The
Suquamish Tribe honored Frances Malone,
current Treasurer and former Co-chair of
Suquamish Olalla Neighbors, at this year’s
Time To Gather. She was honored not just for
her contribution to the Museum Building Fund
but also for her work as a community
volunteer and member of the Suquamish
Foundation. In accepting the honor, Frances
recognized members of her family in the
audience: oldest son Kevin Malone, his wife
Joan Garrow and her youngest son, Casey
Malone; as well as her “extended family” of
friends including Sandy Senter, Krista
Mixson and members of Suquamish Olalla
Neighbors, including Ted George and Sarah
van Gelder. She quoted from the US
Ambassador’s recent remarks before the
United Nations ...”this country has no
history without Native American history” and
urged the audience to support the building
of the museum so that the history of the
Suquamish Tribe , which is this history of
the entire community, can be preserved and
the precious Suquamish artifacts now stored
in other museums can at last be brought
home.
At
our 2008 spring potluck, Suquamish Chairman Leonard Forsman
welcomed members and told us that SON is now part of the story
he tells visitors when he is giving tours of the reservation. At
Chief Seattle's gravesite, he tells of SON's founding when the
grave was desecrated. This attack on the tribe's heritage turned
into the spark that brought the community together to respond to
the affront. And once we came together, we were able to
accomplish a great deal more, including the return of Old Man
House Park to the Tribe.