Siletz news /, July 01, 2011, Image 1

SILETZ NEWS
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Vol. 39, No. 7
July 2011
Siletz News
Confederated Tribes of
Siletz Indians
P.O. Box 549
Siletz, OR 97380-0549
Delores Pigsley,
Tribal Chairman
Brenda Bremner,
General Manager
and Editor-in-Chief
T50
P2
KNIGHT LIBRARY
SERIALS DEPARTMENT
1299 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON
EUGENE OR 37403-1205
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First-Class
Mail
U.S. Postage
Paid - Permit
No. 178
Salem, OR
Courtesy photo by Chinook Winds Casino Resort staff
This banner will go with Tribal Vice Chairman Bud Lane (right) and others to the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., this month for the Siletz
Festival portion of the Indian Summer Showcase 2011. It was designed by the Chinook Winds Casino Resort graphics team and printed onsite in the Marketing Department.
Please see Tribal Chairman Delores Pigsley’s article on this subject on page 2 and Charles Wilkinson’s article about the Siletz Tribal history book on page 5.
Siletz women bear traditional III marks on their chins Mussels help
“These marks represent my family and who we are. One day my daughter bring traditional
will carry the same marks that I do” says one woman who has them
foods back to
By Natasha Kavanaugh
There is no single reason why women
Tribal community
were marked with the 111. The tattoos on
the chin were once a desired mark of
beauty and nobility as worn by the older
women. They were marked for beauty, to
signify young girls’ entry into woman­
hood, for spiritual reasons and as a way
to distinguish between the sexes in battle
or in old age. The marks have different
meaning for each person and the lines
themselves vary.
“My belief is that the marks were
associated with status. I also believe
that heavily tattooed chins were a sign
of increased status,” said Robert Kentta,
cultural director for the Siletz Tribe. “I
think it generally signifies a connection to
tradition and being at a place in their life
where they are feeling like they are ready
to carry those marks as their ancestors did
and represent themselves as being Siletz
100 percent of the time.”
Today, traditional tattooing is making
a comeback with some Tribal people. Two
Siletz women agreed to share some of
their story behind the decision to carry the
marks, the cultural significance, impor­
tance and responsibility that accompany
wearing them.
Jessica Garcia is the daughter of
Ardella (Case) Parr, granddaughter of
Elouise (Butler) Case and Clifford Case
Jessica beads and sews each piece of her
children’s as well as her own regalia.
Garcia has wanted to get her marks for a
few years but dismissed the idea for various
reasons. When she shared the idea with her
grandmother Elouise, Case told Garcia she
didn't need to prove she was Indian to any­
one and it’s what is in the heart that matters.
By Chris Crawford
The Healthy Traditions program has
been hard at work teaching Tribal members
young and old about our traditional foods
and resources. I got up in the wee hours
of the morning to follow Sharia Robinson
on a trip to collect mussels at Seal Rock,
then teach some grade- and middle-school
students at Siletz Valley Schools how to
gather, cook and clean mussels.
1 met Robinson at 6:(X) on a Tuesday
morning and was informed that Bud Lane
(Tribal Council member and language/
traditional arts instructor) would be
gathering mussels with us. Relieved that
1 wasn’t going to have to pitch in as much
as I thought with the mussel collection, I
headed out toward Seal Rock with them.
It was a perfect morning to be on the
beach and, more importantly, to gather
mussels. We were able to travel well out
into the tide pools as the minus-2-foot tide
was nearing its peak.
“I get out here about three or four
times a year,” said Lane. “It’s hard with
both (Tribal) council and my regular job.”
Robinson seemed to have a much
easier time getting out to gather mus-
See Marks on page 6.
See Mussels on page 4.
Photo by Natasha Kavanaugh
Jessica Garcia and Tasha Mason, in front of the sweat lodge in Siletz
III, great-granddaughter of Ella (Ben)
Brown, Alton Butler, Florence (Olney)
Underwood of the Yakama Nation and
Clifford Case II. She is married to Oscar
Garcia and has three children - Treigh,
Gus and Chelo.
Garcia spends her time practicing
and teaching her children Siletz cultural
traditions. The family stays actively
involved in Nee-Dash and pow-wows.