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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2003)
TRIBAL MEMBER NEWS Pilgrim Honored as Buffett Award Finalist TomVoted MVP Mark Tom was voted Most Valuable Player by his teammates on the Siletz Junior High football team sponsored by Cohen & Park Studios. Mark was given the MVP trophy the night of the playoffs on Oct. 21. Nick Kowtoko also received an MVP award that night. Mark was a quarter back and Nick was a running back. The Siletz Junior High team did an outstanding job this year in football. On Dec. 2, Agnes Pilgrim will be honored as a finalist for the 2003 Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership for her cultural preservation efforts, environmental advocacy, and work with Native American youth. She joins three others - Billy Frank Jr. (Nisqually) of Olympia, Wash.; Susan Masten (Yurok) of Hoopa, Calif.; and Nathan Matthew (North Thompson Band of Shuswap) of Barriere, British Columbia - as award finalists. Jeannette Armstrong will receive the 2003 Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership for her work as a com munity leader, educator, and indigenous rights activist. She’s a member of the Okanagan Nation and currently resides in Penticton, British Columbia. She’ll use the fellowship to restore the land surrounding the En’owkin Centre through the replanting of native and traditional medicine plants. As the elder advisor of the Southern Oregon University (SOU) Native American Student Union, Agnes is a role model to many students. She’s been involved with the Konaway Nika Tillicum Native American Youth Academy at Goodells Married in August Ceremony Christine Jean and Chad Edward Goodell were married Aug. 23, 2003. Christine’s uncle Scotty Williams gave her away and Pastor Vance Linstrom performed the ceremony. Attendants were children Ryan and Chazlynne - who stood up for them. Niece Breanna Jordan-Goodell was the ringbearer. Flower girls were daughters Keionni Goodell and Shaunde’ Goodell, and niece Brittney Jordan- Goodell. Ushers were nephews Ab Williams and Damion Williams. Candle lighters were Sheryl Simmons and Sheila Jordan. Roses were placed and candles lit for Carol Williams, Steve Loveland, Charmaine Hammett, Linda Goodell, and Greg Goodell. SOU since its inception and currently serves as the elder-in-residence. Agnes’ work with Native American youth helps ensure the continuation of inter-generational traditions. She shares her skills at the annual Culture Camp in Siletz. She also visits many local schools and introduces students to her traditional crafts and culture. Agnes, who lives in Grant Pass, Ore., has been an active member of the Cultural Heritage and Sacred Lands Committee of the Siletz Tribe for more than 20 years. She also serves on the Table Rock Foundation Board of Directors in Grants Pass and carries out some of her Native traditions work through the foundation as a volunteer. In 1994, the U.S. Forest Service granted Agnes and the Siletz Tribe the right to use Kanaka Flat to perform the Sacred Salmon Ceremony. Agnes has worked with great dedica tion over the years as an environmental advocate. In 2002, she traveled to Washington, D.C., with representatives from the Siskiyou Project and the World Wildlife Fund to lobby the Oregon congressional delegation for the Siskiyou Wild Rivers National Monument. She also has worked toward better forest and salmon protections. Agnes graduated from SOU and currently serves on the advisory board for the Center for First Nations Studies. In 2002, she was recognized as an SOU Distinguished Alumnae of the Year. Agnes is the oldest living woman of the Takelma Indians from the Table Rocks area along the Rogue River. She’s a traditional dress, basket, hat, and necklace maker. The Buffett Award for Indigenous Leadership honors Native leaders of merit in the fields of conservation and community development. Supported by the families of Howard and Peter Buffett, the award is conferred by Ecotrust on an individual whose leader ship has improved the social, economic, political, or environmental conditions in his/her community. Buffett Award nominees are First Nation or tribal members 35 years of age or older. The nominees all work within the coastal temperate rain forest bioregion from San Francisco, Calif., to Kodiak Island, Alaska, or the North west interior, including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia. Christmas Sparkle by Eva E. Clayton It’s ho-ho-ho time again, To be merry with family and friends. Chris Jingle with his reindeer sleigh, Is making ready to head your way. Remember that special gift, no special reason Just holiday joy, the Christmas season. I like the sounds of laughter and cheer, It's a warm sharing time of year. Bring out the glitz and glitter from hiding, Heartfelt, eye appealing, how exciting. There is the child within us all, Remembering past times, fun to recall. Christmas sparkle needs to reflect through the year, Spreading kindness towards those we hold dear. Make once upon a time happen more often, Rekindle relationships long forgotten. Reunite with family and friends, Invite them back to the circle again. With silent whispers from afar, Open your heart, wish upon a star. It’s a wonderful time, Amen, Good to have Christmas back again. From my family to yours this holiday season. Christine and Chad Goodell December 2003 O 'Siletz News □ 15
