that I have been broughtinto the Squaxin Island community is tostart a conversation about HIV and AIDSas it relates to this community. Once theproject gets up and running, we will behosting some fun community events andproviding educational programs within avariety of settings. I am interested in explor-ing what you feel is needed in your owncommunity, as far as programs, access toservices, general information, treatment re-ferrals and education, etc. You will prob-ably see me with surveys soon. I’ll be offer-ing gift certificates to local businesses as in-centives to compensate you if you chooseto fill out a survey.

My desk is on the bottom floor ofthe health clinic, right next to the food bank.Please come by and say hello. I look for-ward to finding my place within this com-munity.

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comes from working through trials andtribulations.

HEALTHSpiritual health is the key to holistic health.We pray to have the discipline to set healthyexamples for our children to follow. Respect-ing everyone and everything in the universestarts with self-respect. Take time to listenand take care of your body and spirit.

FAMILY AND YOUTHFamily is important and precious. Alwayslet them know that they are loved. Let yourchildren and grandchildren know you arealways there to love and support them andthat they mean the world to you no matterwhat they do or say. Children are of infi-nite value. Live what you teach. Spiritual

Upcoming Senior EventsTwenty tickets are available for Elders to gothe Seattle Mariners vs Tampa Bay and theMariners vs the Texas Rangers. The first 20to sign up will get the tickets.

We also have tickets for Champi-ons On Ice at the Key Arena on May 24th.

Call Lea Cruz at 432-3936.

HE A LT H & HU M A N SE RV I C E S

S E N I O R M E N U

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MeatVegetableFruitGrains/BreadMilk

Food Group Monday Wednesday Thursday

HamburgersBroccoli SaladFruit SaladWheat BunsMilk

Chicken FajitasGreen SaladFruit TrayBrown Rice, BeansMilk

MeatVegetableFruitGrains/BreadMilk

MeatVegetableFruitGrains/BreadMilk

MeatVegetableFruitGrains/BreadMilk

Beef StroganoffSteamed Broccoli, Green SaladFruit TrayNoodles, Chocolate PuddingMilk

Taco Salad Bar w/ChickenCorn, Broccoli, Tomato, etcPineapple and BananaApplecakeSour Cream, Milk

Stirfry ChickenStirfry VeggiesFruit TrayEgg Rolls, Rice, CookieMilk

Spaghetti & MeatballsBroccoli, Green SaladFruit SaladBread SticksMilk

Ham & Scrambled EggsBaby Carrots with DipBerriesWafflesMilk

Beef StewGreen SaladFruit TrayWhole Wheat RollsMilk

BBQ/Baked ChickenColeslaw, Green SaladFruit KabobsFlavored Brown RiceMilk

Pork ChopsBroccoli, Green SaladApplesauce, Fresh FruitBrown Rice, Wild RiceMilk

Chalupa w/ MeatCarrots & Broccoli w/ DipFruit TrayCorn ChipsMilk

28MeatVegetableFruitGrains/BreadMilk

Swiss SteakMashed Potatoes, Green SaladFruit SaladWhole Wheat RollsMilk

Chicken EnchiladasGreen Beans, Green SaladOranges &PineappleBrown Rice, Beans, CookieMilk

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values, honesty, and integrity start in thehome. We pray for the youth. We mustteach the youth to work together and re-spect all that is living on our Mother Earth.We need to convey to our younger genera-tions that the survival of our people lies inspirituality.

PEACEWe pray to learn ways to settle differencespeacefully. Teach respect for each other'sideas. Value honesty on all levels, from chil-dren to parents to community to govern-ments. We will be happy when we createpeace with each other.

TO THE 7TH GENERATION* Survive* Keep hopes and dreams* Take care of yourself* Remember your spirit* Be there for each other* Respect courage* Share knowledge* Remember your true values

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Employees of the Kamilche Trading Post(KTP) walked out March 19, locking thedoors behind them in protest of what theybelieve to be unfair firing of four employ-ees since Little Creek Casino took overmanagement of the store.

Accordingto those employ-ees, they werewrongfully termi-nated due to accu-sations of drug use.They deny the ac-cusations, sayingthere is no proof tosupport thoseclaims.

