Who Are the Tulalip?
The Tulalip Tribes are a federally recognized confederation of Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, and other Puget Sound Salish peoples, with approximately 5,000 enrolled members headquartered on the Tulalip Reservation north of Seattle. Their name derives from the Lushootseed word meaning "small-mouthed bay." They speak Lushootseed, a Central Salish language, with active revitalization programs training new speakers. The 22,000-acre reservation, located adjacent to booming Snohomish County development, has become one of the most economically successful tribal operations in Washington State.
Strategic Location
The Tulalip Reservation's location—between Seattle and the Canadian border along Interstate 5—has proven economically advantageous. Proximity to millions of potential customers supports the tribe's gaming and retail enterprises. This geography also brought challenges: development pressure, traffic, and the loss of traditional hunting and fishing grounds to suburban sprawl. The tribe has leveraged location while working to protect remaining natural areas. Their success demonstrates how geography interacts with sovereignty to create economic opportunities unavailable to more remote reservations.
Tulalip Resort Casino
The Tulalip Resort Casino complex represents one of the most successful tribal gaming operations in the Pacific Northwest. Combined with Seattle Premium Outlets (a partnership with Simon Property Group), the reservation generates substantial employment and revenue. This economic success has funded extensive tribal programs: education, healthcare, housing, cultural preservation, and natural resource management. The Tulalip demonstrate how gaming revenue, when managed effectively, can transform tribal capacity. Their diversification into retail and hospitality reduces dependence on gaming alone.
Contemporary Tulalip
Modern Tulalip balance economic success with cultural preservation. The Hibulb Cultural Center, opened in 2011, preserves and interprets Coast Salish heritage. Lushootseed language programs work to train new speakers through immersion and documentation. The tribe operates salmon hatcheries and participates in Puget Sound fisheries co-management. Environmental programs address habitat restoration in an increasingly developed region. Treaty rights remain important; the tribe participates actively in natural resource management. How the Tulalip maintain cultural identity and environmental values while operating major commercial enterprises shapes this gathering place's complex present.
References
- Tollefson, K. D. (1987). "The Snoqualmie: A Puget Sound Chiefdom"
- Harmon, A. (1998). Indians in the Making: Ethnic Relations and Indian Identities around Puget Sound
- Ruby, R. H., & Brown, J. A. (1986). A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest