TRIBAL MEMBER NEWS/NOTICES
Chup-Leaves
by Clifford Case, Jr.
Grandfather, it is I, SpiritFeather. I
have found my weakness, Grandfather.
It is alcohol, a liquid that can send a
man in a thousand directions with
nothing in common but trouble.
How do I escape this, Grandfather?
SpiritFeather, how can you escape
something that has already been put upon
your heart? This is something you must
live with and stay away from this liquid
that causes you trouble all thè time.
I remember a warrior who has the
same bad spirit as you. You will see that
it too was hard for him to stay away
from this bad spirit that kept him in
trouble all the time until his own spirit
had overcome this feeling.
His name is Swallows-Again. He
was born to a great nation and had
become a medicine man, but not
overnight, as he grew into the age of
becoming a warrior. Swallows-Again
stayed close to his grandmother, whom
he watched constantly and listened to
her words of chant while she mixed up
roots and berries for medicine.
Whether it was mental or physical,
some of the boys were always teasing
Swallows-Again because of being close
to his grandmother and not learning the
ways of becoming a warrior. In the
years to come, his grandmother knew
what Swallows-Again was becoming.
So what medicines she knew she had
passed on to him and gave him up to
the medicine man to learn more ways.
During a talk between him and the
medicine man, the medicine man was
showing him more ways to mix things
up. He told him you must never use this
leaf we call “chup,” for it will make
your mind and spirit crazy. We only use
it to heal over wounds. Do you hear me,
Swallows-Again? Yes I hear you.
One day Swallows-Again had
cooked this leaf to see what it would
do to him. The next day, he woke up
not knowing where he was. When he
got back to camp, his grandmother
noticed Swallows-Again’s eyes, for
they looked sick. She knew what he had
done and told him not to cook “chup”
anymore. He told his grandmother he
would never do it again.
Swallows-Again did cook “chup”
once more, only not as long, and once
more he woke up the next day not
knowing where he was. His grand
mother made him do hard work for not
listening to her words and the young
warriors laughed at him.
So Swallows-Again cooked “chup”
again and put it in the young warriors’
drinking water. He watched them. After
awhile, he saw the warriors laughing
and having a good time, so Swallows-
Again drank some more, laughing at
them and not with them. Again he woke
up outside the camp area, not knowing
how he got there.
When he got back, he saw the people
weeping, for two of the warriors’ spirit
was taken from another. His grandmother
knew what happened, so did the medicine
man. They said to Swallows-Again we
told you not to cook “chup” anymore.
Siletz 2nd Annual Community
Carnival
Sponsored by Siletz Valley Partnership
May 10, 2003,10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Inviting all non-profit groups to raise
funds with us by creating fun booths
Clowns? Barkers? Crowd pleasers?
Call 541-444-7310 or 541-444-1023
18 O
SiletzNews . O . May 2003
Why did you disobey us?
I’m sorry, I saw that they were
having fun, also wondering how I woke
up outside the camp every time.
Medicine man said I told you this would
make you crazy, now we lost two warriors
due to your learning. 1 shall not teach
you anymore medicine, for you make
bad medicine toward our people.
Swallows-Again pleaded with medicine
man to teach him more. He didn’t.
So Swallows-Again kept cooking
“chup,” for he felt that he needed it. The
more he drank “chup,” the more the
people would stay away from him until
one day he woke up all alone, for the
people had left him.
As time went on, Swallows-Again
prayed to Grandfather, the Great Spirit,
asking for forgiveness. Every time he
saw the leaves, he would turn and walk
a different direction and look up to the
skies and asking for forgiveness.
One day he ran into the leaves in
all four directions. He fell to his knees
weeping, asking what it took to stay
away from “chup,” still weeping until
he fell asleep. In his dream, he saw a
lot of his people drinking “chup.” Some
were sick, others were dying, but most
of all a lot were dead. The Great Spirit
told him that this is what’s going to
happen if you keep cooking this leaf.
Use it only for good medicine, not bad.
Swallows-Again woke up the next
day only to find out that the “chup”
leaves were all around him and on him,
so he knew there was no way to run or
hide. He told himself never again am I
gonna cook “chup.”
As seasons went, he heard
screaming in the distance. He ran
toward the screaming and saw some of
his people weeping and standing over
a little one. He spoke out loud, asking
where the medicine man was or his
grandmother. They said they had passed
on to the spirit world.
It was then that Swallows-Again
remembered what roots and berries to
cook to make him well. He then covered
up his wounds with “chup” to make them
heal. As time went on, the little boy
became healthy once more. The people
saw this and let Swallows-Again back
into the circle, for now he takes care of
all of them and not just himself. A-Ho
Thank you, Grandfather, for this
story and lesson, for I know what
alcohol can do to a man if he lets
himself drink.
SpiritFeather
Nominate Artist for Community
Spirit Award
First People’s Fund, a national
nonprofit organization, invites you to
nominate an artist from your American
Indian community for its fifth annual
Community Spirit Award, recognizing
individuals who have made substantial
contributions to their communities.
Five individuals will be honored with
a $5,000 fellowship and recognized at
a ceremony at the Journey Museum in
Rapid City, S.D., in December 2003.
Community Spirit speaks of the
unselfish generosity these artists have
for their Indian community. It also de
scribes the teaching of gifts that pro
motes and sustains indigenous cultures.
First People’s Fund seeks artist who are:
♦ Deeply rooted and maintain direct
ties to their tribal community.
♦ A commitment to building the
strength of native communities by
sharing skills and talents with others
in their respective communities.
♦ An artistic practice that passes on the
traditions and life ways of the people
Nominated artists must be:
♦ Practicing artists of demonstrated
maturity in their field
♦ Continually practicing artists for a
minimum of 10 years
♦ 25 years or older
♦ Documented affiliate of a U.S. tribe
Send a postcard to FPF, P.O. Box
2977, Rapid City, SD 57709-2977.
Include complete addresses of the
nominee and nominator. Must be post
marked by June 15, 2003, or nominate
online at www.firstpeoplesfund.org. In
June, FPF will mail an application for
completion by nominee and nominator.