Tonight is a historical evening celebrating a partnership between the Yakima School District and the Yakama Nation. Join us in the inaugural flag raising of the confederated tribes and bands of the Yakama Nation which will fly beside ‘Old Glory,’ the Star-Spangled Banner of the United States of America.

WHEN: Friday, September 10, 2021, 6:00 pm (sharp; it is a brief ceremony)
WHERE: Yakima School District central administration building, 104 N 4th Ave, Yakima, WA 98902

Joining us for tonight’s ceremony are members of the Yakama Nation Tribal Council and raising the flags tonight are members of the Yakama Warriors Association (including buglers!).

Founded in 1991, the Yakama Warriors Association’s mission is to give honor to our United States veterans on the Yakama Reservation and throughout the Northwest. The Yakama Warrior Association is made up of veterans from all military branches and is composed of veterans from across the state, not just the Yakama Reservation.
Members are Vic Wood, Andy Thompson, Dale Tadewald, Sean Marceau, Mary Diavolikis, Joe Rodriquez, Duane Drake, Buddy Baron, Vic Ganualez, Edward Monjaraz, Curtis Thorn, Joe Hernandez, Murray Campbell, and Robert Gorham.

Yakima School District Tribal Land Acknowledgement (which will be read by a district leader at the ceremony):
"Today, the schools of the Yakima School District rest on the ancestral lands of the fourteen Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The people of the Yakama nation inhabited more than 12 million acres across Adams, Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, and Yakima Counties.
Today, we honor those native peoples who are tied to the land through history, legends, and culture. We acknowledge their descendants who live in the world today. We thank the caretakers of this land, who have lived here and continue to live here since time immemorial. An acknowledgment is a simple, powerful way to show respect, and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture. It also honors the truth. As a school district, we will continue to build upon our relations with the Yakama Nation."
 

"We are honored to participate in this physical manifestation of our recent collaboration with the Yakama Nation.  We are committed to walking together with native families to improve the outcomes of native students and their families in the Yakima School District."  Superintendent Dr. Trevor Greene