Latest news with #Salish
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Third annual powwow held at Flett Middle School Saturday, open to the public
May 2—Flett Middle School will host the third annual Pauline Flett Powwow Saturday, a free public event hosted by the students and celebrating the culture and history of the region's native peoples. "We call it a learning powwow, in that we're trying to help our students learn how to put it on, market it, put it up and run it," said school Principal Matthew Henshaw. "Our overall purpose is allowing our Native students to see representation in the school of their own culture being celebrated, and helping our kids learn about Pauline's vision and her legacy." The middle school, opened in 2022, is named after the late Spokane tribal elder Pauline Flett, who co-wrote the first Spokane-English dictionary and is credited with playing an instrumental role in preserving the Spokane Tribe of Indians' Salish dialect. School leadership, wanting to honor the legacy of their namesake, started guiding their new students to host the event the first year it opened. "It gives our Native youth pride in who they are and where they come from," said Margo Hill, a Spokane tribal member and urban planning professor at Eastern Washington University who was among the community leaders who worked with Henshaw to launch the 2022 powwow. "It's just a beautiful opportunity to see what tribal communities are doing and that the kids can celebrate their culture," Hill added. The powwow will be held in the school gymnasium at 5020 West Wellesley Ave. and is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The event will consist of two repeating sessions, with grand entries at noon and 5 p.m. and a number of contests, including hand drum, red dress special, and a golden age category for dancers who are 50 years of age or older. Dinner will be held around 5 p.m. Henshaw estimated there were about 30 vendors this year that the middle schoolers would be helping set up their stands, selling custom artwork and jewelry, and more.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Yahoo
New Salish welcome figures greet ferry riders inside the Bainbridge Island walkway
Two new Salish welcome figures were installed in the passenger walkway at the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal earlier this week. The 10-foot-tall hand-carved red cedar welcome poles, carved by Native American artist Andy Wilbur-Peterson and titled Crossing the Water, will 'wish passengers a warm welcome and safe travels.' 'I started carving when I was 19,' Andy said. 'Before that, I was making baskets. The designs on these poles combine several marine elements, such as orcas and waves. The male has a strawberry tattoo on his arm for the island's strawberries.' According to an article from Washington State Ferry (WSF), Andy grew up in Shelton, Washington, before earning his Bachelor of Arts degree in Native American studies from Evergreen State College in Olympia. He's taught carving and painting classes to all ages through various tribes and local schools. Now, Andy and his wife Ruth Peterson run their carving studio and gallery from Skokomish, Washington. 'WSF consults with federally recognized tribes with treaty rights where our projects are located to include tribal cultural design elements at our terminals. While these pieces add beauty, their presence signals something deeper,' read the article from WSF. 'Story poles like these are an integral part of Native American culture in the Salish Sea. Often, they tell a story of the place or history of the tribe. And they remind travelers that local tribes and their customs live on here. By showcasing their thriving and vibrant culture to the traveling public, we also honor tribal treaties.' The story of the poles, as told by Ruth Peterson: 'A long time ago, after the humans were created, the Creator gave power to the humans to rule the land. When humans came to the water, they wanted to cross to the other side. So, they created a canoe to help them get to where they wanted to go. One day as they were crossing the water they looked down and saw life, so they jumped in and caught Salmon and Octopus and took them to the other side of the water. When they got to the other side, they fed everyone. Eagle was so appreciative that she gave them some of her feathers so that they could travel far. Salmon gave them power to cross the water with great ease. Octopus gave them the ability to go wherever they needed to be. These poles represent the ability that all humans may travel and have great strength to go wherever they desire and have protection and power within.' Visit the Washington State Ferries Facebook page to view one of the two welcome poles being installed and unveiled.
