Creating Connection and Community
On Washington State’s western coast, the Hoh River Reservation encompasses 443 acres of natural abundance. The Olympic rainforest, Pacific Ocean and the Hoh River have sustained generations of Hoh River people on their ancestral land. In the tribal village, 120 community members make their home in two neighborhoods, the upper and lower housing areas. The community is governed by a seven-member Tribal Council.
A handful of citizens make their living from commercial fishing and from selling their traditional artwork — baskets woven from cedar bark, bear grass and wheat grass, beadwork and woodcarvings — from their homes. The tribal office is Hoh River’s sole employer, with thirty positions available to community members. In order to make a living, at least half of the tribe’s enrolled members live away from the reservation in distant urban centers like Tacoma and Seattle.
Thirty miles away, the town of Forks is where Hoh young people attend school and where community members must go for shopping, a post office, medical care and recreation. Until five years ago, bus service between Hoh River and Forks had been suspended, adding to the community’s sense of isolation. Tribal members banded together in a campaign to voice their need for the restoration of the bus line that connected them with the world beyond the reservation. Vivian Lee recalls, “It took the whole community to fill the gymnasium to let the state know that they needed a bus over here. People called and wrote the state, saying, ‘There are 120 people here without transportation. And we need to get out to go to the doctor or school, to the pharmacy, or to get groceries.'” The effort succeeded, demonstrating the power of unified community energy.
The return of much-needed public transportation has eased the flow of travel between the reservation and Forks, yet it is also emblematic of one of Hoh River’s greatest challenges: the lack of community-based resources that tribal members need to live well at home. On weekends, the village is often deserted, as residents leave town to do errands or take part in recreational activities. Determined to build on Hoh River’s assets by addressing community need and honing leadership skills among tribal members, several dedicated citizens participated in Horizons, a community leadership development program sponsored by the Northwest Area Foundation. The program’s basic building block — gathering to share ideas and participate in workshops and trainings — fit well with traditional ways of building community, while providing new tools for communication and strategies for setting and accomplishing shared goals. Through Horizons, citizens recognized that Hoh River might be a small community, but its wealth of natural, cultural and human resources is the foundation for big ideas.
As community members explored Hoh River’s greatest needs, they made youth and elders the focus for their collective work. To motivate young people to reach toward their full potential and help them develop a network of peers, several adults accompanied Hoh students to youth leadership conferences in Seattle, Idaho and California. Participating in these conferences has opened the eyes of Hoh youth, allowing them to see the world beyond their reservation and to find new value in their home community. The trip has whetted their appetite to attend future conferences and has provided them with new tools to practice leadership at Hoh River.
Tribal member and Youth Coordinator Assistant Mary Williams attended the conference with the young people and returned to Hoh River inspired to help them organize a council of their own. “It would give them a feel of how we work in business committees to accomplish the things that we have to do. Before they become adults and run for Council, they will know how to serve on a council if they had their own as youth.” Seeing the young people’s passion for learning about leadership, elders presented them with the documents that prescribe tribal governance at Hoh River. Vivian Lee was happy to see young people taking an interest in civic engagement. “The youth need to be able to stand on their own. They have to make their own decisions. We need to give them the Constitution to study and learn, and give them the Law and Order Codes to recognize that that’s what we all have to live under. We need to tell them, ‘These are your rights — when you become 18, you will be able to vote.'”
Among elders, Horizons participants identified the need to develop activities and a place of their own where they can gather. A seniors program and meeting place are under discussion. Further, as the age balance at Hoh River tips towards a greater number of youth and fewer elders, people have become concerned about the preservation of traditional culture while there are practitioners available to share it. Recognition of this situation has brought the community together in new ways. Classes in such cultural traditions as singing, drumming, shawl-making, basketry, paddle-making, sewing and drum-making are providing tribal members of all ages with valuable cultural knowledge, while unifying the community around a common cause.
In addition to hosting their own weekly Healing Circle, where people gather to share songs, dancing, ideas and food, Hoh River tribal members participate in annual regional canoe paddles. Every summer, members of Northwest tribes travel by canoe to a host site, which changes each year. As the canoes make their way towards their final destination, they stop along the way to visit neighboring tribes, who welcome the travelers and then join the journey. The canoe paddles have been a catalyst for the revitalization of traditional culture among Northwest Native people. Participation in the annual canoe paddle has provided additional impetus for Hoh young people to learn about and take pride in their cultural heritage. Bringing tribal members of all ages together for cultural classes has galvanized community resources, making Hoh River a more vibrant and harmonious place to live.
At Hoh River, building a strong foundation for growth has revolved around honing tools of communication and connection, the threads that hold the community together and link it to the world beyond the reservation. In the tribal offices, employees working in diverse departments have found overlap among their programs and new ways of working together. Participating in the Horizons program alongside other tribes has forged a larger network, wherein communities can share resources and learn from one another. The program has also generated interest in attending symposia and trainings that address local issues.
A tribal Web site, now in its draft stages, will strengthen Hoh River’s communication network. Most reservation households have computers with DSL access and the tribal computer lab and its sign-up sheet are always full. The community Web site will be a bulletin board where the Tribe can post information about their Council, job openings, and local and off-reservation activities. During the summer, there is abundant information to share about the annual canoe paddle preparations and activities. The community Web page will facilitate communication among tribal members and with the world beyond the reservation. As Hoh River develops its tourism potential, the tribal Web site will be an effective vehicle for publicizing the tribe’s resources to the outside world.
The scarcity of community-based facilities and activities at Hoh River led Horizons participants to brainstorm about developing new resources that will give residents a reason to stay home. Plans are underway to renovate the community gym and baseball field, both of which could provide sites for public events and athletics. Long-term strategies include the development of additional housing, a fire station to house the community’s firetruck, a public park and playground for children, youth and elder centers, sidewalks and walking trails, a tribal casino and store, relocation of housing and the tribal center out of flood danger, and the expansion of the reservation’s land base. Carefully planned growth will allow Hoh River to become more self-sustaining and will provide the additional housing and employment that tribal members need to live and prosper in their home community.
At Hoh River, there is a longstanding tradition of generosity wherein certain tribal members specialize in such practices as catching smelt, harvesting elk meat or preserving fruit, and sharing these staples with others. One man, for example, hunts elk and deer for community events, another catches salmon, while another digs for clams. Often these roles run in certain families. According to Vivian Lee, when it comes to organizing community dinners, it is unnecessary to ask for help. Rather, community members offer, “When’s the next dinner? I’ll go get the fish.” Participation in the Horizons program has given community members new ways to tap this benevolent spirit and channel it into community growth. Tribal members are finding within themselves and each other valuable resources and new ways of mobilizing them to tailor solutions to community needs. Putting their hearts and hands together, they are building a community where all can thrive.
In the past, tribal members living away from the reservation seldom returned home, except for elections or other major events. Community member Leila Gonzalez appreciates the ripple effect that Horizons training has had at Hoh River. “More people are coming back to visit instead of staying away as long as they usually do — it seems like the community is more inviting. The training has shown people how to work together and communicate better, and to share experiences and knowledge so they can get things done, instead of trying to do them on their own.”