TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
Walt’s Words of Wit and Wisdom
by Walt Klamath
Weil by golly, another year has
slipped by, maybe not unnoticed
though. Had several holidays but
didn’t get to attend them. Hunting sea
son has priority sometimes.
During elk season, drove several
miles looking for some unthinking
creature. Saw some in the back of oth
ers trucks occasionally, not very many
though. Saw some hunters 1 haven't
seen for many years. It was good to
see them out.
Maybe I can’t hunt like 1 used too,
many of us are that way today, but I
know how to get to them. Sometimes,
of course, get some olders together and
have to talk about way back when.
Then the younger ones get a little fidg
ety because time doesn’t mean too
much, not near as important as how it
was when we were the ones dogging
the canyons for the elders.
One particular person I talked with
a short while said something that made
me think a little about the names of
places. The map shows one name, but
this old-timer said we were at a differ
ent place than the map shows.
At the time, I didn’t think too much
about it but as time went by what he
said made a lot of sense. Of course we
are talking of when I was in the early
days. I was between 6 and 10, walk
ing behind my dad, Edwin Simmons,
Brucie Butler and Ed Bensell.
I wanted to go and cried like crazy
through tantrums and what have you
to go. They tried the same tactics to
get out of it once we started. Didn't
work. Actually this was about the time
that elk were planted in the area, in the
mid-’30s. The area must have suited
them well because they have flourished.
I think I only saw one elk when I
was young, over on Sam’s Creek. I
wanted to take it but as much of an
outlaw as my grandpa was, he was
against it
Anyway, on Thanksgiving Day the
problem started about 7:30 in the morn
ing when a big elk stepped into the path
of a bullet. Then the work began. The elk
was about 8oo pounds; made the winch
groan a little coming up the hillside.
Then the boom to lift it broke and
we had to do everything the hard way.
We spent the day peeling that critter,
then the next day cutting and so forth.
At first we were real particular about
the cuts being the right size and thick
ness, but as time went on summer sau
sage became quite popular.
Mother Nature Takes Charge
The weather turned on us in De
cember. Mother Nature decided we
needed to know she can take charge
anytime she wishes. Maybe we better
pay attention to her. We are told that
we are to take care of Mother Earth and
if we don't. Mother Earth will take care
of herself. Every once in a while she
has to shake herself like a wolf shakes
its body to get rid of some pests.
We did have a sweat on that Mon
day night. Didn't have power but had
a generator dedicated to the lodge and
one to the house. Several braved the
storm and came to the sweat.
We have only missed a few Mon
day Night Sweats, all were because of
high water. Three times in four years
the water came over the door to the
lodge, so we figured someone was tell
ing us something so we moved the
lodge to higher ground. Now if the
water comes anywhere near the lodge,
Siletz won't be, Logsden won’t be.
We didn’t miss hardly any sweats
this year (2007) because of the dry
weather. The grass around the lodge
never turned brown. We did learn a
different approach to the fire. It’s not
nearly as large but gets the stones just
as hot.
This last year, we have had visitors
from Japan, China and Mexico in the
lodge. Over time we have had people
from all over the world stop in for a
sweat. Some of them are because of an
artist, the fire keeper Rick Bartow; oth
ers I don't know how they get to know
we are there.
Some are passing through and stop
for a sweat. How do they know? Not
that it makes any difference, all are al
ways welcome. We usually have 13 to
20 every Monday.
By the time this gets out. Christ
mas will have come and gone, but the
memory will continue (so will the bills)
- hope all had a good one. Hope ev
eryone survived. That time of year is
noted to be dangerous for those of us
who are addicted. We get the blues/
remorse/guilty for not doing better.
We don't look at ourselves that we
did the best we can. That is all that can
and is expected of us, but we expect
more of ourselves than we can pro
duce. Hopefully as time goes on we can
take a good look at ourselves and not
judge. As I have said many times, the
Creator didn't go on vacation and say,
“Hey Walt, you are in charge.”
Well, have covered a lot of ground
this time, mostly just rambling but
that's the way it goes. Hope all have
made some memories this past year. To
all - take good care of yourself, you
are the only one who can.
Alcohol and Drug Prevention
by Delina John
I have provided some information
to you below from various articles and
brochures I have read regarding how
alcohol affects your body (liver, brain,
lungs and other body parts). Take the
time to read and learn about the harm
ful effects that drinking can cause your
body if we abuse alcohol.
When a person drinks, the alcohol
travels through the bloodstream to
different parts of the body. Drinking
even small amounts of beer, wine or
hard liquor can affect a person's think
ing and coordination. Larger amounts
can make a person sick or cause a
hangover.
But that's not all. Here are some of
the other ways alcohol can affect your
body.
Liver
• The liver cleans poisons, including
alcohol, from the body. The more
alcohol a person drinks, the harder
the liver has to work.
• People who drink regularly for many
years can have serious liver dam
age and may even get liver cancer.
•
If the liver is damaged bad enough,
it can stop working, causing the
person to die.
Stomach
• Alcohol irritates the stomach. A
little can cause nausea. A lot can
make you vomit.
• Heavy drinking can cause bleed
ing in the stomach.
•
Pancreas
• Alcohol also can hurt the pancreas,
a small gland that helps your body
digest food.
• Problems with the pancreas can cause
a lot of pain and lead to diabetes.
Skin and Eyes
• Drinking alcohol causes red and
broken blood vessels in your face,
head and chest.
• People who have been drinking
often have red, puffy eyes.
Lungs
• Heavy drinking hurts the immune
system. This makes it easier to get
lung infections such as pneumonia
and tuberculosis.
Brain
• Before a person feels “drunk,” al
cohol already has stopped mes
sages from going to the brain.
• Even small amounts of alcohol af
fect judgment and reactions. When
you can't think clearly, it's hard to
make good decisions.
• Long-term heavy drinking can
cause permanent damage to the
brain. It can cause problems with
memory, thinking and concentration.
Studies show that the human brain
develops throughout adolescence
and that regular alcohol use damages
young minds. They score lower on
vocabulary, general information
and memory recall.
Throat and Mouth
• Long-term drinking can cause can
cer of the throat, mouth, esopha
gus and larynx (your voice box).
Bladder
• People who are drunk can lose con
trol of their bladder.
Coordination and Balance
• Even small amounts of alcohol can
affect coordination and balance.
This makes it easier to fall or get
into an accident.
Pregnancy
• If a woman drinks alcohol when
she is pregnant, the baby can be
born too small or suffer from seri
ous birth defects called Petal Alco
hol Syndrome (FAS).
Protect Your Body and Remember
• You don’t have to drink alcohol,
even if your friends are drinking.
• Drinking doesn't solve problems.
It can make them worse.
• Say “no thanks” to alcohol and
drinking. Get a friend to agree not
to drink also.
Alcohol Can be Addictive
Alcoholism is when a person is
addicted to alcohol. People who are
addicted may not be able to stop drink
ing, even when they want to. The
younger people start drinking, the
more likely they are to become an al
coholic. People who start drinking be
fore they are 15 have four limes greater
risk of becoming an alcoholic than if
they wait until they are 21.
For more information about alco
hol or to get help, you can call:
•
•
•
Siletz Alcohol and Drug Program.
800-600-5599 or 541-444-8286
National Drug Abuse Hotline.
800-662-HELP (4357)
National Youth Crisis Line.
800-448-4663
January 2008
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Siletz News
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