Discussions Include Local Issues of Interest
TUES, OCT 17, 2017, This evening, the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe hosted an estimated 100 citizens at a forum at the Snoqualmie Casino Ballroom to discuss how city council and mayoral candidates will approach local issues if elected to their respective positions in November.
Jolene Williams, Snoqualmie Tribe Vice Chair, who kicked off the event, was excited about the opportunity for the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe to engage with the community during the election season.
“People don’t realize how much their concerns about local issues resonate with their elected leaders,” Williams said. “We want to be here to remind everyone that their voice matters and that diverse ideas are welcome and needed, and The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe believes that a critical step in that is to help connect Valley citizens with a convenient, free-to-the-public opportunity to meet their candidates and gauge how they will work on issues that matter to them.”
The forum topics included protecting sacred spaces, responsible development, environmental stewardship, including diverse voices in the community, and government to government relations.
Dr. T.M. Sell, Professor of Journalism and Political Economy at Highline College served as lead moderator for the event, accompanied by Nate Smith, Executive Director of the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA, and Perry Falcone, Project Coordinator for the Snoqualmie Watershed Forum.
“Community forums, like this one are really great because it gives a space for people to hear the different sides of local issues that have been circling around the community for some time,” said Smith. “Tonight is all about giving voters a clear understanding of where candidates sit within those issues, and in turn enabling Snoqualmie citizens to make an educated choice on election day.”
The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe is a federally recognized tribe in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Known as the People of the Moon, Snoqualmie tribal members were signatories to the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855.
Snoqualmie Tribal enterprises provide over 1,700 jobs, and the Tribe has donated over $1.5 million to nonprofit organizations in the Snoqualmie Valley since 2010.
The Snoqualmie Tribal Council, which hosted the event, is the governing body of the Tribe by authority of its constitution and is the duly elected council for the Snoqualmie general membership. The Tribal Council is responsible for the protection of the health, safety, and welfare of the members of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe.