HERALD NORTH K ITSAP
Friday, June 8, 2012 | Vol. 111, No. 23 | WWW.NORTHKITSAPHERALD.COM | 50¢
KILLED IN ACTION: Kitsap sailor will be buried at Arlington / A3 KITSAP WEEK: Svindran takes a final bow
Gregoire, tribal leaders celebrate ‘great strides’ By MEGAN STEPHENSON mstephenson@northkitsapherald.com
From left, Gov. Gregoire, Swinomish Chairman Cladoosby and Suquamish Chairman Leonard Forsman listen to an opening song by Sacred Waters, Thursday at the House of Awakened Culture. Megan Stephenson / Herald
SUQUAMISH — The date of this year’s Centennial Accord meeting between state and tribal officials was June 7, the anniversary of the death of Chief Seattle in 1866. Brian Cladoosby, chairman of the Swinomish Tribe, asked the audience to remember the honest spirit of the chief. Cladoosby
spoke of how, in recent years, state and tribal governments were able to improve their relationship. The history of past “atrocities,” Gov. Chris Gregoire said, should not be swept under the rug, but shared “day after day, year after year” with today’s state residents. Native culture is in a resurgence, and many spoke of the upcoming Canoe Journey, which has revived a tradition and is also in its 23rd
year. Cladoosby, Gregoire and several state and tribal officials spoke at the 23rd Centennial Accord meeting Thursday, an annual conference to address the ongoing achievements and hurdles between the Accord’s signers. The meeting was held at the House of Awakened Culture. The Centennial Accord was signed Aug. 4, 1989 by then-Gov. See GREGOIRE, Page A8
‘Because of who we are’ Don’t show up, Gifting is an important lose your deposit part of the annual Canoe Journey, and of Native culture
WSF implementing first phase of new reservation system; coming to Kingston in 2015
By MEGAN STEPHENSON mstephenson@northkitsapherald.com
W
hen attending a celebration, such as a wedding, western cultural tradition is to bring a gift to the hosts. In Northwest Coast Native culture, the gifting ceremony is an immensely important, elaborate protocol called potlatch — it is the hosts that give gifts to those who are there. “They are gifting us for honoring them with our attention,” said Laura Price, a Port Gamble S’Klallam Canoe Family organizer and skipper. “It’s a payment of gratitude, love and respect.” Gifting is an important aspect of the annual Canoe Journey, beginning its 23rd year June 20. The Journey is a revival of a traditional form of travel, shared among more than 100 Northwest Coast First Nations and Tribes. The canoes travel from their territories to a different host nation every year, stopping in other indigenous communities along
By KIPP ROBERTSON krobertson@northkitsapherald.com
Lenora Bagley, of Suqamish’s Healing of the Canoe program, makes a beaded necklace to be given as a gift during the Canoe Journey. Megan Stephenson / Herald
the way to share their culture, gifts and songs, and reconnect. This year, thousands of pullers (the term for paddlers in the canoe), support teams and guests will descend on the Port Gamble S’Klallam and Suquamish reservations July 20-22, before the Journey ends in Squaxin, near Olympia, July 29. Many gifts aren’t material things, such as when rare songs
or dances are shared. But each Tribe prepares thousands of gifts for the other canoe families and guests along the way — gifts that represent each Tribe’s unique traditions and local materials. “I don’t know why the non-Indian way is the way things are done,” said Tina Jackson, Suquamish cultural activities coordinator. “For us,
THE 2012
CANOE
JOURNEY
See GIFTING, Page A9
KINGSTON — Ferry passengers will see a big change in Washington State Ferries June 13 when the new reservation system, Save a Spot, goes live. It’s a change commuters of the central Puget Sound routes won’t see for about three years. David Moseley, WSF assistant secretary, said the central Sound routes — Kingston/Edmonds, Bainbridge/Seattle, Bremerton/ Seattle — will be the most difficult to implement a reservation system on. The toughest of the three service areas won’t see reservations until sometime in mid-2015, if at all. Though there are models of reservations systems out there, not many are so commuter-heavy as those in the central Sound area, he said. There’s also the issue of taxpayer and Legislature support. “The central Puget Sound leg-
islators aren’t completely sold on the system either, which is why we pushed the implementaINSIDE tion date out a few years,” said Police were Sen. Christine looking Rolfes, D-23rd Thursday District. for a man Though suspected of robbing Key Moseley is a Bank. See strong propage A3. ponent of the new system, Rolfes said the Legislature will not allow anyone to implement something that is not going to work. See WSF, Page A9
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