>>> HELLO AND HAPPY INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE'S DAY. LIKE I SAID, WE
WILL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED
WHILE EVERYBODY IS EATING AND M
NAME IS HEATHER WALKER TAYLOR
AND I WELCOME EACH AND EVERY ON
OF YOU TODAY. THIS IS THE 10th
YEAR THAT THE CITY OF SEATTLE
HAS HAD INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY
10 YEARS. 10 YEARS WE HAVE BEEN
DOING THIS AND TO GET THINGS
STARTED, I WANT TO SAY THAT SOM
LITTLE ONE, I THINK, BECAUSE IT
IS A LITTLE WET LOST A DRUMSTIC
ALONG THE WAY. SO IF IT IS
YOURS, PLEASE COME AND GET IT.
AND THEN TO GET STARTED, I WOUL
LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU ALL TO
JENNIFER CHOW, THE DIRECTOR OF
DEPARTMENT OF NEIGHBORHOODS. [
APPLAUSE ]
>>> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE AN
WHAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY AND WHAT A
GREAT PLACE TO SEE SO MANY
PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY WITH THE
DIVERSITY AND I'M EXCITED TO
JOIN YOU TODAY AND MY PARENTS
ARE ALSO HERE TO CELEBRATE WITH
YOU AND IN COMMUNITY. I BROUGHT
MY FAMILY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO
US THAT WE ARE HERE. IN THE PAS
DECADE, OUR CITY HAS TAKEN GREA
STRIDES TO RECOGNIZE THE
LEADERSHIP OF TRIBAL AND URBAN
NATIVE COMMUNITIES IN OUR REGIO
AND THE MAYOR'S ROLE IN CREATIN
POSITIVE CHANGE IS THE
PARTNERSHIP WITH NATIVE
COMMUNITIES. IN 2014, WHEN THE
MAYOR WAS STILL A COUNCILMEMBER
HE WORKED WITH COUNCILMEMBER
KSHAMA SAWANT TO OFFICIALLY
RECOGNIZE THIS ACROSS OUR CITY
AND I AM HONORED TO BE HERE
TODAY TO CELEBRATE WITH YOU.
SINCE THAT TIME, WHETHER HE WAS
A COUNCILMEMBER OR MAYOR
HARRELL, HE HAS SUPPORTED MANY
INITIATIVES TO HONOR THE LEGACY
AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR
AMERICAN INDIAN, ALASKAN NATIVE
AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN COMMUNITIES
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COUNCIL
PRESIDENT, DEBORA JUAREZ, THE
MAYOR HAS SUPPORTED OUR EFFORTS
TO ADDRESS THE CRISIS OF MISSIN
AND MURDERED INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
AND ALSO HOSTED THE CITY'S FIRS
TRIBAL NATION SUMMIT AND HAS
BEEN A STRONG SUPPORT OF OUR
INDIGENOUS ADVISORY COUNCIL. AS
WE CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH ALL
OF YOU TO BUILD A MORE INCLUSIV
AND WELCOMING SEATTLE, WE DO
KNOW THAT MAYOR HARRELL WILL
STRENGTHEN AND AMPLIFY THE WORK
OF OUR NATIVE COMMUNITIES ACROS
OUR REGION . IT IS MY PLEASURE
TO WELCOME MAYOR BRUCE HARRELL
TO THE STAGE TO PRESENT THE 202
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY
PROCLAMATION.
>> THANK YOU , VERY MUCH,
JENNIFER. I WILL RAISE THIS UP
LITTLE BIT. I AM ABSOLUTELY
HONORED AND EXCITED TO BE HERE
AND JUST A FEW REMARKS AND MOST
IMPORTANTLY I WANT TO READ THE
OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION THAT GOES
INTO OUR CITY'S HISTORY TO HONO
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND WHEN I
SAY HONOR, PART OF OUR
OBLIGATION IS A CITY IS TO LEAR
FROM THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND
THAT'S PART OF THE CELEBRATION
AND SUCH THAT THOSE ARE NOT PAR
OF THE TRADITIONAL COMMUNITY CA
LEARN AND ACKNOWLEDGE OUR SINS
AND MISTAKES AND ERRORS AND
ATROCITIES AS A COUNTRY AND AS
STATE AND CITY TO MAKE SURE THA
WE LEARN AND BE BETTER AND WE
ARE BETTER THROUGH POLICIES AND
INVESTMENTS SO THAT IS WHY I AM
HONORED TO BE PART OF THIS GREA
CELEBRATION AND THANK YOU FOR
THAT INTRODUCTION I WANT TO
RECOGNIZE AND WELCOME THE VICE
CHAIR DONNIE STEPHENSON AND
LET'S GIVE HIM A HAND AND IF
THERE IS ONE THING I LEARNED
ABOUT BROTHER STEPHENSON IS YOU
DON'T GET ON THEIR BAD SIDE AND
IN ALL SERIOUSNESS THANK YOU,
VICE CHAIR FOR BEING HERE AND I
WANT TO RECOGNIZE COUNCILMEMBER
KSHAMA SAWANT AND IF THERE ARE
ANY OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS AND
I HAVE AN ACKNOWLEDGED YOU, AND
TODAY WE HAVE COME TOGETHER TO
RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE
CULTURE, HISTORY AND INDEED THE
RESILIENCE OF THE INDIGENOUS
COMMUNITIES AND TRIBAL NATIONS
HERE IN THIS REGION AND INDEED
ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THIS YEAR'S
THEME IS HONORING OUR ELDERS
PAST AND PRESENT AND ADVANCES
AND CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO
RECOGNIZE TO CELEBRATE THE
LEGACY AND ONGOING CONTRIBUTION
OUR AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA
NATIVE AND NATIVE HAWAIIAN
COMMUNITIES HAVE AND CONTINUE T
HAVE IN AMERICAN SOCIETY AND IN
OUR PUGET SOUND REGION AND I
WOULD LIKE TO READ AS I CLOSE
THE OFFICIAL PRODUCT NATION. YO
YOUNG FOLKS BEAR WITH US AND
THIS MAYOR. WHEREAS THE CITY OF
SEATTLE RECOGNIZES THE
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF THE LANDS
THAT WOULD LATER BECOME KNOWN A
THE AMERICAS HAVE OCCUPIED THES
LANDS SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL AND
SEATTLE IS BUILT UPON THE
HOMELANDS AND VILLAGES OF THE
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES OF THIS
REGION WITHOUT WHOM THE BUILDIN
OF THE CITY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN
POSSIBLE AND WITH CITY VALUES
THE MANY CONTRIBUTIONS MADE TO
OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES KNOWLEDGE,
LABOR TECHNOLOGY SCIENCE
PHILOSOPHY ARTS AND THE DEEP
CULTURAL CONTRIBUTION THAT HAS
SUBSTANTIALLY SHAPED THE
CHARACTER OF THE CITY OF SEATTL
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF SEATTLE
HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO UPHOLD
THIS -- OPPOSES THE SYSTEMIC
RACISM TOWARD INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
IN THE UNITED STATES WHICH
PERPETUATES HIGH RATES OF
POVERTY AND INCOME INEQUALITY
AND EXACERBATING
DISPROPORTIONATE HEALTH,
EDUCATION, AND SOCIAL CRISES.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY PROMOTES
THE CLOSING OF THE EQUITY GAP
FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THROUGH
POLICIES AND PRODUCT THIS IS
THAT REFLECT THE EXPANSES OF
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE TO ENSURE
GREATER ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY
AND TO HONOR OUR NATIONS
INDIGENOUS HISTORY AND
CONTRIBUTION WHEREAS INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE'S DAY WAS FIRST PROPOSED
IN 1977 BY A DELEGATION OF
NATIVE NATIONS TO THE UNITED
NATIONS SPONSORED THE
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS IN THE
AMERICAS. AND MY LAST CLAUSE,
WHEREAS IN 2014, THE MAYOR, THE
CITY COUNCIL OF SEATTLE AND THE
SEATTLE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
AND COMMISSIONERS DECLARE THE
SECOND MONDAY OF OCTOBER AS
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY TO
PROMOTE TOLERANCE, UNDERSTANDIN
AND FRIENDSHIP AND TO COMBAT
PREJUDICE AND ELIMINATE
DISCRIMINATION STEMMING FROM
COLONIZATION . AND ON MARCH 29
AND 2022 THE CITY COUNCIL
UNANIMOUSLY PASSED ORDINANCE
126559 ESTABLISHING INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE'S DAY AS A LEGAL HOLIDAY
AND NOW, THEREFORE, I MAYOR OF
SEATTLE AND THE CITY COUNCIL TO
PROCLAIM OCTOBER 9, 2023 TO BE
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY. AND NO
WE CLAP AND CELEBRATE. THANK YO
VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU CONNOR MAYER. WE
NOW HAVE A GIFT FOR YOU. THANK
YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK
YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MAYOR. OUR NEXT
SPEAKER IS COUNCILMEMBER KSHAMA
SAWANT . SHE IS A SOCIALIST ON
THE CITY COUNCIL AND IN 2014
WORKED TOGETHER WITH THE URBAN
NATIVE COMMUNITY TO SPONSOR AND
WIN THE LEGISLATION CREATING
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY HERE IN
SEATTLE. SHE WORKED SUBSEQUENT
YEARS WITH THE INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE'S DAY PLANNING COMMITTEE
AND MEMBERS OF THE CITIES CANOE
AFFINITY GROUP TO PLAN THE RALL
AND MARCH EACH YEAR AND WORK TO
FUND THE CITY OF SEATTLE'S
BUDGET AND HER PEOPLE BUDGET
CAMPAIGN. SHE HAS BEEN HERE
EVERY YEAR SINCE WE HAVE HAD
SEATTLE'S INDIGENOUS PEOPLE DAY
I WOULD LIKE TO RAISE MY HANDS
TO HER AND WELCOME HER TO THE
STAGE.
>> SISTERS, BROTHERS, SIBLINGS,
HAPPY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE DAY --
HAPPY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY.
IT IS REALLY FANTASTIC TO BE
HERE WITH YOU ALL AND IT IS HAR
TO BELIEVE THAT NEARLY A DECADE
HAS PASSED AND SOME OF YOU
PROBABLY WERE BABIES OR CHILDRE
THEN AND NEARLY A DECADE SINCE
HOST OF URBAN NATIVE ACTIVISTS
CAME TO MY SOCIALIST CITY
COUNCIL OFFICE IN THE FALL OF
2014 WITH A PROPOSAL TO ABOLISH
COLUMBUS DAY, WHICH IS A
DESPICABLE -- OR WAS -- A
CELEBRATION OF GENOCIDE AND
IMPERIALISM AND REPLACING IT
WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY AN
A FEW MONTHS EARLIER BEFORE
THEN, THE SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE
AND MY NEWLY ELECTED CITY
COUNCIL OFFICE AT THAT TIME
TOGETHER WITH HOUSES OF
RANK-AND-FILE WORKERS, UNION AN
NONUNION ALIKE, ACTIVISTS AND
SOCIALISTS HAVE WON THE
HISTORIC $15 AN HOUR MINIMUM
WAGE MAKING SEATTLE THE FIRST
MAJOR CITY IN THE COUNTRY TO DO
SO. TODAY'S COST OF LIVING HAS
SOARED SO MUCH BEYOND WHERE IT
WAS NINE YEARS AGO. NOW,
SEATTLE'S MINIMUM WAGE NEEDS TO
BE AT LEAST $25 AN HOUR. IF WE
WANT TO WIN THAT, THEN THE
LESSONS OF HOW SEATTLE'S WORKIN
PEOPLE GOT $15 AN HOUR ARE
CRUCIAL AND SEATTLE'S DEMOCRATI
PARTY AND POLITICAL
ESTABLISHMENT FOUGHT TOOTH AND
NAIL FOR THE $15 MINIMUM WAGE.
BUT FACED WITH A MASS MOVEMENT
LED BY WORKERS AND SOCIALISTS
WILLING TO BACK CITY HALL OVER
AND OVER, CALLING OUT THE
DEMOCRATS WHO WERE OPPOSED TO
THE INTERESTS OF WORKING PEOPLE
AND EXPOSING THE ATTEMPTED
BACKROOM NEGOTIATIONS AGAINST
WORKERS, BUILDING PUBLIC RALLIE
AND MARCHES. WE WERE ABLE TO
THREATEN THE DEMOCRATS THAT IF
THEY DIDN'T PASS THIS BY CITY
COUNCIL LEGISLATION, THEN WE
WOULD BRING THAT MINIMUM WAGE
BALLOT INITIATIVE AND THE
DEMOCRATS WERE FORCED TO BACK
DOWN AND THAT IS HOW YOU WIN. W
WON AT BREAKNECK SPEED JUST SIX
MONTHS AFTER TAKING OFFICE BASE
ON THE POWER OF THE MOVEMENTS
THAT WE HAVE BEEN BUILDING.
