muckleshoot monthly articles
Post on 07-Apr-2016
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Louie Ungaro- MIT’s Newest Tribal Council Member (from an interview with John Loftus in April 2012)
Well, first of all, I’m greatly humbled and honored to be chosen for the Tribal Council and to not only be nominated, but to be elected too. And I’m grateful to all of those ones that mentored me along my way and who helped me out with my campaign and supported me and I’m thankful to my family and my community for believing in me and for giving me this chance to honor them and honor our tribe in a positive good way and to be an advocate at the Tribal Council level. I have a lot of hope in my heart for good things to happen in these next few years. I really have a positive feel for everything and to learn and experience that I am honored to get by being elected to the Tribal Council. And the things that I hope to see is to instill hope in our people again and self-worth in our communities. And the first resource that I wanna see get rebuilt and to me, that’s the most important, is our people being stewards of the land and being a fishing community and a fishing village and hunters and gatherers that we need to help our people remember that, who we are as a people, as an Indian people. And I hope to be a positive role model for not only my son and my family, but for other people and to instill that hope that anything’s possible in our lives if we set our mind to be determined and sacrifice things in a selfless way. And in saying all of that, I am only one of nine people up there on the Tribal Council with ideas and things that are going on and I hope to be a positive twist and, but I’m still learning these things. This is all new to me and it’s come so fast and through prayer and guidance and help from my community and committees and the learning processes that you go through in your first term that it will be a positive twist for our Muckleshoot people through jobs and small business and education and not only just academic education, but other types of education through our oral histories and through not only that, but through being stewards of the land and the other resources besides just the people and re-instilling that back into our community and to our membership. And that my one true dream of all is that the hope will never die and that we’ll always have one another to rely on, you know, and that even through disagreement, we don’t have to have a hate for one another, but we can learn from one another and see where one another are coming from and in a positive and a good way and through patience and perseverance that we will all come to a greater good for what’s best for our membership, our community and our tribe as a whole and also for our employees. So, saying that, I just wanna give my thanks to my family, to God up above and to the ones who paved the way for us, our ancestors that brought us here to where we are sitting here today as the Muckleshoot Tribe and a successful tribe as that and the councilmen before us and the councilmen to come, that we can keep that light and that vision and that dream alive and that we
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can learn more to rely on one another and that this isn’t just a Tribal Council level, but this is in a community level that we all have to reach as a team, you know, with all of our players being from the membership to the top leaders like Tribal Council. So, I think with that, I think I’m gonna end. Are you gonna continue fishing? Well, I promised to people just on a handshake and a cuff [sounds like] that I would not be a fisherman that was gonna be out there and being our biggest competitor, but to be more of a community service fisherman, that my proceeds will go to the Shaker Church, which I belong to, as a Shaker man and to our tribal elders and to families who don’t have fishermen in their family. But, I believe that it is such a way of life for me that it would be hard and unfair to myself to stop fishing as a whole, but to be self-sustaining as a living for it, yes, I will stop doing that. But, I’m still gonna be a fisherman out there that is gonna be a subsistence fisherman for our community and for the people who don’t have fishermen in their families. And I hope to see everybody out there and that we can all be able to sit and visit and talk and I’m gonna share ideas and not only that, but I will also have an open-door policy that I want people not to be afraid to come and speak to me and tell me their ideas and their visions and the way that they see things, because I believe that everybody has something to offer, if you just take the time to sit and listen. And I hope I can be that ear to sit and listen to those things and those ideas and hopefully, try to find a solution for them, if at all possible. [end of Louie Ungaro-040412a] Well, I’m really gonna be piggybacking along my committees and looking for their guidance and they’re actually just running my committees as a chair and being the chair and running my meetings and actually really advocating with them on a level and having trust within them