Associated Press
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
After a decade of failed attempts, bill establishing Indigenous Peoples Day poised to become law
Walking up to the podium during a March committee hearing, Marsha Small told Montana state lawmakers, 'I feel like I've been here forever.' Small, the co-founder of Indigenous Peoples Day Montana, and others have testified in support of establishing the state holiday for the last 10 years, to no avail. This year, though, will likely make history, as a bill establishing Indigenous Peoples Day cleared the state Legislature on Thursday and is poised to become law. Senate Bill 224 now heads to Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte's desk — marking the most significant progress the legislation has made in a decade. Lawmakers through the years have cited different reasons for their opposition to establishing Indigenous Peoples Day as a state-recognized holiday in October. Some took issue with past legislation that would have eliminated Columbus Day, arguing that Christopher Columbus is an important historical figure. Last legislative session, lawmakers criticized bill sponsor Sen. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula and a citizen of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, for speaking about the atrocities Columbus committed against Native Americans when he advocated for the 2023 bill on the Senate floor. This year, though, Morigeau and other supporters took a different path. Rather than eliminate or replace Columbus Day, SB 224 allows Montanans to celebrate either or both holidays. Morigeau has consistently emphasized inclusivity in his remarks to lawmakers this session, saying the holiday is meant to celebrate all Montanans. He told Montana Free Press in March that those changes in approach have likely contributed to the bill's success. Morigeau in a March House State Administration Committee meeting said SB 224 would establish a 'flexible holiday,' giving people the choice to celebrate however they please. 'It's a day that celebrates the ancestral lineage of all Montanans,' he added. 'It's a day that is shaped and molded by each community and how that community wants to celebrate each other.' Small told lawmakers in the same hearing that establishing Indigenous Peoples Day 'can bring us together.' 'I believe celebrating Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day on the same day will go a long way to healing our communities,' she said. Several non-Native supporters this session said the bill encouraged them to research their own lineage. Jacob Zimmerer, a graduate student in Indigenous and rural health at Montana State University, addressed committee members first in Irish. He told lawmakers that his trips to Ireland prompted him to think deeply about ancestral stories and connections. 'Indigenous Peoples Day to me is an opportunity for us all to feel those layers of stories,' he said. Olivia Adams, a senior at Arlee High School and citizen of the Blackfeet Nation, told lawmakers in the March committee meeting that establishing the holiday 'is a chance to celebrate the resilience and strength of Indigenous people.' 'It's about recognizing the histories and cultures of Indigenous people who have been here for thousands of years — long before Montana became Montana,' she added. While SB 224 has advanced through the Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support, the only hitch in its progress came on the afternoon of April 9 when Rep. Ed Byrne, R-Bigfork, proposed an amendment on the House floor that would list Columbus Day first in the bill's language, before Indigenous Peoples Day. Byrne argued Columbus Day should be named first to 'maintain its precedence of establishment.' Rep. Tyson Running Wolf, D-Browning and carrier of the bill on the floor, said the amendment would 'delay the process and might kill the bill.' The amendment was voted down 27-71 and the bill ultimately cleared the chamber with bipartisan support Native Americans make up 6.7% of Montanan's population. The state is home to 12 tribal nations and seven reservations. ___ This story was originally published by Montana Free Press and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Blackfeet tribal members sue to stop Trump tariffs against Canada
Photo illustration by Getty Images. When a wheel broke on Jonathan St. Goddard's tractor in late March, the nearest replacement he could find was in Saskatchewan for $1,253. When he brought back it back to Montana, he was slapped with a $308 tariff for the equipment, part of an expansive array of tariffs ordered by the Trump administration. On Friday in federal court, St. Goddard, along with state Sen. Susan Webber, D-Browning, filed a lawsuit in federal court asking a judge for an injunction against Trump's tariffs on Canada, arguing that it violates the treaty rights of Indigenous people across the nation, and saying that only Congress can approve tariffs, not the president, according to the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit centers on the Jay Treaty signed in 1794, ratified by Congress and signed into law by then-President George Washington, which exempted tribes along the United States-Canadian border from being taxed or levied on goods between the nations. The lawsuit, filed in the Great Falls division of Montana's federal courts, says that the 49th parallel, the longest continuous running border in the world between two nations, bisects more than 30 tribes whose ancestral lands span both countries. In addition to the Blackfeet tribe, other tribes split by the border include the Lakota, Salish, and Iroquois. Montana has 14 border crossings with Canada, spanning three provinces, British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. The lawsuit asks the court to halt the tariffs that affect Canada, or if not, declare that the emergency orders that implemented the tariffs be declared void for tribal members because they violate the 1794 treaty rights, which were ratified by Congress. 'The imposition of universal tariffs in the Canada Orders is an unconstitutional attempt by the executive to regulate commerce and violates plaintiffs' constitutional and treaty rights,' the lawsuit said. St. Goddard and Webber are being represented by Missoula lawyer Monica Tranel. But the lawsuit doesn't just focus on the treaty rights, it also challenges the Trump administration's ability to use emergency powers to impose tariffs. Trump has declared that the fentanyl drug crisis at America's borders have forced a national emergency. 'The plain language of the (International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977) does not include the power to 'tariff' or to 'tax.' The powers enumerated in the statute are extensive and specific. Omission of tariffs is significant given how clearly Congress referenced tariff authorities in other trade statutes. The IEEPA has been the basis for over 60 executive orders. It has never been used to impose tariffs,' the court filing said. The lawsuit said that only Congress has the power to negotiate treaties and trade agreements. While the Trump administrations has used the fentanyl problem to impose the tariffs, the lawsuit also contends that the tariffs have not targeted the problem. For example, Customs and Border Patrol intercepted 9,600 kilograms coming from Mexico, but only 19 kilograms of fentanyl from Canada. 'The executive orders do not address the differential or attempt to target the harm, they simply impose blanket tariffs on all borders without reference to the factual situation or any attempt to explain how universal tariffs, which are functioning like sanctions, will actually address the stated emergency,' the lawsuit stated. 'There is no link between the stated national security threat of imports from steel and aluminum and a 25% tariff on all goods, including a replacement tractor wheel necessary to continue farming and ranching.' The lawsuit also said that Montana's tourism and agricultural sectors will be harmed by the tariffs, two key industries for the state, and essential to Montana's tribal nations. 'Tourism reservations are cancelled, contracting jobs are off, farm and ranch operations have been thrown into high unpredictability, and businesses cannot plan,' the lawsuit said. 'The growing, tourism, and construction season is short in Montana. It cannot withstand see-saw tariffs that are on one day and higher the next.' Montana Farmers Union filed a declaration in favor of the lawsuit, saying that tariffs had the ability to hurt the farming and ranching community because of the trade between Canada and Montana, especially in the northern part of the state. 'Many Montana farmers' closest suppliers and buyers are just across the Canadian border. Farmers are going to get caught both ways by tariffs on both side of the borders instead of being able to rely on the historical network of businesses and family that have helped to spread their risk and workload,' said Walt Schweitzer, executive director of the Montana Farmers Union.
