Driving through Suquamish, one can’t help but notice the stands along State Route 305, big colorful signs beckoning motorists to stop by and check out the newest and coolest fireworks. Especially during the month before the Fourth of July, stands on reservations push to offer the best deals on the sparking merchandise.

One such stand is Bennie’s Jets, named after its owner and firework’s guru Bennie Armstrong. He’s been in the business of sparklers and firecrackers since about 1973, when he started with a small stand. Now, he’s one of the top dogs and is confident enough to try something like teaming up with Black Cat to sell fireworks. The newest change: prices are set and non-negotiable. Armstrong calls it a supermarket style. Before, he used a bargaining format.

“It’s like used cars, you don’t pay full-price,” he said, noting that before he would haggle with fireworks buyers. Armstrong added with a chuckle that he won’t miss the old way of bargaining. He said he had his days in it, and is ready to move on to try something new.

At the other end of SR 305 is George’s Fireworks, owned by Brad and Georgia George, Armstrong’s cousins. Ray George, brother og the owners, has been working at fireworks stands for about 30 years, and his enthusiasm for the exploding merchandise still hasn’t worn off.

“I’ve been working for my brother and sister forever,” he said. “It’s fun seeing the faces of the kids and adults when they come to buy fireworks. Everybody’s young at heart.”

“There are no typical customers,” George said, adding that he gets a kick out of seeing little old ladies coming to buy the merchandise, laughing at the thought of them setting off fireworks. “It’s mostly about families, getting together for barbecues and parties.”

The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe does its fireworks stands a little differently.

Every year a lottery is held, and a handful of tribal members are allowed to have stands. Dennis Jones has been lucky 15 years running now, and has been able to have his stand, Jones and Moon Fireworks, open each year.

“Three years ago, there were only two stands,” he said, noting that then people thought he was fixing the lottery somehow because his name kept coming up.

Tawny DeCoteau has worked at both Suquamish and S’Klallam stands, this year she took up at at S’Klallam at Decoteau’s Fireworks. She said there’s not really any competition between the two tribes for fireworks customers.

“They have customers from their areas, and we have customers from ours,” she said. Jones added that he wished they had the same traffic flow that Suquamish has, but S’Klallam’s stands fare pretty well.

The stands don’t just profit the retailers, they profit the tribal communities as well. The economic advantages for the tribes draw a lot of members to try their hands at a fireworks stand. Those who make it have a nice addition to their yearly income. They also provide summer jobs for local teens.

“A lot of times their first job is with me,” Armstrong said. “It teaches them how to handle money, how to handle customers, how to dress for a job. (A fireworks stand) provides economic independence and summertime employment for youths in the tribe.”

George said he started working at fireworks stands when he was 16. He now owns his own commercial fishing business, but always takes time off for the fireworks stand work.

“(The money) buys my kids their back-to-school clothes, it buys them trips,” said long time fireworks stand employee Marjorie Lawrence.

When presented with the issue of celebrating the independence of a nation that took land from the tribes, Armstrong said he has family members who have fought in wars for America.

“What I’m getting at is, it’s OK for us to celebrate the Fourth of July,” he said.

“We don’t try to live harshly in the past,” Lawrence said. “We have to bridge gaps.”