to make the decision to where I can take it upstairs to the next level and be able to bring it to the rest of the Tribal Council, so we can kick it around and discuss it and make that decision at that level. But, I’m really gonna be relying on my committees and working with them and I’m excited about these next three years. I really feel good about it and I feel that we can all work together as a team and be an advocate at the Tribal Council level for my committees and build that relationship with trust and hope within each and every one of us and even on a confidential level, but still be able to be open and be able to voice their concerns and still walk out of the room and have a relationship when we leave there, whether we agree or disagree. [end of Louie Ungaro-040412b]
Traditional Springer Drive Held on White River (published in August 2012 Muckleshoot Monthly)
It was an opportunity that was just too good to miss: The Corps of Engineers had lowered White River water levels to do some repair work farther upstream and the Spring Chinook were running – a perfect setup for a good old-fashioned fish drive! When advised of the possibility by staff, the Muckleshoot Fisheries Commission didn’t hesitate and scheduled two days of fishing for July 17 & 18. For some of the sure-footed older fishers, getting into that cool water with spear, gaff hook or net in hand was like wading back in time, to their youthful origins when they stood with the elders of the day that led them in rebellion during the era of the Fish Wars. For the younger set, it was a totally new experience, and feeling the river tugging on their legs and the roundness of the stones beneath their feet was a baptism of sorts. And they, too, were traveling back to their origins. It was especially touching to see fathers and sons standing side-by-side, poised, ready and alert. Meanwhile, back on the shore, the elders awaited their return... Louie Ungaro, Chair of the Muckleshoot Fisheries Commission, shares some thoughts on those two special days: The Springer Drive has been a long time coming. These fish were really special to our people back when all of the rivers ran together. I hear stories from my grandmother and my mom, and a lot of my elders, about how special that time of year was. The Springers are the first salmon that hits the river and, when word got out around the community, all of the families would grab their nets and their gaffs and go down to the river to harvest them. This year’s Springer Drive was a real special occasion for me and my family, and for our reservation, and the people in our community. It was so good to see everybody come together in a nice, happy way. Everybody was so happy. They had their gaff hooks and their spears and their dip nets, and their nets to actually drift with. Everybody came together and jumped in the water and worked together. Those two days were so special for us as an Indian people – for everybody who participated in the fish drive, for everybody who stood on the shore, and for all who shared the potluck afterward. In doing this, we were actually honoring our ancestors, our people who’ve gone on before us, our people who fought through the Boldt Decision, and fought through the Indian Fish Wars. All of these things honor our people, going all the way back to our treaty days, and all the way before that. We were honoring all of our ancestors who used to do this as their way of life, and I thank the Lord for bringing us all together. You know, I sat there and pondered on it for awhile, sitting and just observing everybody – watching, listening to the stories, seeing all the smiles on everybody’s faces, and all of the kids, and the people watching out for other people’s kids. It was an honor for me to get to go down and hang out with some of their little boys and take them down to the river and bring them fishing
with me and my son. Seeing the community come together in this way warmed my heart. You know, I didn’t see one little kid cry for two days. I didn’t see any arguments. I didn’t see anybody upset. Everybody I saw was really happy, and I could feel that happiness. I could feel the presence of our ancestors being there and walking down the shores with us. Practicing our treaty rights and our sovereignty as we did on those two days is something that there needs to be more of, and not just with the Springer Drive. Practicing your treaty rights is always honoring your ancestors, whether it’s fishing with your children, or going out gillnetting, or heading up in the mountains to pick huckleberries, or harvesting roots or other kinds of plants, or anything like that. We can do these things today because they were included in the treaties that our ancestors signed. They actually thought far enough ahead to where, in 2012, we can still do the things they did. Because of their wisdom and foresight, we can know what an honor it is to be a Native American with treaties, and how special it really is, and how good it makes you feel in your heart to do these things. It’s the healing that our people need. It’s what’s going to get us back to where we need to be as an Indian people in 2012.
