COVID not business as usual, but Lummi ’adapt, prepare, stay together, and survive’
The Lhaq’temish, people of the Lummi Nation, are survivors of the Great Flood. Our elders tell a story of how our people were warned of a flood that would take many lives. So our ancestors built two great canoes, filled them with food, and put all of our children in them. The flood came and the children, and our tribe, survived.
Today, we are again facing a crisis and are mobilizing to protect our future, as we are faced with the COVID-19 pandemic. As Native peoples, caring for our relatives is what we have always done. And we’ve always worked to grow an economy in service of those most in need. Our enterprises, from retail stores to our Silver Reef Casino Resort and Hotel, fund essential services. Tribal economies are more than dollars, they are central to the health and livelihoods of our community.
Just like other governments across the nation, we have been pushed to adapt and diversify our economy to meet the growing needs. The grand opening of Salish Village off of Interstate 5 brings hope that we can begin to meet the challenges of unemployment and lost income that our people and our community are facing. It was the vision of our past leaders to build a stronger foundation for our economy by expanding our tribal enterprises. The opening of phase one of this 160-acre retail and entertainment development is an important start towards economic recovery. It won’t be easy but we will meet the challenge as we have since the beginning of the pandemic by focusing on strengthening our economy to provide essential services that are needed, now more than ever.
At the beginning of the pandemic, we adjusted critical programs to protect people. We placed a moratorium on rental and mortgage payments for all Lummi Nation housing units. We also instituted a moratorium on evictions for 60 days, beginning March 23. Lummi Stepping Stones provides housing for 31 tribal members experiencing homelessness, over half of whom are children. For clients at our food bank, we now offer drive-up service to limit contact. And to minimize risk to our elders, we provide home delivery. These are the services that Lummi’s enterprises fund and unfortunately, like governments across the nation, we are feeling the hit to our economy.
But even as we face an economic crisis on top of a public health crisis, we have an opportunity to make our businesses work for the people who need them. The newly opened Lummi Bay Market at Exit 260, a part of the Salish Village development, will offer curbside pickup, online ordering, and a drive-thru option for some of our products. It’s about keeping people as safe as possible while providing the best possible service. There is no “business as usual” for anyone as we experience this crisis. But we do as we have for millennia, we adapt, prepare, stay together, and survive.
Across Indian Country, we’ve already had to operate clinics on underfunded budgets. COVID-19 preparation and treatment puts a burden on our already taxed health system. As for our commercial enterprises, only time will tell the true social and economic impact of this pandemic. Lummi Nation, like other jurisdictions, has experienced revenue loss. We are a top employer in Whatcom County, and many of our employees provide direct services to our children and elders. We need strong and adaptable enterprises to create jobs that families rely on, and to fund the services that improve quality of life for all generations.
The crises created by COVID-19 are serious and have changed our lives, but we will persevere. Just as our ancestors have, we will weather this storm and adapt our economy to meet the needs of our most vulnerable. We are prosperous not because we have money in the bank, but because we have our culture, our traditions, and most of all, we have each other.
Lawrence Solomon is chairman of the Lummi Nation.