Report on Second Tribal Nations Summit

City of Seattle, Washington sent this bulletin at 04/10/2026 11:15 AM PDT
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Press Release

For Immediate Release

Contact Information
Sage Wilson
Phone: 206-889-0277
Email: sage.wilson@seattle.gov

Second Tribal Nations Summit:

City leaders reflect on progress and hone a shared vision for equity, respect, and lasting partnership with Tribal Nations and Native communities 

Mayor Katie B. Wilson released the Summary Report of the 2025 City of Seattle | Tribal Nations Summit that occurred on September 16, 2025. The Tribal Nations Summit is a bi-annual opportunity for the City to identify actions and desired outcomes that uphold the sovereignty and treaty rights of federally recognized Tribes and to build partnerships, strengthen collaborations, and enhance diplomacy.

The 2025 City of Seattle | Tribal Nations Summit was attended by representatives of 10 Tribal Nations, five urban Indian organizations, 23 City departments, and regional partners. The City and Tribal governments made history together in 2023 at the City’s first inter-tribal government-to-government meeting. The two years of work that followed the inaugural gathering are a direct result of sustained engagement and commitment to working together more effectively as governments.

“We are proud to be among the few cities nationwide that are meaningfully working on strengthening City-Tribal relations,” said Mayor Wilson. “Through our work with Tribal governments and Native communities the City is committed better serving the diverse interests of Indigenous people.”

During the summit, elected Tribal leaders participated in a listening session to share top priorities with City leadership. The summit included three facilitated sessions focused on Community Safety, Housing and Homelessness, and Natural and Cultural Resources with Tribal, urban Native, and City leadership. Leaders candidly discussed their concerns, priorities, recommendations, and collaborative ideas to address shared interests.

“When we take time to listen and learn from one another, we see the immense opportunity before us. We are grateful for the opportunity to discuss, debate, collaborate, and partner across a range of issues,” said Council President Joy Hollingsworth. “What is clear is that this must be work that we commit to each and every day.”

The City has identified commitments across four areas to strengthen intergovernmental relationships with Tribal Nations and to better support trust and treaty obligations to Tribal and urban Native communities, including:

  • Effective Tribal Relations and Indigenous engagement encompassing structural and systemic improvements to City processes.
  • Cultural visibility and vitality encompassing arts and cultural placemaking and informing City plans through Indigenous cultures, values, and priorities.
  • Collaborative cultural resource stewardship encompassing programs and initiatives that impact Tribal interests in the natural and built environment.
  • Culturally attuned systems of care to expand the reach and impact of City services and programs among Tribal and urban Native communities.

Read the event summary report to hear the wisdom, guidance, and instructions shared with City leadership. Read the progress report to learn about the City’s efforts since the inaugural Tribal Nations Summit.

What Other People Are Saying

“On behalf of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and as a member of the City of Seattle Indigenous Advisory Council, I was honored to take part in this tremendous example of Government-to-Government engagement and relationship cultivation with the City of Seattle. As an elected representative of the First Peoples of this land, it gives me a great sense of pride and satisfaction knowing that we are working cohesively to address the economic, cultural, and social needs and interests of our respective communities. I look forward to continuing these respectful and reciprocal engagements to enhance and support the people, places, and policies that make our region so incredible."
Chairman Donny Stevenson (Muckleshoot), Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and Indigenous Advisory Council member

“The Suquamish Tribe was pleased to share our priorities and perspectives, our concerns and commitments at the 2025 Tribal Nations Summit. These kinds of annual gatherings in our traditional territory in Seattle serve as a good renewal of focus for the real, ongoing work set before us. That’s also why I was honored to recently welcome Mayor Wilson for government-to-government discussions at the Port Madison Reservation and pay our respects at the gravesite of our ancestral leader Chief Seattle. Chief Seattle showed us all the importance of building meaningful relationships while paying attention to details. As our work continues across the region, we look forward to exercising our treaty rights and continuing our cultural resurgence in and around the city that bears his name.”
Chairman Leonard Forsman (Suquamish), Suquamish Tribe

“The Tribal Nations Summit is a meaningful step forward and a genuine demonstration of good governance by the City of Seattle. But to move beyond performative land acknowledgments, we must continue to cultivate a foundation of trust and collaboration with our local tribal governments. As a tribal member, I know that listening is only the beginning – this needs to be a partnership, not a one-sided lecture. While we have a significant amount of work ahead of all of us, I’m encouraged by this progress and look forward to the developments we will achieve together.”
Councilmember Debora Juarez (Blackfeet), District 5, Seattle City Council

“I am grateful to our elected tribal leaders, elders, and members who have us as guests and partner with us, as the City of Seattle, to deepen the relationship between sovereign governments and organizations who serve our Indigenous residents. The Tribal Nations Summit is a legacy of Council President Debora Juarez’s work, and I am humbled to walk in her footsteps to turn Seattle’s relationship with tribes and Indigenous people from point-in-time agreements into a living and durable process of partnership and consultation.”
Councilmember Dan Strauss, District 6, Seattle City Council

“As a Snoqualmie Tribal member and the Elder position serving on the Indigenous Advisory Council, I see this work as a reflection of the importance of relationship—taking the time to listen, learn, and move forward in a good way. Guided by our responsibility to the next seven generations, we must center Indigenous knowledge and lived experience to strengthen government-to-government partnerships for the future.”
Suzanne Sailto (Snoqualmie Tribal member), Indigenous Advisory Council

“The commitments reflected in the Tribal Nations Summit matter because they create pathways for our youth to feel supported and hopeful about their future. Being proactive, working upstream and centering Native youth in these commitments is essential. In my work, I see firsthand how our youth benefit when leadership listens, shows up, and invests with intention.”
Jaci McCormack (Nez Perce), Co-Founder Rise Above

 

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