Shortly af-ter the walk out, Little Creek Casino man-agement ordered the employees back towork or risk termination themselves. All butone employee returned to their work sta-tions.

Many tribal members rallied to sup-port the KTP employees, lining up acrossthe street, waving picket signs with sloganssuch as “culture before profit” and “unfairtreatment.”

Tribal police officers and LittleCreek Casino security were called upon tokeep protesters off commercial property toensure the demonstration would not inter-fere with business operations.

A memo was distributed to employ-ees of tribal gov-ernment stat-ing, “The rightto peaceably as-semble is a fun-damental rightof all people,and one that theSquaxin IslandTribe supports.However, everyemployee has aduty to complywith employ-ment policiesand procedures,

including attendance requirements. Em-ployees are not allowed to use work time or

KTP Employees Walk Off Jobs to Protest Firing of several EmployeesTribal Council Hosts Public Meeting to Hear Complaints

CO M M U N I T Y

equipment to organize, plan or communi-cate demonstrations or other political ac-tivity.

“All demonstrations and gatheringsmust be peaceful and must not interrupt orinterfere with normal business and govern-mental operations. Failure to adhere tothese requirements may result in arrest andcriminal charges.”

As the movement gained momen-tum, the Tribal Council, who had been on

retreat at Ocean Shores, returned home andheld a public meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Thurs-day, March 20 to “hear any concerns andgrievances that need to be expressed.”

Nearly 100 people attended themeeting and expressed their concerns aboutthe firing of employees, not only at the KTP,but the casino and government as well.

“We are hurting our own peopleinstead of helping them,” Sue McFarlanesaid.

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CO M M U N I T Y

Other concerns expressed includeddistribution of casino profits, costs of ca-sino expansion, provision for treaty-relatedjobs such as clam digging (seeding andopenings), employment of tribal members,support for tribal artists, respect for com-mittees and their recommendations, sched-uling of Tribal Council meetings, the needfor a Public Defender in Tribal Court, emer-gency response plans and the taking of li-cense plate numbers at the KTP.

Wilson Johns said, “I have seenpeople hurt by drugs and alcohol. I under-stand the harm they can do. But where isthe proof?”

Tribal Chairman David Lopeman,thanked everyone for coming to the meet-ing and promised Tribal Council would lookinto these issues and hold additional publicmeetings.

Every employee has rights,” he said.“The issue has to go through the grievanceprocess to ensure everyone’s rights are pro-tected.”

In response, management said thatit was not able to discuss an employee's ter-mination or pending discipline because theemployee's privacy rights preclude it andbecause an employee is entitled to a fairgrievance process.

If any employee feels that the firingwas unfair, that employee is entitled to filea grievance.

Blood Quantumand Lineal DescentDavid Whitener, Sr. - Indian Tribes in re-cent history have begun to assert inherentsovereignty. Sovereignty includes the au-thority to determine the citizenry of thesovereign. Congress and federal agencieswithin the Department of Interior influencethe determination of citizenry of Indiantribes in the United States.

The underlying philosophy of theU.S. government regarding Indians is oneof assimilation. It is no secret that manyattempts have been made to dissolve Indiantribes. House Concurrent Resolution 108was in effect during the 1950s, often calledthe “termination era.” Several tribes in thecountry were terminated at this time.Squaxin Island was on the list for termina-tion, but we resisted successfully. Not so,the Klamath’s, the Menominee’s and theNorth half of the Colville.

In 1877 the Dawes Act insidiouslyrobbed many Indians of their land base (also

known as the Allotment Act) assigning anumber of acres to the heads of households.This was another process foreign to mostIndians who regarded land as sacred, not tobe owned.

The 1934 Wheeler Howard Act of-fered tribes across the country the opportu-nity to organize themselves under a consti-tution if they so chose. In doing so, the cri-teria were set for deciding who could orcould not be an Indian in a federally recog-nized tribe. Constitutions were crafted byemployees of federal agencies, mainly theBureau of Indian Affairs.

Blood quantum is a factor in mostall the constitutions adopted after the actwas passed. A few tribes such as the Chero-kee and the Puyallup rely on lineal descentfor establishing citizenry.

