Charles Adkins - 98

Ay-yu-kwee (Hello) my name is Charles Adkins and I’m a proud member of the Yurok Tribe. I currently work as a Legislative Policy Analyst for the Tulalip Tribes focusing on Education, Housing, and Indian Child Welfare. I also serve as the first indigenous elected school board member for the Everett School Board in the district’s 130+ year history. From my childhood on and around the Yurok Indian reservation, I was sent to one of the remaining Indian Boarding Schools where my experiences helped inform my fight for social and economic justice. My father, a decorated combat veteran from Afghanistan, suffered from PTSD, creating an unsafe environment which eventually led to me leaving home as a teenager and soon finding myself homeless throughout my time in High School. Since then, I have dedicated my life to ensuring that no other child has to face the same barriers and challenges that I did. I graduated from the Evergreen State College with a degree in Tribal Administration and now reside in Everett, Washington.

In addition to my roles on the Everett School Board and with the Tulalip Tribes, I also serve my community in a variety of other ways; I currently serve as the Councilmember representing Tribal Nations on the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s Advisory Council, Governor Inslee appointed me as the Youth Representative on the Washington State Advisory Council on Homelessness, I serve as the Vice-Chair for the City of Everett’s Planning Commission, and serve on several other boards including as the vice-chair for the Children’s Campaign fund. One of my proudest career achievements is authoring and successfully lobbying for the passage of Senate Bill 5800 which launched a pilot program in which colleges provide additional assistance for homeless and food insecure students.

I am running for delegate because I believe in Joe Biden’s leadership. The Biden administration has been the best presidency for Indian Country so far. With the historic appointment of the first indigenous Interior secretary and massive investments in Tribal nations to the tune of $45 billion dollars which will ensure that tribal nations have roads, internet, healthcare, and more. It’s clear we have seen a president who cares about tribes and native people. I would be honored to be able to be a national delegate for Joe Biden.

If you’d like to learn more about my story please visit votecharlesadkins.com