Members of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation were in attendance for the Napavine City Council’s first regular meeting of 2026 on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
During the meeting, Chehalis Tribal Chairman Dustin Klatush and Napavine Mayor Shawn O’Neill affirmed the tribe and city’s partnership with a proclamation.
While Native American Heritage Month was just two months ago in November, O’Neill explained he wanted to make this proclamation separate from the month, “to make it our own.”
The proclamation honored the collaboration between Napavine and the Chehalis Tribe.
“Whereas, the City of Napavine acknowledges that it resides on ancestral lands of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, who have stewarded these lands for generations,” O’Neill said while reading the proclamation. “And whereas, the City of Napavine recognizes the invaluable contributions of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation to the cultural, historical and environmental heritage of our community.”
The proclamation further declared the city was committed to building a “trusting, respectful and mutually beneficial relationship” with the Tribe and collaborating on sustainability, cultural preservation and other community projects.
It also stated the partnership showed both parties’ commitment to honoring the past while addressing current challenges to foster “a future rooted in equity and inclusivity.”
To publicly recognize the partnership, the proclamation added that the flag of the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation will be flown alongside the City of Napavine’s.
“I just want to say that I’ve had several conversations with Chairman Klatush, and we couldn’t ask for a better partner and neighbor — as far as any government-to-government relationship,” O’Neill said. “The Tribe, under Dustin’s leadership and others before him … They’ve always been a partner with us since at least 2007, somewhere around there. They partnered with our schools, done nothing but support them. And now they’re our partners in business, and this is an acknowledgement of that relationship.”
Klatush and O’Neill then exchanged flags as a symbol of their partnership.
“I just want to thank the City of Napavine for the proclamation and our partnership. This is big not just for our Tribe, but also your guys’ community too you know,” Klatush said. “This is a big growing part for both of us too, like my ancestors have said, you know, instead of fighting each other this is weaving us together as one. This is going to help us grow together as one, and take care of each other.”
He told those in attendance at the meeting as the Tribe’s chairman, he enjoyed visiting neighboring communities to fix their relationship between them.
“I can’t wait to see what we can do as partners, because that’s what we’re going to be. We’re gonna be partners,” Klatush said. “We should’ve been partners a long time ago. We’re growing together and this is amazing.”
Klatush also thanked not only the Napavine City Council and city staff, but the city’s residents as well, stating if they needed help with anything, to let the Tribe know.
“We’re here for you guys just like you guys are here for us,” he added.
Klatush and his daughters also gifted Napavine city staff with a ceremonial blanket.
The Chehalis Tribe recently made a big real estate splash in Napavine. The Tribe purchased the “Uncle Sam billboard” off the Interstate 5 Rush Road exit. The tribe closed on the 3.5-acre property hosting the billboard for $2.5 million in cash last summer. After removing the previous message from the billboard, the Tribe placed the message "NATIVE LAND #CHEHALIS" on Thursday, Oct. 23.
