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While the Washington State “Since Time Immemorial” curriculum provides a valuable foundation, the Tulalip Tribes’ locally developed resources offer a rich, more focused education on our specific cultural heritage. We believe that this localized approach not only honors our past but also strengthens our community’s future by educating our youth in a way that is both meaningful and impactful. By integrating these local perspectives, we empower our students with a stronger sense of identity and connection to their heritage, fostering pride and understanding that will last a lifetime.
Tulalip Tribes Madam Chairwoman, Teri Gobin
Former WA State Senator
John McCoy and Tulalip Tribes Member
Tulalip Tribes Board of Directors
In Support of the Tulalip Tribally-Developed Sovereignty Curriculum
We are pleased to announce in this letter the expansion of the required John McCoy (lulilaš) Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State Curriculum with a Tribally-developed Curriculum:
The Tulalip Tribes Sovereignty Curriculum
We urge you, as a school district located within the Tulalip Tribes’ usual and accustomed areas, to consider adopting the Tulalip Tribes specific curriculum to satisfy your requirements under the Since Time Immemorial law. This curriculum uses a place-based approach; this approach encourages addressing essential questions in the context of tribes in their own communities.
The Law: In Washington State, the Legislature has mandated the teaching of a curriculum on Tribal Sovereignty.
2015: Senate Bill 5433 made the Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State or an alternative tribally-developed curriculum mandatory in all schools.
2024: House Bill 1879 renamed the state curriculum to the John McCoy (lulilaš) Since Time Immemorial curriculum to honor the late WA State Senator and Tulalip Tribes member John McCoy.
The state-provided John McCoy (lulilaš) Since Time Immemorial curriculum is endorsed by all 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington.
Tulalip Legislator John McCoy House Bill 1879 Washington State K-12 John McCoy (lulilas) Since Time Immemorial curriculum is endorsed by all 29 federally recognized tribes.
Dr. Chelsea Craig
Tulalip Tribes Member
Revisionist Historian Curriculum Editor
Tulalip Tribes' Sovereignty Curriculum
The Tulalip Tribes have created their own tribally-developed sovereignty curriculum, a directive from their Board of Directors since 2019, which focuses specifically on the history and interests of the Coast Salish Tulalip Tribes (descendants of the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, and allied bands signatory to the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott).
Approach and Alignment
Approach and Alignment
The Tulalip curriculum is formulated with an approach similar to the state's curriculum, featuring:
An inquiry-based approach with essential questions.
A place-based approach that contexts tribal issues within local communities.
An integrated approach allowing teachers to weave the content into lessons throughout the year.
Alignment with the Common Core State Standards for English/language arts and social studies, and support for completing Content Based Assessments (CBA).
Place-based Local Focus: While the state's curriculum offers a broad introduction to Native American history, the Tulalip-developed curriculum provides a deeper, more nuanced understanding that captures the specific histories, cultural practices, and lived experiences of the Tulalip people, reflecting their deep-rooted, "since time immemorial" connection to their traditional lands.
Place-based Local Focus: While the state's curriculum offers a broad introduction to Native American history, the Tulalip-developed curriculum provides a deeper, more nuanced understanding that captures the specific histories, cultural practices, and lived experiences of the Tulalip people, reflecting their deep-rooted, "since time immemorial" connection to their traditional lands.
Tulalip Tribes Sovereignty Curriculum team (TTSC) is an STI curriculum cohort planning committee led by Tulalip Tribes members and involves leaders from neighboring school districts who support and share this work: Edmonds SD (2016); Marysville SD (2016); Northshore SD (2016); Everett SD (2017); Granite SD (2017); Lakewood SD (north) (2018); Monroe SD (2018); Lake Stevens SD (2018); Shoreline SD; Lake Washington SD.
Disclaimer
Disclaimer
Native Land Digital is an independent organization and maintains no official affiliation, partnership, or legal association with the Tulalip Tribes.
