Page 1 - August 2013

CHEHALIS The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation “People of the Sands” TRIBAL NEWSLETTER August 2013 Free Chehalis Canoe Family 2013 Journey “Paddle to Quinault” Great Wolf Lodge—Ninth This is seventh year that the Circuit Court of Appeals Finds Chehalis Canoe Family participated in One Heart and One Mind on That Thurston County May Not the Canoe Journey with tuulap tit wiA (Tu-lap ti weah), a twenty- Assess Property Taxes seven foot ocean canoe. The Canoe Journey is a traditional and By David Burnett, Chairman spiritual journey on the ancestral On July 30, 2013, the Federal waters by the First Peoples of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Northwest Coast, and is a feat fled its decision in Confederated requiring mental, physical and Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation spiritual readiness. The Canoe v. Thurston County Board of Journey creates opportunities Equalization, et al. That lawsuit for tribal members to re-learn, was originally brought by the strengthen, and reinforce their Tribe in 2008 against the Thurston canoe traditions. There are many County Board of Equalization and cultural values that are learned various Thurston County offcials from the canoeing, including pride, to dispute the County’s property cultural knowledge, learning how taxes on the Great Wolf Lodge. to paddle, respect, and sense of The Tribe has refused to pay these achievement. This year was the The Chehalis Canoe Family arrive at Makah and wait to ask property taxes since the original Paddle to Quinault, who previously permission to come ashore. tax assessment in 2007. In 2010, hosted in 2002. The Chehalis Grenville. the year in preparation for the the United States District Court for Canoe Family joined the journey Canoe Journey. Fundraisers the Western District of Washington, in Lower Elwha and ended at The Chehalis Canoe Family are instrumental to a successful which heard the original lawsuit, the beach in Quinault at Point worked together throughout Continued on Page 2 found that the County had the Chehalis River Dugout Canoe Finds a New Home at the Community Center authority to assess property taxes on the Great Wolf Lodge. With no Friday, July 25 was a day to heavy and many people helped intention of ever paying a tax to the County, The Tribe then appealed remember as our Tribe’s river carry it into the Tribal Center. that ruling to the Ninth Circuit dugout canoe was moved from Court of Appeals. the Business Committee offce The art of making dugout canoes to the Gathering Room at the stretches back into history. The The Ninth Circuit considered Community Center. Before process of making a dugout the impact of federal law on the that it was on display for a canoe is different depending property tax assessment. That law period of time above the old on the type of trees that were Continued on Page 3 trophy and bookcase in the main Inside tribal center lobby. A piece available and the purpose of the of Chehalis tribal history can canoe. Carvers used different 2013 Cancer Walk .............................. 3 now be viewed at the Gathering ways of hollowing the tree out Tribal Health and Wellness News ...... 4 Room for everyone to enjoy. The dugout canoe being carried off with fre, stones and adze. River Guidelines on Medical Transports ..... 5 the trailer and into the Gathering dugout canoes are one of the TGEM Program Certifcation ............ 6 The shovel nose dugout canoe Room. oldest forms of transportation Walk of Fame Pavers ......................... 7 was discovered in a slough Secena, Maynard Starr, and Jerry that our ancestors used to travel August Birthdays ............................... 8 in what is referred to as the Old Youckton were able to rescover up and down the rivers. Fishing Chehalis Tribal Loan Fund ................ 9 Channel on the Chehalis River. the canoe and bring it to the Tribal weirs and dugout canoes were used Summer Youth Workers, Heritage ... 10 The Fisheries Technicians Albert Center in the mid-1980’s. The to harvest fsh providing food for Memorial Baseball Tournament ....... 11 Ortivez, Dennis Cayenne, Bill canoe was water logged and very the families. Rights of Passage Ceremony ........... 12