AFTER THAT, WE WERE ALREADY
WORKING WITH HUNDREDS OF MOSTLY
IMMIGRANT LOW INCOME RENTERS OF
THE SEATTLE HOUSING AUTHORITY
AND RESIDENTS WHO WERE FIGHTING
AGAINST THESE EFFORTS BY THE
FEDERAL AND LOCAL AND REGIONAL
DEMOCRATIC PARTY ESTABLISHMENT
AND POLITICIANS AND BUREAUCRATS
OF THE SEATTLE HOUSING AUTHORIT
WHO WERE ATTEMPTING TO RAISE TH
RENT ON SOME OF OUR POOREST
IMMIGRANT AND PEOPLE OF COLOR
NEIGHBORS BY 400% IN FIVE YEARS
EVERY TIME I SAY THAT, PEOPLE
SAY IT IS A PRINTING ERROR AND
IT WAS 400%. WE DEFEATED THAT
INCREASE BECAUSE WE FOUGHT BACK
IT WAS DURING THAT SAME TIME IN
THE AUTUMN OF 2014 THAT WE WON
THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY. IT
WAS AN ILLUSTRATION OF HOW CLAS
STRUGGLE AGAINST ECONOMIC
EXPLOITATION SHOULD AND IT DOES
GO HAND IN HAND WITH CLASS
STRUGGLE AGAINST OPPRESSION AND
IMPERIALISM. IT IS EASY TO
FORGET AFTER NEARLY A DECADE
GIVEN NOW THAT INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE'S DAY IS UBIQUITOUS. NOW
YOU HAVE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
POLITICIANS COMING HERE AND
DOING THEIR PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
WITH PEOPLE LIKE THEY ALWAYS
SUPPORTED IT. BUT THE REALITY I
THAT WE, URBAN NATIVES, OUR
COMMUNITY, SOCIALISTS, WE ARE T
WAGE A REAL STRUGGLE AND IT TOO
LEADERS AND CITY LEADERS AND W
WERE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SO MANY
ALONG WITH THE CITY OF SEATTLE
WORKERS AND SOCIALISTS
ALTERNATIVE IN MY ORGANIZATION
AND MY OFFICE IT IS BECAUSE WE
ALL FOUGHT TOGETHER THAT WE WER
ABLE TO WIN THIS AND OTHERS WIL
TELL YOU THAT FOR DECADES THE
DEMOCRATIC ESTABLISHMENT
INCLUDING THOSE WHO CALL
THEMSELVES PROGRESSIVES HAD
REFUSED TO CREATE INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE'S DAY AND AND COLUMBUS
DAY AND ALWAYS DOING LIP SERVIC
BUT NEVER BRINGING IT FORTH AS
LEGISLATION THAT THEY HAD TO
TAKE A POSITION ON AN AS THE
ORDINANCE NOTES, THIS WAS
PROPOSED WAY BACK IN 1977 BY A
DELEGATION OF NATIVE NATIONS TO
THE UNITED NATIONS AND IN 2011,
THE AFFILIATED TRIBE OF
NORTHWEST INDIANS REPRESENTING
59 TRIBES FROM WASHINGTON,
OREGON, IDAHO , NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA, WESTERN MONTANA, AN
SOME ALASKAN TRIBES SUPPORTED
CHANGING COLUMBUS DAY TO
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY. BUT IT
TOOK A SOCIALIST GETTING ELECTE
AND A MOVEMENT OF URBAN NATIVES
TO WIN IT IN THE MOST MAJOR
CITY. AND THEN IT TOOK ONLY
MONTHS AND NOT YEARS. AND WE
MADE IT CLEAR THAT WE WERE NOT
GOING TO JUST GO AWAY QUIETLY
INTO THE NIGHT BY JUST MAKING
THE DEMAND. THAT IS WHEN THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY IMMEDIATELY
SWITCHED TACTICS AND TRIED TO D
WHAT THEY ALWAYS DO WITCHES TRY
TO NEUTRALIZE THE DEMAND AND IT
MEANT THEM TRYING TO MAKE IT NO
ABOUT ABOLISHING COLUMBUS DAY
BUT ABOUT CELEBRATING BOTH AT
THE SAME TIME AND TELL ME HOW D
YOU CELEBRATE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
AND THE FIGHT AGAINST GENOCIDE
AND IMPERIALISM WHILE ALSO
CELEBRATING THAT GENOCIDE AND
IMPERIALISM? IT WAS IMPORTANT
THAT EVERYBODY ON THE GROUND
UNITED INTO REFUSING THIS
INSULTING PROPOSAL AND THAT WE
FOUGHT TOGETHER AND AS I NOTED
IN MY SPEECH AT THE TIME OF OUR
VICTORY, I SAID THIS RESOLUTIO
IS ABOUT MORE THAN A NAME
CHANGE. IT IS ABOUT EDUCATING
OURSELVES AND OUR CHILDREN AND
ABOUT TAKING A STAND AGAINST
RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION. WHEN
COLUMBUS ARRIVED ON THIS
CONTINENT, THERE WERE ESTIMATED
50 MILLION TO 100 MILLION
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE WHAT WERE
LIVING IN WHAT CAME TO BE KNOWN
AS THE NEW WORLD AND THEY WERE
LOOKING FOR INDIA WHERE I AM
FROM AND I AM AN INDIAN FROM
ANOTHER PART OF THE WORLD AND
THEY COULDN'T GET THEIR
GEOGRAPHY RIGHT. BUT COLUMBUS
DIDN'T IN AND THE EUROPEAN
RULING CLASS AT THAT TIME DID
NOT EMBARK ON A SIMPLE VOYAGE
OF EXPLORATION. IT WAS ALWAYS
INTENDED AS A VOYAGE OF
CONQUEST, EXPLOITATION, AND
ULTIMATELY, COLONIZATION. WE
ALSO REJECTED THE DIVIDED
TACTIC ATTEMPTED BY SOME
POLITICIANS AND I NOTED IN THAT
SPEECH THAT ITALIAN-AMERICANS,
WORKING THE PEOPLE -- WORKING
PEOPLE WERE AT THE FOREFRONT OF
SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LABO
RIGHTS AND UNION STRUGGLES AND
THESE ARE THE REAL
ITALIAN-AMERICAN HEROES THAT WE
SHOULD BE CELEBRATING AND NOT
COLUMBUS. SEATTLE WAS NOT THE
FIRST JURISDICTION TO PASS
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY AND WE
HONOR THE ACTIVISTS AND OTHER
CITIES WHO CAME BEFORE US, BUT
OUR VICTORY AND IMPORTANTLY THE
WAY WE WON MADE MAJOR NEWS AND
WAS A HUGE CATALYST FOR
ADDITIONAL VICTORIES AND
WIDESPREAD ACCEPTANCE OF
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY WE SEE
TODAY AND AT THE TIME I REMEMBE
CNN AND AL JAZEERA AND MEDIA
ACROSS THE WORLD REPORTING ON
WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE. AND
THEN, AS WITH EVERY REFORM THAT
ORDINARY WORKING PEOPLE WIN, W
IMMEDIATELY GET ORGANIZED TO
DEFEND IT AND WE HAVE TO DEFEND
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY AS A DA
BORN OUT OF STRUGGLE WHICH MEAN
WE HAD TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT FO
FUNDING INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY
AND GOING FORWARD, THOSE OF YOU
WHO WERE THERE, YOU REMEMBER IT
WAS A REAL FIGHT. AND THEN WE
PASSED A RESOLUTION OR WON A
RESOLUTION, WHICH I THINK IS TH
FIRST ONE, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, TO
HAVE A U.S. CITY ACKNOWLEDGE AN
CONDEMN THE HORRIFIC U.S. INDIA
BOARDING SCHOOL POLICY WHICH
HARMED AS MANY AS 100,000 NATIV
CHILDREN DURING THE NEARLY 100
YEARS IT WAS IN EFFECT. AND ONC
AGAIN, THE URBAN NATIVE
COMMUNITY CAME IN BIG NUMBERS T
FIGHT FOR. BUT NOT BEFORE WE HA
TO DEFEAT THE ZEN COUNCILMEMBER
BRUCE HAROLD, WHO MADE A
DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO INTERRUPT
OUR MOVEMENT BY HAVING THE GALL
TO PUT TOGETHER A RESOLUTION
WHICH WAS INTENDED FOR A VOTE O
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY, NO
LESS, HEREAFTER, TO CELEBRATE
OCTOBER AS ITALIAN-AMERICAN
HERITAGE MONTH AND WE HAVE NO
CELEBRATING -- PROBLEM
CELEBRATING THAT, BUT THIS
RESOLUTION SPECIFICALLY NAMED
CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS AS SOMEONE
WHO "HELPED SHAPE OUR MODERN
WORLD BY DOING WHAT NO OTHER HA
ACCOMPLISHED." THIS IS A
BACKDOOR ATTEMPT TO TAKE AWAY
OUR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY
VICTORY AND, AGAIN, WE FORCED
THEM TO BACK DOWN AND ONLY
BECAUSE WE MADE THIS SCANDALOU
PROPOSAL PUBLIC AND WE FOUGHT
OPENLY AGAINST THEM. THIS IS A
VERY IMPORTANT LESSONS --
LESSON, THAT WHEN THE PEOPLE IN
POWER, NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE,
IF THEY TRY TO INTERRUPT OUR
MOVEMENT, WE DON'T WIN BY HAVIN
NICE SIT DOWN BEHIND THE SCENES
DISCUSSION WITH THEM. THEY ARE
NOT OUR FRIENDS IF THEY ARE
UNDERMINING US AND WE HAVE TO
STAND TRUE TO THE PEOPLE THAT W
SAY WE REPRESENT AND FIGHT
PUBLICLY AND EMPOWER OTHERS TO
JOIN US TO DO SO. I COULD TALK
FOR HOURS ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE
WON, BUT I WILL NAME A FEW OTHE
THINGS THAT WE WON THAT SOME OF
YOU WOULD REMEMBER. WE GOT THE
STRUGGLE TO DIVEST MONEY FROM
THE FOSSIL FUEL AND WELLS FARGO
BANK WHICH WAS LED BY URBAN
NATIVE COMMUNITIES ALONGSIDE
ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS AND THE
SAME AS THE FIGHT AGAINST
ALLOWING SHELL TO HOUSE ITS
MASSIVE OIL DRILLING RIG AND
TERMINAL AT SEATTLE'S PORT,
WHICH, BY THE WAY AT THE TIME
THE NATIVE LEADERS FORCED ME TO
GO ON A CANOE RIDE WHICH I WAS
REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT BUT I WAS
HAPPY THAT I DID THAT AND IT WA
A GREAT EXPERIENCE. OVER THE
LAST DECADE, WE HAVE FOUGHT FOR
AND WON SO MANY THINGS AND WE
WON THE HISTORIC AMAZON TAX AND
2020 AS PART OF THE VICTORY OF
THE GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS. IN
FACT, THE AMAZON TAX REVENUES
WHICH COME FROM TAXING THE
WEALTHIEST PEOPLE IN SEATTLE HA
BECOME A BACKBONE OF THE CITY'S
BUDGET AND WITHOUT THAT, IN
FACT, WE WOULD HAVE A SCENE
MASSIVE AUSTERITY THAT THE CITY
WAS ABLE TO PREVENT. BUT SINCE
THEN, WHAT HAVE WE SEEN? WE HAV
SEEN THE PACK DEMIC -- PANDEMIC
ELIMINATED AND CHILD TAX CREDIT
HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED AND
WORKING CLASS AND POOR FAMILIES
WITH CHILDREN HAVE BEEN PUNCHED
EVEN MORE INTO POVERTY AND
STUDENT DEBT PAYMENTS HAVE
RESUMED. MEDICAID PAYMENTS HAVE
BEEN SEVERELY CURTAILED, AND
RENT CONTINUES TO SKYROCKET.
