Spokane Tribe official: tribe lost acres and homes, seeks inclusion in state response

Monica Tenaskett, who identified herself as a member of the Spokane Tribal Business Council, thanked state and local partners for including the Spokane Tribe in the governor's emergency proclamation and described local firefighting and recovery efforts.

Tenaskett said the tribe lost nearly 5,000 acres and seven homes in the August fires and that only two of those homes were insured. She said a 20-person crew worked long shifts across 158,000 acres in remote conditions before additional resources arrived, and she thanked other tribes, the Department of Ecology, EPA, FEMA and nonprofit partners for assistance as cleanup proceeds and homeowners are helped back into their homes.

"Losing almost 5,000 acres, we lost 7 homes, and only 2 of those homes were insured," Tenaskett said. She called for continued collaboration and support as the tribe and neighboring communities work on cleanup and long-term recovery.