Arguments both pro and conabound in Indian Country. Many wouldfavor lineal descent hoping their childrenand grandchildren might consider them-selves “Indian” along with their parents andgrandparents. May others would rather notsee blood degree diluted and treaty rightsor natural resources impacted by large num-bers of members.

Questions and opinions surround-ing this topic of discussion have quietly beencollecting. What would we do about theimpact on the resources if the Tribe grew totwice its current size? How do my grand-children accept the fact they are not Indianwhen they have grown up believing theywere part of the Squaxin Island Tribe? TheSquaxin Island Tribe has the authority todetermine its own citizenry. It has beendoing so for many years. The question al-most silently being asked is “How do weamend the process?” or “Do we want toamend the process?”

Thorough and thoughtful delibera-tion must occur before any decision made.Many tribes are asking themselves thesequestions. Some are making decisions.Some are still deliberating. We may wantto discuss this issue and others in a com-munity forum in the near future. If youhave thoughts to express please contact theDeputy Executive Director or the Editor ofthe Kla-Che-Min.

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THE ADDICT MIND Meth’s mental consequences are as di-sastrous as the physical ones. Adrenaline agi-tates your mind, especially at such extremelevels. Meth addicts are aggressive, belliger-ent and mean, experts say. Or they are anx-ious, fearful and paranoid. These extremefeelings persist for weeks, exacerbated by fa-tigue. Meth addicts often beat their children,their spouses and their friends. They imag-ine a cop lurking behind every curtain, andanother doper intent on stealing their stash- behind every door. Sarah Cook’s son, a meth user since1996, runs outside with knives “because hethinks people are after him,” the Coeurd’Alene woman says. “He tears his clothesoff and ties them around his head. “He picksand picks and picks at himself, like thereare bugs inside his face. It’s Satanic.” Even Wade, clean for five years, propsa space heater against the inside of the doorwhen he goes into the bathroom - in casesomeone comes after him. Injecting meth,or "slamming," is the most powerful high.Users mix meth with water in a spoon andthen inject the mixture into their veins.

Physicians once believed time andabstinence would clear an addict’s brain.Now it appears damage is permanent. Ce-rebral scans show large areas of meth users’brains either no longer function or appearto be missing entirely, Stalcup says. Methaddicts don’t realize they are making them-selves stupid. And they can’t stop using. The craving is so intense that “somepeople get addicted to the (needle) prick,”says Angela. “Your addict mind thinksthere’s going to be a rush. I have friends whoget a rush just from a needle - giving blood.” People who use meth as little as twice amonth are at great risk of becoming ad-dicted. It’s both psychological and physical:

NWITC

Meth A Health Peril for All of Us Part IIthe sexual rush; a cheaper, longer-lastinghigh than even cocaine; a brain and bodysoon rewired so that increasing levels ofmeth are the only way to feel good. “Itmakes you feel like you have control of yourlife. Like you are something, someone. Youdon’t feel lonely,” says Virginia Holme, 24,who recently graduated from a treatmentprogram at the Isabella House in Spokane.Meth also is hard to avoid because, to manyaddicts, using isn’t wrong.

THEY LEARN IT AT HOME. “I remember my aunt smoking crack,”Holme says of her early years in California.“I never asked, ‘What’s that?’ It was nor-mal.” When Holme smoked meth for the lasttime in November, she got high with hermom at a house in Airway Heights. Holmeended up in the hospital at Christmas a fewyears ago after a meth-fueled fight with agirlfriend. Her mother once put her babysitter in the hospital after a meth-inducedfight. Addicts stay on meth to avoid the hellof coming down into intense depression,and to delay feeling the consequences ofrunning a malnourished, fatigued body atfull throttle for days. The more they use,the more they need. They crash, sleep fordays, and start again. If they quit using, theystill long for the drug, smelling it, tastingit, twitching without it. “It’s worst 180 days after you stop,”Stalcup says. “You are irritable, your mind’sracing, you literally dream craving.”