EVICTIONS ARE BACK AT A
FEROCIOUS RATE. IN OTHER WORDS,
WHAT WE DO SEE IS THAT DESPITE
ALL THE STRUGGLES WE HAVE WAGED
AND WON, CAPITALISM'S RELENTLES
AND IT CONTINUES TO EXTRACT A
DEEPER AND MORE HORRENDOUS PRIC
FROM TENS OF MILLIONS AND
GLOBALLY BILLIONS OF WORKING
PEOPLE, POOR AND MARGINALIZED
COMMUNITIES. WE DO KNOW THAT TH
RATE OF POVERTY AND HOMELESSNES
IS DISPROPORTIONATE AMONG
AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA
NATIVE COMMUNITIES AND THEY BEA
A TRAGICALLY DISPROPORTIONATE
BRUNT OF THE MULTIPLE CRISES OF
FOOD, GAS, CLOTHING, AND
EVERYTHING BEING OUT OF OUR
REACH. AND WHAT ELSE ARE WE
SEEING? WE ARE SEEING PRESIDENT
BIDEN WHO FAMOUSLY MADE A
PROMISE ON HIS CAMPAIGN TRAIL
THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY
BORDER WALL ON HIS WATCH AND
JUST APPROVED BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS FOR A BORDER WALL AND H
IS MAKING HEY OF THE STRUGGLE
BETWEEN AMERICAN-BORN
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND
IMMIGRANT BORN COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR AND THE DIVIDE AND CONQUE
STRATEGY. THE ONLY SOLUTION
AGAINST ALL OF THIS IS FOR US T
PUSH BACK AGAINST THIS AND
RECOGNIZE THAT THE FIGHT AND TH
STRUGGLE ISN'T BETWEEN COMMUNIT
THAT IS MARGINALIZED AGAINST
ANOTHER COMMUNITY THAT IS
MARGINALIZED BUT AGAINST THE
POWERS THAT BE AND WE HAVE TO
UNITE AGAINST WALL STREET AND
THE BILLIONAIRE CLASS AND THE
POLITICAL ESTABLISHMENT THAT
REPRESENTS THEM. WE HAVE TO
LEARN THE LESSONS OF HOW WE HAV
WON THESE VICTORIES. AND ALSO
GEAR UP FOR THE NEXT IMMEDIATE
FIGHT IN THE NEXT IMMEDIATE
FIGHT IS COMING UP IN THE NEXT
MONTH AND A HALF RIGHT HERE AT
CITY HALL AND YOU WILL HEAR
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS SAYING
THIS IS A -- BUDGET SO DON'T
COME TO US WITH BIG DEMANDS TO
INCREASE FUNDING FOR SOCIAL
SERVICES AND DON'T BUY INTO THI
LIE AND THERE IS NOTHING
DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS YEAR'S
BUDGET THAN ANY OTHER YEAR'S
BUDGET OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT
THE POLITICIANS OF THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY ARE LOOKING TO
SCREW US SO WE HAVE TO FIGHT
BACK LIKE EVERY OTHER YEAR WE
HAVE DONE IN THE PEOPLE'S
BUDGET. BUT EVEN MORE SO NOW
BECAUSE THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE
READING THE TEA LEAVES NO THER
IS A RECESSION AROUND THE
CORNER. SO AS HARD AS OUR LIVES
ARE NOW, WITH THE COST OF LIVIN
PRICES, IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.
BUT ONLY FOR US. THIS IS GOING
TO BE A SACRIFICE FOR US WHILE
THE BILLIONAIRES CONTINUE MAKIN
THEIR PROFITS. SO PLEASE SIGN U
ON THE PETITION THAT ADAM HAS S
WE CAN FIGHT TO INCREASE THE
AMAZON TAX AND SAY, WE REJECT A
AUSTERITY BUDGET AND WE REJECT
AN AUSTERITY BUDGET AND THAT IS
BIG BUSINESS AND INCREASE THE
AMAZON TAX SO WE CAN FUND OUR
NEEDS. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, SOME
OF YOU KNOW, THIS IS MY LAST
YEAR ON THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT
THE FIGHT CAN'T AND AND THE
LESSONS WE HAVE LEARNED HERE
HAVE TO BE APPLIED GOING
FORWARD. I URGE YOU ALL TO JOIN
THE MOVEMENT THAT I HAVE
LAUNCHED RECENTLY CALLED WORKER
STRIKE BACK AND IT IS FIGHTING
NATIONALLY FOR A $25 AN HOUR
MINIMUM WAGE AND MEDICARE FOR
ALL AND UNION JOBS AND A FIGHT
AGAINST OPPRESSION AND
DISCRIMINATION AND FOR A NEW
PARTY FOR WORKING PEOPLE. SO
PLEASE JOIN US AND THE STRUGGLE
MUST CONTINUE. SOLIDARITY.
>> THANK YOU. AND BEFORE YOU
TAKE OFF, WE DO HAVE A GIFT
THEREFORE YOU. I REALLY WANT TO
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE YEARS
THAT YOU HAVE HELPED MAKE THIS
EVENT POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. SO
AS WE HEARD, THIS YEAR'S THEME
IS HONORING OUR ELDERS PAST AND
PRESENT. WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO
DO THAT WITHOUT ALSO
ACKNOWLEDGING AND HONORING OUR
USE. SO OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS FRO
THE URBAN NATIVE EDUCATION
ALLIANCE LANE, RYAN -- LANE
RYAN. PLEASE WELCOME .
>> HELLO. I AM LAYING RYAN AND
AN INTERN WITH URBAN EDUCATION
ALLIANCE AND THE STUDENT AT TH
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON. FIRST
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HOW THANKFU
I AM TO BE HERE TO SHARE THIS
SPEECH AND SPEND TIME HERE AT
THIS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY
EVENT. I FOUND THIS MY JUNIOR
YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL AND IT HAS
CHANGED MY LIFE FOR THE BETTER
IT'S AN ORGANIZATION FOUNDED IN
20 -- 2008 TO ENGAGE ALL
GENERATIONS TO EMPOWER YOUTH
THROUGH EDUCATION, CULTURE, AND
TRADITION. HAVING PARTICIPATED
IN THE EVENTS WE HOST, THE
EDUCATIONAL CLASSES AND
COMMUNITY WORK, IT HAS
RECONNECTED ME TO SUCH A STRONG
NATIVE COMMUNITY THAT I HAD NOT
EXPERIENCED BEFORE. I AM SO
GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO WORK WIT
SUCH AMAZING PEOPLE AND THE
YOUTH INTERNS, TEACHERS, MENTOR
FROM OTHER LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS,
EVERYONE IS COMMITTED TO
TEACHING AND CARING FORWARD OUR
WAY OF LIFE. BUT MOST
IMPORTANTLY, I AM SO GRATEFUL T
BE ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR ELDERS
I WAS TAUGHT THAT ELDERS ARE
NOT JUST A STATUS THAT COMES
WITH AGE BUT WHAT YOU DO FOR
YOUR COMMUNITY AND HOW YOU PAS
ON TEACHINGS TO THE YOUNG ONES
AND THE RESPECT AND PATIENCE
THAT YOU WALK WITH DAY-TO-DAY.
YOU MUST EARN THE TITLE OF
ELDER, WHICH I QUICKLY CAME TO
FIND THAT IT WAS FILLED WITH
HONORABLE ELDERS AND WHEN I
FIRST MET SARAH, IT WAS AT EIGH
WEEKLY MEETING AND SHE WAS
ZOOMING AROUND DIRECTING AND
MANAGING AND LEADING AND THE
ROOM WAS FILLED WITH QUESTIONS
LIKE WHERE IS SARAH AND HAVE YO
SEEN SARAH, AND I KNEW SHE WAS
SOMEBODY I WOULD LOOK UP TO AND
HAVING SUCH A STRONG AND SMART
NATIVE WOMAN LEADER IN MY LIFE
IS IMPACTED MY LIFE FOR THE
BETTER AND SHE SPEAKS UP AND
PUSHES ME TO WORK HARDER AND
LEAD WITH CONFIDENCE AND I WILL
FOREVER BE GRATEFUL AND I FIRST
MET MATTHEW WHEN HE CAME AND
TAUGHT US A TRADITIONAL SONG AN
THE FIRST SONG HE TAUGHT US WAS
WAR PARTY WHEN THE BATTLE OF TH
GREASY GRASS WAS STARTING A
YOUNG BOY RAN TO ANOTHER VILLAG
TO WARN OTHERS BEFORE THE U.S.
CAME ANYTHING THIS SONG AS HE
WAS RUNNING OVER AND GETTING T
LEARN THIS SONG BY MATTHEW HAS
BEEN ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABLE
MOMENTS OF MY LIFE AND BEFORE
TEACHING US ANY WORDS HE STARTE
WITH THE IMPORTANCE OF CARING
FOR OUR DRUMS AND GAVE EACH OF
THE USE SAGE AND TAUGHT US OUR
DRUM IS AN OBJECT AND SOMETHING
THAT HAS SPIRIT AND CARED FOR
LIKE A BABY. MASSEY WAS THE
FIRST ELDER TO SHARE WITH ME A
PLANES SONG AND TEACHINGS AND I
WILL ALWAYS HOLD THAT WITH ME
AND AFTER SPENDING MORE TIME
WITH HIM, I LEARNED HE IS A
BOARDING SCHOOL SURVIVOR OF ST.
FRANCIS MISSION. AND HEARING
ABOUT HOW HE SHARED HIS
EXPERIENCES BEFORE CONGRESS IN
MAY 2022 AND HAS MANY ARTICLES
ABOUT HIS TIME AT ST. FRANCIS,
SAW HOW COURAGEOUS, GENTLE, AND
INSPIRING HE IS. TWO SUMMERS
AGO, UNEA WORKED ON MAKING A
MURAL FOR INGRAHAM HIGH SCHOOL
AND THE PROJECT WAS LED BY THOS
WHO ASK A NORTHERN ARTIST TO
CO-LEAD AND AS AN EXPERIENCED
MURALIST, I KNEW THAT WHEN I
WOULD MAKE A MURAL AT MY HIGH
SCHOOL, I WANTED TO INVITE HIM
AND HE CAME INTO THIS PROJECT
WITH SUCH GOOD ENERGY AND
INTENTIONS AND SHARED WITH ME
ALL OF HIS WISDOM TO CREATING
NATIVE ART AND I REALLY ENJOYED
THOSE MONTHS WORKING WITH HIM.
WHEN THINGS GOT DIFFICULT WITH
MY SCHOOL REGARDING THE PROJECT
HE WAS RIGHT THERE AT THOSE
MEETINGS SUPPORTING ME AND JOHN
PUSH ME TO KEEP GOING WITH MY
HEAD HIGH FOCUSING ON THE
POSITIVE AND NOT LET THE SCHOOL
HOLD ME BACK. I WILL ALWAYS
REMEMBER HIS SUPPORT FOR ME.
FINALLY, LAST YEAR AT THIS EVEN
I DID MEET K FIDLER, CHIPPEWA
WHO WELCOMED ME WITH OPEN ARMS
AND TOOK ME IN AS ONE OF HER OW
AND BEING AROUND HER BRINGS ME
SO MUCH PEACE AND CALMNESS AND
SHE ALSO IS ANOTHER STRONG
PLAINS WOMAN WHO CARRIES HERSEL
WITH INTEGRITY AND TRADITIONAL
TEACHINGS. SHE IS SOMEBODY THAT
I KNOW WHO WILL ALWAYS BE THERE
FOR ME WHEN I NEED TO ASK
QUESTIONS ABOUT CEREMONY OR JUS
TO TALK. LIKE JOHN AND SARAH,
WHEN TIMES GOT HARD WITH SCHOOL
WITH THE ART PROJECT, SHE ALSO
WAS AT THOSE MEETINGS WITH THE
ADMINISTRATION QUESTIONING THEM
AND MAKING THEM THINK ABOUT
THEIR ACTIONS. SHE IS A
RESILIENT, COMPASSIONATE AND
LOYAL FRIEND WHOM I WILL ALWAYS
ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH. THESE
ARE ONLY SOME OF THE AMAZING
ELDERS I WORK WITH AT UNEA AND
THE WHOLE COMMUNITY THERE IS SO
IMPORTANT AND WILL HAVE AN
EVERLASTING IMPACT ON ME. THE
SUPPORT FOR URBAN NATIVE THAT
UNEA PROVIDES IS SOMETHING THA
EVERYBODY SHOULD ADMIRE. MY LOV
FOR THESE PEOPLE IS SO STRONG
AND I AM GRATEFUL TO WORK WITH
THE ELDERS OF THE NATIVE SEATTL
COMMUNITY. INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
DATA ME IS ABOUT UNITY,
AWARENESS, AND RECOGNITION ABOU
WHAT OUR FELLOW RELATIVES ARE
DOING IN THE COMMUNITY. SO BY
HONORING OUR ELDERS ON
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY, IT IS
BEAUTIFUL WAY TO SHOW RESPECT
AND GRATITUDE FOR THEIR WISDOM
AND CONTRIBUTIONS. THEY HOLD TH
KNOWLEDGE OF OUR CULTURES AND
TRADITIONS PASSING IT DOWN TO
FUTURE GENERATIONS AND WE SHOUL
CELEBRATE THE RESILIENCE AND
LEARN FROM THEIR EXPERIENCES. [
SINGING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE ]
THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, LANE. NEXT, WE
HAVE OUR KEYNOTE SPEAKER. HE IS
THE VICE CHAIRMAN OF THIS INDIA
TRIBE AND DONNIE STEPHENSON IS
AN ELECTED MEMBER OF THE TRIBAL
COUNCIL AND SERVES AS THE VICE
CHAIRMAN AND A ROLE THAT HE
CONSIDERS TO BE THE GREATEST
HONOR OF HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE
AND HE HAS WORKED AS AN
EXECUTIVE LEVEL LEADER IN INDIA
COUNTRY FOR 25 YEARS SERVING HI
TRIBE AND NATIVE PEOPLE AND HE
ATTENDED EVERGREEN STATE COLLEG
WHERE HE EARNED HIS FORMAL
EDUCATION WITH A BACHELORS
DEGREE IN LIBERAL ARTS AND
FOCUSED ON NATIVE AMERICAN
STUDIES. HE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT
ACCESSING THE TRADITIONAL
TEACHINGS AND WISDOM'S OF THE
ANCESTORS AND ELDERS TO BUILD A
SUSTAINABLE SUCCESSFUL FUTURE
FOR ALL BUT PARTICULARLY, HIS
TRIBAL PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY. HE
BELIEVES SUSTAINABLE FUTURES AR
ACHIEVED THROUGH A LENS OF
COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT TOWARD
UNITY, WELL ASSERTING TRIBAL
IDENTITY, SELF-GOVERNANCE, AND
SOVEREIGNTY. THIS APPROACH
ULTIMATELY BUILDS PATHWAYS OF
CREATIVITY, HEALING,
PERSISTENCE, RECLAMATION, AND
OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THE STRENGT
AND LEGACY PROVIDED BY TRIBAL
CULTURE AND TRADITION. PLEASE
PUT YOUR HANDS TOGETHER AND
WELCOME VICE CHAIRMAN DONNY
STEVENSON.
