Chemawa American
MAY 24, 1983
Page 3
M »O M «
SENATE INVOCATION
GIVEN BY BIGHORN
CHEMAWA POW WOW
DRAWS LARGEST CROWD
EVER
By LaVelle Walker, Gizelle
Keluum, and Ms. LaCroix
M ay
6-8
m a rk e d
Chemawa's cultural event of
the year: the annual Chemawa
POW WOW.
Sponsored by the Indian
Club, the group raised over
$2,200 this year selling, raffle
tickets, donations, etc. Organ
ization from early, in the year
contributed to this year's suc
cess. It had the largest record
ed group for a Pow Wow in
the history of the event.
The highlight of the first
‘evening came when Miss Che
mawa was named and crown
ed. Sophomore Rebecca Da
vid, Kpotenai, was elected as
Miss Chemawa for 1983-84.
Misty Arcand, Blackfeet, was
chosen first runner-up. Second
place winner was Shawn Hes
ter, Grand Ronde and Yurok.
Lena Ike from Warm Springs
took third place.
O ther contestants were
Shawnie Sammaripa, Sho-
shone-»B annock; S h erry
Saunders, Navajo; Pam Wala-
witsa, Tulalip; and Mona Cha
vez, Wind. River Cheÿenne.
Finalists were chosen after the
Miss Chemâwa Pageant held
M ay 3. The girls were
evaluated on traditional and
contemporary presentations,
poise, friendliness, teacher
evaluations, and interviews.
They also were selected on
points received from attending
Indian Club meetings and sell
ing raffle tickets. Involvement,
respect for others and partici
pation were key to this year's
pageant.
Grand Entry and the arrival
of Nathan “Eight Ball" Jim
from Yakima, who was the
main MC for the Pow WoW,
began the second day's ac
tivities. This day Was dele
gated to competition dancing
rather than the total social
dancing o f the night b efore.
Girls Tiny Tots winners this
day received $50 while Tiny
Tot Boys received $40. Boys
and Girls Unlimited Divisions
each received $105 in prize
monies. *?
A potluck was provided and
served by Chemawa kitchen
staff and a special $200 salmon
donation from the Warm
Springs Reservation allowed
participants to enjoy local
feasting. A special word of
thanks is extended for the fine
efforts and warm hospitality
of the kitchen staff in making
this potluck feed for almost
3,000 people a success.
During the evening, special
awards and community recog
nition were given to Vicki
Belgard, CAEC alcohol and
drug counselor, for 11 years of
service to Chemawa and its
students.
Awards and letters of com
mendation came from such
places as the Oregon Gover-
nôr's office, Navajo Nation
and tribal chairman, Warm
Springs reservation, YWCA,
Childrens' Services for the
help w^h many foster children
Vicki has helped to raise, from
Indian Club, Indian Health,
Chemawa Alcohol Education
Center Director, and many
Northwest tribal leaders and
groups.
"It takes a special lady to
dedicate herself to 11 years of
trying to show our young peo
ple a better way of life," said
Miss Warm Springs upon pre
senting Vicki with a beaded
bag.
As Vickie stood in utter
amazement of all that was be
ing presented to her. She
began to cry. "Eight Ball" told
her to get out there and say
something: "You get out there
and do the talking and I'll go
cry for you."
' Belgard said, "This is all so
. . . amazing. It's something
I've never.. dreamed .of. I do
love these kids, that's why Fm
here. I love each of you, too. I
guess I don't know what's hap
pening, but you have made me
very happy."
After a special honor song
done for Vicki and her family
and friends, "Eight Ball" ex
plained that in Indian country
when someone does an out
standing job for her/his peo
ple, the Indian community
honors them and recognizes
those efforts.
Later that evening Arlie
Neskali, one of the lead drum
mers and singers and student
teacher at Chemawa was hon
ored for his work in Indian
education and commitment to
the profession. Arlie was grad
uated from Willamette Univ.
and hopes to find a teaching
position at Chemawa. If that
doesn't happen he said he will
return to his home in Col
orado. ,
^Sunday's activities included
Ladies and Mens Fancy Danc
ing Contests where winners
each received $215; Ladies and
Mens Traditional Competition
winners took home a purse of
$225; and the Owl Dance
Open Competition winners
shared $110.
