Published 11/9/07

Exchange students visit Tulalip reservation

by Beckye Randall

Eighteen students, ages 16-18, sat quietly in Judge Gary Bass’ tribal court, listening intently to the dialogue between the attorneys and judge. An occasional whisper passed between them, discussing what they had heard and what it meant.

The scene was unusual because the whispering was in German, and the students were all visitors from Stuttgart, the sixth-largest city in Germany with a population of more than 2.5 million people.

Each year Professor Elke Dinter, an instructor of foreign languages at Everett Community College, arranges a cultural and educational exchange program between our area and the southern German town. Local students spend three weeks during the summer in Stuttgart, living with local families and learning about the country’s rich culture. In the fall German students from those host families come to Snohomish County for three weeks.

The exchange students participated in many activities and field trips during their visit here, but one of the most anticipated was a visit to the Tulalip Tribes reservation.

Ronni Kona, a tribal member and one of Prof. Dinter’s former students, arranged an afternoon that included the visit to the tribal court, a conversation with Tulalip police officer Carlos Echevarria, a rare invitation to visit the tribal cemetery and a guided tour of the Tulalip Casino led by Linda Tolbert of the tribes’ human resources department.

The students were respectful and attentive during the court session, then playful and energetic for an outdoor photo-op with Officer Echevarria. All the students speak English, but their native tongue was heard more often as they laughed and chatted among themselves.

The police officer escorted the convoy of cars and vans to the Tulalip Cemetery on Mission Beach Road, where the group was met by tribal elder Dale Jones.

“Our ancestors left us this beautiful place,” said Jones. “Native Americans are spiritual people. We believe if you talk to your loved ones, they’ll hear you.”

After receiving permission to walk among the gravesites, the students spread out in small groups to explore the sacred area. They spoke in hushed whispers about the dates and names on the tombstones, some worn beyond recognition by wind and rain.

Soon it was time to leave. Jones explained that tribal custom doesn’t allow visitors to stay past 3 p.m. at the cemetery, although that time window was stretched slightly for the students.

Leaving the memorial park, the students were given a look at the external structure of the tribes’ longhouse and heard about its importance to tribal culture. Non-members are not allowed inside the communal building.

Thanks to the hospitality of the Tulalip Tribes, the young people and their adult chaperones will take a vivid collection of mental and digital images back home to Germany.

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