
The Muckleshoot Easter Weekend Sla-Hal celebration returned to the White River Amphitheatre April 3–5, bringing together families, players, and visitors from across Indian Country for a weekend of community and competition.
Throughout the weekend, the grounds were filled with songs, laughter and visiting as families gathered around the games and spent time together. Saturday’s main stick game tournament drew large crowds as teams competed for cash prizes, while open games continued throughout the weekend.
Sla-Hal, also known as the stick game or bone game, has been played by the Muckleshoot people and other Coast Salish Tribes since time immemorial. Long before modern casinos, the game was one of the earliest traditional forms of gambling among Native people and continues to bring communities together.
Topping things off was Sunday morning’s Easter egg hunt, which brought smiles to all the youth.
Photos from the weekend captured moments of competition, celebration and families enjoying time together during another successful Easter Weekend Sla-Hal gathering.

The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe recently hosted a United States Department of Agriculture conference on the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).

You can view all Tomanamus Day photos commissioned by the Tribe by photographer Danielle Wilcox on her portfolio site, linked here.

Muckleshoot Youths will start out the Youth Paddle to Puyallup at Port Townsend, arriving on Friday, July 26, where they will join canoe families from Vancouver Island and the Olympic Peninsula.

The Muckleshoot Messenger is a monthly Tribal publication. Tribal community members and Tribal employees are welcome to submit items to the newspaper such as announcements, birth news, birthday shoutouts, community highlights, and more. We want to hear from you!