>> [ SINGING IN A GLOBAL
LANGUAGE ] WELCOME. WELCOME. M
NAME IS DONNY STEVENSON AND I
AM A MUCKLESHOOT AND A MEMBER O
THE MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN TRIBE
AND THE VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE
MUCKLESHOOT TRIBAL COUNCIL AND
MEMBER OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE'S
INDIGENOUS ADVISORY COUNCIL. I
WOULD LIKE TO FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE
THE 574 FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED
TRIBES THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY
AND THE 29 FEDERALLY RECOGNIZED
TRIBES THAT EXIST HERE WITHIN
THE STATE OF WASHINGTON. IT IS
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU THAT
ARE HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE AND
WE ARE HERE TODAY TO COME
TOGETHER TO SHARE THIS TIME AND
THIS SPACE. IT IS INCREDIBLY
MEANINGFUL AND INCREDIBLY
POWERFUL AND IT IS JUST A
WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO COME
TOGETHER IN A GOOD WAY WITH A
GOOD HEART. AS I LOOK OUT AMONG
THIS CROWD AND I LOOK OUT AMONG
THE PRAYER WALK WE MADE FROM TH
WESTLAKE CENTER TO HEAR AT
SEATTLE CITY HALL, I SEE THE
STRENGTH AND THE BEAUTY OF ALL
OF THOSE NATIONS REPRESENTED.
THAT IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL THING
FOR THESE EYES TO BE ABLE TO
BEAR WITNESS TO TODAY AND A BIG
PART OF OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR
BELIEFS HERE IS ACTING AS A
WITNESS THAT WILL DESIGNATE
INDIVIDUALS TO BE THE KEEPERS
OF MEMORY FOR ISSUES AND
INCIDENTS THAT WE ARE PART OF
AND I GOT TO WITNESS SO MUCH
BEAUTY, STRENGTH, PERSEVERANCE
AS WE CAME TOGETHER AS A PEOPLE
UNIFIED TO CELEBRATE EVERYTHING
THAT OUR PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN TO
THE WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY. I
DO HAVE SOME PREPARED REMARKS,
BUT BEFORE I GET INTO THAT, I
WANT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A
CONVERSATION. FIRST THING, AND
JUST ACKNOWLEDGING ALL OF THE
STRENGTH AND BEAUTY THAT IS HER
AND THOSE 574 NATIONS AND THOSE
29 NATIONS. I WILL COUNT TO
THREE IN MY LANGUAGE. AND WHEN
COUNT TO THREE, I WANT EACH AND
EVERY PERSON HERE WHO IS A
MEMBER OF THE TRIBE TO SHOUT OU
THE NATION YOU REPRESENT AND
THIS GOES FOR EVERYBODY WHO IS
HERE IN THE LOBBY BUT IT ALSO
GOES FOR EVERYBODY WHO IS IN TH
BACK HERE AND SERVING MEALS. I
WILL COUNT TO THREE, AND AT THE
TOP OF YOUR LUNGS, I WANT YOU T
HOLLER THE NATION YOU REPRESENT
READY? [ SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL
LANGUAGE ]
>> SO MUCH POWER AND SO MUCH
STRENGTH AND BEAUTY IN ALL OF
THOSE NATIONS. I WANT TO TAKE A
LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO TALK ABOU
THE MUCKLESHOOT, MY TRIBE .
FIRST THINGS FIRST, MUCKLESHOOT
IS NOT THE TRADITIONAL NAME OF
OUR PEOPLE. IF YOU SPEAK OF THE
NAME IN OUR LANGUAGE, IT IS
CLOSER TO SOMETHING ELSE AND IT
DOESN'T REFERENCE ANY SPECIFIC
TRIBE BUT WHAT IT DOES REFERENC
IS A SPECIFIC LOCATION AND A
PLACE NAME AND A PLACE NAME THA
EXISTS ON THE RESERVATION AT AL
OF OUR PEOPLE WERE COLLECTIVELY
RELOCATED TO. SO OUR RESERVATIO
IS ABOUT 5.5 MI.÷ TRACK OF LAND
WHICH EXISTS BETWEEN THE CITIES
AND ABOUT 23 MILES SOUTH OF
WHERE WE STAND AND OUR USUAL
LANDS WERE FROM THE BASE OF THE
SAILOR SEA OR THE SHORES OF IT
ALL THE WAY TO THE BASE OF THE
CASCADE RANGE. AND 99% OR 90% O
MUCKLESHOOT PEOPLE CARRY THAT
AND THAT IS WHO IT IS AMONG MAN
OTHER NATIONS FROM THE WHITE AN
GREEN RIVER AND THE PRAIRIES
THAT EXISTED BETWEEN HERE AND
THERE. AND IN OUR LANGUAGE IT
HAS A SPECIFIC MEANING AND WHAT
IT MEANS OUR TRANSFERS TO AN
ENGLISH IS A LOOKOUT PLACE OR A
PLACE FROM WHICH TO LOOK OUT AN
IT ALMOST CARRIES THE
CONNOTATION OF A NOSE ON HER
FACE AND IT REFERS TO A VERY
SPECIFIC SPOT ON THE RESERVATIO
AND TODAY ROUGHLY ON THE PLATEA
WHERE IT SITS IT COMES TO A
POINT AND MOVES NORTHWARD TOWAR
THE CITY AND HISTORICALLY YOU
COULD WALK OUT AND SEE WHERE TH
GREEN AND THE WHITE RIVER
CONVERGE AND THAT SPOT ON A
RESERVATION IS THAT AND OVER TH
HUNDREDS OF YEARS THAT HAVE
TAKEN PLACE SINCE OUR
RELOCATION, THAT NAME WHERE
PEOPLE WERE MOVED TO CAME TO
TAKE ON THE CONNOTATION OF ALL
THE PEOPLE WHO WERE MOVED THERE
ALL OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL WERE
AMONG THE CEDAR RIVER AND THE
WHITE RIVER AND THE GREEN RIVER
AND THE SHORES OF THE LAKE AND
THE SHORES OF ELLIOTT BAY AND
ALL OF THOSE FOLKS WERE REMOVED
AND PLACED ON THE RESERVATION
BECAME KNOWN BY THE PLACE THEY
WERE MOVED TO AND THAT IS THE
HISTORY OF MY PEOPLE AND THAT I
WHO WE ARE AND WE ARE THE FIRST
PEOPLE IN THIS LAND. AND THAT I
AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE LEGACY
OF THE LEGACY I AM HERE TO SHAR
TODAY. AND ALONG THE SAME LINES
I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE
TRADITIONAL NAME FOR THIS
REGION. SO WE RECENTLY CAME
TOGETHER WITH THE CITY AND THE
SNOQUALMIE NATION TO CELEBRATE
THE CEREMONIAL RENAMING OF THE
ALASKAN BAY ALONG THE WATERFRON
AND THE NEW NAME IS [ SPEAKING
IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE ] ALONG
THE WATERFRONT AND WHAT IT
REALLY IS IS THE ORIGINAL PLACE
NAME FOR WHERE WE ARE FOR OUR
PEOPLE SO FOR HUNDREDS OF
GENERATIONS AND THOUSANDS OF
YEARS THE AREA WHERE WE STAND
TODAY WAS KNOWN BY THAT NAME AN
IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE
HISTORY OF THE PLACE THERE WERE
LITERALLY MORE THAN 10,000 PLAC
NAMES JUST FOR PUGET SOUND
ALONE. OUR PEOPLE HAD TAPPED
INTO THIS PLACE NATURALLY OVER
THE COURSE OF OUR COLLECTIVE
HISTORY IN A WAY THAT REALLY
LAYS THE FOUNDATION AND THE
GROUNDWORK FOR EVERYTHING THAT
EXISTS HERE WITHIN THE CITYSCAP
TODAY AND THE BONES OF THIS CIT
REALLY ARE INDIGENOUS IN NATURE
AND THIS CITY IS OWED OR OWES A
DEBT OF GRATITUDE TO US AS THE
FIRST PEOPLE OF THE LAND BECAUS
WITHOUT US THE CITY WOULD NOT
EXIST. THAT IS AN IMPORTANT
THING FOR US TO TALK ABOUT AND
TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CELEBRATE
ESPECIALLY TODAY. [ SPEAKING I
A GLOBAL LANGUAGE ] IN OUR
LANGUAGE TRANSLATES TO A PLACE
TO CROSS OVER OR THE LITTLE
CROSSING OVER PLACE. REALLY,
WHAT THAT REFERS TO IS THE
WATERFRONT LOOKED VERY
DIFFERENT HISTORICALLY THAN IT
LOOKS TODAY AND YOU LOOK AT THE
PIERS AND THE WAY THE WATERFRON
IS SHAPED BUT THAT IS ALL
CONSTRUCTED AND MAN-MADE. ONCE
UPON A TIME, THERE WAS A SPIT O
LAND THAT YOU COULD WALK ACROSS
THAT EXISTED ROUGHLY TODAY ALON
WHAT IS NOW THIS AND PREVIOUSL
ALASKAN WAY IN THE CORNER OF
WASHINGTON AND AT THAT POINT YO
COULD CROSS THAT TITLE SPIT OF
LAND WHICH IS BETWEEN THE
FRESHWATER LAGOONS LOCATED
INLAND AND THE TIDELANDS LOCATE
ALONG THE SHORE BUT THAT SPIT O
LAND WAS A PLACE TO CROSS AND I
YOU LOOK UP TODAY WHAT IS THE
ESLER, FROM THAT POINT ALONG TH
SHORE, IT WAS A DIRECT PATHWAY
TO THE SHORES OF LAKE
WASHINGTON. SO THAT IS SO
INDICATIVE OF THE WAY OUR PEOPL
WILL NAMED THE PLACES OF THIS
REGION. WHEN YOU THINK OF IT IN
THOSE TERMS, YOU CAN ALMOST
PICTURE WHAT IS BEING TALKED
ABOUT LIKE A LITTLE CROSSING
OVER PLACE OR A PLACE TO CROSS
OVER AND THIS WAS MEETING --
MEANINGFUL AND BUCCAL SHOOT WAS
MEANINGFUL AND IT SHARES AN
INHERENT UNDERSTANDING THAT WE
ARE TIED TO THIS UNDERSTANDING
AND A WAY THAT IS MEANINGFUL AN
IT SHOWS THAT ULTIMATELY THIS
PLACE DOESN'T EXIST WITHOUT US
BECAUSE WE DON'T EXIST WITHOUT
THIS PLACE AND THAT IS WHO WE
ARE AS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. I
RAISE MY HAND AT THAT AND THAT
IS THEY PART OF WHO EACH AND
EVERY ONE OF US ARE AND WE MUST
NEVER FORGET IT. AND THE LAST
SORT OF FREE THOUGHT BEFORE I G
INTO SOME PREPARED REMARKS I
WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS TO
PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF PERSONA
BACKGROUND ABOUT MYSELF AND
PARTICULARLY ABOUT MY NAME. WHE
YOU HEAR THE VICE CHAIRMAN DONN
STEVENSON , IT DOESN'T SOUND
INHERENTLY INDIGENOUS. THERE IS
A REASON FOR THAT AND IT'S TIGH
DIRECT WAY TO THE COLONIZATION
THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THIS
COUNTRY THAT HAS BEEN A MATTER
OF POLICY THAT STEPHENSON IS TH
NAME OF MY FATHER'S ADOPTED
PARENTS. THAT MY FATHER IS A
MUCKLESHOOT TRIBAL MEMBER AND
TAKES BLOOD FROM MUCKLESHOOT
TRIBE HERE IN THE STATE WITHIN
OUR HOMELANDS AND HE TAKES BLOO
FROM THE PEOPLE IN SOUTHERN
CENTRAL OREGON AND HE HAD 12
SIBLINGS, BROTHERS AND SISTERS
AND ALL OF THEM WERE REMOVED
FROM THE HOME AND NONE OF THEM
GREW UP WITH THEIR PARENTS. NON
OF THEM GREW UP WITHIN THE HOUS
THEY WERE BORN WITHIN. THEY WER
ALL REMOVED AND PLACED WITHIN
THE WESTERN SYSTEM AND MY FATHE
WAS BLESSED AND ADOPTED BY A
WONDERFUL FAMILY, A FAMILY WHO
LOVED HIM AND TOOK CARE OF HIM
AND ADOPTED HIM AND LEGALLY MAD
HIM A MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILY AN
HIS 12 BROTHERS AND SISTERS
WEREN'T AS BLESSED AS HE WAS.