This map does not represent or intend to represent official or legal boundaries of any Indigenous nations. To learn about definitive boundaries, contact the nations in question. Also, this map is not perfect — it is a work in progress with tons of contributions from the community. Please send us fixes if you find errors at https://native-land.ca/contact. We strive to represent nations and Indigenous people on their own terms. When there are conflicts or issues with our information, we try to fix things as soon as possible with the input of all parties involved.
Tulalip Tribes
Tulalip Tribes ~ We are not asking for the clock to be turned back to 1854; we are asking for the truth of our connection to this place to be respected in the present.
Land acknowledgments are often misunderstood as a demand for eviction. Ultimately, the Tulalip perspective suggests that when you acknowledge the land, you aren't losing your home—you are gaining a deeper understanding of the legacy you've inherited.
For the Tulalip Tribes—a confederation of the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, and other allied bands—the primary goal is to combat invisibility. A land acknowledgment is a formal recognition that the Coast Salish people have been here since Time Immemorial and are still here today. It’s an assertion of presence, not a notice of foreclosure.
Honoring a Sacred Covenant
Honoring a Sacred Covenant
From a Tulalip worldview, the relationship with the land is one of stewardship, governed by the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855.
The Intent: To remind current residents that the ground they stand on has a history and a spiritual lineage.
The Goal: To encourage people to be better guests and stewards of the environment (like the salmon and the cedar).
Training for Leaders and Educators
Since Time Immemorial Sovereignty Curriculum: A Tulalip Tribes Local Place-based Approach
Professional Training: Tulalip Tribally-Developed Sovereignty Curriculum
TRAINING by Tulalip Tribes Member, Dr. Chelsea Craig and Tribal Ally, Lisa Sofie
2025 Tulalip Tribes Sovereignty Curriculum Training (1).pdf Building-directed with Administrator
Building-directed with Administrator
Tulalip Tribes Sovereignty Curriculum Training
Tulalip Tribes Sovereignty Curriculum Training
1.5 Clock Hours
1.5 Clock Hours
Teacher Self-guided (quizzes included to provide teachers with insights into their own progress and any existing knowledge gaps)
Tulalip Tribes Sovereignty CurriculumTraining
4 Clock Hours after-work day
CURRICULUM
Tulalip Tribally-Developed Sovereignty Curriculum and Resources
Since Time Immemorial (STI)
Lushootseed Stories (link) are aligned to Tulalip Values (link).
Students are often invited to refer to the Tulalip Tribes Values during story telling and reading.
Categorization and application: They are learning to use the Tribal Values as a "lens" through which they view all information.
Intergenerational Thinking: When a student connects a Lushootseed story to a Tulalip value, they are practicing the skill of keeping a culture alive. They are not just "learning about the past"; they are learning how to be Tulalip in the present.
Synthesis of identity: The student realizes that the values found in the stories are the same values expected of them in the classroom and at home.
Tulalip Tribally-Developed
Nonfiction Literature and Storytelling
Click on the photos below to view each.
Huckleberry Healing (1).pdfTulalip Tribally-Developed: Huckleberry Healing
The Tulalip people call their berry-picking place
swədaʔx̌ali, which means
‘Place of Mountain Huckleberries.’
In Harmony with the Land (Tulalip Tribes Final) (2).pdfTulalip Tribally-Developed:
Reclaiming of Names, a Tulalip Tribes' and Chief Whea-Kadim (William Shelton) Perspective
“Gifts of the Land and Sea”.pdfTulalip Tribally-Developed:
The Tulalip Tribes lived sustainably, taking only what they needed from the land and sea. Following what settlers called The Great Migration, imposed farming practices and spoiled food rations led to hunger and health challenges. This account highlights the Native perspective, emphasizing the resilience and ingenuity that continue to guide their return to traditional ways of life.
The Story of the Salmon Ceremony (Tulalip Tribes Final).pdfTulalip Tribally-Developed Primary Version:
Tulalip Tribally-Developed Primary Version:
By Bernie "Kia Kia" Gobin
By Bernie "Kia Kia" Gobin
Artwork by Jason Gobin, provided by Tulalip Lushootseed Department.
