Swinomish: Oak Harbor to pay tribe $600,0000 - Oak Harbor city officials will propose a $600,000 contract with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community next week for work to be performed by spiritual leaders, monitors and handlers at the archaeological site on Pit Road.

Swinomish: Tribal Community will talk about a proposed ordinance - The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community is hosting a public hearing tomorrow on a proposed ordinance that will outline the permitted uses of tribal tidelands. The ordinance is intended to preserve the ecological and economic value of the tidelands, according to a statement from the tribe’s planning office.

Swinomish: Tribe dedicates Story Pole to SVC - On April 16, the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community held a special ceremony to dedicate a Story Pole to Skagit Valley College at SVC’s Mount Vernon Campus.

Swinomish: Snatching Skagit River Water Is In The Public Interest? - Washington state’s Swinomish tribe faces a water rights battle in the Skagit River basin. The tribe is currently arguing before the Washington State Court of Appeals that the Washington Department of Ecology acted illegally in exercising a rarely invoked “overriding consideration of public interest” (OCPI) state water law loophole.

Swinomish: Tribes Receive $4.2 Million in Conservation Grants - The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community will inventory, manage, protect, and enhance wildlife and habitat resources on the 118 acres of tidelands, nearshore, and old growth forests of Kukutali Preserve on the Swinomish Reservation in Washington state.

Swinomish: Legislation could allow building in closed creek basins - Swift action in the Legislature could allow dozens of property owners to build on their land for the first time since area creek basins closed last summer. The property owners had become caught in a 15-year dust-up among Skagit County, the Swinomish Tribe and the city of Anacortes over water rights in the Skagit River valley.

Swinomish: Families look forward to new affordable housing - The Swinomish Housing Authority has 16 rental homes now under construction, and the first houses will be move-in ready in June, housing authority officials said.

Swinomish: Crabber who drowned in Penn Cove identified - The crab fisherman who drown in Penn Cove last weekend has been identified as 51-year-old Joseph Thomas Sias of La Conner. “He was very well known in the Swinomish tribal community,” said Island County Coroner Robert Bishop.

Swinomish: Search for missing fisherman suspended near Whidbey Island - The Coast Guard on Monday suspended its search for a missing fisherman whose empty boat was found near Whidbey Island on Sunday. A Swinomish fisheries patrol vessel crew spotted the 32-foot bowpicker fishing vessel turning circles with no crew aboard at 2:35 p.m. Sunday. The vessel was registered as a Swinomish tribal boat and witnesses claimed to have seen one person aboard at 12:30 p.m.

Swinomish: Coast Salish Leaders Advise Young People to 'Learn the Treaty' - This wasn’t a landmark anniversary. It was the 157th, to be exact. But the message was as strong as if it were the first anniversary of the signing of the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855—Young people must study the treaty and must get the proper education so they can defend it.

Swinomish: Festival aims to sharpen focus on Native traditions - Coupeville's annual Penn Cove Water Festival could have an expanded focus on the Island’s Native cultural past thanks to the group of volunteers who have taken over leadership of the event. "We’re trying to go back to as Native and natural as we can," said Vicky Reyes, a new board member for the festival. The event includes tribal canoe races, arts and crafts, storytelling, music, dancing, exhibits, Native American fry bread and salmon, and children’s activities. Tom Ellis said he’d like to see more opportunities for children to learn about Native traditions. "We want to have some kids’ activities tuned to the Native American culture," he said. The group needs about $30,000 each year to stage the event. It typically receives some grant support from local tribes and Island County lodging tax revenues, but in 2010 the event struggled to bring in enough money to keep going. With the annual Tribal Canoe Journey ending at the Swinomish reservation near La Conner last year, local tribes had less money available. This year, the water festival is hoping to receive renewed tribal support, Haas said.

Swinomish: Keeper of the preserve - Kukutali Preserve is a unit of Deception Pass State Park that includes 84 upland acres on Kiket and Flagstaff islands and about nine upland acres on Fidalgo Island. Co-owned and co-managed by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the property was acquired in June 2010 for $14 million.

Swinomish: State 'can't imagine' why employee was at casino

Swinomish: Tribal member pleads guilty to assault in habitual offender case

Swinomish: Water Pollution Regulations Underestimate Fish Consumption, Endangering Public Health

Swinomish: Movies celebrating Native culture will be shown weekly throughout November