MANY OF THEM SPENT TIME IN THE
BOARDING SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND MAN
OF THEM SPENT TIME IN ORPHANAGE
AS THEY WERE REFERRED TO BACK
THEN, GROUP HOMES AND SOME OF
THEM RAN AWAY. THEY SPENT THEIR
CHILDHOOD FINDING A WAY FOR
THEMSELVES. MY FAMILY IS A
BEAUTIFUL METAPHOR FOR WHAT HAS
HAPPENED IN INDIAN COUNTRY
THROUGHOUT THIS NATION THAT
EVERY ONE OF THOSE SIBLINGS WAS
ABLE TO FIND A WAY BACK TO THEI
HOME AND TRIBAL PEOPLE AND IT
WASN'T UNTIL ADULTHOOD FOR SOME
NUMBERS AND MY FATHER DIDN'T
FIND HIS WAY TO MUCKLESHOOT
UNTIL HE WAS 22 AND I WAS
BLESSED TO GROW UP WITHIN MY
TRIBAL COMMUNITY THE ENTIRETY O
MY LIFE BECAUSE HE WAS
FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO FIND OUT
WHERE HE WAS FROM AND WHO IS
PEOPLE WERE AND TO FIND A PLACE
WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. HIS
SIBLINGS WERE ALSO ALL ABLE TO
FIND A WAY BACK TO THE BUCCAL
SHOOT OR THE OTHER COMMUNITY AN
TO ASSERT THEMSELVES AND LEARN
HOW TO BE SIBLINGS AND LEARN HO
TO BE FAMILY AND LEARN HOW TO B
MEMBERS OF A TRIBE AND LEARN HO
TO BE MEMBERS OF THE INDIGENOUS
COMMUNITY. SADLY, THE TRUTH IS
THAT WE DON'T HAVE A SINGLE
PERSON IN THIS ROOM AND THERE
PROBABLY ISN'T A SINGLE PERSON
WATCHING OVER THE AIRWAVES WHO
IS INDIGENOUS AND DOESN'T HAVE
SIMILAR STORY AS PART OF THEIR
BACKGROUND AND FAMILY BUT THIS
IS A PART OF OUR SHARED LINEAGE
AND HISTORY. BUT WHAT I WILL SA
IS HOW CHALLENGING AND DIFFICUL
AND TRAUMATIC THAT HISTORY IS.
LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND
LOOK AT THE STRENGTH, FORTITUDE
THAT WE ARE ABLE TO FIND A WAY
TO BECOME WHO WE ARE AND WE ARE
ABLE TO FIND A WAY TO OUR OWN
PEOPLE AND COME TOGETHER AND
RELEARN HOW TO BE INDIGENOUS AN
TO RELEARN HOW TO BE COMMUNITY
AND RELEARN HOW TO BE FAMILY.
THAT IS A THING OF BEAUTY AND I
THINK OUR ANCESTORS AND FAMILIE
AND RAISE MY HAND THEM TO HAVE
THE FORTITUDE TO DO SO. I TRULY
AM SO HUMBLED AND PROUD TO BE
HERE TODAY AND TO SHARE THIS
SPACE WITH ALL OF YOU, MY
BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. IT IS SUCH AN
HONOR THAT I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO
SERVE AS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER FO
THIS IMPORTANT DAY OF
RECOGNITION AND REVERENCE FOR
ALL INDIGENOUS PEOPLE,
PARTICULARLY THOSE OF THE CITY
OF SEATTLE AND FOR THOSE FROM
THROUGHOUT THE SAILOR SEA AND
PARTICULARLY POWERFUL AND
MEANINGFUL TO ME, PERSONALLY,
BECAUSE THIS EVENT TAKES PLACE
WITHIN OUR BUKLSHUHLS HOMELANDS
. AND ALTHOUGH THE CITY
FORMALLY PROCLAIMED THE SECOND
MONDAY IN OCTOBER TO BE
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY
ORIGINALLY IN 2014, IT WAS
TECHNICALLY JUST LAST YEAR IN
2022 AT THE CITY FORMALLY
OBSERVED THE HOLIDAY AND TO MY
KNOWLEDGE, AND ALL OF THAT TIM
AND IN ALL OF THAT HISTORY, I A
THE FIRST MUCKLESHOOT TRIBAL
MEMBER TO HOLD THE HONOR AND
PRIVILEGE TO MAKE THIS FORMAL
ADDRESS. THIS IS TO SHARE OUR
VOICE AND IN OUR HOMELAND. [
APPLAUSE ] ADDITIONALLY, THIS
YEAR'S THEME HONORING OUR ELDER
PAST AND PRESENT, IT COULDN'T B
MORE APPROPRIATE AND MEANINGFUL
FOR OUR PEOPLE BECAUSE THE
ELDERS PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION O
WHICH ALL THAT IS INDIGENOUS IS
BUILT. THEY TRULY ARE THE
KEEPERS OF OUR WISDOM AND THEY
ARE THE KEEPERS OF OUR
KNOWLEDGE. THEY ACT AS OUR
COLLECTIVE MEMORY AND I RAISE M
HANDS TO THEM AND THANK THEM FO
THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE. I
ALSO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO
THANK EVERYBODY WHO HAS PREPARE
ME FOR THIS MOMENT AND
OPPORTUNITY, PARTICULARLY MY
BEAUTIFUL FAMILY WHO ARE TAKING
UP ROUGHLY THE WHOLE FRONT ROW.
AND MY MUCKLESHOOT TRIBAL
COMMUNITY , MY FELLOW TRIBAL
LEADERS, PAST AND PRESENT . I
WILL DO MY VERY BEST TO
REPRESENT YOU ALL TO THE BEST O
MY ABILITY AND CARRY EACH OF YO
WITH ME IN A WAY THAT HONORS YO
ALL. AND THAT ACKNOWLEDGES ALL
YOU GIFTED TO ME AND HAVE GIVEN
ME AND IN A WAY THAT YOU CAN AL
BE INCREDIBLY PROUD OF. TODAY'S
GOOD WORK OR IN OUR LANGUAGE [
SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE ]
, IS A DIRECT REFLECTION OF ALL
OF THIS AND IT CULMINATES IN
EACH OF US BEING HERE. COMING
TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE TOGETHER,
THE CITY OF SEATTLE IS AN
INHERENTLY INDIGENOUS CITY IN
NATURE OWING SO MUCH OF ITS
HISTORY AND IDENTITY TO THE
FIRST PEOPLE OF THIS LAND. AND
TODAY REPRESENTS AN IMPORTANT
RECOGNITION AND CELEBRATION OF
THIS FACT. I AM INCREDIBLY
THANKFUL FOR THIS. MY HANDS ARE
RAISED TO ALL THAT MADE THIS
POSSIBLE. [ SPEAKING IN A
GLOBAL LANGUAGE ] FOR ALL OF OU
PEOPLE. I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF
AND THANKFUL TO THE INDIGENOUS
LEADERSHIP PAST AND PRESENT FOR
THE AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES WE AS
TRIBAL PEOPLE HAVE TODAY AND IT
IS BECAUSE OF THE DIVISION AND
DEDICATION AND HARD WORK OF OUR
ANCESTORS AND ELDERS THAT WE AR
FORTUNATE TO BE AS BLESSED AS
TRIBAL NATIONS THAT WE ARE TODA
AND FOR THAT FACT I THINK ALL
WHO HAVE SERVED AND CONTINUED T
SERVE AND AS WELL AS LEADERS
AND IT IS THE SAME SPIRIT THAT
BELIEVE IN CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT
AND IT IS THE ONE OF THE VITAL
AND CONTINUED SUCCESSES THAT WE
SEE IS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AS
NECESSARY AND IT IS JUST AS
IMPORTANT AS ANY OTHER PRINCIPA
THAT WE LOOK TO ENGAGE IN. NOW
ISN'T THE TIME TO REST ON OUR
LAURELS BUT TO WORK HARDER TO
ENSURE THAT OUR FUTURE AND
CONTINUED SUCCESS AS INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE AND ENSURE OUR PEOPLE
THAT THIS IS WHAT BEING
INDIGENOUS IS ALL ABOUT.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, THE WORLD
NEEDS US NOW MORE THAN EVER AND
OUR PEOPLE ARE THE ONLY IN THE
WHOLE HISTORY OF THE WORLD WHO
HAVE SHOWN THE REAL ABILITY TO
LIVE IN BALANCE AND SUSTAINABLY
WITH OUR LANDS AND OUR
ENVIRONMENT. OVER THE COURSE O
GENERATIONS, AND OVER THE COURS
OF MILLENNIA, WE ARE THE ONLY
ONE HISTORY OF THE WORLD TO BE
ABLE TO DO SO. THANK YOU TO THE
WISDOM OF OUR PEOPLE AND THE
TEACHINGS OF OUR ELDERS AND OUR
ANCESTORS, WE DO UNDERSTAND OUR
PLACE WITHIN CREATION AND WE AR
BUT A SINGLE THREAD WITHIN THE
WEAVE OF EXISTENCE AND THAT OUR
PLANT AND ANIMAL RELATIVES ARE
OUR FAMILY AND THE EARTH IS OUR
GREAT MOTHER. TODAY, AS THE
ENTIRE WORLD FACES THE GREATEST
CRISIS CREATED BY MAN THAN EVER
BEFORE, ANY OF US, AND CLIMATE
CHANGE, WE MUST ACT AS THE VOIC
FOR AND SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THES
RELATIONS. WE MUST HELP PROVIDE
THE CONSCIENCE FOR HUMAN BEINGS
IN A WAY THAT WE TREAT OUR GREA
MOTHER AND IF IT ISN'T US, THEN
WHO DO WE EXPECT TO PLAY THIS
VITALLY IMPORTANT ROLE? KNOWING
THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF
TREATIES IS A VITALLY IMPORTANT
FUNCTION FOR US AS NATIVE
AMERICAN PEOPLE AND TREATIES,
THEIR INTENT AND PURPOSE AND
APPLICATION, OR ONE OF THE LEAS
UNDERSTOOD YET MOST IMPORTANT
FACTORS IN UNDERSTANDING THE
COMPLEX GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMEN
RELATIONSHIP THAT EXISTS BETWEE
TRIBAL NATIONS AND THE UNITED
STATES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. THOS
RIGHTS ARE NOT GIVEN TO INDIAN
PEOPLE. THEY ARE INHERENT AND
TREATIES ARE SIMPLY PUT A RECOR
OF THE RETENTION AND RECOGNITIO
OF THESE INHERENT RIGHTS BETWEE
TWO SOVEREIGN GOVERNMENTS,
TRIBAL AND FEDERAL AND THE
MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN TRIBE
NEGOTIATED TERMS THAT CONTAINS
-- RETAINED THEIR RIGHTS WITH
TWO TREATIES WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT AND THE TREATY OF
MEDICINE CREEK OF 1854 AND THE
POINT ELLIOTT TREATY OF 1855.
THEY PRESERVE IN DETAIL THE
RIGHT TO HUNT, FISH, AND GATHER
ON OUR TRADITIONAL RESOURCES AN
MODES OF SUSTENANCE FROM USUAL
LANDS WHICH HAD MAINTAINED OUR
PEOPLE FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS
FOR HUNDREDS OF GENERATIONS
PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF
NEWCOMERS AND THE SUBSEQUENT
WESTERN COLONIZATION OF THIS
REGION AND THROUGH THESE
TREATIES AND THE NEGOTIATION OF
THEM INCLUDES THE PEOPLE WHO
BECAME KNOWN AS MUCKLESHOOT .