Mothers were recognized
and a special honor song was
played for them on this, their
Mother's Day.
Chemawa alumni were later
honored and several addressed
the group saying that they
have always been proud of
Chemawa and still are. They
encouraged^ the p resen t
students to accept the chal
lenges of life facing them and
not tun away.
Mr. Watsulatez, who left
Chemawa in 1927 because his
family was having hard times,
said life here was very strict
then. He said they didn't want
"us to speak our language or
practice our culture. If we did,
we would be punished. But
now today you are encourag
By Tracy Swimptkin and
Ms. LaCroix
Chemawa Indian School
pow wow
•LOST VOICE”
I was once told,
I have forgotten m any years ago.
Today I am everything o f what once
was ¡yesterday,
What will become of tomorrow.
Who will be there to lead m y children on,
Will they understand the meaning o f <
our people,
9
the power of being Indian.
I am a lost voice,
my words echo o ff silent walls.
I tried
Oh, how I tried to make them understand
the reasons behind the light.
A positive energy that grows
inside.
Once when the world was young,
Earth Mother spoke to us in m any voices.
We saw our Father in everything that greu
around us.
We had respect and honor,
We had only one another and sometimes
we had something behind us to guide us
on our way.
To commemmorate Oregon
American Indian Week with a
proclamation signed by Ore
gon Governor Vic Atiyeh, Mr,
Jacob Bighorn, Indian govern
ment and leadership teacher,
was asked to give the invoca
tion for the State Senate on
May 17 at the Capitol. This re
quest initially was made by
Cathy Green, executive secre
tary of thé Commission on In
dian Service for the State of
Oregon.
, Ushering in this awareness
was a proclamation signed by
President Reagan declaring
May 13, 1983 as National
American Indian Day.
Bighorn and several of his
students were invited to par
ticipate in the official signing
of Gov. Atiyeh's proclamation
and to participate in some of
the activities planned for this
recognition week. Some of
those activities included
special Indian art and basketry
displays, Indian Child Welfare
Act information and displays;
and Indian spiritual leaders
who gave the daily invoca
tions for the legislatures.
Gov. Atiyeh complimented
Indian people for their exam
ple in working for a "harmon
ious existence with life's forces
and providing an inspiration
for future generations. . .
"Their enduring reverence
for nature provides guidance
for the conservation and pro
tection of the natural beauty
of our state. Continually ad
justing and adapting, they
make im portant and in
novative contributions , in
areas such as éducation,
business, and government,
serving both themselves and
all of Oregon,"; proclaimed
Atiyeh,
After the signing of this pro
clamation, Rebecca David,
Misty Arcand, Shawnie Sam
maripa, and Indian Club ad
visor Vickie Belgard presented
the Governor with a beaded
medallion.
Bighorn pointed out that he
was personally impressed with
the Governor's good words
and respect for Indian people,
and his sincerity and interest
in the maker and meaning of
the medallion given to him.
Myron Jim, a senior, said
that this experience made him
extra proud to be an Indian
and excited that non-Indians
were showing so much con
cern.
In his prayer to the legisla
ture Bighorn prayed for unity
with all life:
Tanka' sik (grandfather in
Lakota)
Creator of us all. We come
to you in sincere humbleness,
to seek your guidance and
your blessing. We are pitiful in
our human condition, for we
know so little of the simple
mystery which can bring true
peace and harmony to all the
livihg things of thy Creation.
We ask your forgiveness for
our sometimes inadequùte care
of your Creation. We humbly
beseech the Power of your Ho
ly Spirit to descend upon this
ptàce . . . and this moment:
—* to release us from
ourselves,
—to allow our Spirits to ex
perience the Oneness with
YOU, and to instill à deeper
awareness of our « personal
responsibilities to each other.
We thank you for the infi-
. nite wisdom of your plan for
each and all of us; and we pray
for your special influence and
continued blessings upon the.
elected leaders assembled here
and the plané they may enact.