(Primary Version) The Point Elliott Treaty.pdfTulalip Tribally-Developed Primary Version:
A Tulalip Tribes' Perspective of The Point Elliott Treaty of 1855
The Point Elliott Treaty (final).pdfTulalip Tribally-Developed Intermediate Version The Point Elliott Treaty of 1855
A Tulalip Tribes' Perspective
John McCoy lulilas Book (Tulalip Tribes Final).pdfHarriette Shelton Dover Book Secondary Level (2).pdfTulalip Tribally-Developed:
Tulalip Tribally-Developed:
Author and Tulalip Tribes Member
Author and Tulalip Tribes Member
Heart Full of Courage: Harriette's Family and Her Legacy
Heart Full of Courage: Harriette's Family and Her Legacy
Bernie 'Kia Kia' Gobin Salmon Hatchery (Tulalip Tribes ~ Final).pdfTulalip Tribally-Developed:
Bernie 'Kai Kai' Gobin Salmon Hatchery & the Salmon Life Cycle
Bernie Gobin Book (1) (1).pdfTulalip Tribally-Developed: Bernie "Kia - Kia" Gobin: A Man of His People by Bernie's grandson, Kamiakin Craig, Tulalip Tribes member
Judy Gobin Cedar (Tulalip Tribes) (1).pdfStan Jones World War II.pdfTulalip Tribes book portrait printshop (1).pdfBlank Print Document (1).pdfTulalip Tribally-Developed:
Tulalip Tribes Member, Veteran, Treaty Fishing Rights Warrior
by Toneena "Nina" Gobin
(fact sheet assignment)
Grade Level Units and Lessons
Tulalip Tribally-Developed Sovereignty Curriculum
Until all grade-level units are completed and approved, grade bands are asked to collaboratively divide a unit up among grade levels.
Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd Units = Primary K-2 * 2nd, 4th Units = Intermediate 3-5 * 6th Unit = Middle School 6-8 * 11th & 12th Unit = High School 9-12
!!!🙃 If your computer provided PDF viewer(s) are not working, simply click on DOWNLOAD, then click on DOWNLOAD ANYWAY. Once downloaded, click the downloads 'down-arrow,' typically at the top right hand corner of your screen, and click on the title of the unit you're trying to view.
Tulalip Tribally-Developed Sovereignty Curriculum (STI)
Elementary Level
Download Arrow
Elementary Boarding School Interactive Lesson
This appropriately designed elementary grade level interactive lesson on the Tulalip Tribes Boarding School experience utilizes an extended metaphor to explore themes of loss and resilience. The curriculum centers on the imagery of a closing door and a sealed bentwood box—symbolizing the severance of familial ties, cultural traditions, and ancestral ways of life.
To provide a narrative of hope and agency, the lesson concludes with the reopening of those doors and the lifting of the bentwood box lid. This transition serves as a metaphor for the resilience of the Tulalip people, illustrating their ongoing efforts to reclaim what was taken and to sustain their culture for future generations.
KINDERGARTEN
Tulalip People Long Ago
Field Trip and Outdoor Learning: Local Farm to Fork Strawberry Plants & Strawberry Planting
GRADE 1
Tulalip Native Land and Cedar
Field Trip and Outdoor Learning: Hibulb Cultural Center Canoe Hall and Longhouse; Wild Mountain Huckleberry Planting
Primary K-2 Unit
(Later to become Grade 2 Unit)
Main Food Sources and Salmon Rights
Outdoor Learning Tulalip Forest Journal Field Trip: Salmon Hatchery and
Hibulb: Interactive permanent salmon exhibit; surrounding land tour
Blackberry Planting
GRADE 2
Main Food Sources and Salmon Rights
Field Trip and Outdoor Learning: Bernie "Kia Kia" Gobin Salmon Hatchery; Tulalip Tribes Nature Adventure and Journal
Elementary Level ~ Aligned to Grade 3 Standards
Elementary Boarding School Interactive Lesson
This appropriately designed elementary grade level interactive lesson on the Tulalip Tribes Boarding School experience utilizes an extended metaphor to explore themes of loss and resilience. The curriculum centers on the imagery of a closing door and a sealed bentwood box—symbolizing the severance of familial ties, cultural traditions, and ancestral ways of life.
