Chemawa Post Office Closed Down
Chemawa, Oregon 97306 no long
er exists.
After 87 years the Chemawa Post
Office has been closed down by the
Post Office Department. The last
day of operation for the office was
December 31. Salem records show
that it was first established on
November 11, 1885.
The reasons behind the closing
seem to be economic according to
Mr. Jerry Schmitz, owner of the Che
mawa Store and the last postmaster.
The mail now goes through the
Administration. Students still re
ceive their mail in the dormitories.
A mail drop has been installed by
the tunnel for outgoing student mail.
Administrative
Officer,
Pete
Reeder stated that the school’s new
address will be a number not yet
chosen on Indian School Road. He
added that the Marion County Plan
ning Commission is considering the
approval for three street names on
the campus.
The new streets will be Misty
Street on the West end of the cam
pus, Chugach Street (formerly Hos
pital Street) and Salish Street down
by the Store. The names were cho
sen from a list submitted by stu
dents. Houses and Buildings on
these streets will be given numbers
and mail will be delivered there.
The Chemawa Store will still sell
stamps, envelopes and money or
ders.
The question of who will
handle outgoing packages has not
yel been decided. •
Mr. Schmitz, who took over the
.store from Mr. & Mrs. Hibbs this
ja il, said that the pay for running
the post office has not been raised
in more than 12 years, and that the
cost of having an assistant to help
him manage it is more than the ^pst
Office Department pays horn.
“ If the Post Office would renego
tiate the contract, Fd be glad to
keep it open,” Schmitz said to the
American. “ But they won’t. So I
can t«
CHEMAWA AMERICAN
Voi. 69, No. 3
Chemawa Indian School, Salem, OR 97303
Jan. 8, 1973
Many Mini-Courses Offered
Oser Lony Christmas Vacation
Leonard McCarr, a freshman from
Kwethluk, Alaska, shows off the
dulcimer he made during the 3—week
mini-course. (Photo by Bob Tom-
askin)
Faced with the problem of a three-
week vacation and 260 students who
could not make it back to their
homes for Christmas, Chemawa tea
chers and staff members came up
with over twenty “ mini-courses” for
students to take between semesters.
Each mini-course lasts four hours
each day, two in the morning and
two in the afternoon. Students suc
cessfully completing a mini receive
a quarter credit. Each student who
remained over Christmas had to take
one (and only one) course, and the
courses were to be subjects not
offered during the regular school
year.
The results were such courses as
calligraphy, dulcimer making, ham
radio, military choices, stitchery
aluminum casting and wild animal
tracking.
Even tame-sounding courses such
as humanities or social studies
turned out to be studies in “ the
Oregon
Experience” ,
“ Eskimo
language and culture” and “ the
history of native land claims” .
For the athletes, it was four hours
a day of training and conditioning,
as the basketball and wrestling
teams prepared for the winter sea
son.
Math students studied the laws of
chance and probabilities, learning
(among other things) why the house
is the ultimate winner in roulette.
The graphic arts department taught
introductory photography and film
developing. Oregon Experience stu
dents (all Alaskans) field-tripped
their way across the Willamette
Valley by bus and train.
“ It was quite an experience,” one
teacher commented, “ but I’ll be glad
when the regular semester starts and
I don’t have to work quite so hard.”
F o u r S e n io rs F in is h
Four ChMMtwa students received
their diplomas on December 22. They
are Leslie Charles, from Koyuk,
Alaska; Ken Madron, from Kaltag,
Alaska; Daisy Nick, from Pilot
Station, Alaska nad Harold Yatlin,
from Koyukuk, Alaska.
The four received their diplomas
after completing the requirements
set by Chemawa and the State of
Oregon. There was no graduation
ceremony held for them, but they are
eligible to return this spring and go
through the formal graduation cerem
onies with~the rest of the Class of
1973.