Making New Memories in Muckleshoot’s Mountains (published in Muckleshoot Monthly August 2014)
On August 8 & 9th, 2014 Hancock Forestry hosted the first annual Muckleshoot Community Day. Witnessing what took place over those two days and the months of truly thoughtful preparation brought out many reflections. The first thing that comes to mind is the gratitude in my heart for our ancestors and those leaders before us who had such a strong vision and commitment to setting us up for success in being able to have the way opened for us to take the opportunity to purchase 96,000 acres of our traditional homelands, just 0.5% of what our lands once were before we ceded it to the United States Government. Although, even in that moment, when our ancestors gathered to negotiate the treaties, they knew we would be here at this time and they knew the right thing to do. For this I thank God, and the ones who came before me, the councils that spent conservatively and came before todays tribal council, the folks who made sure we made it through courtroom battles that directly affected our identity like the Indian Determination Act of 1975 and the Boldt Decision of 1974-‐ all of these battles our blood, the same blood coursing through the fabric of this community, stood for and carried the forethought of a time when our community would be presented an opportunity like the purchase of this land. This vision, a true blessing, was surely present for those two beautiful August days as we gathered to take a look and spend time in our new acquisition. It could be found in the food that was harvested from that very same watershed-‐ the salmon, the elk and deer, the berries and medicines that were presented on our plates. It could be found in the stories and testimonies that were shared-‐ recalling a time not that long ago when the people would put away their boats at the end of the fishing season and head towards the hills to log. That opportunity exists again today, and this time we are the managers driving a process to restore a way of life that is healthy and honorable. What a great moment for Muckleshoot and what a statement to make-‐ it took a little over 165 years and here we are bringing those homelands back to the people, the people who have managed it for thousands of years. It brings hope to our people, our extended family and our relatives-‐ the plants, the animals, the fish, the trees and the water that deserve to thrive in those hills. We have the opportunity to be stronger activists now more than ever, picking up the responsibility of our ancestors to be powerful advocates for those relatives and taking on the knowledge of how to cultivate the land in such a way that our future distant community members can thrive here as well-‐ as those who came before us have done. We can do this by using sustainable forestry practices and cultivating the land with our traditional ecological knowledge driving the work, reawakening and teaching our future generations. In this way, we can heal from the assimilation our people have endured in being disconnected from these practices as well as these homelands, here in this opportunity, in this gift-‐ as our people have done for thousands of year’s pre-‐treaty times. This is now secured; we no longer need to ask
permission from the state or other landowners, to access the trails our ancestors still walk in this drainage ever again. We give free keys, stickers and access permits through the wildlife department to tribal members to get up there. I am not sure the last time our Indian people were up there cooking salmon on a stick in that way. Creating this new memory, inspired from a not so distant past helped me to remember the puzzle we are all a part of. How we are all needed in order to set the table, restore our communities health and uphold the responsibilities that come with treaty rights. With that, I strongly encourage you to access your homeland and to visit with your family and environmental relatives, to get grounded in the medicine that quietly awaits your visit in those lands. I want to thank all of the ones who participated in this community event. The cooks who come and prepared traditional foods, the ones that participated from fisheries and wildlife, the loggers who showed up to speak to the youth who were interested in job opportunities, to the youth crew that built the trail system. That took a lot of hard work, and completed the puzzle. With this being done hopefully it will awaken that voice in your heart and spirit, the voice that we all need and that is a sense of community, togetherness and family. Everybody had to come together for this to work, not one piece was missing. Every little piece connected, made this a successful event. That it was. Our ancestors are out there, wandering these lands forever… as we will be and this is how we can become the cultivators as our ancestors once were. Thanking God and giving Him all the glory.
The Social Fabric of a Community By Louie Ungaro
“I believe that our community’s first resource is the people, and that it is our
responsibility to protect and be good stewards to the land, ourselves, each other and our religions-‐ all of which are a legacy left for us by our Ancestors.”
On July 21-‐22nd, hundreds of Muckleshoot community members gathered on the
White River to participate and witness the work of our second Annual Springer Drive. The weather was beautiful, several Spring Chinook blessed us with their presence and perhaps most importantly we took the opportunity to come together as a community and practice our culture, strengthening our sovereignty.