To provide a narrative of hope and agency, the lesson concludes with the reopening of those doors and the lifting of the bentwood box lid. This transition serves as a metaphor for the resilience of the Tulalip people, illustrating their ongoing efforts to reclaim what was taken and to sustain their culture for future generations.
GRADE 4
Temporarily Intermediate Grades 3-5 Unit
(Later to become Grade 4 Unit)
Salmon Recovery and the
Boldt Decision
Field Trip and Outdoor Learning:
Tulalip Bernie Kia Kia Gobin Salmon Hatchery & Salmon Berry Planting
!!!🙃 If your computer provided PDF viewer(s) are not working, simply click on DOWNLOAD, then click on DOWNLOAD ANYWAY. Once downloaded, click the downloads 'down-arrow,' typically at the top right hand corner of your screen, and click on the title of the unit you're trying to view.
Tulalip Tribally-Developed Sovereignty Curriculum (STI)
Middle School Level
Download Arrow
GRADE 6
Temporarily Middle School Grades 6-8 Unit
(Later to become Grade 6 Unit)
Coast Salish Long Ago and the
Lasting Effects of the Treaty
Middle School Unit
(Later to become Grade 6 Unit)
Field Trip: Canoe Hall Exhibition at Hibulb Cultural Center
Grade 6 Unit In Action!
The People of the Salmon
Using Indigenous Pedagogies embedded within a Tulalip sovereignty curriculum unit, teacher, Vidonni Gonzalez, followed the lesson to have students use the same colors used by artist Juane Quick-to-See Smith which represent the medicine wheel. The Medicine Wheel, sometimes referred as the Sacred Hoop, has been used by generations of various Native American tribes for health and healing. It embodies the Four Directions – often interpreted as the four aspects of life: spiritual, emotional, intellectual and physical – all of which come together to symbolize the cycle of life.
Tulalip Tribes Dr. Chelsea Craig joins middle school students working on Tulalip Tribes Since Time Immemorial Project-based Learning.
Tulalip Days and November Native American Heritage Month at 10th Street Middle School
Art Teacher, Vidonni Gonzales, takes on a portion of the Grade 6 Tulalip Tribes Sovereignty Curriculum Unit to culturally connect her students while keeping them engaged.
WA State History Unit: Grades 7-12
WA State History Unit: Grades 7-12
Cultural Identity and Sovereignty Despite tthe Pressures of Colonization and Treaty Negotiations
!!!🙃 If your computer provided PDF viewer(s) are not working, simply click on DOWNLOAD, then click on DOWNLOAD ANYWAY. Once downloaded, click the downloads 'down-arrow,' typically at the top right hand corner of your screen, and click on the title of the unit you're trying to view.
Tulalip Tribally-Developed Sovereignty Curriculum (STI)
High School Level
Download Arrow
GRADE 11 US History
Temporarily High School Grades 9-11 Unit
(Later to become Grade 11 Unit)
The Impact of the Indian Reorganization Act
High School Unit
(Later to b ecome Grade 11 Unit )
Field Trip: Self-guided Tour
(Tulalip Tribal Artwork Displayed)
Tulalip Casino Artwork
Tulalip Admin Building
Mukilteo Multimodal Ferry Terminal
Hibulb Cultural Center
High School Senior Project:
A Tulalip Tribes Place-based Approach
Tulalip Aligned Senior Project.pdfReal World Experiences_ Kamaya Craig, Tulalip Tribes Member.pdfHarriette Shelton Dover Book Secondary Level (2).pdfHarriette Shelton Dover
Harriette Shelton Dover
Dr. Chelsea Craig, Lisa Sofie, and Kamaya Craig
Dr. Chelsea Craig, Lisa Sofie, and Kamaya Craig
Example of a Tulalip Aligned Senior Project.pdf
One Click to Tulalip Tribally-Developed Sovereignty Curriculum
One Click to Tulalip Tribally-Developed Sovereignty Curriculum
Relevant and Meaningful Topics and Articles
Perspectives of the Tulalip Tribes
Boarding Schools
US Federal Tulalip Boarding School Lesson .pdfLESSON PLAN: US Federal Tulalip Boarding School
‘Genocide Our People Survived’
‘Genocide Our People Survived’
US Fedral Tulalip Boarding School Fueled Generations of Pain
US Fedral Tulalip Boarding School Fueled Generations of Pain
History.org article: Tulalip Boarding School opens in Snohomish County on January 23, 1905. Growing up in the US Government's Tulalip boarding school, Tulalip Tribes member, Harriette Shelton Dover would “just sit absolutely still and watch my playmates die” of illness, hunger and cold.