THEY DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY NAME
MUCKLESHOOT TRIBE NOR WERE THE
TERMS TRADITIONALLY HONORED BY
WESTERN REPRESENTATIVES FOR
NATIVE PEOPLES WHOM WERE NAMED
AND AS A RESULT IT CULMINATED I
ARMED CONFLICT AND RESISTANCE
BY OUR PROUD PEOPLE IN OUR PROU
WARRIORS FOUGHT TO RETAIN HER
TRADITIONAL RIGHTS, LAND, AND
POLITICALLY DISTINCT IDENTITY
AND NO MATTER WHAT FALLACY THE
WESTERN BOOKS OF HISTORY AND
CLASSROOMS TRY TO TELL YOU, AND
NO MATTER WHAT THEY TRY TO TELL
YOU, OUR INDIAN PEOPLE, ARE
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE, THESE
MUCKLESHOOT ANCESTOR WARRIORS
WERE UNDENIABLY SUCCESSFUL IN
THESE CAMPAIGNS AND THEIR BRAVE
EFFORTS LED DIRECTLY TO AND
RESOLVED IN GETTING SPECIFIC
RECOGNITION AND RETENTION OF OU
TRADITIONAL LANDS AND THE TERMS
OF THIS VICTORY WERE NEGOTIATED
AMONG THE LEADERS OF OUR LAWYER
CONSISTING OF REPRESENTATIVES O
THE SNOQUALMIE AND WHITE IN
GREEN RIVER INDIANS,
MUCKLESHOOT, AND THE TERRITORIA
GOVERNOR ISAAC STEVENS IN THE
SUMMER OF 1856 ON FOX ISLAND AN
ACCORDING TO THE RECORD OF FOX
ISLAND COUNCIL MEETING GOVERNOR
ISAAC STEVENS TOLD THEM INDIANS
THAT WERE PRESENT, I WILL GIVE
YOU LAND BETWEEN THE WHITE AND
GREEN RIVERS AND I WILL SEND A
MAN WITH YOU TO MARKET OUT --
MARKOUT THE GROUND SO YOU ARE
SATISFIED. THESE SAME OFFICIAL
RECORDS MAKE IT CLEAR THAT
INDIANS PRESENT THERE UNDERSTOO
THAT THE BASIC LAND BEGINNING A
THE JUNCTION OF THE WHITE AND
GREEN RIVERS WOULD BE INCLUDED
IN THIS RESERVATION PRESERVING
IMPORTANT SITES AND FISHERIES O
BOTH RIVERS. ULTIMATELY, AN
EXECUTIVE ORDER OF JANUARY 20,
1857 SIGNED INTO LAW BY U.S.
PRESIDENT ANDREW JOHNSON FORMED
THE MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN TRIBAL
RESERVATION AND IT'S ONE THAT W
RETAIN CENTRAL TO OUR HOMELANDS
TO THIS DAY AND THIS STORY ISN'
UNIQUE TO OUR TRIBE AND NOT
UNIQUE TO OUR PEOPLE. THERE ARE
MANY LIKE IT. THIS REPRESENTS
THE HISTORY OF OUR SHARED STORY
GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT
RELATIONS ARE AN UNDERSTOOD
FUNCTION OF TRIBAL SOVEREIGNTY.
WHAT I MEAN IS THERE IS VERY
LITTLE KNOWN HOW THIS
INTERACTION WORKS OR PLAYS OUT
BETWEEN TRIBAL LEADERS AND
WESTERN GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES
EVEN THOUGH IT CLEARLY HAPPENS
AND IF I DIDN'T -- IT DIDN'T I
WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE. IN
ORDER FOR BUSINESS TO GET
ACCOMPLISHED, THESE
RELATIONSHIPS AND FUNCTIONS HAV
TO BE TAKING PLACE IN AN
EFFECTIVE AND MEANINGFUL WAY AN
TRIBAL LEADERS MUST REMAIN
DEDICATED TO THIS DIPLOMATIC
FUNCTION IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER
IN ORDER TO SAFEGUARD OUR
SOVEREIGNTY AND AFFORD THE
PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF OUR TRIBA
AND IN THE JOONAS -- INDIGENOUS
ENDEAVORS AND THEY MUST BE
MANAGED AND TENDED ON A
FULL-TIME BASIS. WITH ANY AND
ALL RELATIONSHIPS, SOMETIMES
THINGS ARE POSITIVE AND GOOD. I
REQUIRES VERY LITTLE EFFORT TO
AGREE AND SOMETIMES THINGS CAN
BE MORE DIFFICULT. THESE CASES
OBVIOUSLY TAKE A LOT MORE EFFOR
AND ENERGY TO REPAIR, REGAIN OR
SOMETIMES, FRANKLY, TO REPLACE
AND THIS BEING SAID, THERE IS A
TIME FOR DIPLOMACY AND FOR
COLLABORATION AND A TIME TO DIG
DEEP AND FLAT OUT FIGHT. FIGHT
FOR PROTECTIONS AND TRIBAL
SOVEREIGNTY AND NOT OUT DRAG
DOWN BRAWLS IF NECESSARY. AND
KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE AND
UNDERSTANDING HOW TO DRIVE THES
INTERACTIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
IN AN EFFECTIVE WAY WHILE
WIELDING AND MOLDING THE
INSTITUTION AND LEGACY OF THESE
RELATIONSHIPS IS A VITALLY
IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF ANY TRIBA
LEADER IN MY HUMBLE OPINION.
KNOWING HOW TO BALANCE THESE
EXTREMES AND HOW TO MAKE SURE
YOU ARE COLLABORATING ON THE
DIRECTION AND RESULTS, THIS
TAKES SKILL, TALENT, AND DEALIN
WITH PEOPLE AND EXERCISING THE
ART OF INFLUENCE AND I WOULD
LIKE TO THANK THE CITY OF
SEATTLE FOR REMAINING A PARTNER
AND A COLLABORATOR AND AFFORDIN
THE NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND
PARTICULARLY OF THIS REGION AND
PARTNERS LIKE YOU HELP TO MAKE
SURE OUR FUTURE AND DIGNITY IN
OUR PEOPLE'S QUALITY OF LIFE AN
HANDS RAISED, THANK YOU. AS A
UNIFIED INDIGENOUS TRIBAL VOICE
WE HOLD THE INHERENT ABILITY TO
SHAPE AND INFLUENCE POLICYMAKER
AND THE POLICY THEY MAKE AT NOT
ONLY THE TRIBAL BUT ALSO THE
LOCAL, STATE , REGIONAL, AND
NATIONAL LEVEL. LEVERAGING THIS
ABILITY TO MEET BOTH THE
IMMEDIATE AND LONG-TERM NEEDS O
OUR PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES WHIL
BALANCING AND THE MAINTENANCE
AND HELPING EFFECTIVE
RELATIONSHIPS IS A MAJOR TASK I
FUNCTION AND TO BE EFFECTIVE AS
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND SERVER
PEOPLE'S NEEDS. THESE ARE THE
MEASURABLE RESULTS OF DOING SO
EFFECTIVELY. WE AS NATIVE PEOPL
FACE AN INORDINATE NUMBER OF
TRUE ISSUES AND REAL CHALLENGES
TODAY. IT IS ONLY THROUGH
ACKNOWLEDGING THESE PROBLEMS AN
FACING THEM HEAD-ON THROUGH
COMMUNITY ADHERENCE TO OUR
TRADITIONAL TEACHINGS,
LEVERAGING NEW AND INNOVATIVE
IDEAS AND TECHNOLOGIES AND
FINALLY STRONG AND EFFECTIVE
LEADERSHIP THAT WE CAN MAKE SUR
OF OUR PEOPLE'S FUTURE AND
QUALITY OF LIFE ARE PROTECTED
AND INSURED. NATIVE AMERICANS
WHO ACCOUNT FOR LESS THAN 1% OF
THE NATIONAL POPULATION BUT WH
MAKE UP NEARLY 2% OF ALL POLICE
KILLINGS ACCORDING TO DATA
COMPILED BY THE CENTERS FOR
DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION.
NATIVE PEOPLE ARE
DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY
MASS INCARCERATION AND STATE
SPECIFIC POPULATIONS, NATIVE
AMERICANS ARE OVERREPRESENTED I
THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM AND
IN SOUTH DAKOTA, FOR EXAMPLE,
NATIVE AMERICANS MAKE UP 9% OF
THE TOTAL POPULATION BUT 29% OF
THE PRISON POPULATION. AND IN
ALASKA, NATIVE PEOPLE ACCOUNT
FOR 15% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION
BUT MAKE UP 38% OF THE PRISON
POPULATION. NATIVE PEOPLE SUFFE
FROM HIGH RATES OF POVERTY AND
UNEMPLOYMENT AND 27% OF ALL
SELF IDENTIFIED NATIVE AMERICAN
AND ALASKAN NATIVES LIVE IN
POVERTY ACCORDING TO THE U.S.
CENSUS BUREAU DATA. NATIVE
AMERICAN COMMUNITIES AND
PARTICULARLY NATIVE WOMEN AND
CHILDREN SUFFER FROM AN EPIDEMI
OF VIOLENCE . NATIVE WOMEN ARE
THREE AND HALF TIMES MORE LIKEL
TO BE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED IN
THEIR LIFE THAN WOMEN OF OTHER
RACES AND IN REALITY WHERE WE
STAND, THE CITY OF SEATTLE IS
THE NUMBER ONE WORST STATISTICA
RANKED CITY IN THE COUNTRY
REGARDING MM I WPT AND IT'S AN
EPIDEMIC FACING THIS NATION IN
THE HEART OF MY HOMELANDS. AND
22% OF NATIVE CHILDREN SUFFER
FROM POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS
DISORDER WHICH IS THE RATE OF
PTSD EQUAL TO THAT FOUND AMONG
IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS
AND THEY SUFFER FROM PTSD TWICE
THAT OF OTHERS AS OVERALL AND
ACCORDING TO DATA IT REPORTS
THAT OVER 80% OF VIOLENCE
EXPERIENCED BY NATIVE AMERICANS
IS COMMITTED BY PERSONS NOT OF
THE SAME RACE QUOTE UNQUOTE AND
THAT IS A RATE THAT IS
SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER FOR WHITE
AND BLACKS. NATIONALLY, 14 1/2%
OF NATIVE AMERICANS ARE
UN-BANKED AND LACK THE FINANCIA
RESOURCES NEEDED FOR ECONOMIC
PROSPERITY. SUICIDE IS THE
SECOND MOST CAUSE OF DEATH FOR
NATIVE YOUTH AND 2 1/2 TIMES TH
NATIONAL RATE FOR THAT AGE GROU
. DUE TO AN OVERWHELMING HEALT
CRISIS COMBINED WITH A LACK OF
QUALITY HEALTHCARE, NATIVE
AMERICANS QUALITY AND LENGTH OF
LIFE IS IN PERIL WITH AVERAGE
LIFESPAN OF HER PEOPLE 4.4 YEAR
SHORTER AND 73.7 FOR NATIVE
AMERICANS WELL 78.1 FOR ALL
OTHERS. AND COMPARED TO THE US
POPULATION, WE HAVE TWICE AS
MANY NATIVES LIVING IN POVERTY
ACCORDING TO CENSUS FROM 2013
AND NATIVE AMERICANS ARE NEARLY
TWICE AS LIKELY AS WHITES TO BE
UNEMPLOYED NATIONALLY. NATIVE
AMERICAN USE OF DRUGS AND
ALCOHOL STARTS AT EARLIER AGES
AND AT A HIGHER RATE OVERALL
THAN ANY OTHER ETHNIC GROUP IN
AMERICA. KNOWLEDGE TRULY IS
POWER. EDUCATE YOURSELF ON THE
ISSUES FACING OUR PEOPLE AND
CONTRIBUTE TO THE SOLUTION. OU
ELDERS AND ANCESTORS FOUGHT TO
RETAIN OUR IDENTITY AS NATIVE
AMERICAN PEOPLE AND TO PROTECT
OUR RIGHTS AND LANDS AND THEIR
EFFORTS AND ENERGY HAVE LED TO
WHAT CULMINATED IN EACH AND
EVERY ONE OF US. WE ARE HERE
TODAY SOLELY BECAUSE OF THEM. A
A RESULT, WE ALL SHOULDER THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING A LIVIN
REFLECTION OF HER PEOPLE'S
HISTORY, CULTURAL TEACHINGS, AN
TRADITIONS. NOT ONLY IS THIS A
RESPONSIBILITY WE EACH BEAR BUT
IT IS A HUGE HONOR. WE DON'T
INHERIT OUR EXISTENCE FROM HER
ANCESTORS BUT WE BORROW IT FROM
OUR CHILDREN TO THE SEVENTH
GENERATION AND BEYOND. IN
HEALING OUR PEOPLE, OUR PEOPLE
ARE STRONG AND RESILIENT AS A
GROUP . WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY
NAVIGATED A SAD AND DRAMATIC
HISTORY, WHICH WAS DESIGNED TO
DEVALUE, DEHUMANIZE, AND DESTRO
US AS A PEOPLE FROM RELOCATION
AND REMOVAL AND FROM OUR
TRADITIONAL LANDS TO PLACEMENT
OF HER CHILDREN AND BOARDING
SCHOOLS AND FOSTER SYSTEMS WHER
WE WERE PUNISHED FOR SPEAKING
OUR TRADITIONAL LANGUAGES AND
MAINTAINING OUR TRADITIONAL
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES. SUFFERING
PSYCHOLOGICAL, PHYSICAL, AND
SEXUAL ABUSE ALL WITH THESE
INJUSTICES THAT MANIFESTED
THEMSELVES IN HER CURRENT
POPULATION. THIS IS THROUGH THE
MULTIGENERATIONAL TRAUMA OF
ACCULTURATED BEHAVIOR WE SUFFER
FROM TODAY, MEANING WE WERE
TAUGHT THE UGLINESS AND HARM
WHICH EXISTS WITHIN OUR
COMMUNITIES BY WESTERN SOCIETY
TOWARDS OURSELVES AND EACH
OTHER. NONE OF THESE BEHAVIORS
ARE TRADITIONAL. THEY ARE NOT A
TRUE PART OF WHO WE ARE AS
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES . DRUG ABUSE
AND ALCOHOLISM ARE A RESULT OF
THIS TRAUMA. PHYSICAL AND SEXUA
ABUSE ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF
THIS TRAUMA. ATTITUDES OF
INEQUITY AND PRIVILEGE ARE A
DIRECT RESULT OF THIS TRAUMA.
