Suquamish Tribe elects two new council members

The Suquamish Tribe elected three tribal council members — two new and one returning — at the tribe’s annual General Council meeting on Sunday.

Tribal members Azure Boure and Lorilee Morsette were elected to the council member positions vacated following Rich Purser and Sammy Mabe's decisions not to seek re-election this year, according to a statement released by the tribe on Monday.

Luther “Jay” Mills, Jr. was re-elected to his council member seat. Mills has served intermittently on the council since 1984 and in his current position since 2009. He's also an ambassador for Port Madison Enterprises, the tribe’s business arm, according to the statement.

Boure leads the tribe’s traditional food and medicine program, part of the newly formed Cultural Resources Department. Morsette has served in various leadership and strategic planning roles in the tribal and non-profit sectors, and was recently accepted into the Leading People and Investing to Build Sustainable Communities (LPIBSC) program, a collaboration among Harvard Business School Executive Education, NAFOA, and AFOA Canada.

The new tribal council consists of Chairman Leonard Forsman, Vice Chairman Josh Bagley, Treasurer Denita Holmes, Secretary Irene Carper, and council members Mills, Jr., Boure, and Morsette. They serve three-year staggered terms, according to the tribe.

Purser and Mabe were thanked for their service in a traditional blanket wrapping ceremony, according to the statement.

Editor's Note: The story was updated since it was first published to clarify Morsette's acceptance into the LPIBSC program.