Finding Common Ground in the Puget Sound: Tulalip Tribes, Millennials and the Environment

Abstract

The Jackson School of International Studies Task Force has created a strategic communications plan tied with a digital story with the goal of communicating tribal treaty rights and Tulalip Tribes-led environmental recovery efforts between tribal and non-tribal millennials. The strategic communications plan relies mainly on a social media campaign, on and off-campus events, and the use of traditional communication platforms. The Tulalip Tribes are concerned with protecting treaty rights and environmental decline in Puget Sound caused by climate change, habitat loss, and decreasing salmon populations. Most non-tribal millennials are unaware of these rights, or these issues in general, despite living in the Puget Sound. The research, primarily a literature review, self-hosted surveys and focus groups, shows a trend in millennials to be sensitive to cultural diversity and climate change acceptance, making them a prime demographic for a communications campaign. Next came the implementation of a social media campaign, including Facebook, Instagram, and a digital story for potential use in the Tulalip Tribes and UW Jackson School of International Studies websites. The Task Force worked closely with Tulalip Tribes in Marysville, and visited their location, supervised by Tulalip Tribes public affairs manager, Francesca Hillery.