Cowlitz Indian Tribe

Looking for volunteer opportunities? Cowlitz Indian Tribe is looking for Tribal members to serve on the Audit Committee and Cowlitz Enterprise Authority! Both boards offer $100 stipend per meeting. Applications for the two open positions close on August 14, 2024. Please submit a resume or cover letter to openseats@cowlitz.org. Audit Committee (1 seat): The Audit Committee is seeking a Tribal member to fill one open seat. The Audit Committee is responsible for facilitating audits of the Cowlitz Tribal departments and budgets throughout the year. Terms are for two years and meetings occur on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. Those with a background in finance, accounting, or business are encouraged to apply. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3WplkBc Cowlitz Enterprise Authority: The Cowlitz Enterprise Authority (CEA) is seeking Tribal members fill open seats. CEA exercises and implements governmental and proprietary powers over development, construction, operation, management, promotion, and financing of economic development initiatives, projects, businesses, and investments. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4bVOsWA

Proud Cowlitz moment! Congratulations to Jenna Mae Vogler, 1st Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps (USMC), who recently completed flight school at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, FL on July 12. Upon completion of flight school, Jenna earned her wings and was pinned by her sister Mariah Comstock, a 2nd Lieutenant in USMC and who is currently attending flight school. Jenna has been assigned to fly the UH-1Y ‘Venom’ and after graduation. Jenna and her sister previously attended the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD and are the daughters of Celine Cloquet. Amazing job Jenna! We are incredibly proud of your hard work and dedication. Your achievements are an inspiration to our community and a testament to your perseverance and commitment to excellence. Keep soaring to new heights! #CowlitzProud If a Cowlitz Tribal member in your family is doing great things and you’d like to celebrate them, send us their name, a photo, and a brief description and you may see them spotlighted on our social media! Please email: WeeklyUpdates@cowlitz.org

Did you know? As part of the Tribal Broadband Grant, Cowlitz Tribal members are able to receive a laptop! While many Tribal members have claimed theirs, CIT still has laptops available. Cowlitz Tribal members 12 years of age and older who have not yet requested their laptop should email Kim at ksanchez@cowlitz.org. For children, laptops will be shipped in care of the custodial adult.

Join the Cowlitz Indian Tribe for Canoe Landing at 11:00am THIS Saturday, July 20th at the Henry J. Kaiser Shipyard Memorial! Lunch and protocol will take place following the Canoe Landing at Ft. Vancouver. Dinner and camping will also take place at Ft. Vancouver on Saturday evening. Parking is extremely limited at the Shipyard Memorial, including Elders and ADA parking. Due to limited parking, transportation will be provided from Ft. Vancouver to the landing, stating at 10:00am. We strongly recommend all attendees take the shuttle. Questions? Please contact Vanessa at vrobertson@tc.cowlitz.org for more information. Map photo courtesy of National Park Service.

For nearly 60 years, the Kwoneesum Dam blocked over six miles of coho salmon and steelhead habitat along the Washougal River, depriving Cowlitz people of essential food and subsistence resources. On May 10, CIT and the Columbia Land Trust came together to celebrate the dam’s removal. Originally built to create a lake for girls’ summer camp activities, the Kwoneesum Dam’s purpose was short-lived, lasting only two decades before the land was bought by a timber company. The Seattle Times recently published an article highlighting the challenges of removing ‘deadbeat dams’ like the Kwoneesum Dam in Washington and the Pacific Northwest. We extend our gratitude to the Seattle Times for shedding light on the profound cultural, ancestral, and physical impacts dam removals have on Tribes and Native nations. Read more about ‘deadbeat dams’ and the Kwoneesum Dam removal here: https://bit.ly/3S0BOyk (Photo by Jarrette Werk - Underscore News + Report for America)

Happy 4th of July from the Cowlitz Indian Tribe! We wish everyone a safe and fun-filled holiday. CIT offices will be closed today and will reopen tomorrow, July 5th.

Cowlitz Tribal member Heidi Gehring recently led a team of students on an incredible mural project “If It Hits the Ground, It Hits the Sound” at Point Defiance Marina! This project, in partnership with the Science and Math Institute (SAMI) in Tacoma and Metro Parks Tacoma, aims to educate the public about the critical issue of pollution entering the Puget Sound. Heidi, a sophomore at SAMI, also recently finished her mural! Thank you for bringing to light this important issue and congratulations on your beautiful mural Heidi! If a Cowlitz Tribal member in your family is doing great things and you’d like to celebrate them, send us their name, a photo, and a brief description and you may see them spotlighted on our social media! Please email: WeeklyUpdates@cowlitz.org

Work for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe (CIT)! Current open positions include Assistant Tribal Manager, Network Administrator, Registered Nurse, and more. CIT offers a competitive compensation package that includes fair wages with opportunities for annual increases, separate sick and vacation accruals, comp-time, and 15 paid holidays per year, plus an additional paid cultural day where you and your family can learn more about the culture and people we work tirelessly to preserve and uplift. Learn more about our open positions: https://bit.ly/3pCTpkN

The Cowlitz Veterans Program will be hosting an online Veterans Benefits and Claims Briefing from 3:00 – 4:00 pm this Wednesday, July 3rd. The Veterans Benefits and Claims Briefing will cover three essential areas crucial to veterans’ well-being including VA disability compensation, VA healthcare, and state benefits. Attendees will also be able to learn about the support and resources available to veterans including how to navigate the claims process and how to access to quality healthcare. Click here to attend the meeting: https://bit.ly/3wtp9wj

Recognize this hat?! Longtime Seattleite and Washingtonian, Bill Nye the Science Guy earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week! Throwback picture from 2021 when Governor Inslee attached a “Washingtonian” pin to Bill Nye’s shirt during a visit to Johnston Ridge Observatory at Mount St. Helens in Toutle. Picture credits: Courtney Talak/The Daily News Learn more: https://bit.ly/4cjPGvA