It took several months of collaborative efforts with the Army Corps of Engineers,
the Fish Commission and our tribal Fisheries department in order to make this event happen. Every year Army Corps repairs tunnels in the Mud Mountain Dam, located just upriver from our Springer Drive gatherings. Because Mud Mountain Dam was constructed in 1947, after the Flood Control Act of 1936 was passed-‐ it is in need of closely managed maintenance. However, because we won the water rights on our traditional and accustomed river systems our voices are required to be at tables where discussions around the dam maintenance happen. Lowering water levels are of particular interest, as it provides an opportunity for us to practice a form of fisheries that have existed for thousands of years.
As a young man, I heard testimony shared by my Mother and Grandmother
recalling a time not so long ago when the community would gather down on the river each year with their nets and spears to celebrate the return of the Springers. We would work together, construct campsites and spend our summer days gaffing these precious fish. My Mother remembers seeing Lawrence Starr heading towards the river behind the Shaker Church with his rifle and a spear and returning with a fresh caught salmon in one hand and a deer on his back.
In recent discussion with Sqialupcub (Hoagie King George) he shared a story
with me about fishermen racing to see who could spear the first Springer. He recalls Buddy Lozier always being the first to spear one. This story stands out to me in particular because at one point during this years drive I had a hold of the net, along with Bud Moses, and when we pulled it across, scaring up the Springers in to the riffle, one of Buddy Loziers direct descendants was standing there and gaffed the first fish. It was in that moment I felt the presence of our Ancestors with us, proudly watching their descendants carrying on with the work they dedicated their lives to. This brought joyful tears to my eyes to witness this work and feel such presence.
It is the unity of these Ancestral actions that truly hold us together as a people
and that was mirrored in the work of bringing us all together on the river last
month. The young ones were assisting the Elders, and the Elders were assisting the young people. Folks showed up to potlatch-‐ sharing food, stories, prayer and a good feeling in their spirit. It is this type of opportunity that brings us together in solidarity and weaves together the social fabric of our Muckleshoot people making us strong in body, mind and spirit. We have the salmon people to thank for such an opportunity, our teachers who remind us of the unity we hold with all living things.
These types of gatherings, with that much enthusiasm and support, absolutely
need to happen throughout the year. I am reminded of how we are a seasonal people and when the salmon run we are in the river with them, just as when the berries are ripe we gather in the high mountain meadows and when the four legged are ready to be harvested we are on the landscape in their pursuit. By following the lead of our foods, we honor the practices of our Ancestors and simultaneously we strengthen our sovereignty by actively exercising our treaty rights. In return, we are gifted with memories of not just today but also a distant passed-‐ and those memories heal us, reminding us of who we are and the stewardship responsibilities we carry with the land. It activates what is inside of each and every one of us, breathing life in to us.
I want to thank everyone who helped to set this up. Public works and Fisheries
made sure the land was cleared and prepared for us to have a safe couple of days on the banks. For those who stayed behind to clean up, those who took part in the work, those of you who made gaff hooks and harvested the materials for people to learn, everyone who shared stories, prayers, potlucked and potlatched, you lift us all up. You are the reason this event was so beautiful. I’d also like to thank the Salmon People and our Ancestors who were with us, walking on the riverbank, blessing our actions and making sure the way for this work was open.
