By Hailey Palmer, Puyallup Tribal News
Puyallup Tribal Councilmembers Bill Sterud and Annette Bryan were sworn in by Vice Chairwoman Sylvia Miller to start new three-year terms on Thursday, June 12, in the Tribal Administration building. Sterud and Bryan were re-elected in the Puyallup Tribal Council General Election.
The ceremony began with a prayer and blessing from Heritage Division Manager Connie McCloud with a song shared after from drummers and singers.
Tribal Council selected Chairman Sterud and Vice Chairwoman Miller to continue in their roles as officers.
Here are excerpts from Chairman Sterud and Councilwoman Bryan’s remarks at the ceremony:
Chairman Bill Sterud
“It is a deep honor to be re-elected to serve the Puyallup people since 1978. I carry this responsibility with pride, humility and determination. We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors — those who fought for our sovereignty, our rights and our future. Today, we honor them by continuing the work the began. In this new term, our path is clear to grow our economy and build lasting achievements that uplift every Puyallup Member. This is about more than progress, it’s about prosperity. A future where every member of our Tribe has the tools, the support and the strength to strive. But we cannot do this alone. We rise in this time together as one people, one voice, one future. I’m humbled and grateful to continue serving you all. Thank you all for your support.”
Councilwoman Annette Bryan
“Today I stand before you with a heart full of gratitude, full of love for our people and full of responsibility. I’m honored and humbled by the faith you all have placed and continue to place in serving on the Puyallup Tribal Council, and I do not take it lightly. This is a moment of celebration — or it should be — but it’s also one of reflection. Recently, we’ve experienced profound loss. … Every time one of us passes it touches all of us. The grief we carry is heavy. It doesn’t fade with time, it lives with us breath by breath, but in the middle of that pain something else has risen up: love. We have come together to support one another, to hold each other up, to share food, songs, tears, laughter, memories and prayers. That’s what it means to be Puyallup. That’s what it means to be a Tribe. We’re not just a government, we are a family. … As your councilmember I do not serve the few, I serve all.”
