Swinomish qyuuqs News

07/20/2025

🟢 UPDATE - Recreational beach bacteria monitoring results show the water at the Swinomish fishing dock is safe for contact.

07/18/2025

🟢 UPDATE, July 18 - Recreational beach bacteria monitoring results show the water at the Swinomish fishing dock is safe for contact.

🔴 July 16 - Water contact at the Swinomish fishing dock is not recommended due to high bacteria levels. Next sampling will take place on July 18 with test results available the next day.

07/16/2025

UPDATE! Due to a necessary fire response yesterday, FD13 was unable to be at the ball park. >>>BUT, they will be there today!!!

Head to the John K. Bob Ball Park TODAY, JULY 17 at 1PM - Fire District 13 will be there cooling everyone off. Don’t forget your towels, lawn chairs, and smiles!

07/16/2025

-qyuuqs News July 2025-
In addition to summertime events and happenings, we have “all things graduation” covered in this issue! We are celebrating the first-ever graduating class of the dəxʷx̌ayəbus SVC Dental Therapy Program, the SWEEC moving-up ceremony, La Conner School District’s eighth-grade promotion and high school graduation, and our very own Swinomish Education Picnic and Cedar Cap Ceremony.

Back in April, Swinomish Public Health asked community members to participate in a health survey – and 308 of you responded! A summary of the top five findings is on page 5.

The Tribe recently received grant funding to implement updates to the Swinomish Shorelines and Sensitive Areas (SSA) Code, STC 19-04, which regulates what happens on our shorelines and in sensitive areas across the reservation. You can be part of the change by reading the article about it on page 18 and then attending the SSA forum hosted by the Department of Environmental Protection in September (ad, page 19).

Starting on page 20, From the Tribal Archive: Swinomish Oysters and the La Conner Town Lot features an interesting historical look at the Swinomish Shellfish Company.

Let tribal youth member Ruby swalcelitca Billy inspire you through her volunteerism in the article True Community Champion on page 29.

We hope you enjoy the July qyuuqs News and will close with a culturally relevant thought from Swinomish Behavioral Health’s article about storytelling – “We are all worthy of being heard. Through storytelling, we begin to heal. Through healing, our stories continue.”

Please submit your story ideas, articles, photographs, announcements, and celebrations to [email protected]. We appreciate every community contribution we receive!

qyuuqs News is a publication of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.

07/16/2025

TRIBAL MEMBERS, COME GET YOUR FRESH SOCKEYE!
Drive-thru distribution at the fish plant this MONDAY, JULY 21. Elders start at 10 a.m., everyone else at 11 a.m. Please bring a cooler or bag. While supplies last!

07/15/2025

OUR HEALTH IS OUR STRENGTH
Join others from our Northwest Washington Native communities for a special breast cancer screening event, brought to you by United General and Washington Indian Health Board.

The July 17 event includes a luncheon with keynote speakers and drawings for prizes, including a new laptop. Mammograms available before and after. PLEASE REGISTER: https://tinyurl.com/2433v5ne

07/15/2025

CALLING ALL 2nd-12th GRADE YOUTH!
🏈 Register now for the Swinomish Boys & Girls Club THOMAS RAWLS FOOTBALL CAMP this JULY 28, 9AM-1PM!

FREE REGISTRATION at the Swinomish Boys & Girls Club (must be a Boys & Girls Club member) or contact Alex Stewart at (425) 209-8122 or [email protected]

THINGS TO KNOW...
🏈 LOCATION: La Conner Elementary School activity field - check in is at 8:45AM.
🏈 BE PREPARED: Make sure to bring cleats and a sack lunch. Concessions will be available for purchase.
🏈 PARENTS + FAMILY: Bring a chair and come watch!
🏈 YOUR REWARD: Registered athletes receive a free shirt!

07/09/2025

Swinomish Members,
Please join us WEDNESDAY, July 16, at 6 p.m. in-person or via Zoom for the MONTHLY COMMUNITY UPDATE MEETING. Topics = Domestic Violence + Workforce Development

You can register here >>> sitcgov.us/Update

A Zoom invitation will be emailed to you before the meeting time. Registration closes Tuesday, July 15, at 5 p.m.

Please join us for this month's Swinomish Community Update Meeting!

07/08/2025

Just a reminder to join us in celebrating 5 YEARS of SWINOMISH PRIDE tomorrow, July 8, 5 p.m. at swәdәbš Park!

SEAFOOD FEAST + LIVE MUSIC from Reservation Dogs composer MATO WAYUHI and indie-pop artist AILANI!

>>> LOVE – TRADITIONAL FOODS – SONGS & DANCE – RAFFLES – MURAL ART PROJECT – SPECIAL 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY PRIDE SHIRT

07/03/2025

A MESSAGE FROM OUR SWINOMISH POLICE DEPARTMENT
Fire danger is high, so please use good judgement with your fireworks. Have a source of water nearby and ready to go. And, very important, please watch out for kids and keep them safe – even small fireworks and sparklers can cause severe burns or injuries.

As a reminder, the Swinomish Tribal Code governs fireworks use on the reservation. Section B of the General Use Provisions section (page 9) states, “There shall be no use of fireworks that are explosive (e.g., rockets, night displays, etc.) or noisemakers on the reservation between the hours of 11 p.m. and 8 a.m., except on the 4th of July and New Year’s Eve.”

The maps in this post are a visual representation of section D of the code, which regulates where fireworks can and cannot be exploded or used.

Full code: https://www.swinomish-nsn.gov/media/2106

Have a safe and wonderful weekend – and if you see something, say something! You could save a life!

06/30/2025

CLOSURE INFORMATION FOR SWINOMISH HEALTH SERVICES

MEDICAL CLINIC
• After-hours call line: (360) 466-3167

SKIDMORE PHARMACY
Patients will need to pick up medications at Skidmore Pharmacy during the closure. Pharmacy staff can be reached at (360) 293-2124.

DENTAL CLINIC
• Staff will check voicemails during closure and return calls to help triage dental emergencies. Call line: (360) 466-3900

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
• Phone messages will be checked during work hours. Callers will receive a response the same day. Call (360) 466-7375 -OR- for emergencies, call 911 or the Su***de Hotline at 988.

06/30/2025

IN THE NEWS - https://nwtreatytribes.org/tagging-study-looks-at-movement-of-crab-in-skagit-bay

Swinomish's recently launched a pilot project that dispatched research tags on about 500 Dungeness crab. The study looks at movement of crab in Skagit Bay.

“There are definitely a lot of unknowns for Salish Sea crab, and this could potentially be a method to answer some of those questions.” -Julie Barber, senior shellfish biologist for Swinomish.

If you catch a crab with a blue tag on it, call or text (360) 391-3652 to report it and be entered to win a new crab pot.

In pursuit of information about the movement of adult Dungeness crab, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community recently launched a pilot…