Mel Sheldon received his award in the house he helped build.
“When I first got on Tribal Council 24 years ago, we had nothing but dirt, trees and dreams,” he told the audience gathered at the ballroom in the Tulalip Resort Casino — the 12-story, 370-room hotel that has been an economic resource for the tribe.
“It’s made a big difference,” Sheldon explained later in an interview. “We didn’t have many sources of cash coming in, our cigarette store, our gas station, bingo was creating some money, but not a whole lot.”
He said the casino changed the whole equation, also allowing the tribe to diversify, including an outlet mall, a Walmart and a business park.
