Frequently Asked Questions
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Frequently Asked Questions What is tribal sovereignty? . 2 What is the Treaty of Point Elliott? . 2 Where did the tribe reside prior to contact? . 3 Does the Tulalip Tribes own all of the land on the Tulalip Reservation? . 3 What is an enrolled Tulalip tribal member? . 4 Do you have to live on the reservation to be an enrolled Tulalip tribal member? . 4 What traditional foods did Tulalip people eat? . 4 What is the traditional Tulalip language? . 5 What is the traditional Tulalip home? . 5 What is the traditional Tulalip mode of transportation? . 6 Why is cedar so important to the tribe? . 6 Why is your logo a killer whale? . 6 What is a boarding school? . 7 When did you become a modern society? . 7 What is Quil Ceda Village? . 8 Page 1 of 8 Next The Tulalip Tribes—Frequently Asked Questions What is tribal ■■ Developing the tribe’s other local tribes have fought sovereignty? economic base that provides continually to uphold our treaty the primary support for a rights . Sovereignty is the authority of growing population of young In 1974, tribes in the region a people to govern themselves . tribal members won a major fishing battle in Our sovereignty guarantees our ■■ Treaty rights, preservation, the “Boldt” case (The United inherent right as a government access to government to States v . Washington) . This case to raise revenue for our government relationships reaffirmed the tribe’s treaty- community . In fact, 92% of our protected fishing rights in all government services, family our usual and accustomed places and senior housing, education, What is the Treaty of and established the tribe as health and dental services, law Point Elliott? co-managers of the fisheries enforcement, fire protection, resource . Later cases affirmed infrastructure improvements, The 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott treaty rights to shellfish and and economic growth are funded reserved specific tribal rights, treaty protection against from within . which were not ceded to the destruction of habitat necessary Treaties, court cases, and United States . An important to support the salmon runs . the U .S . Constitution have provision tribal leaders insisted Since the turn of the century, upheld Tulalip’s status as a self- upon was the right to continue to many commemorations of the governing nation . fish in all usual and accustomed treaty have been held on the Today, tribal government grounds and to hunt and gather Tulalip Reservation . Treaty Days and the people of the Tulalip on all open and unclaimed occur in our longhouse on or Tribes continue to exercise our lands . These “reserved rights” around January 22 every year sovereignty through a number are rights which were essential and always includes speeches on of initiatives: to tribal culture, subsistence, the importance of upholding the and commerce . These rights treaty . In spite of the hardships ■■ Administering a strong were not granted in the treaty, brought on by the reservation tribal government rather they were rights that system and the cession of ■■ Providing tribal citizens tribes have always possessed millions of acres of land, the opportunities for education, and which were protected by Tulalip Tribes celebrate the Point jobs, land, and housing the treaty . The Treaty of Point Elliott Treaty of 1855 as formal ■■ Improving our tribal Elliott contains 15 articles . In recognition by the United States community to promote addition to reserving reservation of the tribe’s inherent right to physical, emotional, and homelands and tribal rights, self-determination as a sovereign spiritual wellbeing and the treaty promised education, and distinct people . Under the perpetuating cultural and medical assistance and housing United States constitution, the environmental sensitivity to the tribe . treaty is the supreme law of the ■■ Building infrastructure on Since the signing of the land and it is as legally binding and off the reservation treaty, the Tulalip Tribes and today as it was the day it was Home Page 2 of 8 Next The Tulalip Tribes—Frequently Asked Questions signed . The treaty continues to support the tribe’s sovereign Western Washington right of self-governance, and Traditionally our ancestors resided throughout Western the protection of fish, animals, FreeVectorMaps.com © Washington. lands and waters on which tribal culture depends . Where did the tribe reside prior to contact? From the Cascades Mountains Does the Tulalip Tribes ■■ Securing parts of the to the east, the islands of the own all of the land on reservations as Indian land, Puget Sound to the west, as the Tulalip Reservation? and far as Canada to the north and ■■ Opening the remainder of south almost to Tacoma . There No . The Dawes Act of 1887 (also the land to white settlers for were permanent villages along known as the General Allotment profit the shores of the salt water at Act or the Dawes Severalty Act Port Susan, Possession