Tulalip Nation enforce 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott

The Tulalip Nation has begun to enforce the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott.

Tulalips slap rules on beach property
Nontribal homeowners may challenge policy in court * The tribe claims authority over tidelands, even those adjacent to private property.

By Krista J. Kapralos
Herald Writer

Kevin Nortz / The Herald
Under new policies adopted Thursday by the Tulalip Tribes, these wooden pilings on Mission Beach will have to be leased through the tribes if residents want to use them to secure their boats."If we fail to take care of these sacred lands, they will only be a memory," said Bill Shelton, chairman of the tribal planning commission.

The board of directors passed the historic edict with little discussion and no fanfare. The document, three years in the making, is the first of its kind in Tulalip history.

It assumes tribal ownership of reservation beaches from the extreme low-water mark to the mean high-water mark - a claim that angers nontribal homeowners who say their deeds show that their property extends to the low-water mark. complete article

The policies of the Tulalip Nation are to be enacted immediately.