A lively workshop on property rights and tribal governments

Controversial author and orator Elaine Willman held a workshop at Tequila Azteca Restaurant in Sedro-Woolley on Saturday, drawing about 80 people, mostly senior citizens, and a throng of protesters

Willman, whose mother was an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, led a four-hour discussion on how she feels the political power and wealth of Native American tribes has grown to a point that is infringing on the rights of non-tribal members.

The workshop was sponsored by the Skagit County Citizens Alliance for Property Rights.

Besides the people who came to hear her, several of whom were from La Conner, the workshop drew about 25 protesters, including members of tribes around the state and their supporters.

“I wonder how people could come together in such a hateful way,” protest organizer Michelle Vendiola said of the attendees. “People have always been after our resources, our land, and I don’t think this is any different.” Vendiola of the Walker River Paiute Tribe, is a member of Red Line Salish Sea, formerly the Bellingham No DAPL Coalition.

According to Willman, dividing Americans into tribal and non-tribal people has served only to tear citizens apart from one another.

“I don’t understand why we can’t just come together. Why we can’t just be Americans. Why we can’t just live and let live,” Willman stated.

She added, “We’re not white people. We’re Americans. We’re not black people. We’re Americans.”

Willman pointed to the town of Toppenish, Washington – which sits within the Yakima Reservation – as a town that had once embraced the “live and let live” spirit. The town had played host to a very patriotic Fourth of July celebration and featured historic murals honoring U.S. history and drawing history enthusiasts from around the region.

However, after a casino opened, Willman said that the town’s tourism economy completely shut down, with most family-owned restaurants in town being forced out of business.

Willman is not against Native Americans, but she believes that tribal governments are getting too hungry for power, land, money and other resources.

She brought up problems that affect Skagit County, such as the instream flow rule, which has left rural homeowners unable to drill household wells and left farmers without irrigation water last summer, as well as disputes over fishing rights, and the impacts of casinos on local businesses. And specific to La Conner is an issue with tribal lawyers helping craft a state response to the Great Wolf Lodge federal court ruling which led to big property tax increases for residents who were subject to a tax shift when Shelter Bay, built on leased Swinomish Reservation land, was removed from the county tax rolls.

Willman also noted the lack of will on the part of politicians to create what taxpayers would consider a more even playing field, with tribes donating heavily to election campaigns.

Last year, Willman noted, tribes contributed $800,000 to campaigns for Washington State legislators. It is illegal for any city or county government to contribute money to a candidate’s campaign.

“Why is it that no American governments can participate financially in elections, but tribal governments can?” Willman asked.

Most of the people in the room agreed with Willman and many spoke into the microphone to share their own thoughts. They expressed the wish for tribal governments not to have any special rights that are denied to non-tribal Americans.

“The special treatment was well-deserved and necessary for a long period of time, when we were settling the country,” Willman said.

About halfway through Willman’s talk – during a lunch break – about a dozen of the protesters entered the room to press their point of view.

“America is a colonialist, imperialist government whose sole purpose is to continue to take … from other brown people around the world,” stated Paul Wagner of Redmond, a member of the Saanich Tribe of British Columbia.

Wagner told the La Conner Weekly News that reservations “are little more than concentration camps” in the “world’s greatest Holocaust.” In “sheer volume” of murders, he said, the US Government has been worse than Hitler.

“Their greatest goal is to destroy who we are,” he said.

“We need to let them know we’re not afraid,” said Rosalinda Guillen, who was there to support the demonstrators. When asked if there is any part of the American Government for which she is grateful, she responded that she is thankful for the right of free speech, because it is something she can use on occasions such as Saturday’s protest.

Liz Darrow of Bellingham is not a tribal member, but joined Saturday’s protest with a sign saying “Fascism not welcome here.”

“I’m here in support of Native Americans whose rights have been eroded,” she said. “For anyone to say they should have any less is not okay.”

Willman invited Wagner, who was wearing a Salish cedar hat and holding a drum, to sit with her at the front of the room and share a discussion.

The debate began harmoniously.

“Should we be afraid of each other?” Willman asked Wagner.

“We should not fear other people, we should be willing to listen,” Wagner responded. He then brought up boarding schools from the early 20th century that he claims the federal government forced Native American children to attend.

“If they truly believed we’re all equal, why would they kidnap our children?” he asked.

“All of us revile our past … None of us are innocent,” Willman responded. “My question is, can we go forward together?”

“We have no choice,” Wagner said. “If we do not work together, we will not see where this colonial world is headed. We’re all in one canoe.” Then he brought up the boarding schools and what he called the kidnap of Native children again.

“The mindset I’m hearing Paul describing is completely about yesterday,” Willman observed.

At that, Wagner started shouting, saying that he was very much focused on the present.

This exchange prompted loud outbursts from both sides, with one person shouting, “Shut up!” and the peaceful discussion disintegrated.

When Vendiola, one of the protest organizers, took the mic, and refused to return it to Willman, it became apparent that there would be no return to amicable debate. Willman asked the protesters to go back outside.

Wagner said he wanted to sing a prayer song before leaving and prefaced it by telling the people in the room they were sitting on indigenous land and were not the rightful owners.

This prompted outbursts from the audience, including “Bullshit!” and “I pay my rent fair and square!”

Willman asked him to sing his song outside, but Wagner began to sing and play his drum anyway, with the group of protesters joining in.

When police were brought in, most of the protesters cleared out, and Willman continued the workshop.

“There seems to be such an abundance of people who resent America … who want to see the US gone,” Willman said. “We need to speak back. I’m one of the few who speaks back and look at the commotion outside!”

Note: This story is has been corrected since it was originally posted to accurately state the tribal affiliation of Michelle Vendiola.