TRIBAL MEMBER NEWS
I Was Thinking
by Eva Clayton
What one common denominator
ties us all together? (Food) Society in
general is hard hit when local markets
run out of commodities, not to mention
it takes money. Many families run short,
both in money and food. What a tragedy
since good nutrition affects the mental
and physical well-being. There is no
excuse for hunger in the land of plenty.
I was thinking (a thought). Eco
nomic development for the Siletz
people needs to be served upon a silver
platter. What about a pot roast?
Potatoes, fresh-grown vegetables. A
sweet golden baked apple pie and a tall
glass of ice-cold milk to wash it down.
As we look to avenues of self-help
in meeting the needs of the people, why
not a reservation ranch. The raising of
beef, dairy, chickens, eggs, pork. This
would work collectively to enhance our
fish harvest and our hunting.
A garden. Fresh vegetables, berry
patch, dwarf fruit trees. Flower garden
a way of respect that life is beautiful
and rewarding of those who work to
help themselves and others. Nothing
makes the heart more glad than to
witness the fruits of one’s labor.
As in any business or project, an
administrator or ranch supervisor would
oversee the health and welfare of the
farm (food distribution). Elders,
daycare, families, casino, cultural camp,
pow-wow, general meetings, gatherings,
charities. Scheduled vans could help
deliver to tribal areas. Possibly beef,
poultry, pork shipped to other Indian
casinos. Toledo industrial park could be
headquarters for shipping. A possibility
down the road. Defraying cost through
purchase of work, this is a thought.
During the growing and cultivating
season, there is plenty of work to go
around (employment). A tribal wood lot
could be managed through the farm.
What a wonderful way to celebrate the
harvest, then canning, freezing, and
filling the larder, knowing it will be
blessing the tables of many. A
cooperative farm, a realistic reality.
I remember weeding, watering the
garden. There were 12 in my family.
Our chores with the animals brought
about responsibility. We were not rich
materialistically, but our little farm kept
us busy and fed.
Charity begins at home and from
there it blossoms outward. I’ll meet you
in the berry patch. Family and friends
are coming over and I’m going to bake
a berry cobbler.
Hibdon Completes Season
with Awards
Lynette Hibdon,
a senior at Toledo
High School, re
cently completed her
senior year of bas
ketball. Her team
placed second in the
ValCo League and
lost in the first round
of the state playoffs.
Lynette is a ver
satile player, playing
post, center, and
wing - wherever she
is needed. She re
ceived the Boomer
Booster Award for
being a good citizen
and athlete.
Lynette’s
teammates, Ashley
Lynette Hibdon and her new Pepsi cooler
Bellamy and Jessica
Comstock,
pre
sented her with a Pepsi cooler (fitting for the girl who drinks Pepsi before,
during, and after every game) as her departing senior gift with their “Miss
Class” award, while her senior teammates received “Pre-Game Princess” awards.
Congratulations, Lynette, for a great season. We are proud of you!
Walt’s Words of Wit and Wisdom
In the past, the A&D Program has
done many rafting trips on the
Deschutes River. I’ve been on at least
12 of them. The Chemawa IHS
Program hosted one. We always
reminded all participants that, “Today,
we are building memories. There will
never be another day like today. There
will be other raft trips and other gath
erings, but this group here today will
never again meet like this.” Someone
suggested that each person pick up a rock
or something to remind them of this day.
Most of the time, things did not
work out in my favor. My thoughts were
that an ideal raft trip would be that I
would transport the participants to area
“A” and go to area “B” to pick them
up, then eat and go home.
Well as I said, it didn’t work out
that way most of the time. I had to be
on the rafts.
There were some memorable
moments. For instance, on this one
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Siletz News
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particular trip made from close to Warm
Springs, Trout Creek, Aunt Aggie was
on this trip as were other parents. This
was a little older group; I don’t
remember what we called the trip.
Anyway, one morning bright and
early, no one was awake. I was up, had
made coffee, and was minding my own
business when we had a visitor, a cute
black kitty with a white stripe down its
back. That little kitty, as far as I was
concerned, had full access to whatever
it wanted to do.
It came to the cooking area, where
we had our garbage sack hanging. Now,
that cat seemed to know what it was
doing when it went right over and
ripped that plastic sack wide open and
all the contents spread out. As far as I
was concerned that was OK.
Then that little fella’ went to where
the people were sleeping. They did not
put up tents, but they laid a tarp down,
put their sleeping bags on top of it, then
April 2003
put a tarp over top. That cute little kitty
went over and walked over the feet of
the people. I silently said a prayer, that
no one would move or kick or disturb
kitty in any way. No one moved.
When they awoke and were
indulging in coffee, I told them of the
visit. One of the members went looking
and said that he could find no tracks. I
accused him of saying that I was lying,
which he strongly denied, but I told
them that my feelings were hurt. I did
guarantee that the next night at a dif
ferent camp area that if we had a visitor
like this, everyone would know it.
I was prepared to get way back and
throw a stick at it. That way, all would
know that I didn’t fabricate it. But luck
was with them, we had no more encoun
ters with the cute black and white kitty.
John Spence, who at that time was
the director of the A&D program at
Chemawa, shared that this was the most
laugh-filled trip that he had ever been
on. I have most of this trip on tape, but
not the kitty as the camera was where he/
she was. This camera was the old one
that the tribe owned and was bulky and
difficult to handle on the water.
I think that it’s sad that we cannot
continue “recreational therapy,”
especially on the Rogue River. To watch
the people when we start, then to see
them after is very rewarding.
Some stories I have I can’t talk about,
like one of the Tom girls. Bless them, but
they said if I mentioned this, I would
be history, which is somewhat like what
Janet said about one of her escapades.
Siletz Indians like to laugh. I don’t
know about all Indians in general, but I
believe that this would apply. Laughing
is healing. It makes one feel good inside
and it works its way out. Some day, maybe
I’ll write about when Cristy knocked me
out of a boat. Of course, she will deny it.