SELF-MEDICATION Meth also is self-medication for a raftof problems. “We find no matter what thedrug, it is a symptom,” says NancyEchelbarger, who runs Substance MisuseServices for the Spokane Regional HealthDistrict. “Ninety-five percent of both menand women use drugs to cover the memo-ries, pain and anger of a traumatic past, orchildhood, or both.”

Most of the women who have beensexually molested and are “shattered at alevel we know very little about,” says LindyHaunschild, coordinator of the Parent-Child Assistance Program in Spokane.“When they reach adolescence, they go to

drugs and they go to the sexual arena andget pregnant.” Children born to these mothers also arelikely to be sexually abused, Haunschildsaid. “They don’t have stable, loving, nur-turing parents to keep them safe. They endup being taken from their homes, movedaround in the foster care system and are notallowed to bond” with an adult. The mother gets pregnant again - inpart to heal the loss of the child that socialservices has taken, in part to deal with other“very deep wounds,” Haunschild adds. One such woman has seven children,six of whom have been removed from hercustody. She is trying to get pregnant again. Children are trampled by meth. Whenthey grow up in a home lab, they inhalevolatile fumes and are burned by the caus-tic chemicals. They live amid householdgarbage that may get a foot and a half deep.They play outside where mom and daddump hazardous byproducts. Some arelocked in rooms for days by parents whodon’t want their kids to see them gettinghigh and then forget to let them out. If their mothers used the children werein the womb, they are born with behavioralproblems and tremors, and they screamfrom withdrawal 24 hours a day. Many growup to be drug users because their systemsare hard-wired to crave this drug.

WORMHEARTAngela’s baby is due in June. Because sheleveled with her doctor, her child will havean operation almost immediately after it’sborn. Otherwise, the baby would die withina few days. An ultrasound shows the infant’sheart is backward and has two holes. That’sa condition nicknamed “worm heart.” Of-ficially, it’s called “transposition of the greatvessels” and it’s another signature of meth.As the child develops in the womb, the heartis supposed to rotate into normal position.When mom is a meth addict, the heart of-ten remains reversed. The brain, heart and kidneys form veryearly on - often before the mom knows sheis pregnant - when the developing baby isthe size of your thumb. If there’s an insultto the organs, they don’t develop properly.Meth is a very serious insult.

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CO M M U N I T Y

Walking OnCarol L. Blucher

Carol Lee (Todd)Blucher died inShelton on Saturday,February 22, after alengthy illness. Shewas 71 and had livedin Shelton for 35years.

She was born June5, 1931 in Parker toSamuel and Dorothy(Heaton) Todd.

She married Will-iam F. Blucher on February 17, 1968 inCoeur d’ Alene, Idaho. Previously, she wasmarried to Donald Lester in 1963. Thatmarriage ended in divorce in 1968, She wasmarried to Donald H. Barker in 1951. Thatmarriage ended in divorce in 1960.

Mrs. Blucher was a retired cook.She was a member of the Gallop-

ing Agators 4-H Club. She enjoyed takingcare of her two dogs and traveling to Ari-zona in the winter.

She was preceded in death by herparents and a sister, Dorothy Wiles.

Survivors include her husband,William F. Blucher of Shelton; daughterNancy Barker of Shelton; stepdaughters KrisHanson, Patty Aiassa and Linna Maginnis,all of Tacoma; sons Marvin Barker and DaleBarker of Shelton and Mark Lester ofSpanaway; stepson Tim Blucher of Olym-pia; sisters Mary Waldburger of Shelton,Jean Eidman of Silverdale and Netta J.Crookshank of Auburn; 16 grandchildrenand seven great-grandchildren.

A graveside service was held at 1:00p.m. on Thursday, February 27, at TahomaNational Cemetery in Kent.

County Commissioners ApproveSpecial Commission of Tribal OfficersContinued from Page One

communication. We’ve been working to-ward this since 1983, and we’re very happyto see it finally become a reality.”

“The Squaxin Island Officers andMason County Sheriff ’s Deputies will bein constant communication as suspects aretaken into custody,” Tribal Attorney KevinLyon said.

