Tulalip Tribes
The Tulalip Tribes of Washington (/tʊˈleɪlɪp/, Lushootseed: dxʷlilap[a]), formerly known as the Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, is a federally recognized tribe of Duwamish,[3] Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skagit, Suiattle, Samish, and Stillaguamish people.[1] They are South and Central Coast Salish peoples of indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast.[4] Their tribes are located in the mid-Puget Sound region of Washington.
Tulalip leader John McCoy was a member of the Washington State Legislature from 2003 to 2020. For a time he served as the only Native American in the legislature, at other times being joined by Jeff Morris, an Alaskan Native (Tsimpshian) who was elected in 1996 with two other Alaskan Natives, Dino Rossi (Tlingit) and Jim Dunn (Aleut). In 2002 the Tulalip Tribes also exerted political power by allying with other tribes across the state and defeating a state Supreme Court candidate "with a long track record of opposing tribal interests."[5]
Name[edit]
The term Tulalip (originally Lushootseed: dxʷlilap[a]) comes from the Snohomish dialect. It was used in 1855 to describe the tribes who joined together on the Tulalip Reservation established by treaty with the federal government.[3] They included the Duwamish,[3] Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skagit, Suiattle, Samish, and Stillaguamish peoples, all of whom are South and Central Coast Salish peoples.[1]
The Tulalip Tribes are headquartered in Tulalip, Washington. The tribe is governed by a seven-member, democratically elected General Council, whose members fill designated roles as officers and boardmembers. The current tribal administration is as follows:
The Tulalip Tribes has defined its rules for membership in the tribe. Membership is based on January 1, 1935, Tulalip census roll; new applicants must prove descent from persons on that roll and that their parents were residents of the Tulalip Reservation at the time of the individual's birth. It does not require a minimum blood quantum.
Judicial system: Pilot project of VAWA 2013[edit]
The US Supreme Court's majority opinion in Oliphant v. Suquamish Indian Tribe (1978) affirmed that tribal courts were not allowed to have jurisdiction over a non-Indian person in a criminal case on the reservation. Through the passage of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013), signed into law on March 7, 2013, by President Barack Obama, tribal courts have been authorized to exercise special criminal jurisdiction over certain crimes of domestic and dating violence.[15]
This new law generally took effect on March 7, 2015. It also authorized a voluntary "Pilot Project" to allow certain tribes to begin exercising special jurisdiction beginning February 20, 2014.[15] Three tribes were selected for this Pilot Project: the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (Oregon), the Pascua Yaqui Tribe (Arizona), and the Tulalip Tribes of Washington.[16][17]
Language[edit]
The tribes speak English and Lushootseed,[1] a Central Salish language. The language is written in the Latin script. A dictionary and grammar have been published.[18] The tribe established its own language department in the 1990s to promote and preserve the use of Lushootseed across the region. Marysville Pilchuck High School began offering Lushootseed classes to its students in 2019.[19]
Politics[edit]
The Tulalip Tribes has begun to act more in local and state politics, at times in alliance with other Native American tribes in the state. In November 2002, John McCoy, a longtime Tulalip leader, was elected to the Washington state legislature, where he first served as the only Native American member.[5]
In addition, in the 2002 election, the Tulalip worked with other tribes in the state to defeat a candidate for the state Supreme Court who had a long record of opposing tribal interests.[5]
Seven other Native Americans have since been elected to the state legislature, including Julie Johnson (Lummi). Only one Native American state representative is Republican; all the others are members of the Democratic Party.[25]
Events[edit]
The tribes host numerous annual events, including Treaty Days, typically in January to commemorate the signing of the Point Elliot Treaty on January 22, 1855; First King Salmon Ceremony, to bless the fishermen and celebrate catching the first king salmon of the season; Winter Dancing; and a Veteran's Pow Wow during the first weekend of every June.[1]