We pray this in the hame of
your son, Jesus Christ. „
ed to be proud, to learn your
language and culture. It has
turned around in such a short
(Continued oft page 7)
Rebecca David Wins Miss Chemawa Crown for 83-84
By LaVelle Walker
R ebecca
D a v id ,
a
sophomore here at Chemawai,
w as se lec ted as MISS
CHEMAWA for 1983-84. She
competed against seven other
c a n d id a te s
also
from
Chemawa.
Rebecca, 16, is from the
Kootenai Tribe in Northern
Idaho. She started dancing at
the age of ten and won the title
of Miss Kootenai 1981-82
while in Montana. She ran for
this title because she felt it
would be a good experience
for her and that she would get
a chance to travel around dur
ing the summer and share
some of her experiences while
at Chemawa.
While nervous, Rebecca
thought that the pageant was a
positive experience and alot of
fun.
z
Her hopes for the future are
to find a summer job, return to
Chemawa, and hopefully
graduate from here. College is
part of her plans too, but she is
not sure what she warits to do
at this point.
Rebecca competed in the
Miss Inter-Tribal competition
May 14 and took first runner
up. She said that she tried
there, and will continue to
work hard during her reign to
spread only good words about
Chemawa and encourage seri
ous students to come to this
school.
When asked what she could
do to help younger people,
Rebecca said that she would
try and get them interested in
their traditions and tell them
to keep working at getting a
good education. She said too
that she really enjoyed the
Pow Wow, the way people
treated her with such concern
and respect, and how the
whole weekend was organized
so that people could dance,
visit and enjoy themselves.
"I was so surprised to get
this title because everyone was
so talented and did such a
good job. I will work hard to
help make Chemawa known
to all the people I visit," she
concluded.
Junior Misty Arcand, 17
year old Blackfeet from
Browning won the title of first
runner-up Miss Chemawa.
Misty was bom in Billings on
August 18, 1966. She started
dancing at the age of eight but
has never won any titles
before this. During the Inter-
Tribal Competition in Port
land May 14 Misty took third
lonors.
n asked why she ran for
e, Misty said that it was
[ oportunity and experi-
or her to learn more
her traditional ways and
^ay to share some of her
iences while a student
t Chemawa.
and thought that the
it went well and that it
ell organized,
ty said that she too was
>ed in being chosen for
an honor, but that it
her feel good inside and
he will work very hard
ending all the activities
ored by the school and
while she is away from
:ampus to encourage
; people to stay in
1. She said what she
î
to offer the new
its is someone that they
irn to if they need help.
>uld Rebecca David leave
tawa or something häp
äisty would assume the
s of Miss Chemawa.
e other candidates were
n Hostler, Yurok and
d Ronde, who took sec-.
place; Lena Ike from
n Springs who took third
; Mona Chavez, Wind
, Cheyenne; Shawnie
naripa, Shoshône-Piute;
•y Saunders; Navajo; and
Walawitsa, Tulalip.
(ring the pageant, Sunny
ey — Miss Navajo Na-
a judge and honored
8
guests, entertained tne au
dience by telling a few jokes, a
legend, and singing a love
song which meant, "In each
direction I walk, may I be sur
rounded iftbeauty." She said
that she was very proud of the
contestants because "perform
ing in front of peers has to be
the most difficult experience.
Everyone knows you and can
find fault." She said that
Chemawa should be proud of
the fact that so many tried and
risked and that the girls should
be proud of themselves and of
the school.
Lauren Star, Miss Warm
Springs, also entertained the
audience with a legend about
I t
M
M
II ..""
Eagle Boy and the Stick Game.
She-said that the moral of the
story was that people should
never gamble away anything
as valuable as our lives on
such things as alcohol, drugs,
etc.
Some examples of the
modem talent displayed by
the girls were a wonder in
dance by Sherry Saunders;
legends told by Shawn Hostler
and Mona Chavez; a poem
read by Misty Arcand; a dance
routine done by Shawnie Sam
maripa; the Lord's Prayer
done by Rebecca David; and
public speaking by Lena Ike.
Congratulations to all those
who worked so hard. Every
one was a winner.