THE ONLY WAY WE SOLVE THESE
PROBLEMS IS TO HEAL THE CORE
ISSUE. WE HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO
PROMOTE HEALTH AND HEALING AND
WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO ALLY THE
MULTIGENERATIONAL TRAUMA OF THE
PAST TO PERPETUATE THE SICKNESS
OF OUR COMMUNITIES TODAY AND WE
NEED TO HEAL, HEAL OURSELVES AN
ONE ANOTHER. IN SOME OF OUR
SICKEST MEMBERS ARE THOSE WHO
NEED OUR HELP THE MOST. THEY
NEED OUR LOVE THE MOST, TOUGH
LOVE, MIND YOU BUT OUR LOVE,
NONETHELESS AND WE NEED TO
PROMOTE PROGRAMS AND EFFORTS
TOWARD JUSTICE AND WE CAN'T
AFFORD TO USE ONE MORE YOUNG
PEOPLE TO THE DISEASE OF
ADDICTION AND OF MENTAL HEALTH
ISSUES OR SUICIDE AND TO POOR
HEALTH HABITS AND WE HAVE LOST
FAR TOO MANY ALREADY. WE NEED T
COME TOGETHER AND TO HEAL AS A
COMMUNITY AND HEAL AS A PEOPLE.
OUR TRADITIONAL WAY OF LIFE AND
THE TEACHINGS PASSED DOWN FROM
HER CREATOR TO HER ANCESTORS AN
THROUGH OUR ELDERS IS THE WALK
KNOWN AS THE RED ROAD. THIS IS
THE LIFE INTENDED FOR ALL OF US
AS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. [
SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE ]
WE ARE STRONG . IF THE HISTORY
TEACHES US ANYTHING, IT IS THAT
NOBODY WILL LOOK OUT FOR THE
BEST INTERESTS OF TRIBAL PEOPL
OTHER THAN ARE BETTER THAN
TRIBAL PEOPLE. WE AS A PEOPLE
HAVE LIVED THROUGH FEDERAL
POLICIES THAT FOCUSED ON REMOVA
AND RELOCATION FROM OUR
TRADITIONAL LIFESTYLES AND
CULTURAL ASSIMILATION THROUGH
THE ATTEMPT TO KILL THE INDIAN
BUT SAVE THE MAN AND CULTURAL
AND LITERAL GENOCIDE AND
KILLING OUR CULTURE, TRADITIONS
AND BELIEFS AND KILLING OUR
PEOPLE. IT IS STRICTLY THROUGH
STRENGTH OF CHARACTER AND
PERSEVERANCE THAT WE ARE HERE A
A PEOPLE AND REMAIN. OUR
ANCESTORS AND ELDERS WERE
WARRIORS AND THAT IS IN OUR
LANGUAGE, [ SPEAKING IN A
GLOBAL LANGUAGE ]. THEY WERE
WISE MEN AND HEALERS KNOWING
WHEN TO FIGHT AND WHEN TO TEACH
, AND WHEN TO HEAL. WE RETAINED
THESE IDENTITIES DESPITE EVERY
ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THEM FROM OUR
CULTURE. THROUGH THE ABUSES AND
DEGRADATION OF THE BOARDING
SCHOOL ERA ALL THE WAY THROUGH
OUR MARGINALIZATION OF MODERN
SOCIETY AND AS A RESULT WE MUST
DECLARE IN A UNIFIED VOICE THAT
WE ARE STILL HERE. WE MATTER. W
WILL CONTINUE TO SUCCEED AND
EXCEL. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> IT IS BECAUSE OF THIS HISTOR
THAT WE MUST ADAMANTLY SAFEGUAR
AGAINST THE EVER ADVANCING
ASSAULT OF OUR TRIBAL
SOVEREIGNTY AND CONTINUE TO
PRACTICE AND DEFEND AND ADVANCE
OUR TREATY RIGHTS AND RATIFY AN
ENACT TRIBAL CODE AND LAWS WHIC
GOVERN HER PEOPLE. WE SHOULD NO
EVER SIMPLY ACCEPT THE RULE OF
WESTERN GOVERNMENT AND NOT
SIMPLY FOLLOW LAWS NEVER
INTENDED FOR US BECAUSE THAT IS
THE EASIER PATH AND NOT ALLOW
ANY OUTSIDE AGENCY OR
ORGANIZATION OR PERSON TO TELL
US WHAT IS IN OUR OWN BEST
INTEREST AS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE NOW AND
WE NEED TO HAVE A PLAN AND IDEA
OF HOW WE RESPOND TO THESE
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES, NOT LATE
BUT RIGHT NOW. WE DO KNOW WHAT
WE NEED AND WE KNOW THIS BETTER
THAN ANYONE. ANYBODY WHO TELLS
US THAT WE ARE NOT THE AUTHORIT
ON ANY TRIBAL ISSUE OBVIOUSLY
HAS SOMETHING TO GAIN. WE MUST
NOT LET THEM DO SO AT OUR OWN
PERIL AND OWN EXPENSE. WE HAVE
NOT ONLY SURVIVED THE PAST 700
YEARS OF COLONIZATION, BUT WE
ARE ABSOLUTELY EXCELLING AND
THRIVING AND THIS IS DESPITE AL
OF THE ATTEMPTS TO END OUR
CULTURE AND OUR EXISTENCE. WE
HAVE DONE SO OURSELVES WITHOUT
HELP OR ASSISTANCE FROM ANYONE
OUTSIDE OF HER OWN PEOPLE AND T
THINK ANY OUTSIDE EXPERT AT WHA
IS NEEDED NOW TO SOLVE OUR
PROBLEMS OR TO ADDRESS HER
ISSUES IS ABSOLUTE INSANITY AND
WE AS TRIBAL MEMBERS AND TRIBAL
PEOPLE WILL ARE THE AUTHORITY.
THIS IS ON HOW WE BEST MEET OU
OWN NEEDS AND HOW TO BEST DEFIN
OUR OWN SUCCESS. THAT IS THE
VERY DEFINITION OF TRIBAL
SOVEREIGNTY. I HAVE BEEN SITTIN
BACK LATELY REFLECTING ON THE
PAST FEW MONTHS AND I FIND
MYSELF DEEPLY MOVED BY WHAT I
HAVE BEEN A WITNESS TO. WATCHIN
OUR PEOPLE REACH FOR AND
ACHIEVED GREATNESS ON ALL LEVEL
IS A PURE JOY I DON'T REALLY
HAVE THE WORDS TO TRULY EXPRESS
OR FULLY CAPTURE THE EMOTION OR
FEELING OF. THE INSPIRATION,
PRIDE, AND SHARED SENSE OF
SOLIDARITY AND ACCOMPLISHMENT
RUNS DEEP AS WE WATCH THESE
INDIGENOUS PLAYERS OF THE 21st
CENTURY SHOOT THEIR SHOT AND
REACH IMPORTANT MILESTONES,
ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS, AND
BUILD THEMSELVES, OUR FAMILIES,
OUR COMMUNITIES, AND OUR PEOPLE
AND IT IS SACRED AND MAKES UP
THE TRUE CORE OF WHO WE REALLY
ARE AS TRIBAL PEOPLE. THIS
MESSAGE OF THANKS, INSPIRATION
AND PRAISE, IT GOES OUT TO THE
COUNTLESS INDIGENOUS, NATIVE,
AND INDIAN PEOPLE WHO INSPIRE,
LEAD, AND EMPOWER US EVERY DAY
IN THEIR OWN UNIQUE AND SPECIAL
WAY, WHETHER AN ARTIST, A
HEALER, A LEADER , AN ATHLETE,
TEACHER, A PROTECTOR, A STUDENT
A PROFESSIONAL, A HUNTER OR
GATHERER, A KEEPER OF LANGUAGE
OR WISDOM, A BUSINESS OWNER OR
ENTREPRENEUR, A PARENT AND
HOWEVER WE AS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND
CULTURE AND LAYS NEW TRAILS FOR
OUR FUTURE, WE HAVE TO SHARE
THESE MESSAGES OF HOPE AND
BEAUTY TO HELP NORMALIZE,
REINFORCE AND SPREAD THE
TRADITIONAL VALUE OF SUPPORTING
AND BUILDING ONE ANOTHER UP. WE
NEED TO DO SO WITH MORE ENERGY
AND CONSISTENCY THAN AS OPPOSED
TO REINFORCING AND PASSING ON
THE COLONIZED BEHAVIORS OF
JEALOUSY, CRITICISM AND TEARING
ONE ANOTHER DOWN. IF YOU ARE
DOING YOU IN A WAY THAT IS
AUTHENTIC, THAT IS REAL AND
ROOTED IN CULTURE AND THE LOVE,
AND THEREFORE IS A REFLECTION O
INDIGENOUS EXCELLENCE, PLEASE
KNOW THAT WE DO SEE YOU AND OUR
COMMUNITIES SEE YOU. OUR
ANCESTORS SEE YOU. SO IN
CLOSING, I TASK ALL OF YOU, MY
INDIGENOUS BROTHERS AND SISTERS
DON'T TALK ABOUT IT BUT BE ABOU
IT. HONOR THE LEGACY OF OUR
PEOPLE, WHETHER IT IS ACTING AS
A REPRESENTATIVE OF INDIAN
COUNTRY IN PLACES LIKE
WASHINGTON DC, OLYMPIA OR
SEATTLE OR THROUGH GOVERNMENT T
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS WELL
FIGHTING TO DEFEND TRIBAL
SOVEREIGNTY AND SELF-GOVERNANCE
OR PROTECTING AND PRESERVING
TRIBAL CULTURE OR COMMUNITY
ENGAGEMENT AND SERVING YOUR
PEOPLE IN COMMUNITY FROM THE
YOUNGEST TO OLDEST AND EVERYBOD
IN BETWEEN OR WORKING HARD TO
SERVE AS A POSITIVE EXAMPLE AND
ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR PEOPLE,
BUILDING OPPORTUNITY AND
ECONOMIC FUTURE FOR ALL OF
INDIAN COUNTRY, OR JUST HANDLIN
THE DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS AND
GRIND. WORK HARD TO REPRESENT
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND COMMUNITY
FROM WHICH YOU COME WITH ALL YO
HAVE, A GOOD HEART AND A GOOD
MIND AND A GOOD WAY. NO MATTER
WHAT YOU DO. THIS IS THE TRUEST
WAY TO HONOR WHERE WE COME FROM
AND WHO WE ARE, TO WALK IN THE
FOOTSTEPS OF THOSE WHO HAVE COM
BEFORE US AND TO TRULY HONOR OU
ELDERS PAST AND PRESENT. IN
HONOR OF THIS, I WOULD LIKE TO
CLOSE WITH WORDS SHARED BY A
TEACHER, A LEADER, AND A MENTOR
OF MINE. HE WAS AN AMAZING
MUCKLESHOOT ELDER WHO, EARLIER
THIS YEAR , IN APRIL CROSSED
OVER AND BECAME AN ANCESTOR. I
TRULY MISS HIM PHYSICALLY EVERY
DAY. AND I HAVE TO REMIND MYSEL
THAT HE IS STILL WITH ME
SPIRITUALLY EVERY DAY AND OUR
TEACHINGS TELL ME I HAVE TO PUT
THEM AWAY FOR A YEAR AND I
CANNOT SPEAK HIS NAME HERE
TODAY. BUT I DO KNOW THAT HE IS
WATCHING DOWN. I BELIEVE HE IS
SMILING TODAY. THOSE ARE HIS
WORDS AND NOT MINE. OUR ANCIENT
TEACHINGS HAVE HELPED PEOPLE
SURVIVE FOR A MILLENNIA AND BE
GOOD INDIAN PERSON, WORK HARD
AND ALWAYS DO YOUR BEST. TELL
THE TRUTH AND THINK OF OTHERS
BEFORE YOURSELVES. TAKE CARE O
NATURE, AND NATURE WILL TAKE
CARE OF YOU. SHARE WHAT YOU
HAVE. TAKE NO SHORTCUTS IN YOUR
WORK OR SPIRITUAL LIFE AND
REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE, WHO YOU
COME FROM. TAKE CARE OF THE
GRAVES, OUR HISTORY IS OUR
FUTURE. THANK YOU FOR THIS
HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO SHARE
THESE THOUGHTS AND WORDS WITH
YOU AS WE COME TOGETHER IN
CELEBRATION OF THE INDIGENOUS
IMPACT AND INFLUENCE WHICH LAYS
THE FOUNDATION FOR EVERYTHING W
HAVE TODAY AND TO HONOR THIS
LEGACY, OUR TEACHINGS, OUR
CULTURE, THE CUMULATIVE WISDOM
OF OUR ELDERS AND ANCESTORS
WHILE ACTING AS A BRIDGE TO THE
NEXT, OUR FUTURE , OUR CHILDREN
AND BEYOND. THE NEXT IS REALLY
WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT TO BE
INDIGENOUS. THERE ARE DAYS AND
MOMENTS WHICH FOLLOW US
THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF OUR
LIVES. SHARING THIS TIME AND
SPACE WITH ALL OF YOU, I WILL
CARRY THIS STAY WITH ME FROM
THIS DAY FORWARD. MY HANDS ARE
RAISED TO EACH AND EVERYONE OF