The Memorandum of Agreementstates, “The Tribe and MCSO each have de-termined that better and more efficient lawenforcement services can be provided to allpersons within their respective jurisdictionsif law enforcement officers have the abilityto provide cooperation and assistance, in-cluding re-enforcement, immediate re-sponse assistance, assistance in the serviceof state or tribal search or arrest warrants,to law enforcement officers in neighboringservice jurisdictions, so that the nearestavailable officer, whether county or tribal,may respond as promptly as possible in situ-ations where human life or property is en-dangered,” the Memorandum of Agreementreads.

“The MCSO and the Tribal Policeshall each keep each other appraised ofchanges in their operational policies, guide-lines, and significant changes in the law oftheir respective jurisdictions for the purposeof facilitating communication and ensur-ing the timely and efficient delivery of ser-vices.

In addition, Mason County Com-missioners expressed their gratitude forfunds received through the Little CreekCasino Community Contribution Fundwhich will cover costs of one full time em-ployee who will serve the area near the tribalcommunity.

“This is an extraordinary agree-ment,” Kevin said. “It speaks to the level ofcooperation between our officers and theSheriff that they have this kind of trust and

Condolencesto Nancy Barker

on the loss of your mother. Our hearts are with you.We appreciate all you do

on behalf of our kids!From the ICWs

Squaxin PassesAudit with Flying ColorsLynn Scroggins - Squaxin was recently au-dited by USDA to assure that the Tribe’sUSDA funded facilities - Sally SelvidgeHeath Center, wastewater treatment facil-ity, and Museum Library and Research Cen-ter - comply with federal laws concerningcivil rights and Americans with DisabilitiesAct (ADA) access for users of those facili-ties. Facilities were checked, questions an-swered, recommendations made, and…. wepassed!

DID YOU KNOW?• The Health Center has on-call services

available to assist the hearing impairedand/or those with limited English profi-ciency.

• The Health Center has model parkingspaces that allow wheelchair accessthrough clear signs, ample spaces for ve-hicles and load/unload zones, and gentle5% and 2% pavement grading.

• The Museum has model restrooms withhandicapped accessible toilets, loweredsinks, and wider doorways that allowwheelchair users to have maximum mo-bility.

For more information about civil rightscompliance or ADA access, please contactthe Planning Department at 426-9781.

18

CO M M U N I T Y

Happy Birthday Auntie LilaLove,

the Seymour Clan

Happy BirthdayAuntie Mable

Love,the Seymour Clan

Upcoming MLRC EventsDempsey Bob, a well-known Native artistwill be giving a presentation of his work at7:00 p.m. April 11th at the museum.

Water Sounds Annual Art Auction1:00-4:00 p.m. - Shaun Peterson, a well-known Salish artist will be presenting hiswork through a formal presentation. He willdiscuss the research and teachings that guidehis work. Shaun's art forms include origi-nal paintings, limited edition serigraphs,drums, wood sculpture, steel and most re-cently, glass. Shaun's work can be found inthe US, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Japanand China.

4:00-5:30 p.m. - Preston Singletary, A well-known Salish artist, will be presenting hiswork in glass. Preston is an accomplishedartist with pieces residing throughout theworld. His notable most work is with glassand carvings. Preston will give a lectureabout his work and experiences.

5:30 p.m. - Shabubish, Bruce Miller, willbe doing a performance to kick off the an-nual auction beginning at 6:00.

6:00 p.m. "Annual Water Sounds" Art Auc-tion begins. Reception and silent auctionat 6:00. Live auction beginning at 7:00. $50bid ticket price applies.

Happy Birthday DadWe Love You!

From Your FamilyJanice, Traci, Christina, Ruth,Angie, Justin, Jerad, Little Jon,

David, Shirley and Derick

Happy 19th Birthday Jolene (4/20)

Happy 1st Birthday Kiana (4/9) leftLove,

Mom, Dad/Vinny and Malia

Lots of LoveYour Sisters Gloria (L), Margaret (R) and Lydia

Happy Birthday to Our Sister, Marie (Center)

Picture taken at the 7th Annual California Indian Basket Weavers Gatheringin Thousand Oaks, CA

Shop the MLRC Gift Shop forGreat Mother’s Day, Father’s Day

and Birthday presents!!!

