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
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Siletz News
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