YOU, BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND I
DO OFFER YOU MY THANKS. AND WIT
THAT, [ SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL
LANGUAGE ] , FAREWELL AND WATCH
OVER YOURSELF, MY FRIENDS. [
APPLAUSE ]
>> THANK YOU, DONNY. WHAT A
REALLY AMAZING SPEECH AN
AMAZING WORDS AND I AM MOVED
BEYOND WHAT I CAN SHARE WITH
YOU. I THINK I WILL HAVE TO GO
BACK TO THE SEATTLE CHANNEL AND
WATCH SOME VIDEO AFTER THIS SO
CAN CATCH ALL OF THOSE GOOD
WORDS. THANK YOU, DONNIE FOR
WELCOMING US ALL HERE IN THE
TRADITIONAL TERRITORY OF YOUR
PEOPLE. I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE
THAT WE ARE BUMPING UP ON THE
1:30 TIMELINE. WHAT I WILL DO I
I WILL INTRODUCE THE REST OF
WHAT WE HAVE FOR YOU HERE TODAY
THAT IS SO YOU KNOW WHERE WE
ARE. AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO STA
AND I AM NOT SURE WHEN THE VIDE
WILL CUT OFF. BUT I DO WANT TO
SAY THAT WE DO HAVE SOME REALLY
WONDERFUL FINGERS AND DANCERS T
COME TODAY AND SHARE THEIR
PRAYERS WITH YOU AS WELL. WE DO
HAVE [ SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL
LANGUAGE ], WHICH MEANS TO BE
GOOD AND BENEFICIAL FOR ONE'S
HEALING AND THIS IS AN
INTERTRIBAL COLLECTION OF LAKOT
AND DAKOTA PEOPLES WHO COME
TOGETHER TO SHARE SONGS AND
ENCOURAGE AND LIFT UP ONE
ANOTHER. THEY WILL BE NEXT. WE
WILL THEN HAVE ANOTHER GROUP
FROM THE CLINK IT AND ALSO A
COLLECTION OF FOLKS WHO COME
TOGETHER TODAY AS WELL. WE WILL
THEN WRAP UP WITH A SONG FROM
MARIANNA HARVEY. I WANT TO THAN
EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU FOR
COMING TODAY TO CELEBRATE WITH
US. PLEASE CONTINUE SHARING IN
THE MUSIC AND THE FESTIVITIES.
AGAIN, I DO THINK YOU AND RAISE
MY HANDS TO YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]
[ SINGING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
♪
[ SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
]
♪
[ SINGING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
]
[ SINGING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
>> [ SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL
LANGUAGE ]. WE WANT TO THANK YO
EVERYBODY. BUT WE REALLY WANT T
THANK AND ACKNOWLEDGE THESE NEX
GENERATIONS HERE AND GIVE IT UP
FOR THEM AND GIVE THEM SOME
ENCOURAGEMENT.
[ SINGING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
[ SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
]
[ SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
]
>> THE FIRST TIME THAT WE SANG
IS KNOWN OF THE OUTSIDE OF THE
HOUSE SONG OR THE DREAM SONG BY
EVA ROWAN FROM ALASKA. IN THE
SECOND SONG WE SANG IS KNOWN AS
[ SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
] , COMPOSED BY MY UNCLE. HAPP
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY [
SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE ]
IS THE NEXT SONG WE WILL SING .
[ SINGING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
]
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> WE WANT YOU TO KNOW [
SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE ]
[ SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAG
] IT IS ALL FOR THEM AND IT IS
ALL FOR THESE YOUNGER ONES AND
WE CAN HOLD ON TO THE CULTURE
FOR A LITTLE WHILE. SO MAKE
THESE ONE HAPPY TO BE HERE AND
MAKE SOME NOISE FOR THEM. AND
YOU GUYS SEE US THROUGHOUT THE
YEARS AND WE ARE SENDING OUR
LOVE FROM OUR ANCESTORS TO YOU.
AND FOR THE WAY YOU STAND UP FO
YOUR PEOPLE AND IF NOBODY ELSE
HAS SAID IT, ALL THE ORGANIZER
WERE OUT THERE, WE SEE YOU AND
WE THANK YOU AND WE APPRECIATE
YOU AND WE LOVE YOU. WE WILL DO
OUR EXIT SONG NOW. THIS SONG
COMES FROM [ SPEAKING IN A
GLOBAL LANGUAGE ] . WE WILL
EXIT ON THIS AND IT IS A TRAIN
SONG FROM THE PEOPLE ACROSS THE
MOUNTAINS AND WE HAVE ALWAYS
TRADED OUR SONGS. SO ME THINK
ABOUT WHAT THAT MAY BE WE THINK
ABOUT HOW WE ARE SHARING THESE
MEDICINES WITH EACH OTHER AND
FOR THE INTENTION OF HEALING OU
SPIRITS WHICH IS WHY WE SHARE
WHAT WE DO AND SINGING OUR SONG
AND WHY WE PRACTICE OUR
LANGUAGE.
>> [ SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL
LANGUAGE ]
>> THANK YOU. SO WE HAVE FOUR
RAFFLE ITEMS . THIS WILL BE THE
LAST THING BEFORE WE CLOSE IT
OUT WITH OUR FINAL SONG. SO YOU
DON'T HAVE TO BE PRESENT TO WIN
AND THERE ARE PHONE NUMBERS ON
THERE AND WE WILL CONTACT FOLKS
IF YOU ARE STILL HERE, TASHINA
NUNEZ , NAZNU , LYDIA SURABI,
LYDIA? AND FOR THE BLANKETS,
DAHANA JIMINEZ. ANYONE ? WE DO
HAVE ONE MORE FOR NINA HAPPS.
GUESS WE'LL BE CALLING FOLKS
THEN. AGAIN, I WOULD LIKE TO
THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU
FOR BEING HERE AND TAKING YOUR
TIME AND YOUR SPIRIT TO BE HERE
TO SHARE ONE ANOTHER AND
CELEBRATE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S
DAY. AND TO CLOSE US TOGETHER
AS WE HAVE BROUGHT HER ANCESTOR
HERE WITH US AND I CAN FEEL
THEM ALL THE WAY FROM WESTLAKE
AND I CAN FEEL ALL OF OUR
ANCESTORS WITH US. I WOULD LIKE
TO INVITE MARIANNA HARVEY TO
SHARE A BEAUTIFUL SONG THAT WAS
CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY SO A
WARM WELCOME TO MARIANNA. [
APPLAUSE ]
>> I WANT TO INVITE ANYBODY WHO
WANTS TO SING THIS SONG WITH ME
TO THE STAGE THIS INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE'S DAY SONG AND THIS IS A
SONG YOU KNOW OR MAYBE YOU JUST
WANT TO COME UP HERE AND LEARN
AND YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME. [
SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE ]
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, MY NAME IS
MARIANNA HARVEY AND I AM A
CITIZEN OF THE YAKIMA NATION AN
MY PARENTS ARE PENNY AND KEN
HARVEY IN MY PATERNAL
GRANDPARENTS ARE THE LATE EMMA
WHITE FOOT AND THE LAMES -- LAT
JAMES HARVEY AND MY GRANDPARENT
ARE THE -- AND I GREW UP HERE I
THE CITY. I CREATED THIS SONG
WE ARE ABOUT TO SING CALLED THE
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY SONG AN
I DO REMEMBER BEING HERE IN CIT
HALL WITNESSING THE CHANGE AFTE
I KNOW MANY PEOPLE HERE IN THI
ROOM AND PEOPLE WHO MAYBE HAVE
ALREADY LEFT THROUGH THEIR
ADVOCACY THIS CELEBRATE THIS AN
REPLACE AND ABOLISH COLUMBUS DA
AND I REMEMBER. I WANT TO SAY
[ SPEAKING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
] FOR ALL OF THOSE LEADERS WHO
BROUGHT THAT DOWN HERE IN THE
CITY AND CITIES ACROSS THE
NATION . THIS SONG CAME FROM
WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST
CELEBRATION AT DAYBREAK STAR AN
IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST MEMORABL
MOMENTS AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN I
I AM SURE THE SAME RECIPE THIS
EVENING AND IT WAS THE WHOLE
CENTER FILLED WITH OUR BEAUTIFU
RELATIVES IN PURE CELEBRATION.
WE DO NEED THAT AND HOW MANY
TIMES DO WE GATHER AND SAY SO
GOOD TO SEE YOU BUT WE ARE
MORNING ONE OF OUR RELATIVES?
HOW MANY TIMES DO WE SEE EACH
OTHER AND SAY I AM SO HAPPY I
SEE YOU BUT WE ARE HERE TO MARC
AND RAISE AWARENESS. OR ALL TH
OTHER REASONS THAT WE GATHER OU
OF HARDSHIP AND I FOUND IT SO
MOVING THAT WE DID HAVE A DAY
THAT WAS PURELY OUT OF
CELEBRATION FOR THE BEAUTIFUL
DIVERSITY OF WHO WE ARE AS
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. THIS SONG
CAME TO ME WHEN I WAS DRIVING T
THE SECOND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S
DAY CELEBRATION AND IT IS AN
OPEN SONG AND ANYBODY WHO WANTS
TO LEARN IT YOU ARE WELCOME TO
SHARE IT. AND THAT IS ALL I HAV
TO SAY AND THANK YOU TO THE
RELATIVES UP HERE THAT WANT TO
SING TOGETHER. THANK YOU.
[ SINGING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE
♪ TODAY IS FOR US, INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE. RISE UP, SING LOUD.
CELEBRATE AND BE PROUD. ♪ [
SINGING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE ]
♪ TODAY IS FOR US, INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE. RISE UP, SING LOUD.
CELEBRATE. AND BE PROUD. ♪ [
SINGING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE ]
♪ TODAY IS FOR US, INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE. RISE UP, SING LOUD,
CELEBRATE, AND BE PROUD. ♪ [
SINGING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE ]
>> ♪ TODAY IS FOR US,
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. RISE UP, SIN
LOUD, CELEBRATE, AND BE PROUD.
♪ [ SINGING IN A GLOBAL
LANGUAGE ]
>> TODAY IS FOR US, INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE. RISE UP, SING LOUD,
CELEBRATE, AND BE PROUD. [
SINGING IN A GLOBAL LANGUAGE ]
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> ALL RIGHT. HAPPY INDIGENOUS
PEOPLE'S DAY. [ SPEAKING IN A
GLOBAL LANGUAGE ] TO ALL OF TH
RELATIVES COMING AND SHARING
WITH US ON THE STAGE AND I HOPE
TO SEE YOU AND THANK YOU TO THE
ORGANIZERS. [ APPLAUSE ]