Tribe hosts Traditional Foods Conference, stickball game is a highlight
By Sharia Robinson, Healthy Traditions
Project Coordinator
food staff received a well-deserved stand-
ing ovation from conference attendees for
In late February, the Confederated
their hard work and wonderful hosting.
Tribes of Siletz Indians hosted a Tradi
Healthy Traditions welcomes Tribal
tional Foods Conference where Tribal
members to its monthly meetings where
representatives from across the U.S.
we discuss upcoming events and ideas for
(see map, below right) came together
new projects. We plan events for gather
for cultural sharing and discussion on
ing, cooking, canning, smoking, garden
revitalizing traditional food cultures
ing, fishing, hunting and more.
within our communities.
Carpooling is available from the area
The Siletz Tribe joined the traditional
offices. Our next meeting will be held
foods movement two years ago by start
April 10 from 1-2:30 p.m. at the Siletz
ing a project called Healthy Traditions.
Community Health Clinic.
This project seeks to improve the health
For more information, please contact
of Siletz Tribal members through educa
me at 541-444-9627; 800-648-0449,
tional activities that promote the use of ext. 1627; or sharlar@ctsi.nsn.us.
traditional foods through hunting, gather
ing, gardening, cooking, food preserva
Traditional games a hit
tion and protecting our natural resources.
While attending the Traditional Foods
The conference was a wonderful
Conference, members of the Cherokee
opportunity for the Healthy Traditions
Nation offered to teach their traditional
team to learn more about traditional foods
game of Cherokee Stickball. Siletz Tribal
programs in other Tribal communities.
member Max Hoover designed and built
One of the Tribal groups, Tohono
an indoor installation for the game.
O’odham Community Action from Ari
Stickball resembles the modem Euro
zona, showed a poster with community
pean game of lacrosse. Seven points are
Photo by Natasha Kavanaugh
goals drafted about 10 years ago. Today,
scored when the ball strikes a wooden fish
Junior Miss Siletz Clarinda Black races to the ball for the women’s team during the
many of these visions have been accom
or ball on the top of a pole and two points
stickball game. The traditional game of Cherokee Stickball requires the male players
plished, such as opening a traditional foods
are awarded when the ball strikes the pole.
to use a pair of sticks and the female players to use their bare hands.
café and serving traditional foods in their
Male players use a pair of the sticks and
school one day per week. It was inspir
female players use their bare hands.
ing to see the success of other traditional
Traditional Foods Partners across the U.S
The Siletz Royalty participated by
foods projects that have been years in
Nooksack Indian Tribe
setting their crowns safely aside so they
the making.
Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indans,
could run and dogpile the ball when nec
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indi
O Salisti Kootenai College
■v, _ x
Sauit Ste. Mane Tnb^-
essary. Little Miss Siletz Jocelyn Hernan
ans started a Summer Youth Gardeners
Confederated Tobes
z> ■
Chippewa Indians ».
dez ran laps around everyone.
of Siletz Indians
Project modeled after the Food Project
° Standing Rock
As the game went on, players got
S kxjx Tribe
in Boston. They worked with volunteers
p United Indian
more sophisticated in their strategy with
and paid youth for eight weeks over the
Health Services ;
C Santee
sneak passes and fake shooting.
Sioux Nation
summer. They donated half and sold
“Everyone had smiles on their faces
Indian Hearth Care
c Prame Band
half of their harvest, which taught youth
Eastern Band of
Resource
Center
of
Tulsa
,
Potawatomi Nation
... so even if they weren’t chasing around
responsibility and community service.
Cher
'Indians
the floor, they were getting the health
One youth made a short video story about
o Ramah Navajo
Cherokee Nation
Catáwba Cultural
School Board
benefits through laughter,” said Christy
his experience learning to grow food.
Preservation Prosee I
Tohono O’odham C
Hurt, who works in the Tribe's Indian
These are the types of projects that
Community Action
Child Welfare.department.
can be started by volunteers. Healthy
The teams were neck and neck
Traditions would like to support any
throughout the game. Selene Rilatos
community members excited about doing
projects like these.
scored the winning point for the girls’
Aleutian Pobtiof
The next conference will be held later team. She sent an e-mail the next day
islands Association
this year, hosted by the Red Lake Band
saying, “Thx for the awesome evening
> _ ___ _ Southeast Alaska Regional
of Chippewa Indians in Minnesota. They
... that was such a fun time! And I got
Health Care Consortium
said they were so impressed with our outta bed like a champ — just my usual
Tribe, our good food and hosting, that
gramma style lol.”
CT5I is one of 17 tribal groups awarded Traditional Foods grants front die
they had already started calling home to
About 40 people attended and the
Center for Disease Control (CDC) for type 2 Diabetes Prauendon. CTSi was
honored to host the trfoes for the Tradition el Foods Conference in February.
start planning.
Siletz Boosters made a gracious donation
Compliments go to Frank Aspria for of free food for the participants.
his leadership as the head chef for the
After the event, several people sug
event and to the hard-working kitchen
gested we do more traditional games in
volunteers - Miguel Bransford, Lincoln
the future and perhaps start doing the
Lewelling, Nora Williams, Sharon Mason,
traditional Siletz game of shinney, also
Verdene McGuire, Adrienne Crookes,
known as “koho,” which is similar to
Rose Bremner and Cecilia Tolentino. The
field hockey.
COUNTRY
; of Wisdom
14th Annual
Elders Council Meeting
April 14 • 1-4 p.m.
Chinook Winds Golf Resort
For more details, contact Felicia Carmona at 800-922-1399,
ext. 1225; 541-444-8225; or feliciac@ctsi.nsn.us
‘
Jribal Elder
Bbr DaV
F20*2
9 a.m.
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April 2012
•
Siletz News
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