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About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2014)
CondorexhibitatOregonZooinspiresDee-NilessonsatSiletzValleySchool On May 22, several Siletz Tribal members attended the grand opening of the Oregon Zoo’s new Condors of the Columbia exhibit. 1 Tribal Elder Agnes Pilgrim offered the opening prayer and spoke about her efforts to educate the public about making our water and land safe and healthy for all. California condors, important to our environment and honored by our people, have been missing from Oregon’s skies for more than a century. Pilgrim (photo below) spoke about her concerns and hopes for the recovery of the condors. “Lead is in our waterways and spread across the land, we need to do something about this,” she said. “I’ve worked along with these folks on the recovery project for many years. It is truly a blessing to see this facility here today to help educate everyone about this wonderful bird. Until we can get the lead out of the bullets, we’re all in danger.” The condors can be viewed in their new enclosure, a mesh-wrapped aviary covering roughly 100 feet in which they can take short flights between three tree perches – only a few flaps for their 8- to 10-foot wings. Siletz Tribal Council member Sharon Edenfield attended the opening of the exhibit with her grandchildren. She was asked to come to the Siletz Dee-Ni classes at Siletz Valley School to talk about their visit to the condor exhibit and she gra- ciously accepted. Tribal member/Dee-Ni instructor Joe Scott helped students discover the aver- age wingspan of a California condor and compare the size of an eagle feather to a condor feather. Edenfield explained that she learned a lot she didn’t know about the condor by visiting the exhibit. She didn’t know that lead was such a concern or that it threatens the recovery of the bird’s population. “The children noticed a feather lying inside the enclosure and they were all excited thinking they wanted to get it,” said Edenfield as she laughingly recalled how excited the grandkids were. “The guy from the zoo told us, ‘It is illegal to own the feather without a permit.’” She told the students, “These birds are protected just like eagles and you can- not hurt them.” Scott added that you can apply for permits through a government agency to receive feathers from protected birds. Tribal member/Dee-Ni teacher assis- tant Kathy Kentta-Robinson also talked election Board Application Tribal members interested in serving on the Election Board must fill out the following form and return it to the address below. The Election Board consists of three regular board members and one alter- nate board member. Applications will be reviewed at the regular Tribal Council meeting on Aug. 22, 2014. All applications should be mailed to Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Attn: Executive Secretary to Tribal Council, P.O. Box 549, Siletz, OR. 97380- 0549; or faxed to 541-444-8325. Tyrone Scott Jr. (right) helps Joe Scott (center) hold a rope to visually demonstrate the size of a California condor’s wingspan during a presentation by Sharon Edenfield (left) at Siletz Valley School. about the ways lead bullets endanger humans as well. Scientists who study wildlife agree that “lead-based bullets used to shoot wildlife can fragment into several small pieces, with a large proportion being sufficiently small to be easily ingested by scavenging animals or incorporated (in the) meat” we process to feed our families. 2 Edenfield said, “I had fun spending the afternoon sharing some facts about vultures and why these birds are endan- gered with students.” Since 2003, the zoo has operated a captive breeding program at its Jonsson Center for Wildlife Conservation in rural Clackamas County. The site is off-limits to the public. But the center has invited the Siletz Tribal Education and Culture staff to various workshops to educate Tribal staff about the program and garner support in overcoming the difficulties that prevent condors from returning to the wild. In January, the most recent count for the population of condors stood at 410, with 232 in the wild and 178 in zoos and breeding programs. 1 2 ** To learn more about the exhibit, visit oregon- zoo.org/discover/animals/california-condor For more information, see Bellinger etal, Health Risks from Lead-Based Ammunition in the Envi- ronment – A Consensus Statement of Scientists, http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6dq3h64x The Center for Biological Diversity, an envi- ronmental group, estimates that hunters in the United States shoot more than 3,000 tons of lead into the outdoors every year and as many as 20 million birds die annually from lead poisoning. Courtesy photo of Agnes Pilgrim by Kathy Street Courtesy photo of California condor by Kathy Street Courtesy photo at Siletz Valley School by Kathy Kentta-Robinson Vacancies on Natural Resources, enrollment and Housing Standing Committees (Open until filled) City: _________________________ State: ______________ ZIP: _____________ Any Tribal member interested in serving on the committees for the vacancies listed below must fill out the following form and return it to the address below. Please mail or fax your application to Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Attn: Executive Secretary to Tribal Council, P.O. Box 549, Siletz, OR 97380-0549; fax: 541-444-8325. Telephone: Day ( ) ____________________ Evening ( ) ____________________ Name: _______________________________________ Roll No.: ______________ Name: _______________________________________ Roll No.: ______________ Address: __________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________ Time to gather materials for baskets City: _____________________________ State: ___________ ZIP: _____________ Spring is here and very soon hazel sticks will be ready to pick and peel. Telephone: Day ( ) ___________________ Evening ( ) ______________________ Hazel stick gathering is a must for anyone interested in making traditional Siletz baskets. Spruce root can be dug all year round and is used for the weavers or weft of Siletz baskets. 1399, ext. 1320, or 541-444-8320, or e-mail budl@ctsi.nsn.us. Just a reminder – basket materials must be gathered in a timely fashion. Here is a general breakdown of gath- ering times for different materials: August Bear grass and maidenhair fern are used for overlay to make our traditional designs or marks in our baskets and both are picked in late summer. Fir sticks, spruce roots, bear grass, maidenhair fern, hazel sticks (limited), willow sticks Any Tribal members interested in gathering can call Bud Lane at 800-922- Bear grass, maidenhair fern, wood- wardia fern, spruce roots September If applying for more than one committee, please indicate your preference, i.e., 1, 2, 3. ____Natural Resources Committee – 1 vacancy for term ending 02/15 and 1 vacancy for term ending 02/16 ____Enrollment Committee – 1 vacancy for term ending 02/16 ____Housing Committee – 1 vacancy for term ending 02/15 Tribal Council will review any applications received at the regular Tribal Council meeting on Aug. 22, 2014. If you have any questions, please call Tami Miner, Tribal Council executive secretary, at 800-922-1399, ext. 1203, or 541-444-8203. August 2014 • SiletzNews • 3
