Auburn — In August, Tribal Councilwoman Virginia Cross was honored with the second ever D.R. Hanford Leadership Award at Green River College. This award honors visionary leaders whose impact ripples through their communities, inspiring growth and opportunity for all.
Virginia Cross has been a champion of access and education from an early age, and pioneered a number of firsts as a Muckleshoot Tribal Member. She was the only Muckleshoot student in her graduating high school class in Auburn, the first Muckleshoot Tribal Member to earn a college degree, the first Head Start Director of the Tribe, and the first Indian Education Coordinator in the Auburn School District.
Virginia has been a councilmember of the Muckleshoot Tribe for 40 years, and has been instrumental in the Tribe's path to prosperity, and the ability to provide support for housing, healthcare, and education for Tribal Members.
Denton Hanford served on the Green River College Foundation Board for 15 years and was a devoted champion of education and community service. Denton and his beloved wife, Judy, established the Hanford Family Scholarship, which has been awarded more than 32 times over the past 15 years, empowering students to pursue higher education.
Congratulations, Virginia!
64 tribes from across the country competed in this year’s 5th annual Battle of the Nations basketball tournament located in Spokane, Washington.
The 2024 Washington State Legislature wrapped up its work on March 7, following a hectic 60-day session. In addition to regular bill action and budgets, the Legislature passed three of the six initiatives certified earlier this year.
Muckleshoot has been making movies about the tribe’s efforts to protect our culture, salmon, and the habitat we all depend on – and the film world is taking notice.
The Tribal Council went to Washington, D.C. in April to press for the Tribe’s federal agenda and strengthen the Tribe’s government- to-government relationship with the United States.
The Muckleshoot Messenger is a Tribal publication created by the Muckleshoot Office of Media Services. Tribal community members and Tribal employees are welcome to submit items to the newspaper such as news, calendar items, photos, poems, and artwork.
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