The Daily Herald dug into rosters and other records at Tulalip that reveal a staggering death toll — and pain passed from generation to generation.
Elementary Boarding School Interactive Lesson
This appropriately designed elementary grade level interactive lesson on the Tulalip Tribes Boarding School experience utilizes an extended metaphor to explore themes of loss and resilience. The curriculum centers on the imagery of a closing door and a sealed bentwood box—symbolizing the severance of familial ties, cultural traditions, and ancestral ways of life.
To provide a narrative of hope and agency, the lesson concludes with the reopening of those doors and the lifting of the bentwood box lid. This transition serves as a metaphor for the resilience of the Tulalip people, illustrating their ongoing efforts to reclaim what was taken and to sustain their culture for future generations.
Treaty Rights & Government Affairs
Billy Frank, Jr * Stan Jones Bernie Gobin
Billy Frank, Jr * Stan Jones Bernie Gobin
Read about The Fish Wars and the Boldt Decision (Tulalip News)
Read about The Boldt Decision and the Tribal Perspective
Tribal Warriors: The Fish Wars
Billy Frank, Jr., Nisqually Tribal Member and Warrior, fought alongside Tulalip Tribes' Warriors, Stan Jones and Bernie Gobin, among others, to protect Native fishing rights promised in the Point Elliott Treaty.
Billy Frank, Jr., Nisqually Tribal Member and Fishing Rights Warrior
Billy Frank Jr. Be Bold Be Brave (Primary Level) (1).pdfBilly Frank, Jr
Primary Version
Billy Frank Jr. Book.pdfBilly Frank, Jr
Intermediate Version
Billy Frank, Jr. one pager.pdfBilly Frank, Jr
Warrior
Nisqually Indian Tribe
One-Pager with Handout
K-12 Billy Frank, Jr Day Treaty Rights Hero: March 9 (resources and activities)
Tulalip Tribes Classroom Posters
Celebrating the Return of the King Salmon_ Tulalip Tribal Warriors POSTER.pdf
Tulalip Tribes Member and Author
Harriette Shelton Dover
Daughter of Chief William Shelton ~ the famed Tulalip storyteller, wood-carver, and cultural leader ~ Harriette Shelton Williams Dover followed her father's fine example and invested her entire adult life into efforts to reintroduce various traditional aspects and practices of their native heritage (historylink.org)
Native American Heritage Month
This article highlights a few books that have local ties, as well as a couple authors who are well-known in the community of Native writers.
By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News
Social Emotional Learning
Whole-child Social Emotional Learning Supports (SEL)
Quil Ceda Tulalip Elementary: Becoming Siab resource (here)
A School-wide Approach 'Our Way'
Tribal Quote Cards: Tulalip Tribal Elders Reclaiming their Tribal Culture for Seven Future Generations
Stan Jones Sr Card.pdfStan Jones Quote
Stan Jones Sr Card (1).pdfBernie Gobin Card (Postcard (US)) (1).pdfCard Stan Jones (1).pdfBilly Frank Jr. Card (Postcard (US)) (1).pdfBilly Frank, Jr. Quote
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