The Office of Tribal Relations (OTR) recently had a great week at the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) annual convention, located on the homelands of the Suquamish Tribe. OTR participated in many productive conversations including government-to-government relations, higher education, cultural and natural resources, and more.

ATNI is an Inter-Tribal nonprofit organization that represents and advocates for the 57-member Tribal governments and their elected leaders, to whom the organization provides a forum for sharing information, developing consensus, and pursuing self-determination. Founded in 1953, the organization is dedicated to promoting tribal sovereignty and self-determination. ATNI’s work also directly serves individual tribal citizens and communities by supporting economic development, cultural preservation, and the advancement of their rights and well-being.

On the opening day of the convention (Indigenous Peoples Day), President Jones had the opportunity to speak directly to Northwest Tribal leaders and ATNI members. As the new UW President, he pledged to continue the UW鈥檚 strong commitment to collaboration with Washington Tribes and support for Indigenous students, faculty and staff. He shared that he is eager to get to know the Northwest鈥檚 Tribal leadership and to continue the UW鈥檚 commitment to expanding learning and opportunities for our Native students.

In closing, he shared this message to the community, 鈥淒eveloping reciprocal and mutual relationships with Native Nations is integral to our responsibility as an institution.鈥� He was hopeful for the future as we prioritize Tribal engagement based on mutual respect, open communication, collaboration, and listening.

The UW is grateful to ATNI and the Suquamish Tribe for welcoming President Jones and for their warm hospitality.

After the screening there will be an in-depth discussion of Indigenous water rights, Indigenous health and Native sovereignty with:

• Michelle Johnson-Jennings (Choctaw), Professor; Director, Environmentally Based Health & Land-based Healing, IWRI, appears in 鈥淏ad River鈥�
• Clarita Lefthand-Begay, 鈥�08, 鈥�14 (Navajo), Assistant Professor, Information School; Director, Tribal Water Security Project
• Paul Ward, 鈥�91 鈥�96 鈥�11 (Yakama), Federal Government Relations Director, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
• Mary Mazzio, 鈥淏ad River鈥� Writer and Director
• Cecilia Gobin, 鈥�11 (Tulalip), panel moderator, Conservation Policy Analyst, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

A hosted community reception will be held after the panel.

Admission is free.

November 23, 2024
5:00 PM-9:00 PM

w菨色菨b蕯altx史 鈥� Intellectual House
4249 Little Canoe Channel NE
Seattle, WA 98195

For a deep dive into the history and ongoing impact of this watershed ruling, check out “Treaty Justice: The Northwest Tribes, the Boldt Decision, and the Recognition of Fishing Rights” by eminent legal historian and longtime tribal advocate Charles Wilkinson.

 
KUOW Soundside’s recent segment about the Boldt Decision provides a great summary of how this landmark federal court case brought against Washington state reaffirmed the treaty rights of Native Americans to fish in traditional waters and shorelines.

 
HistoryLink and The Columbian both posted articles about the history of the Boldt Decision, how it came to be, and what the decision meant for Tribes in the state of Washington.


 
A model of a statue of the late Billy Frank Jr., a champion for Tribal treaty rights and salmon recovery, was unveiled at the state Capitol in Olympia in January, set to become the first statue depicting a contemporary Native American in the National Statuary Hall in the nation鈥檚 Capitol.

 

We hope to see you there!

Date: April 13 – 14, 2024

Location: Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmunson Pavilion

Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which will be on Monday, October 9th, is a time to celebrate and lift up native peoples; past, present and future. It is also a day to take action to demonstrate support for and solidarity with Tribal Nations and indigenous communities. The Office of Tribal Relations has pulled together the following list of resources for more information on the day and why it is significant. This is a starting point for learning and not an exhaustive list.

: This article published by NPR discusses the history and meaning behind Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Representative Tawna Sanchez of Oregon and Mandy Van Heuvelen, a staff member at the National Museum of the American Indian provide their perspectives.

: The Seattle Urban Native Nonprofits’ (SUNN) mission is to strengthen the Native American community in King County via advocacy and leadership to meet their goal of uplifting Indigenous people. This organization is dedicated to advancing the “health, well-being, and inherent responsibilities” of urban Indians.

: The Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB) provides healthcare for American Indians and Alaska Natives in King County.

