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“I am Kalapuya” Siletz Tribal Elder Esther Stutzman is a member of the Turtle Island Storyteller’s Network By Brent Merrill Earning the distinction of being a storyteller in Indian Country is the ultimate compliment. Siletz Tribal Elder Esther Stutzman is an acknowledged storyteller. She is also a wife, mother, grand mother, sister, historian, basket maker, hand drummer, artist-in-residence, advi sor to environmental organizations, cur riculum developer for K-12 schools in Coos Bay and chairman of the non-profit Kalapuyan-organized Komemma Cultural Protection Association. The association is dedicated to researching the Kalapuya. Her bloodlines that run through the Coos and Komemma Kalapuya Tribes of Oregon are important to Esther and in many ways have shaped her life past, present and future. “1 identify as Kalapuya,” she explained. The Kalapuya people lived in the area known today as the Willamette Val ley. Kalapuyan territory reached from the Umpqua River area in Southern Oregon all the way up to the Clackamas River area near present-day Oregon City, Ore., and from the Coast mountain range all the way inland to the Cascade mountain range. Esther was born in North Bend and grew up in the North Bend/Coos Bay area. She graduated from Marshfield High School and attended Southern Oregon State College - now know as Southern Oregon University. She lives in Yoncalla, Ore., with her husband of 45 years, Doug Stutzman. Doug is retired Air Force and now a potter who “makes beautiful hand-built pottery” said Esther. Esther married Doug in 1964 and they spent their early years as a couple stationed in Germany. “I really enjoyed my time in Europe. During our time in Germany, we traveled to different countries in Europe and we enjoyed being immersed in the history,” said Esther. “When we returned to the Coos Bay area, 1 worked for the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Tribe for sev eral years before they gained Restoration. 1 suppose 1 was considered an activist.” Doug and Esther returned to the United States for good in 1974. "It was a very interesting time be cause the awareness of Native culture and the need for cultural enhancement was beginning to grow,” said Esther. "1 was extremely involved in research and archaeological protection at the time.” She said it was at this time in her life that she realized storytelling was cultural preservation and she had been practicing it since she was a little girl. “I've always been interested in the culture of my mother’s people, the Ka lapuya,” she continued. “I began learning all I could. I did a lot of interviewing of the Elders all my life and tried to piece together the specific culture of this area of Yoncalla. Esther Stutzman (courtesy photo from “I was especially interested in the www. wisdomoftheelders.com) traditional stories, since I'd spent most of my life as a storyteller,” explained Daughter Jhanna lives in Agness, Ore., Esther. “I was urged by aunties at a very and she is married to Victor Fry. Their chil young age to learn stories and tell them dren are a 7-y ear-old daughter, Si Imis, in front of an audience. It took me a long and an 11 -year-old son, SiTceLes. time to be comfortable with doing that. Daughter Shannin lives in Yoncalla, is Growing up I was painfully shy and tried engaged to be married and her daughters to be invisible as one of the few Native are 14-year-old Salista and 10-year-old kids in school.” Aiyanna. Esther, who is known to tell only the Daughter Heather is a single mom stories of her Tribes, the Coos and the who also lives near the family in Yoncalla. Kalapuya, has said that she was told by Heather’s daughter, Genesis, is 13 and her her grandmother (who was more than son, Keenan, is 15. 100 years old when she walked on) that In the summer of 2009, Esther and it would be bad luck to tell the stories of her daughter Shannin presented free back- other Tribes. So she sticks to 13 stories to-back programs titled Grandmother's that she shares with the public. 