By Hailey Palmer, Puyallup Tribal News
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup less than 500 days away, the Tribe’s World Cup team’s work has begun as they get ready for the Tribe to be a part of all FIFA World Cup Seattle activities and events as Official Legacy Supporter.
Puyallup Tribal Council announced the partnership with SeattleFWC26 back in 2023, and with the Puyallup Tribal Enterprises team, has been developing a plan to promote the Tribe to the world since.
Tribal Council and PTE moved forward with creating the Tribe’s World Cup team, and tasked them with preparing for the Tribe to be seen on the world stage.
The team consists of Amy McFarland (World Cup Project Director), Connie McCloud (Heritage Division Manager), Chris Duenas (Multi-Media Manager), Dayleann Hawks (Project Manager), Julyssa Coats (Language Teacher), William Poitras (Carver Coordinator) and Hope Sandstrom (Multi-Media Developer).
Each has a unique role to amplify the Tribe and its culture to a worldwide audience.
“Never before in the history of FIFA and the World Cup has there been an Indigenous group that were supporters,” McFarland said. “This partnership is an opportunity for our community to share with the world who we are, and for our community to be involved in a historic event they can share with their children and their children’s children.”
Six World Cup matches will be played in the Seattle area from June 15 to July 6, 2026. The Tribe will also be hosting the first-ever World Cup Powwow around that time.
McCloud said they will do their best to share every part of Puyallup Tribal culture.
“Sharing who we are as Puyallups, but also our Northwest culture, our sacred mountain, our water, our songs, dances and language,” she said. “(I) heard our Chairman Bill Sterud say Puyallup culture will be shown to the world.”
Hawks called the World Cup an “unprecedented opportunity to showcase our cultural resilience and strategic vision.”
“This opportunity embodies more than mere representation; it is a profound act of reclaiming narrative sovereignty,” Hawks said. “Through strategic cultural sharing at the FIFA World Cup, the Puyallup Tribe can transform a global sporting event into a transformative platform for cultural diplomacy, mutual understanding and Indigenous empowerment.”
From a multi-media standpoint, Duenas is hoping to show the world Indigenous people haven’t gone anywhere.
“Not only do we get to share our culture, language and history with the world, but we will be seeing cultures from all over represented, as well,” Duenas said. “We will also get to see the culture that is FIFA and get to be part of that. … It is important to share our culture because it shows the world Natives are still here. Despite American history, we are still here doing what we have done since the beginning of time.”
After spending many years working in the Tribe’s Language Department, Sandstrom said she saw this position as an opportunity to keep sharing the txʷəlšucid language with others and something she may never experience again.
“Being on a public platform in collaboration with something as big as FIFA will be an opportunity I may not see in my lifetime again,” Sandstrom said. “Natives aren’t just part of history, we are here. We aren’t just practicing our culture, but it is woven into who we are every day. This is what we get to share with the world.”
Coats is also excited to share txʷəlšucid worldwide and said the Tribe’s partnership is an incredible opportunity to be part of something that’s never been done before.
“It represents a historic moment of recognition and inclusion for Indigenous communities,” Coats said. “It opens the door for more representation, cultural exchange and opportunities for Indigenous voices to be heard.”
As carver coordinator, Poitras said he believes his hands belong to the people to do the work of his ancestors and this position allows him to use his hands to represent his community.
“The world doesn’t know the history of the Puyallup people,” Poitras said. “This is a good educational opportunity to bring light to the people of this territory and the work the people still do today to keep their culture alive.”
The work is already underway and while it’s still more than 400 days away, the world will see Puyallup Tribal culture on display in 2026.
