Puyallup School District Joins Regional Partnership with Puyallup Tribe of Indians

Puyallup School District is honored to be one of 13 school districts across Pierce and King counties to sign a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, formalizing a shared commitment to uplifting Native students and deepening an integration of Tribal culture and history into K-12 education. 

The agreement, signed on March 28, 2025, at the Puyallup Tribal Administration Building, solidifies a collaborative partnership in honoring Native identity, providing culturally relevant learning opportunities, and elevating the experiences of Native youth in schools. 

The MOU outlines several key goals, including expanding internship programs and elective credit opportunities for Native students, developing pathways to grow and support future Native educators, enhancing curriculum to reflect Native perspectives, including local Tribal history, celebrating Native identity, such as supporting the right to wear regalia at graduation, and strengthening recruitment and retention of Native American staff. 

Puyallup School District has maintained a deep commitment to supporting our Native students and honoring our place on the ancestral lands of the Puyallup people.  

First established in 1973, the district’s Native American Education program currently serves 944 students representing 65 federally recognized tribes. By working closely with a dedicated Native American Liaison, the district ensures that culturally mindful practices align with the Puyallup Tribe’s values and visioning.  

The ongoing use of the PSD land acknowledgment honors the Puyallup people and their stewardship of the land that provides a home for the Puyallup School District. And as established in the signed MOU, the district’s commitment to the “John McCoy (lulilaš) Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State” curriculum remains intentionally embedded in district teaching and learning practices for all students.  

The signed agreement runs through December 31, 2035, and will guide long-term collaboration and mutual consultation on curriculum, language preservation, and respectful representation of Native culture in schools.