13 stories Songs: Native American Stories and Songs. close to her heart. On June 30, Esther and Shannin presented Four Komemma family songs are their educational program, including drum known to her. ming and pow-wow dancing, at the Lincoln Esther, who published a book of City Cultural Center and then again on traditional Coos stories in 1997, is the July 1 at the Carriage House of the Lincoln daughter of Laura Lanegan (Komemma County Historical Society. Kalapuya/Siletz) and Grant Waters (Coos) Children and the accurate education and she is the great-great-granddaughter of children in their traditional stories is of Camafeema. Esther's main focus these days. She said According to her family’s oral tra her pursuit has benefits. dition, Camafeema, or Halo as he was “Of most importance to me is the known to locals, was the headman of the education and cultural awareness of our Komemma people of Splachta Alla near youth," she said. “For the past 34 years. present-day Yoncalla. He refused to move I've worked at a traditional Indian educa to the land selected for his people by the tion summer camp. It has been rewarding U.S. government after the signing of the to see how the children grasp and hold historic if infamous Treaty of 1855. That onto the cultural teachings and pass it on treaty led to the forced relocation of al as they get older. I can't say enough about most all Indians in Oregon territories onto children learning their traditions as a way reservation lands. of learning about themselves.” Esther has a younger brother (Jim) and Esther said she wants to reach non sister (Carol) and a brother (Pete) who has Native children as well so they can passed (same mom). Esther and Doug have appreciate Native knowledge and its three daughters and six grandchildren. uniqueness. “I think it is really important for the non-Native children to see how our tradi tions affect our lives and how that shapes who we are,' said Esther. “Since I work as an artist-in-residence in schools, that is my chance to show all children the truth about our culture and dispel the stereo types that exist.” One’s life calling can be an engine that keeps you going and keeps you pur suing your mission. Esther’s calling gives her energy and purpose, even focus. She often uses traditional items when telling stories to audiences that range from the very young to very mature. She brings family heirlooms and items like cradle boards to help make her stories come to life. She shares her knowledge in her own unique way in classrooms, churches, com munity buildings and campuses like Port land State University’s Native American Student and Community Center, where she made an appearance in January 2006. Winter is known as a traditional story time for Native people. Esther’s appearance at Portland State was part of Rose High Bear’s Wisdom of the Elders radio project, which was hosted by Arlie Neskahi of the Dine’ Nation. It featured Tribal Elders, historians, story tellers, artists, song carriers and environ mentalists and was produced in Portland and distributed nationwide. “I like to talk about the beginnings of the Kalapuya people,” Esther has said. “One of the stories that 1 heard from my relatives was about the beginning and how it all came to be.” Esther has worked with the Oregon Folklife Council at the Oregon Historical Society and the Applegate House Heri tage Arts and Education in Yoncalla. She serves on the advisory board of the North west Indian Storyteller’s Association and on the board of directors of the McKenzie River Gathering Foundation. She is a traditional basket maker who did her homework before recreating an authentic Kalapuya basket hat out of spruce root from the coast and bear grass from the valley. “I guess what drives me is realizing that we must never let our culture and tra ditions be lost or set aside,” she said. “We are the keepers and it is our responsibility to guide the children.” For Agriculture or Forestry-Related Majors Women’s Scholarship Available from Oregon Farm Bureau The Oregon Farm Bureau Women s Advisory Council is accepting applications for its 2010 Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is open to women who have completed at least one year of college and are pursuing an agriculture or forestry-related major. Applicants also must be voting or supporting Farm Bureau members or be part of a family that has a Farm Bureau voting or supporting membership. Both full-time students, with at least 12 credits per term, and part-time students, with at least six credits per term, are eligible. The scholarship application is available on the Oregon Farm Bureau website at www.oregonfb.org. Applications are due by May 1,2010. For more information, contact Anne Marie Moss at 503-399-1701 or annemarie@oregonfb.org. The state’s largest general farm organization, the Farm Bureau is a voluntary, grass roots, non-partisan, non-profit organization representing the interests of the state’s farmers and ranchers in the public and policymaking arenas. It is organized in all 36 counties and has more than 8,000 member families who are professionally engaged in agriculture. 12 • Siletz News • March 2010 Center toddlers explore science with a rock salt experiment.