Thanking God and Giving God all of the praise and glory,
Louie Ungaro
Growing Opportunities for Today and Future Generations (published in Muckleshoot Monthly December 2014)
The Muckleshoot Tribe purchased the Tomanamus Forest (formerly known as the White River Forest) in November of 2013. In a short amount of time and under the direction of the Forestry Board, numerous initiatives have been instantiated with the intention to increase involvement of Muckleshoot tribal members in all aspects of natural resources management- including state, federal, private, and tribal systems. Much progress has been made in just one year and numerous members have been involved in both the implementation and participation of these initiatives which are centered around three focus areas: education, outreach, and opportunity. So far, many strides have been made in the education focus through the implementation of a comprehensive natural resource curriculum that is offered at the Muckleshoot Tribal School and is offered from kindergarten through high school and also includes a complimentary transition to college level study. This has been done through a partnership with “Project Learning Tree”; a natural resource based supplemental curriculum that integrates scientist principal with hands on field experience is being implemented. The program not only provides for a natural resources education platform but also results in increased test scores on standardized tests. A grant was written in support of this program and was awarded $150,000. The results are students that have a solid footing in science, math, and the language arts to allow for success in natural resources based degree programs. To further ensure success of the education component we are developing programs with local institutions. This includes multiple meetings with the University of Washington and Green River Community College to develop seamless programs allowing for the successful transition from high school to college. Specifically the opportunities at Green River Community College will include concentrated courses allowing for completion of courses in shorter duration than traditional course, and allowing for on job training to count for credit. Further, there is the opportunity for the Muckleshoot to host a Muckleshoot student dorm. Another aspect of education is on the job trade learning opportunities. There are a variety of contractors that have professional and trade positions open to Muckleshoot members that working on the Tomanamus Forest. These positions, include timber cruiser, summer stewardship youth crew, summer intern assistant forester, equipment operator, logging crew, road maintenance crew, forest technician, silviculture crew. Approximately 13 members have worked on a part time basis and another 12 members are currently working on a full time basis. Each is gaining valuable experience that will allow for employment in the various facets of natural resources management. Outreach to Muckleshoot members has been ongoing through a number of avenues and include the following:
o Students at the Tribal School will learn more about natural resources opportunities at Native American career day and will also experience these through direct interaction with professional resources managers.
o A stewardship club K-12, designed as an enrichment program to introduce natural resources management into the classroom through hands on participation in the
classroom and afield will be implemented this school year. The initial project will be the Christmas Tree Farm Project from plan to harvest.
o A natural resources summer youth camp will be established the summer of 2015. o The first annual Muckleshoot Forest Community Field Day event was held Friday 8/8
and Saturday 8/9. The Community Field Day was an opportunity to experience the Tomanamus Forest, including forest management through informational booths, presentations, and live demonstrations.
Opportunity development in the form of jobs and contract opportunities has also been ongoing. These include development of Muckleshoot contractors for road silviculture, security, and harvesting. Results have been positive. Currently, two Muckleshoot owned businesses are active on the Tomanamus Forest and another two other business relationships are in process. The emphasis and focus has and will continue to be on developing Muckleshoot member businesses. Further opportunity includes maintaining and building on the Muckleshoot cultural tie to the land, through the Cultural Plant Project and Cultural Area Project. The cultural Plant Project will result in the development of written materials that present information on culturally important plants, their ethno-botanical uses and tribal resources that guide readers to finding more in-depth information from community members who hold plant knowledge. Workshops for Muckleshoot members to gain skills in plant identification, basic plant uses, and sustainable harvest techniques will also be implemented. Further forest management practices will include inventorying, mapping, and cultural plants. The Cultural Area Project will result in maps of cultural areas such as historical trails. The desire is to increase ease of access and protect these areas for Muckleshoot Tribal members, as well as aid the management of the forest. This will be a project that documents the Muckleshoot’s relationship to the forest past, present and future and that tells the story of the Muckleshoot Tribe's relationship with the fores t and mountains. The purchase of the Tomanamus Forest has been and will continue to benefit future generations well into the future. With focus, dedication and strong collaboration, Muckleshoot professionals and Muckleshoot owned businesses involved in natural resource management are becoming a reality. As this writing portrays, many large strides have been made in a short amount of time and we are proud of this progress. Clearly, the purchase of the Tomanamus Forest is an opportunity to continue the Muckleshoot legacy of active management and stewardship of the land and we are driven to cultivating those relationships between the land, the people and future generations.
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