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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2005)
Wing Dress Requests Lead to Class by Tina Retasket This year before pow-wow, several young ladies asked me to make them new wing dresses. The requests began to snowball and I spent nearly two months prior to pow-wow sewing eight dresses, two shirts, and two vests. This took a lot of my free time. I decided the only way to change this was to teach these young people to sew their own regalia. We held four classes total and nearly everyone finished. Some of these young women had never sewn before and some had to purchase not only the material and ribbon, but also sewing machines. Others borrowed from fam ily and friends, but each one of them did their own work. I showed them step- by-step, but each person was expected to measure, cut, and sew her own. The adult education program helped some people purchase the sup plies they needed. I think it was a real eye opener when they saw how much materials cost and, certainly, the time involved. We will schedule a ribbon shirt class with these same young women after the holidays. Class participants were Angeline Poirier, Jennifer Easter, Darcy Lal, Brenda Robertson, Jennifer Flores, Natasha Kavanaugh, Felicia Carmona, Danise Barker, Heather Rivera, and Sara Bell. Not only did most finish their dress, but Angeline also went on to make two more dresses for her nieces. Some of these young ladies were able to wear their dresses during the Restoration Pow-Wow. Congratulations to each of you for learning a new skill! Angeline Poirier and Jennifer Easter Danise Barker and Darcy Lal (r) Walt’s Words of Wit and Wisdom by Walt Klamath Hey, by golly, didn’t send anything down. Anyway, it was discouraging to even made plans to leave the meat in in last month. Don’t remember why, start with. Portland to be processed. maybe wasn’t here. I don’t know. At the top of Tower Mountain, I Three years ago, a fellow from Anyway, went hunting for elk over think it’s 6,900, it was 65 degrees. Some Siletz went with me. We saw dozens of in Ukia where I have hunted for many young bucks did get an elk in one of elk early in the morning, big cows. The years. On the way over, I stopped at Two them deep holes up there. It took them bull was a four-point and later saw a Rivers Corrections and did a ceremony two days to get it out. forked horn. with the minimum security peoples and Three days it was hot, coldest it got Anyway, I want the teeth, those did two sweats at the medium. Didn’t was 28. The canyon that I was sitting ivory ones, the whistle teeth. And I told see any of our tribal members, don’t at, it’s really not much of a canyon com him that regardless of who kills the elk, know where they were. pared to ours around here as most places I get the teeth and if he didn’t agree, The system gave me two nights one can see can be driven to with a 4x4. the elk hunt was over (big bluff). Any lodging in Umatilla, nice motel. I had Anyway, a group from Hillsboro went way, he went through this pine grove, talked with the chaplain and had through the draw. They did jump two came back, and gave me two teeth. He expressed that I wanted to sweat on cows and a calf and the dam things fol found a head down there; guess that is Thursday. Their normal day was Friday. lowed them, but did not come to where as close as I can get to getting one. This year, I thought that it would be nice I was. When I said those elk can read, by to set up camp in the daylight. Now I have this permit to get ei golly. I know it’s true. Years ago when Arrived at Fraser Campground and ther one bull or cow, I thought it would we could hunt anywhere in the state picked a spot where we have camped be all sewed up the first hour hunting. during season, we would come back most of the time. Has a pole across a Every year I have seen elk, either cows, couple of trees to hang the elk. and finish our hunt on the coast. Now, calves, or branch bulls, all close range The weather was not the best for the Saddle Mountain reserve has many and all standing looking at me right in hunting. It was about 36 when I got big elk. At that time, it had to be a three- the eye. there, a few hours later it was 70. This point or better. is not ideal weather to me, anyway. Now for two years, I have this piece There is a road that is the bound It had snowed the first season and of paper saying they are legal. Where ary. The elk would come walking the elk had come down but then went are they? Those critters can read, I slowly up to that road and they would back up the mountain. Those mountains swear it. How else will they know what look both ways. We would be sitting are as bad as the gorge, straight up and is going on and where not to be? I had there on a stump breathing hard, get ting very excited and nervous, itching to shoot. The elk would walk up to that road, then turn and walk along it on the re serve side. Of course, the game warden was on a stump with his glasses, watch ing us. Yep they can read, don’t know who furnishes them with the newspa pers, though. All in all, they are a magnificent animal. They have my respect in every way. My teacher said don’t eat cows, they are stupid. Eat elk and deer, they are smarter. Well, guess I just have to wait ‘til next year. If it gets cold, probably will cry then too about being cold. The year that I got the only elk I have actually gotten by myself, it was 18 below. I was sweating, then snow was fill ing down the back of my neck getting all stuck up with whatever that brush is up there and to find out that the elk was in the middle of a road and I was paral leling the road all the time, maybe 50 feet from the road. Oh, well. It was a good summer trip, met people from all over but none from Ukia. So ‘til next time. January 2005 • Siletz News • 13
