Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson issued a statement Monday regarding Indigenous Peoples’ Day, noting that the City of Edmonds wants recognize all Indigenous people and draw special attention to the Coast Salish peoples, including Tulalip, Suquamish, Stillaguamish, Lummi, and other tribes who have inhabited the Puget Sound region that encompasses the shorelands and uplands of Edmonds.

Here is the mayor’s statement:

“For thousands of years the Indigenous Coast Salish peoples have used the area now known as Edmonds to harvest salmon, shellfish, and land-based resources. The rich, diverse culture and enduring spirit of the Indigenous Peoples of Puget Sound region live on in Edmonds, not just through the acts of a few, but through the intentional efforts of many.

I am honored to draw attention to the ArtWalk mural program that has recently completed two murals depicting Coast Salish culture in our area at the time of contact. Thank you, Andy Eccleshall (muralist) and Coast Salish artist Ty Juvenil, for your collaborative effort to create these images.

I want to thank the leadership at the new Waterfront Center who are seeking to partner with the local tribes to incorporate Coast Salish artwork as a part of the new center set for completion in November.

Finally, I am very excited to see the carved cedar panel created by Coast Salish artist Ty Juvenil that depicts traditional Coast Salish activities on the shores of Puget Sound and will be placed across from City Hall at the Historical Museum later this year.

These are just a few of the countless examples where, in a year filled with uncertainties and in the midst of a pandemic, the community of Edmonds continues to inspire and lead by example. Thank you to the community for your efforts to ensure we continue to embrace our heritage, not just today, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, but every day.”