By Hailey Palmer, Puyallup Tribal News
It was a cold day, but a great day when the Puyallup Tribe broke ground on a longhouse in early January. Despite the less-than-ideal temperature, Puyallup Tribal Council, employees and Tribal Members braved the cold to witness the beginnings of a project a long time in the making.
Heritage Division Manager Connie McCloud delivered a blessing and prayer while Puyallup Tribe Language Director Amber Hayward shared a prayer in Lushootseed before the Heritage Division and Tribal Members drummed, danced and sang.
“This really is an historic event, opportunity for our community and our people,” McCloud said. “We have waited a long time to bring this house here.”
The longhouse will be approximately 24,000 square feet with the indoor space being approximately 17,300 square feet. It will feature a Great Room with amphitheater seating for more than 500 people. The dining room and kitchen will serve as a multi-use space year-round. It is also expected to feature cedar bark woven paneling and artwork from the Tribe.
Guest speakers from around the state and Northwest included Delbert Miller from Skokomish, Alec Dan and Iona Paul from Musqueum, British Columbia, Sharleen YellowWolf from Colville and Al Johnny from Nooksack/Lummi.
Traditional healer Herbert Yazzie Jr. led a spiritual ceremony before shovels were stuck into the ground.
Here is an excerpt of what each Tribal Council Member said during the ceremony.
Chairman Bill Sterud
“This is a historic day. … We’ve had to come back. It’s been a slow comeback. The word ‘patience’ is a good word. Our people fought for that, we have fishing people here today that went to jail fishing. We weren’t allowed on our river. That’s what we went through. Today, as we stand here, and we’re getting 55 new homes built for our people right over here, we have a youth center right over there and we’re going to have our longhouse right there. We have our mountain watching us right there. We live in a beautiful place; a beautiful reservation and we’re going to get it back. This longhouse is part of it.”
Vice Chairwoman Sylvia Miller
“This has been planned for a long time, asked I will say, not planned, and it finally happened from a lot of people standing here. Not only these construction people, but people like Connie (McCloud) who just wouldn’t let it go, people like Brandon (Reynon) who wouldn’t let it go and this Council made it happen. Right now, I just want to stand here and thank each and every one of you guys because this has been asked of us many, many times and it didn’t happen until now. I appreciate every single one of you guys sitting here that made this happen.”
Annette Bryan
“I just want to thank you guys for coming down and reminding us of the importance of this house we’re putting on this sacred land right here where our ancestors were and are today right by our river and our mountain. This Council does really care about the wellness of our community. We have a lot of sickness and a lot of illness, a lot of pain and a lot of trauma, and we need healing. We have a lot of programs to do that with, but we need our longhouse to build our spiritual foundation. … we were all elected here to take care of our people. How can we do that without our spirituality, without our ancestors helping us, guiding us every single day?”
James Rideout
“Today is a beautiful day. … I have a lot of relatives and friends across our Tribe who live this way. You can’t just learn it, you have to be a part of it is what they told me. I come here today and it’s surreal because this is really happening. These were conversations that were happening some time ago, along with all the things that are in need for the Tribe. Many things had to happen to get to this day today and it starts by listening to your Elders and really taking that in. It’s our responsibility to take that thought and turn it into reality. … We have our own construction company here today to build our longhouse and homes. That’s beautiful.”
Anna Bean
“These are the old ways and they’re being brought back to Puyallup, to this land. I want to thank everybody across the area who was a part of this plan, this process, the conversations that led to this home being here in Puyallup. We need to be re-centered again. These are where our families gathered for times well before each one of us stood here. This is where we’ll be coming together again. This is where we’ll gather, this is where we’ll sing, this is where we’ll pray, this is where ceremony will take place, this is where healing will come back to the Puyallup people. Next to our water that comes from our mountain. I’m so thankful to be a part of this process.”
Monica Miller
“I’ve been working at this Tribe for 40-something years. … I’ve been watching this Tribe my whole life. We have rebuilt this, not just the Council, but we as a Tribe, a community, have rebuilt our whole Tribe. This longhouse is going to be amazing. Like Sylvia said, Connie has been waiting and waiting, so has Brandon and everyone else. It’s happening and it’s going to be the most beautiful, healing place for not just us, but the other Tribes. … We have come a long way. All of you should be proud. This is our Tribe. … We’re the ones that did this all.”
Fred Dillon
“Sitting here witnessing what we’re doing today has been a long time coming for our people. I can reflect on times where I grew up where some of us around here could only dream about some of the stuff we’re doing today. … I wasn’t blessed like some of our relatives here that have this knowledge and spirituality that they carry – this medicine they carry. … I’m truly grateful, blessed and humbled to be able to stand here as a leader of our people and let you know how humbled I am to have this here. Our job and duty for each and every one of us, for Indigenous people, is to look out for our future.”
