Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe

06/10/2026

June Hummingbird Award Winner!✨
✨✨ Robin Debnar !!!✨✨
The Hummingbird Award is given in honor of Shoalwater Bay Tribal member Janet McDonald, the Wellness Center’s first Community Health Representative (CHR), who played a crucial role in shaping what the Wellness Center is today.
The hummingbird symbolizes joy, resilience, and the ability to bring light to life’s challenges. Its tireless energy reminds us of the healing power of positivity and compassion.
This monthly award is to celebrate an employee for their positive spirit, kindness, heart centered service, support, and encouragement to patients and coworkers alike.
Robin has been part of Shoalwater Bay Wellness Center team since 2003 as one of our amazing Third Party Billers and been working for the Tribe since 2020
Here are a few things your colleagues have shared about Robin
💬 Robin is so friendly and always comes to work with a smile
💬 Miss Robin is always happy and shares happiness with others Always there to help and tame more on to keep us all happy and have a happy work place.
💬 She is always so happy and kind

Congratulation, Robin😊 See less

06/09/2026

06/06/2026

Native Youth Generational Leadership Summit – June 23–26

The Shoalwater Bay Education Department and Cultural Department are excited to announce an opportunity for our youth to attend the Native Youth Generational Leadership Summit, hosted by tribal partners and focused on leadership, culture, resilience, healing, and strengthening connections to community.

What’s Included?
• Lodging and meals are provided
• No registration fee
• Youth participants who attend the full event will receive a $100 incentive gift card
• Opportunities to connect with tribal youth from across the region
• Cultural activities, leadership development, a film screening, and more

Who Can Attend?
Youth ages 12–26

Location: The summit will be held June 23–26 and is hosted by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and the Spokane Tribe. Participants will stay at the Red Lion Inn in Port Angeles, WA. The education department will provide transportation. First come, first served!”

Limited Spots Available
We can only bring up to 10 Shoalwater Bay youth, so please sign up as soon as possible before all spots are filled.

If you are interested or would like more information, please contact:

Quintin Swanson
or
Kristine Torset

We encourage interested youth and families to reach out quickly so we can finalize our participant list.

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06/03/2026

Quinault Lawsuit Update from Shoalwater Bay Tribal Council

As many of you are aware, the Quinault Indian Nation recently filed documents attempting to have additional Usual and Accustomed (U&A) areas recognized beyond those established by the Court in previous rulings. These additional areas included Willapa Bay, Shoalwater Bay, as well as portions of the Columbia River.

Today we received notice that the United States District Court has ruled against allowing Quinault to open a new subproceeding under U. S. v. Washington. The Court noted in its order that Quinault’s fishing grounds had previously been adjudicated and that there was no justification to revisit that determination through the proposed subproceeding.

This is great news for now.

We want to thank the Tribal members who have contacted us with information, support, and concerns about what this could mean for our homeland and resources.

Although this may not be the final word on the matter, it is a decisive ruling from the Court at this time denying Quinault’s request to reopen their boundaries. We will continue to monitor the situation and will certainly take action if we feel it’s necessary to protect the interests of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.

At this point, it’s enough for us to remain vigilant and stand strong. We recognize and respect the sovereignty, history, and treaty rights of all Tribal Nations surrounding us. However, we will also fight vigorously to defend Shoalwater Bay’s rights to our reservation, our tidelands, our resources, and future generations.

Please continue sending any historical documents, photographs, maps, oral histories, or family stories that you come across that help show Shoalwater Bay’s connection to Willapa Bay and our ancestral homeland. Our history is important and our voice needs to be heard.

Respectfully,

Shoalwater Bay Tribal Council

05/30/2026

Release from the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribal Council:

Yesterday, the Quinault Indian Nation publicly announced their plans to have their treaty rights expanded to include all of Willapa Bay, Shoalwater Bay and parts of the Columbia River.

The Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe honors and respects the inherent sovereignty, history and treaty rights of all Tribal Nations. Our request is that Shoalwater Bay’s history, homeland, resources and interests are considered and protected during this process.

Willapa Bay is more than a geographical area on a map. It’s our home. It’s where our ancestors hunted, gathered, and raised families creating generational ties to this land and water. It’s where our Tribe conducts business today and plans to pass on to future generations.

If there is a proposal to alter or expand who has rights to this land, we believe it should be done with evidence to support the claims, through government-to-government consultation, and with full consideration of how it will affect Shoalwater Bay’s reservation, tidelands, shellfish resources, local businesses and Tribal members.

We will continue to stand up for our Tribal members and protect our interests throughout this process. Shoalwater Bay will engage in this process professionally, respectfully, and tenaciously.

Please join us in helping to preserve and document our history. If you have photos, family histories, historical documents, maps, journals or oral histories that speak to Shoalwater Bay’s history in Willapa Bay and the surrounding waterways please contact Tribal Administration or Chairman Quintin Johnson-Swanson.

It’s time for the story of Shoalwater Bay to be told by the people who have lived here for generations.

Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe