It’s interesting how such a simple question can be so difficult to answer. Imagine now if instead of a planning a day or two in advance, you had to consider your great-great-great-great-great grandchildren in every decision made—from what you ate to how you lived.
Needless to say, things would get a bit tricky.
Here at the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, departments like Natural Resources—responsible for sustainably managing resources related to the environment, wildlife, and marine life—is charged with making sure current and future efforts will create a good outcome for at least the next seven generations.
We do this because, like everyone else, we want what’s best for our children; for them to live at least as well as we do, if not better. This means more than a nice house or a new car: our people are most concerned with making sure S’Klallam traditions and culture isn’t lost with the passage of time. Since nature is so deeply ingrained within the S’Klallam way of life, every choice we make is as a steward of the land and sea.
A part of ensuring a healthy future means also recognizing the need to make life better today for the people who proudly call themselves Port Gamble S’Klallam. These efforts encourage learning about and living a traditional life while easing the burdens of the struggling.
For example, next month, we’ll be cutting the ribbon on a new housing development called Teekalet. These 15 single-family homes and two apartments, built around a community center, have been constructed as rentals for our low- and middle-income Tribal members. Keeping in mind our long-term conservation goals, these homes stringently adhere to the sustainable construction standards set by the state of Washington.
Over a decade ago, we began a project called The House of Knowledge. Today, the facility—with its traditional Longhouse—fosters a sense of pride in our community. It also gives back to the people with its Career and Education Center, Tribal Elders Center, and new home for the Little Boston Library, which serves S’Klallam and surrounding communities. Recently we added a new Youth Center.
Another major recent goal will be realized next year with the release of a book detailing the history of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe. This project has been a long time in the making and is still, in a lot of ways, ongoing as we continue to record elder interviews and investigate the historical stories around our original ancestral home of Port Gamble.
Our plans for the future are more than words on a piece of paper. While planning seven generations in advance is a daunting task, we take it seriously. Even though we won’t be around to see the results, their promise is its own reward.
Jeromy Sullivan is chairman of the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe.