: This organization focuses on serving the homeless Native American population, who are in need of housing and human services. Chief Seattle Club has a special and unique way of addressing the needs of its members – by honoring Indigenous culture and utilizing traditional practices to restore the human spirit.

: The Potlatch Fund serves Tribes and Indigenous organizations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana by awarding grants and opportunities for leadership development. The organization is community-based and centers their work on addressing the diverse needs of Indigenous people by investing in the youth, the preservation of Native American languages, and art, to name a few.

: The Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center will be hosting an Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration on Monday, October 9th from 5:00pm-9:00pm. Traditional attire is encouraged.

In a joint effort with the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, the Office of Tribal Relations has developed a new workshop for UW faculty and staff on land acknowledgements.

The workshop consists of four lessons designed to serve as background context for understanding the many contextual factors of land acknowledgments. As many meetings, gatherings and important functions at the 天美影视传媒 begin with land acknowledgments, UW employees are encouraged to enroll in this optional self-paced learning opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of history, purpose and practice of these recognitions at the University.

The Office of Tribal Relations thanks Danica Miller (Puyallup), McKenna Dorman (Snoqualmie), Scott Pinkham (Nez Perce) and Anthony Craig (Yakama) for taking part in an important discussion moderated by Director of Tribal Relations, Sherri Berdine (Aleut), regarding the topic and practice of land acknowledgments.

UW Seattle land acknowledgement: The 天美影视传媒 acknowledges the Coast Salish peoples of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip and Muckleshoot nations.

Native American Student Day

On March 17th at the Intellectual House, Sherri Berdine helped to open and welcome prospective students to the annual Native American Student Day. Native American Student Day is one-day conference for American Indian/Alaska Native high school students who are interested in attending the 天美影视传媒 Seattle. NASD was created to encourage Native students to pursue higher education as well as give them the opportunity to experience the UW.

Intellectual House Phase II Planning Efforts

This Spring, staff from the Office of Tribal Relations, Intellectual House, and Office of Minority and Diversity Affairs (OMAD) began visits to Tribes to present updates about the planning efforts for Phase 2 of the Intellectual House. w菨色菨b蕯altx史 Phase 2 will further help Native American students overcome the cultural barriers they face to earning a four-year degree by creating a facility where students, faculty, staff, and Native American communities can come together in a supportive and welcoming educational environment to share their knowledge and cultures.

Phase 2 is envisioned to bring additional support to Native American student retention through greater connection to their culture and community in the form of a facility that includes a Native art lab, classrooms, a student resource area, a student lounge, and an outdoor gathering space surrounded by educational native gardens used in the teaching of indigenous science, art, and medicine.

What is a Land Acknowledgement?

Over the past year, the Office of Tribal Relations has collaborated with the training and education staff within the Office of Minority and Diversity Affairs to develop a land acknowledgement toolkit and resource guide. The resource offers an introduction to and history of land acknowledgements, guidance on creating one and examples of ways to solidify commitments to and support Native people.

First Nations 53rd Annual Powwow

On Saturday, April 8th, the 53rd annual Powwow was held at the Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. First Nations @ UW is an undergraduate intertribal registered student organization at the 天美影视传媒 in Seattle that are known for planning and organizing the annual Spring Powwow which brings together Natives from across the United States and Canada for this special event.

Tribal Leadership Summit

For the last decade, the UW has hosted an annual Tribal Leadership Summit with representatives from Tribal communities around the state to discuss ways in which we might better partner to enhance and advance the government-to-government relationship between participating tribes and the UW. Topics include, but are not limited to, the recruitment and retention of Native American students and faculty, and integrating American Indian culture and knowledge into our curriculum where appropriate. The University is committed to continuing to improve our relationship with Tribal leadership around the state and to making the UW a welcoming and supportive environment for our American Indian, Alaska Native, and Indigenous students and faculty. This year鈥檚 Tribal Leadership Summit is scheduled for May 3 from 12:30 鈥� 4:30 at the Intellectual House.

Jesintel: Living Wisdom From Coast Salish Elders

Book launch and reception
Monday, April 17th
4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
UW Intellectual House

Missing Murdered Indigenous People’s Forum

Friday, May 5, 2023
9:00 to 11 a.m.
Virtual event
Register:

The College of Arts & Sciences feature Tribal Relations Director Sherri Berdine in their January Perspectives newsletter. The full story can be .