PORT TOWNSEND — Swinomish tribal chairman Brian Cladoosby will be the keynote speaker at the annual meeting and celebration of the Friends of Fort Worden State Park today at the Fort Worden Commons.
The event will include a silent auction, appetizers and no-host bar. Doors will open at 5 p.m. at the Commons, 200 Battery Way.
It is free to members and $5 for non-members.
Cladoosby, chairman of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, served as president of the National Congress of American Indians from 2013 to 2017 and is one of the most senior tribal political leaders in the Pacific Northwest.
He is also the co-speaker for the Coast Salish Gathering.
The Coast Salish Gathering is an organization comprising tribes from Western Washington and British Columbia and dedicated to the “preservation, restoration, and protection of the Salish Sea Eco Region for the sustainability of our sacred inherent family rights and values that have been passed on to us by our ancestors,” according to a news release.
In 2014, Cladoosby was among the honored guests at a state dinner for French President Francois Hollande hosted by former President Barack Obama.
As a fisherman, Cladoosby has a strong personal connection to the salmon from which Coast Salish tribes have traditionally derived their livelihood.
His program will provide a better understanding of how historic gathering places, such as Point Wilson and other areas in the vicinity of Fort Worden State Park and Admiralty Inlet, shaped tribal traditions and continue to play a role in tribal goals and policies.
“The Friends of Fort Worden are thrilled to have a speaker of Brian Cladoosby’s stature at this year’s annual meeting. There was life and vitality in the Fort Worden area long before construction of the Point Wilson Lighthouse in 1879, and Mr. Cladoosby’s presentation will provide a window into that past, as well as broaden our perspective of contemporary times and issues,” said Janine Anderson, president of the Friends of Fort Worden State Park and chair of the annual Meeting Committee.
Anderson commented further: “This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Friends of Fort Worden and we have so much to celebrate.”
The Friends of Fort Worden State Park is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the preservation and enhancement of Fort Worden State Park as a recreational, historical, educational and natural resource.
Each year, the Friends organization holds a membership meeting to showcase ideas and present an educational program in line with its mission.
Last year the group was the recipient of the “2016 Friends Group of the Year” award from Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission.
For more information, contact the Friends of Fort Worden State Park at membership@fwfriends.org, or visit the website at fwfriends.org.