Hood Canal students visit the MLRC

W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G

6 7 8 9 10

5

11

1514 13

12

252423 2221 20

19181716

27 28

26

19

AA Meeting 7:30

Court

Church7:30

Court

Church7:30

Good NewsBook Club

10:30

Good NewsBook Club

10:30

Good NewsBook Club

10:30

AA Meeting 7:30Bingo @ 6:45

Bingo @ 6:45

Bingo @ 6:45

Scrapbooking @ 1:00

Scrapbooking @ 1:00

Scrapbooking @ 1:00

Tribal CouncilGood NewsBook Club

10:30

HA P P Y BI RT H D AY

29

Shellfish Mtg. @ 9:00

AA Meeting 7:30

Aquatics Meeting9:00Church

7:30

Church7:30

30

Drum practice6:00 p.m.

MLRC

Drum practice6:00 p.m.

MLRC

Drum practice6:00 p.m.

MLRC

Drum practice6:00 p.m.

MLRC

Housing Commission9:00 in the Annex

Housing Commission9:00 in the Annex

Duane Cooper 4/1Famie Mason 4/1Seattle Morris 4/1Daniel Hall 4/2David Peters, Sr. 4/2Jacqueline Crenshaw 4/3Kathy Brandt 4/4Elizabeth Campbell 4/4Joseph Harrell 4/4Janice Van Alstine 4/4Mathew Block 4/5Chauncy Eagle Blueback 4/6Robert James 4/6Carolyn Hoosier 4/7Michael Kruger 4/7Rhollie Rocero 4/7Marcella Castro 4/8MiÕChelle Mach 4/8William Henderson 4/9Lila Jacobs 4/9Cheryl Van Alstine 4/9Antonia Jamea 4/10

Joanna Peters 4/10Kenneth Selvidge 4/10Dorinda Thein 4/12Darren Ford 4/12Russell Harper 4/12Debra Peters 4/14James Peters 4/16Bryan Parker 4/16Ronald Shaefer 4/16April Melton 4/17Jeff Peters 4/17Teresa Krise 4/18Douglas Johns 4/18Daniel Kuntz 4/18Mable Seymour 4/19Elisha Peters 4/19Jolene Grover 4/20Pamela Peters 4/20Vicky Turner 4/20Edward Henry II 4/21Elizabeth Obi 4/21Emily Sigo 4/21

Chasity Villanueva 4/21Joshua Whitener 4/21Tracy West 4/21Lenice Evans 4/22Ronald Cooper 4/23Rebecca Keith 4/23Cameron Goodwin 4/24Lorrain Algea 4/25Casey Krise 4/25Cynthia Parrott 4/25Evelyn Allen 4/26Chauncy Blueback 4/26Russel Algea 4/26Doug Tobin 4/27Becky Pickernell 4/27Wesley Whitener 4/28William Lopeman 4/29Redwolf Schalaq Krise 4/29Claudia McFarlane 4/29Toby Brownfield 4/30

1 2 3 4

Tribal Council

Potlatch Potlatch

Aquatics Mtg. @9:00NR Conference

Room

Sr. Mtg. @1:00Sr. Room

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGEP A I DSHELTON, WAPERMIT NO. 96

SQUAXIN ISLAND TRIBE70 S.E. SQUAXIN LANESHELTON, WA 98584

A p r i l Yo u t h A c t i v i t i e s5

7 6 8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28

Open Gym11:30-8

Baton 3-7

Gym Closedfor Potlatch

EASTER EGG HUNTBegins @ 10 a.m.

SHARP12 & Under

Open Gym3-7

CLOSED

Open Gym3-7

Baton 3-7

29

Open Gym11:30 - 8

30

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

HomeworkHelp 3:00 - 5:00T-Ball Practice

4:30 - 6:00

At the time this calendar had to be turned in, I havenot received the baseball schedules for T-Ball andRookie League. Opening day is April 5th. Teamsshould be playing on that day.

1 2 3 4

Gym ClosedMaintenance

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

CLOSED

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

Gym ClosedMaintenance

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

HomeworkHelp 3-5

Open Gym3-6 16-

6-? 17+

Gym Closedfor Potlatch

Baton 3-7