Yesterday, the Lummi Nation hosted a reception to honor the Lummi Tribe’s Community Contributions at the Silver Reef Casino, Hotel and Spa. The Lummi Indian Business Council (LIBC) presented community organizations across Whatcom County with charitable donations for their work within the community. The LIBC tribal leadership was proud to share these highlights of contributions to the local, regional and state’s economy and give back to the local and greater Washington economy.

Every dollar earned from tribal gaming is invested in public purposes: to improve people’s lives, Indian and non-Indian alike, in our local community and in communities throughout Washington. Tribal governments employ more than 27,000 Washingtonians and their enterprises according to the Taylor Policy Group study conducted in 2011. For this year’s Community Contribution, the LIBC donated more than $900,000 in community contributions.

“Gaming revenue is tax revenue for tribal governments. Those funds are used to create jobs and business opportunities for people in our community, the region and state,” said Lummi Nation Chairman Clifford Cultee. “This revenue also supports our healthcare, transportation, housing, education, natural resource programs and public safety.”

The LIBC continues to develop strong, open relationships with the community and throughout Washington state. Following decades of poverty and geographic isolation on our reservation, tribal gaming offers a unique opportunity for Lummi Nation to reach out, encourage public support for Indian self-governance and to continue our generous support and commitment to public safety, job creation and the well-being of our community partners.

Event attendees were pleased with the success of the program:

     Jake Faucett of Washington State Coalition against Domestic Violence conveyed that “this will help us mobiles advocates to do prevention work in a lot of communities”

     Emily O’Connor Executive Director of Lydia Place explained that “almost 100% of our this program comes from community funding...seeing this honor in the mail was a great surprise.”

     Swil Kanim President of HonorWorks expressed, “our mission is to create and ignite the potential for honor among all people...we want to be able to share our culture, as much as we can.”

     Shasta Cano-Martin Executive Director of CedarProject, explained that these funds are supporting with the administration costs of their program to “build youth leadership so that young people can learn how to use their internal resources to be successful in their community and in their lives.”

Since 2002, the Lummi Nation has given over $5 million dollars in community contributions to surrounding community and organizations.

A full list of the organizations recognized on Tuesday include:

1.     Whatcom Fire District 8

2.     Whatcom Fire District 7

3.     Whatcom Fire District 17

4.     Washington State Patrol

5.     Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office

6.     Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians

7.     Alternative Humane Society

8.     American Legion Post 33

9.     American Indian Health Commission

10.  Arthritis Foundation

11.  Bellingham Food Bank

12.  Ferndale Community Resource Center

13.  Ferndale Dollars for Scholars

14.  Forward Veterans Group

15.  First Nations

16.  Honor Works/Swil Kanim Foundation

17.  Interfaith Coalition of Whatcom County

18.  Longhouse Media

19.  Lummi Cedar Project

20.  Lydia Place

21.  Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association

22.  NWIC Basic Food Employment

23.  NWIC Pow Wow Committee

24.  NWIC Space Center

25.  Northwest WIldlife Rehab Center

26.  Oheliqw'sen Healing Center

27.  Opportunity Council

28.  South Puget Intertribal Planning Agency

29.  St. Joachim Mission

30.  Susan G. Komen 3 day walk

31.  Ti chee

32.  United Indians of All Tribes Foundation

33.  Washington State Coalition agains Domestic Violence

34.  WeSnip

35.  Whatcom Symphony Orchestra

36.  Winward High School Boosters

37.  World Temperate Rainforest Network

38.  YMCA Whatcom County

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