Thursday 13 February 2014

Tulalip Tribes



American Studies Blog: Week 5


Find, post and analyse how the website of a Native American tribe presents their identity. 
Make sure to indicate details such as where the tribe is located, their history, their economic situation, health, wealth, numbers, etc.
Website: http://www.tulaliptribes-nsn.gov/Home/WhoWeAre.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulalip
http://www.tulaliplushootseed.com/

            The Tulalip Tribes is a Native American tribal group located on the Tulalip Reservation close to Marysville in Washington State. Having first encountered Europeans in 1792, the reservation was established in 1855 when Governor Issac Stevens signed the Treaty of Point Elliot. According to its website, as of April 2004, the Tribes has 3611 active members living on the reservation. The tribal group itself consists of members from various smaller tribal groups such as the Snohomish and Snoqualmie etc., who are collectively known as the Salish people. The Salish people belong to the group of the indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest of America, and are known to have resided in the South and Central areas of that region. Personally I found this group of tribes interesting, as unlike the tribal groups such as the Cherokee and Seminole, who originally resided on the East Coast of America before being forced to relocate West, it is very likely that this group has resided in the same area since crossing the Bering Strait approximately 35,000 years ago.
            In their mission statement, the Tulalip tribes claim that “We govern ourselves” and that those living on the reservation are “one people”. From these statements it is natural to assume that the Tulalip tribes do not identify themselves as “American” and would not contemplate assimilating into American society. This assumption is reinforced by their clear display of affinity towards their “Native American Identity”. This can be seen in their efforts to preserve their culture through the way they educate their children, their desire to educate outsiders about their history and heritage, and their assertion that they are a “sovereign entity”. This notion that they form a “sovereign entity” and govern themselves can be interpreted as suggesting that the Tulalips consider themselves as independent of the U.S., and that they believe themselves to be in no way dependent on, or inferior to the U.S. as suggested by the Constitution.
Yet this is shown not to be the case when we look at the website in detail. It is interesting to note that the Tulalip Tribes consider a sovereign nation to be something that “exists either by means of divine allocation or federal government recognition” whilst claiming that “Sovereign entities are free from state imposed laws” but are “regulated by the federally imposed statutes”. This suggests that the Tulalip Tribes, to some extent, see themselves as belonging to the current political and social system of the United States. In addition, we can see that they have clearly embraced the opportunities presented by American society. For example, it is worth noting that they have built several casinos as well as a liquor shop and a village for tourism. They have also embraced the development of technology, and it is particularly interesting to see that they use websites and mobile apps as a means of preserving their culture, in conjunction with the traditional practices of the past. Thus we can infer that the Tulalip Tribes possess a certain level of desire to assimilate into American society, or perhaps better to benefit from its presence around them.
In terms of wealth, we can see that they appear to be doing very well in comparison to other tribes. As mentioned, they have built casinos and a village on the reservation from which they make an income. There is also a business park located in the village which they claim is a “popular destination for thousands of shoppers and provides a highly visible opportunity for businesses”. With regards to healthcare they state that in addition to Health and Dental Clinics, they also benefit from a chemical dependency recovery program and a pharmacy, which suggests that the level of care the inhabitants receive is no different from a normal American citizen, if not better. It also suggests, though, that they suffer from the problem of drug addiction that threatens other parts of American society.
In conclusion, we can see that the identity which the Tulalip Tribes present is a complex one. Whilst they clearly identify themselves as Native Americans and possess a strong affinity towards their past, it is also evident that they recognize and have a desire to be a part of American society, albeit under the condition that they remain a “sovereign entity”.

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