2020 Voters Guide

Response:

I know the Snoqualmie Tribe is a Native American Tribe, who have resided in areas of the Puget Sound region, including the 5 LD, since time immemorial. The Snoqualmie Tribe is a strong, resilient, and welcoming community, who have looked over this region for generations and who today are well known in our region for their heritage and cultural traditions. I know that the Snoqualmie Tribe also are spiritual stewards of the area and strive to protect our land and salmon. I know that you have done outreach to residents and others by making available the Traditional Knowledge Trail as well as building relationships with outreach programs. I also know that sovereignty is important for the Snoqualmie Tribe. I am looking forward to working with the Snoqualmie Tribe as a partner to make progress on shared goals and objectives between Washington state and their Tribal nation, and on specific priorities we can address in the Legislature.

Response:

Recently I had the pleasure of having an introductory meeting with Amber Holloway, McKenna Dorman, Jaime Martin and Mathew Randazzo. During this meeting I had the opportunity to talk with members and representatives of the Snoqualmie Tribe to learn more about the history of the tribe and the issues that are important today. This was a great chance for us to get to know each other and I look forward to working together in the future.

Response:

Building a positive relationship between Tribal governments and State/Federal governments requires an understanding and acknowledgement of the violent and exploitative history between these two entities. Over the United States’ history, the American government has regularly deceived and displaced Tribes, stolen their land and broken promises, worked to erase their culture, and brutalized generations of Native communities. The skewed power dynamic which exists today is the direct result of this exploitation. Our state must do better. I believe that we need to create a collaborative and respectful relationship which empowers Tribes and Tribal governments and respects existing treaties and the sovereignty of Tribal nations. We cannot make progress without sensitivity to this past violent history and an awareness of the need to heal and return power. In the Legislature, I will see our state and your nation as equal partners committed to similar priorities – protecting our environment and natural resources, improving healthcare access, strengthening education and more. Trust is earned in these relationships, and I promise to come to the table ready to listen and work together.

Response:

If elected, I will be excited to have conversations with Snoqualmie Tribe leaders and members, so that I can work toward your specific priorities and interests – rather than assume I know what they are. I want to be your advocate in Olympia, and that requires comprehensive conversations about the needs of the Tribe and how the Legislature can meet them. I also recognize that there are clear disparities in outcomes for Native Americans and Tribal communities in our state today. I believe we must empower and strengthen these communities by addressing historic inequities and existing systemic racism in our government, working to support Tribes after centuries of exploitation by investing in services like healthcare and education.

Additionally, I would like to address the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women. Indigenous women experience violence at an unconscionable rate. 56% of them have experienced sexual violence. We need to advocate for them. The vast majority of sexual abuse of native women is perpetrated by non-tribal members. One clear step is that we need to empower tribal courts to be able to hold non-tribal members accountable. We also need to ensure Washington’s law enforcement agencies are not detrimental, and instead coordinate with tribal communities as requested. We need to advocate for indigenous women so that these crimes are reported accurately, that they are prosecuted seriously, and that there are resources in place for survivors 2% of whom attempt suicide.

Response:

I understand that respecting treaties is our moral, legal, and constitutional obligation. I believe we must respect and honor treaties made with Tribal nations, as well as work with Tribal nations as our partners. Tribes are sovereign nations – they deserve to be treated with the same respect we give to neighboring governments. As State Senator, I will always be cognizant of this dynamic, and will use it to inform my decision-making as a Legislature, especially in regard to issues affecting the Snoqualmie Tribe.

Response:

Absolutely. This is absolutely critical for strengthening tribal communities and ensuring the Snoqualmie Tribe has access to the quality services and resources you deserve. Washington has a duty and obligation to support Tribal nations within its borders by reversing past unjust policies and investing in programs that strengthen the long-term health, culture, education, and economic opportunity of Tribal nation members.

FPIC is the standard for Tribes to give consent to activities that might affect Tribes, their territories, or resources. I absolutely support this concept and will advocate for these principles in all policies. Free, prior, and informed consent is the baseline for an equitable deal and to do anything else would represent shortsightedness and a failure to learn from history.

Response:

I believe that Tribal cultural resources and sacred sites should be rigorously protected. The cities and towns that we live in sit on land stolen from and traditional to tribal communities. The least we can do is to protect sites of cultural importance today.

Response:

Our state government must play a proactive and supportive role in efforts to grow tribal jurisdiction over traditional lands. We must prioritize opportunities for Tribes to recover this land. At the state level, I will be supportive of these efforts where possible, and work to encourage our local and federal partners to do the same. I would be interested in learning more from the Snoqualmie Tribe about current opportunities and future proposals to acquire lands through the fee-to-trust process.

Response:

Snoqualmie Falls is an iconic landmark and special place for all who call our region home, but for no one as much as the Snoqualmie Tribe, for whom it is a sacred place, central to the Snoqualmie Tribe’s spiritual belief system. In addition to my beliefs as a conservationist that we must focus on expanding truly renewable energy, I fully support tribal rights over sacred sites, including in hydropower licensing.

Response:

Constitutionally, treaties sit above state law, so our state government does not have the authority to dictate the conclusions of Treaty Rights disputes. But, as mentioned, I believe it is our responsibility to respect and honor those treaties, so that our state government can serve as a trusted partner to Tribes and tribal communities. When issues arise which affect all who call Washington home, collaboration and mutual respect are the most productive ways to address them.

Response:

Yes – we must respect these treaties and the agreements made within them.