After a performance of the Lummi tribal anthem by Ferndale High School’s Cheskwin Singers (accompanied by a few Vista Middle School students) during a Treaty Day assembly at Vista, Principal J.J. Jensen made it clear to his students how special this was.

“For hundreds of years, this is not something you would have been able to see in a public school setting,” said Jensen. “I’m getting goosebumps knowing that our ancestors are here and watching us, and that they’re proud of us.”

Throughout the month of January, Ferndale students learned about the significance of the Treaty of Point Elliott, which was signed by the Lummi Nation and many other nearby tribes 170 years ago. That agreement with the United States government established the Lummi reservation and gave the tribe specific rights such as quality healthcare, education, and the ability to hunt and fish in their traditional areas.

Not only did students learn about Treaty Day in the classrooms, but students from Ferndale High School to Skyline Elementary School also held assemblies filled with dance and song from Lummi Nation.

During his visits to FHS and Horizon Middle School, Lummi Nation Chairman Tony Hillaire stressed that the Treaty of Point Elliott affects everyone in Northwest Washington – not just Native Americans.

“This is not just the history of our people – it’s the history of everybody that calls this place home,” Hillaire said during the Horizon assembly. “That means we have a responsibility to continue to take care of each other.”

Hillaire said that because of the treaty, it’s the duty of all locals to better understand each other and create a better world.

“We can see each other as family, see each other as people who have more similarities than differences,” he told Ferndale High School Students. “And in that, the next generations that will be sitting in your seats will have a little more ability to live this life with grace and gratitude.”

At the Vista Middle School assembly, Lummi Indian Business Council Member Lisa Wilson talked about how important it was that the treaty preserved the Lummi Nation’s right to fish.

“It’s been stated that salmon is as important as the air that we breathe,” she said. “Salmon are very sacred to us – we use them in all of our ceremonies and our funerals.”

Wilson also emphasized that it was up to the youth to work to preserve wildlife for future generations.

“It is a treaty that was signed on both sides, so it’s everybody’s obligation to make sure that they protect the environment so that our salmon and orcas will survive and sustain itself,” she said.

FHS Lummi language and leadership teacher Smak i’ ya’ told Horizon students that much has changed for the better since the signing of the treaty.

“For a long time, the United States government said, ‘No, you cannot do this. You can’t practice your culture. You have to cut your hair. You have to assimilate,’” he said. “In today’s world, we’re hearing ‘Yes.’ The government and our school district wants us to be who we are.”

Rachel Entz, the Native American Student Liaison at Vista, said it’s important to teach students about the Treaty of Point Elliott.

“I would like all students to understand the ongoing sacrifices that come with honoring our ancestors and building a better relationship with each other,” Entz said. “I hope and encourage all of us to open our hearts and minds to understand the importance of the Point Elliott treaty and our cultural ways.”

In late January, Ferndale fourth graders attended a portion of the Treaty Day Film Festival at Mount Baker Theatre, where they saw educational movies about local Indigenous perspectives.

Chelsea Buckham, a fourth-grade teacher at Skyline Elementary School, said it was important for her students to hear from historically marginalized voices at the film festival. She was “beyond proud” of how her students reacted.

“They were comfortable with the uncomfortable, as some portions of the films included age-appropriate references to loss, unhealthy living conditions, and historical wounds,” Buckham said. “This is a lesson we adults sometimes still need help with!”

Treaty Day classroom resources used in Ferndale School District can be found at this link.