Page 1 - Chehalis Tribal Newsletter - May 2025

The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, ‘People of the Sands’

TRIBAL

CHEHALIS NEWSLETTER

MAY 2025 FIND HISTORY, HERITAGE & RESOURCES AT CHEHALISTRIBE.ORG

inside Handcrafted pieces Hard works pays off
Let’s celebrate Chehalis Tribal Enterprises Hundreds of weavers Rodney Youckton
June birthdays / 6 news and updates / 9 attend Hazel Pete event honored with award
Advocating for mental Rochester Middle School
health is crucial / 8 playground dedicated / 10 page 7 page 12

Tribal Days thrills

Memorial Day weekend brings baseball extravaganza

By Frazier Myer
housands of people came to
celebrate the 2025 Tribal Days
T on the Chehalis Reservation
during the four-day event on Memorial
Day weekend. This is the largest annual
event for the Chehalis Tribe as Native
Americans from neighboring areas
travel to enjoy and take part in various
festivities. Each year brings three
separate tournament brackets for those
competing in hardball or softball.
See TRIBAL DAYS / page 2

INSIDE

Cancer Walk / 3
Tribal Royalty / 4
Art Show / 5
Shawn Youckton at the plate for team Chehalis during the 2025 Tribal Days hardball tournament.

The first Celebration honors salmon
salmon
carcass is
released back
into the river Traditional gathering shares traditional practices with youth
as part of the pays tribute to sacred fish to encourage them to learn and carry on
annual Salmon important customs for future generations.
Ceremony. By Frazier Myer Each year, the ceremony begins on the
The event On May 17, the Chehalis Tribe held the Chehalis River as Tribal youth release the first
highlights annual Salmon Ceremony to honor the fish fish back to the waters. The skeletal carcass of
a rich food that has sustained its people for hundreds of the salmon is placed on a plank of cedar and
source that years. sent downstream.
has nourished Salmon is a main food source for the Later, community members gathered
generations. Chehalis Tribal people’s diets. The gathering See SALMON / page 5