Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2001)
TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS Elders Honor Day Another Year of Wisdom Happy Birthday! Carol Blomstrom, 7/27 Douglas Brown, 7/31 Alton Butler, 7/5 Marie Chapman, 7/6 Alta Courville, 7/29 Antonio Delgado, 7/29 Everett Downey, 7/11 Peter Downey, 7/2 Marjorie Finley, 7/22 Barbara Fisher, 7/27 Joan Fisher, 7/20 Myrt Flagg, 7/1 Evagene Hamilton, 7/6 William John, 7/1 Geraldine Jordan, 7/11 Marvin Jordan Sr., 7/14 Richard Koehler, 7/3 David Lane, 7/24 Cherine Martell, 7/23 Loma Martin, 7/18 Roberta Martin, 7/4 Wilma Mills, 7/10 Judy Niemi, 7/7 John Roe, 7/19 Robert Sanders, 7/1 Rachel Smith, 7/15 Raymond Sondenaa, 7/26 James Swanson, 7/3 Naomi Vasquez, 7/23 Joseph Williams, 7/18 The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Elders have been invited to the Grand Ronde Senior Honor Day on July 20. Any elder who wants to attend can call Kathryn Dick, elders coordinator, at 1-800-922-1399, ext. 261, or 541-444-8261. There’s still time to sign up if you would like to attend. Transportation will be provided from each area. If you need a ride or would like more information, please call Kathryn. L to r: Delores Pigsley, Frank Simmons, Bob Tom, Gladys Bolton, and Rosemary Landis participate on the elders’ panel at the Native American Fish & Wildlife Society conference at Chinook Winds Casino in May. 4 □ Siletz News The elders are planning a trip to the Run to the Rogue event coming up in September. The planned dates are Sept. 14-16. We need to know how many elders would like to participate so we can reserve rooms. This is a very exciting traditional event. Run to the Rogue is right after our Pendleton trip, so those of you who want to attend, please call Kathryn Dick at 1-800-922-1399, ext. 261, or 541-444-8261. Elders Meeting Elders and others participate in chair exercises led by Miranda Strong at the diabetes conference hosted by the Siletz Community Health Clinic at Chinook Winds Casino. Walt’s Words of Wit and Wisdom Before time, the Creator had completed creating Mother Earth and all the inhabitants of Mother Earth. Now the Creator was tired but was fearful of resting as the Creator was fearful of evil elements in a different domain. The Creator become very tired and had a hard time staying awake. One of the Tree People asked the Creator to lie in the shade and rest. The Creator said that it would be nice but cannot, as someone needs to be on guard all the time. Now the trees were hardy and strong and said, “Creator, you rest. We will keep lookout.” The Creator was skeptical, but did consent that if the trees would stay awake while the Creator rested, Creator would rest. Elders Run to the Rogue The trees all agreed that they would “I didn’t go to sleep. I’ve been awake stay alert and the Creator went to sleep. all the time keeping guard while As time went on, some of the trees you slept.” started to droop and were becoming s ZA The Creator looked and it was tired. Soon the Alder Trees became Cedar Tree. For this, Cedar Tree sleepy, the Maple Trees and even t' would become the chosen tree. The the Tamarack became very sleepy Cedar Tree is the Sacred Tree of and went to sleep. The mighty Oak many coastal peoples. was watching and thought that -* The leaves are used in the smudge, those trees were very weak and just the wood is used for the coverings couldn’t be trusted. Soon the of sacred feathers, and the bark is mighty Oak started feeling drowsy, used for clothing and building then he too went to sleep. homes. Just under the bark is a Now the Creator woke up, substance that is edible. It’s a multi looked around, and all the trees were purpose tree. asleep. The Creator became angry and was scolding the trees for going to sleep. There were other trees that didn’t A voice came from the trees saying, go to sleep but didn’t speak up. The □ July 2001 July 14, 2001 Chinook Winds Casino 2 p.m. The Siletz Tribal Police . Department can be reached at 541-444-8371. J trees that went to sleep, now the Creator wasn’t so upset with them. The Creator decided that each of the trees would have a rest period every year. All of the tree’s leaves would turn different colors at a certain time of the year, then turn brown and fall to the ground, becoming part of Mother Earth. But every year they would all start new again. The Tamarack is the only needle tree that went to sleep, so every year it loses its needles and rests. This is why every fall the trees all lose their leaves and every spring the trees spring back to life after the winter’s sleep.
