NOTICES
Outdoor School Benefits from
Tribal Donations
At this year’s Outdoor School in
October, a group of Lincoln County
students, parents, and teachers experi
enced the natural environment of Drift
Creek Camp, east of Siletz Bay.
The group was accompanied by high
school counselors, as well as a Lakota
Sioux man named Red Hawk and his
wife, Mountain Woman (Pat Daven
port), who taught traditional Native
crafts and culture.
With a Siletz Tribal Charitable Con
tribution Fund donation of $1,700
awarded in May 2006, the council was
able to purchase camp materials and
offer scholarships for low-income
youth in Lincoln County to attend Out
door School.
Virginia Tardaewether, educator for
Mid-Coast Watersheds Council of Lin
coln County, added that with the Siletz
Tribal contribution and other funding,
an amazing week was created for 130
students, 15 cabin cadets, 10 parents,
and eight teachers.
Tardaewether said Outdoor School
was “more than the science of orien
teering, the culture of Native people, the
biology of salmon, the ecology of Drift
Creek, the understanding of how trees
grow, and why our coastal forest looks
like this ... (it) was spending a week at
Drift Creek Camp ... living, laughing,
singing, playing, and in general, cre
ating memories that will last a lifetime.”
Detailing the school’s schedule for
the week, she added that, “On Mon
day, we all worked together and en
hanced our communication and coop
eration skills through initiatives such
as the ‘human knot,’ ‘partner stand-up.'
the ‘coil,’ and the ‘trolleys.’ We learned
camp songs that have left many of us
humming, ‘... and the cat came back
the very next day.’ Also, we were in
volved with a scavenger hunt to get to
know the area.”
On Tuesday, students learned how
to shoot an arrow with a bow, about
animal skins and fire, the parts of a tree
as they cut “wood cookies,” and how
to tell the age of a fish. They made their
own medicine poles and wrapped
feathers with Red Hawk, identified and
talked of the uses of plants, and how
to read a map and compass.
“(On) Wednesday,” Tardaewether
said, “we hiked the creek, learning all
about the riparian environment. This was
a compliment to the Bureau of Land
Management teachers who taught us
about aquatic ecology through fun ac
tivities. Who would have thought learn
ing about the salmon habitat would be
so fun? Then, with a Frisbee, we talked
of the how and why of migration and
were led on a hike across a bridge and
through a beautiful old-growth forest
with Garry Corkum, an employee of
Newport Parks and Recreation.”
On Thursday students learned the
importance of “dirt” and the layers of
soil that organisms call home. James
Ray from England and the Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife STEP
coordinator taught them about salmon
as they watched a real salmon dissection.
Parker Ogburn, Siletz Council Ex
tension coordinator and Outdoor
School’s OSU 4H Extension instructor,
helped students learn how to kayak
and only one kayak flipped as they all
learned just how cold the water in Drift
Creek really is.
All week, Tardaewether said, the
group “had delicious meals prepared
by the Angel Job Corps girls and sev
eral diligent parents.”
Also on Thursday, “Everyone at
the campfire program sang all of the
songs and each cabin performed a skit
- even the Angel girls performed a
‘memorable’ skit! Whew! What a week
we all had!”
Throughout Outdoor School, many
of the Waldport Middle School students
got to know their teachers and cabin lead
ers really well. Cabin leaders learned what
it’s like to have a group of students to
teach, help, talk to, and supervise.
Many of the cabin leaders worked
with the MidCoast Watersheds Coun
cil. 4-H Extension, and Community
Services Consortium this last summer.
“I think we all learned a bit more
about ourselves. Some of these memo
ries will be with us our entire lives,”
Tardaewether said. “Perhaps, some of
(our) students will one day be cadets,
(our) cabin cadets may one day be par
ents and perhaps (their) children or grand
children will be able to spend a magical
week in a beautiful place, learning, grow
ing, cementing friendships, and creating
memories that will undoubtedly leave an
enduring legacy in (their lives).”
SILETZ PUBLIC LIBRARY
A member of the Lincoln County Library District
'Dedicated to all citizens of the Siletz Valley
today and for generations to come. ”
J
Built through a cooperative agreement between the Sdctr Valley
Friends of the Library (SVFOL) and the City of Siletz. Funds raised!
SV FOL through the generosity of individuals, businesses, foundarienk
government agencies, and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians,
ARCHITECT
CONTRACTOR
SUPERINTENDENT
Richard P Tun
Ron Anderson Custom Heme*. Inc.
Larry Frame!
PROJECT COMPLETED IN 2006
Funding Needed
to Landscape
Library Grounds
It’s time to landscape the areas
around our new library. We have a plan
for landscaping that will be attractive year
round, water efficient, and educational.
Join Siletz Valley
Friends of the Library
for the grand opening
of the Siletz
Public Library
We will create a garden guide bro
chure with plot maps, plant identifica
tion. and donor recognition. The guide
will be available at our new library, set
to open Jan. 6, 2007.
You can make a donation for a par
ticular plant or a general landscaping
donation. Your donation is tax-deductible
and your name will appear in the gar
Jan. 6
den guide.
2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Please apply my donation of $____ to:
____ a general landscaping donation
____ a particular plant or type of plant
(A list of plants and approximate
costs is available at the library, or call
Sally Jennings at 541-444-2687.)
Name:____________________________
Address:__________________________
Please make your check or money
order payable to:
Siletz Valley Friends of the Library
P.O. Box 130
Siletz, OR 97380
Please indicate “Landscape Dona
Red Hawk and his wife, Mountain Woman (Pat Davenport, far right). lead the
Outdoor School’s feather wrapping lesson.
tion” on your check or money order.
Thank you!
January 2007
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Siletz News
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