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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (May 1, 2012)
Elder Honor Day celebrates 753 Elders from 23 Tribes at Chinook Winds 13th annual event honors Elders who enjoy day of entertainment, information, culture and sharing Photos by Natasha Kavanaugh Junior Miss Siletz Clarinda Black presents a Pendleton blanket to Clifford Charles, oldest male veteran at Elder Honor Day. By Natasha Kavanaugh This year’s Elder Honor Day, entitled Circle of Wisdom, Honoring Our Country, took place April 3 at Chinook Winds Casino Resort. Elders from 23 Tribes — 753 Elders in all - attended the event, including those from Siletz, Colville, Coquille, Grand Ronde, Inupiaq, Lummi, Nez Perce, Nisqually Nook sack, Pine Ridge, PiNeeWaus, Portland American Indians, Puyallup, Quileute, Samish, Spokane, Suquamish, Swinomish, Tolowa, Tulalip, Upper Skagit, Warm Springs and Yakama. Nick Sixkiller emceed the event and drumming was provided by Bear Spirit. Spencer Hatch from the Tillicum Fitness Center led a fitness exercise. Ten vendors also attended the event, either selling items or providing information. The Sree-Xvsh Singers sang Rain, Rain Go Away and Grey Squirrel, then closed with the Four Directions Prayer Song. Led by Cova St. Onge, Tribal Language Project coordinator, were Kateri Whitehead, Jazmyn Metcalf, Clarinda Black, Tehya Woodruff, Shee-ne DePoe-Aspria and Allivea and Jocelyn Hernandez. The Siletz Tribal Royalty - Miss Siletz Jennifer Easter, Junior Miss Siletz Clarinda Black and Little Miss Siletz Jocelyn Hernandez - did The Lord’s Prayer. Margaret Ann Peggy Green of the Lummi Tribe was honored as the oldest Elder. She is 89 years old and has worked at the Lummi School for 51 years. Clifford Charles, also of the Lummi Tribe, was honored as the oldest male veteran at nearly 90 years old. The oldest female veteran was 81-year-old Veronica “Mae” Taylor of the Nez Perce Tribe. Hawaiian artist Michael Dane of Depoe Bay, Ore., provided musical entertainment. The day finished with a game of Bingo. Deb Brown, Joe Akin, Sue Langstaff, Norma Anderson and Bill DePoe enjoy a visit during Elder Honor Day at Chinook Winds Casino Resort. Elder Honor Day • April 3, 2012 Thank you to all of the Elders who participated in making the 2012 Elder Honor Day such a great success. Bear Spirit drummed for beginning ceremonies. Our Honor Guard - Tony Molina, Ed Ben, Bill DePoe, Clint Muschamp, Stan Werth and Alan Fish - carried in the flags. Jack Kaegi and Gene Kaegi from the Lummi Tribe drummed for us to carry out the flags at the conclusion of our event. There were many veterans at our event and it was our privilege to honor all of them. Thank you to the Tribal staff and volunteers who assisted us in putting on this event. Also to Royalty and especially to Cova and the girls who entertained us with their special language songs. It is heart-warming to see our children learning our language. Our entertainer, Michael Dane, was a hit with the Elders and they danced to his music. The Elders enjoyed the fitness exercises as directed by Spencer Hatch. Joe Padilla called Bingo for us and the Elders had fun playing Bingo. The service we received from the Chinook Winds Casino staff was outstand ing. Teresa Gass and Marie Stanley answered every request and stayed on top of the entire event. Their decoration of the convention center matched our patriotic theme Honoring Our Country with the flags hanging from the ceiling over all of the tables and the red and blue napkins. The food was great and a special thank you to the chef and his staff for respond ing so well to the enormous turnout. We were expecting 500 guests and I am sure the numbers exceeded 700. Last but not least, thank you to Nick Sixkiller, who served as our MC, Bingo runner, raffle prize announcer and door prize announcer. Nick has assisted us with our Elder Honor Day many times and we appreciate his help. If I have overlooked thanking anyone, please forgive me. It was not intentional. Sincerely, Shirley Walker, CTSI Elders Chairman 4 • Siletz News * May 2012 Margaret Ann Peggy Green (top right) is honored as the oldest Elder attending the event. Veronica “Mae” Taylor (right) is recognized as the oldest female veteran.