CBC
19-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Chilliwack, B.C., farmers worry uncleared ditches harming ability to grow food
Social Sharing When April Johnman looks out over the fields of her family farm in Chilliwack, B.C., where tall green grass and fresh corn grow throughout the summer, all she sees is mud. "It's been flooded," she told CBC's The Early Edition host Stephen Quinn. It's been that way since October. "It's unusual to see the water stay this long." That flooding, she said, is the result of blocked ditches and culverts near her property. And if it's not cleared, it could be devastating for this year's crops. "We're trying to grow crops, we're trying to feed our animals, which in turn feeds people," said Johnman's father, David Dyck. "We have enough struggles with doing that." Dyck pointed out that this comes at a time when Canada is looking to be more self-sustaining, as the U.S. threatens tariffs on Canadian goods, and Canada considers retaliatory measures. Land set aside for agricultural purposes, known as the Agricultural Land Reserve, only makes up about five per cent of B.C.'s land base, and Dyck argued efforts should be made to ensure that land is viable. 'Passing the buck' According to Dyck, the ditches in question are usually cleared by the city. Farmers are not allowed to clear them on their own, he said. According to a 2013 report from the Stewardship Centre for B.C., a lot of crops are grown on land located on valley bottoms adjacent to natural waterways. In many cases, ditches were built to improve drainage, but now, those ditches have become habitat for some fish. Dyck said he's been trying to connect with the city, province and even Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to find out if and when the ditches will be cleared, only to be stuck in a revolving door of bureaucracy as agencies pass him off to each other. "Everybody's passing the buck," he said. When CBC reporters asked the provincial Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship for details on the situation, it said questions should be directed to DFO. DFO confirmed the city asked for approval to move forward with ditch clearing in March 2024. The department said it determined the work wouldn't harm any fish or habitat, so their approval wasn't required. However, DFO said it gave the city a permit for work that could harm habitat for Salish suckers — an endangered fish species. "For ditch locations that contain Salish sucker, the Species at Risk Act permit allows ditch cleaning between August 1 to October 15 to protect sensitive life stages for the species," DFO said in a statement. But for information on timelines for clearing those ditches, DFO said the city should answer. After repeated requests to the city, Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove said that, indeed, that particular area was scheduled to be cleaned last year. "We have over 700 kilometres of open channels that we're responsible for cleaning," he said. "That's a lot." Popove said Dyck and Johnman's ditches are scheduled to be cleaned, but not until closer to summer, because he said it's within the "fish window." It's not easy work, Popove pointed out; the fish from the streams are scooped out of the water and put in a safe place before the ditch can be properly cleaned. Plus, he said the paperwork involved just to get permission is a challenge in and of itself — the stack of paper in the application is "a couple inches thick," Popove said. Must be cleared by spring The ditch being full through the fall and winter has already meant that Dyck and Johnman were unable to plant a cover crop — something like winter wheat that they could harvest come spring. "A lot of us didn't get our cover crops planted in a timely matter," Dyck said. "Mine have basically failed." Johnman said the "closer to summer" timeline is too late. "For our fields to be ready to plant around May long weekend, the water table needs to significantly come down for us to be able to do any kind of fieldwork," she said. "They need to be cleaned before the end of March, and that's still way too late." If it isn't cleared by spring, they won't be able to plant seeds for corn — which Chilliwack is known for — Dyck said. "If we can't get out and plant our corn in a timely fashion, all of a sudden [it'll be] late fall when it gets wet again for harvesting."