Sound, of 1887), adopted by Congress in In 1883, the Tulalip Indian Saratoga Passage, the Straits, 1887, authorized the President Agency superintendent began Whidbey Island, Hat Island, of the United States to survey to allot the reservation land in and Camano Island and along American Indian tribal land 40-, 80-, and 160-acre panels the banks of the rivers among and divide it into allotments for to Tulalip heads of household . them—Snohomish, Skykomish, individual Indians . The Dawes In 1906, the Burke Act allowed Stillaguamish, Snoqualmie, Act is responsible for enacting the issuance of patents in fee Goldbar, and Sultan . Our the division of the American to Indian landowners, allowing main villages were at Hibulb, native reserves into plots of them to sell their allotments . Speebidah, Quil Ceda, and land for individual households, Due to poverty and outside around Tulalip Bay . and was created by reformers to pressures, much land on the Trade protected friendships achieve six goals: Tulalip Reservation was sold . with our neighbors and provided At this time, about 60% of the the opportunity to arrange ■■ Breaking up of tribes as a Tulalip reservation is Indian marriage partners between social unit, owned . In the last few years, the villages . Our ancestors’ trade ■■ Encouraging individual tribe has bought back several routes went north to Canada, initiatives, thousand of the lost acres east into the Rockies and south ■■ Furthering the progress of and expects to buy more in to California . There was a great native farmers, the future . deal of trade between our ■■ Reducing the cost of native In 1936, with money from ancestors and our neighbors . administration, their own pockets, the first Home Page 3 of 8 Next The Tulalip Tribes—Frequently Asked Questions Tulalip Board of Directors sought ways to support our people . A sustainable cash flow was necessary to start our own businesses . Land leasing along Tulalip Bay was our first venture and it turned out to be profitable . To lease land meant we also needed to provide basic water and sewer services, which became our next two business projects . This developed a Our culture and survival depended on the salmon’s annual return. home-based economy that helped draw our people back 12 continuous months at any used their watertight baskets to the reservation, but hard time prior to the birth of the to boil salmon and their eggs, times were still ahead . A applicant and be able to prove it . all types of shellfish, a variety traditional mainstay, logging, of fresh and dried meats . was in decline and farming was Steamers clams and mussels unsuccessful . Smoke shops and What traditional foods would be cooked on the hot other small businesses provided did Tulalip people eat? rocks covered with seaweed to some income . trap in the steam . These foods Our ancestors knew what the were complimented with nettles, Puget Sound offered . They would seaweed, wild carrots, and What is an enrolled gather shellfish, spear fish, onions . Dried berries were also Tulalip tribal member? and catch ducks at night . They added to enhance the flavor . would set torches on the beach They would fill their baskets All Tulalip tribal members and the bow of the canoes and with water, then add heated are descendants of tribes that spear for flounder, skate, and rocks from the fire pit to create signed the Point Elliott Treaty . other bottom fish . At night, they a gentle boil that cooked the would also set flyaway nets for different foods to perfection . catching ducks and other birds . Do you have to live on One of the most healthy and ■■ Fish: five kinds of salmon the reservation to be an nutritious ways to prepare a (spring, humpback, silver, enrolled Tulalip tribal meal was to boil and steam the dog, sockeye), steelhead, member? food . The Coast Salish people sturgeon, smelts, herring, made the finest watertight flounder, trout, cod, rock The tribal member parent baskets that could be used cod, and skate has to have resided on the for cooking . Our people were ■■ Shellfish: clams, oysters, Tulalip Reservation for at least excellent weavers . Our ancestors barnacles, and crabs Home Page 4 of 8 Next The Tulalip Tribes—Frequently Asked Questions ■■ Eggs: fish eggs from salmon and herring, bird eggs from pheasant, lark, and duck ■■ Meat: deer and elk meat ■■ Berries: salmonberries, huckleberries, elderberries, salal berries, blackcaps, blackberries, wild strawberries, and wild raspberries ■■ Roots and bulbs: brake fern, wood fern, dandelion, Everett Public Library or University of Washington photo. cattail, camas, and tiger lily William Shelton and George Jones Sr. standing in front of the Tulalip longhouse they built, 1913. What is the traditional the sound of Lushootseed can ■■ Platforms ran along the side Tulalip language? continue to be heard in a chain for seating that goes unbroken back to the ■■ Shelves for storage of Lushootseed—our sacred very beginning of the language . baskets, tools, clothing, first language .