Portland Observer Indian program meets special needs of Urban Indian by M a rth a A n d erao n Theo hands are gnarled and wrinkled, but steady aa they thread the tiny beads whirh form the intrirate designs on morrasins, belts and jarketa. Their eyes still keen, have seen many ramp fires and their eart have heard sweet words ol promise that proved to be only mouthings of a forked tongue. Hut. still they hope....this group of senior Ameriran Indians working at their Center, located at 011 North Tillamook. Many are fifty five or over and all are from some reservation where they were supposed to have been given the opportunity of an eduration. This meant being yanked from th e ir homes and rarted off to "Boarding srhools" many miles from their homes where they were laught washing and ironing and how to wait on tables They also learned some English, enough to get by. At the end of their slay this eduration had e ith e r inspired an in feriority romplex for “In dianness" or a romplete hatred of the white man's ways. They also found the skills they had acquired were insufficient to main tain a decent standard of living. Employers offered room snd board with the promise ol small renumera tion. The future was bleak, they had heard the old ones talk of the Trail of Tears and the many broken trea ties. Now they understood. In the ensuing years no adequate training programs were introduced for the Indians on or off the reser vation. Statistics presented by the National Council on Indian Opportunity in 1970 showed some s ta rtlin g farts: • Ten percent, over age fourteen had no srh<»oling at In N A R A (National Alroholir Rehab.h tation Association) «»Hire assoriated with pened once the Indian's buffalo were killed so wan lonly, and he was made the first welfare recipient, con fined in many areas, to surroundings reminiscent to concentration ramps. Two things are mouthed to cover the guilt of these deeds. One, the Indian ia lazy. They are all rich from the sale of land The W arm Springs In diana have proven this to the l 'rban Program. Daria M. DeCoteau and Jo5,,',‘ Nelson confer with Prank M artin message to Congress July 8th. 1970 asking that they consider the measures he was proposing in regards to the Indian people. Greedy in te re s ts sabotaged the program forcing open re bellion. Level headed leaders of both sides sal vaged and started imple menting portions of the Program. In the last two years drastic changes have or all • Nearly 00 perrent had leas than an eighth grade education. • Between 5 0 4 0 perrent of all In d ian ch ild re n dropped out of school. • Among young Indians the suicide rate was three times the national average and five to seven times the average for boarding school students. • Those living in remote regions had the additional burden of a language bar rier to overcome as there are some 300 separate languages spoken within the lndain Nation. Their average income in 1970 was $150 And their estim ated unem ploym ent rate was 40 perrent. In 1973 the total Indian popu lation was approximately 792. with 500,000 on various re se rva tio n s and w ith 800,000 having moved to cities Why are these statistics relevant? They merely show what hap Mary Mitchell. LPN; explains problem to Tom Rogers. Consultant and T eri Cross, Chairman. be an eroneous conception. Kah nee ta is a living mon ument to their ability and wise management. Not only are they providing work for their own people they are helping to sustain the economy of the entire county and the state. All along Indian leaders from all over the United States have been trying to tell Washington if they were given a fair chance such things as this could be accomplished by their peo pie in their own way. Time brought people willing to lis ten , even P re s id e n t Nixon who delivered a DR. JEFFREY BRADY Says: DO Not Pul Off Needed Dental (a r e " Enjo\ Dental Health N ow and Im prove Your A ppearance (O M I IN Al VOUR (O N V IN IIN U OPIN SATURDAY MOINlhC • NO APP0INIM1NI N il DIO • (O M P IIII (OOP!RATION ON A ll OINIAI iNSlil ANU Pl ANS • (O A tPiiii oiniai s m i t h u n io n or co m ra nv o in t a i in s u r s n c i C O V IR A G I AC C IPTIO O N t o u t n i i o i o ointistrt Po» » I » • • A », * P o » b n S ho p l o t M O U R V W * . l d o , i * J O o m lo S p m Sot S JO o in 16 I p m D R . JEFFREY B R A D Y , D E N T IS T rurred. Here in Oregon. Indians appeared before the city council, church groups, and women's clubs to plead their cause directly to the people. These were edu rated, aggressive young Indians attempting to erase the myth and stereotype shadowing th e ir people, forever. They intend to sieze the moment and return a degree of stability to lives fraught with in security and trauma. Those w ho s p e a rh e a d e d th is M o v e m e n t w e re Jo h n Spence, a Gros Ventre Sioux: Pete Asher, a Tlin git; Patrick Borounda an Apache; and Ixtwell Curley, a (Juinalt. Each contributed their own special expertise This time their plea did not fall on deaf ears. Since November of 1973 sizeable sums have been granted to the Office of Urban Indian Affairs, located at 2365 Northwest Westover Road, to mainla.n programs and administer assistance to the 5.000 Indians within the Portland metropolitan area The entire program is administered by Indians, with Charles Johnson, an lm ipat Eskimo as director Programs are designed to assist them in such areas as health, welfare, housing, job referral and alcoholism. Vo cational training in such fields as welding and auto motives are being stressed, with General Electric offer ing supportive assistance An attempt will be made to extend some services to other inland and coastal areas of the state. The Office has a full time staff of four persons and 166 trainees. T he A m erican In d ian Center at 611 North T illa mook is an entirely dif ferent project, dedicated to the preservation of Indian customs and culture. They receive no funds from city or fe d e ra l govern m en t. Since 1959 under the leadership of president, Bud Butcher they have produced their Rose Festival Pow Wow at East Delta Park. They have developed a viable program aimed at bringing two cultures closer together, thru their dis plays and sales of Indian arts and crafts. On their agenda are plans to build a museum which would house Indian artifacts from all the tribes of the Northwest Legal Aid branches offer special services The Eastside Branch of Legal Aid Service has moved to a new location at 1515 Southeast 122nd Ave nue. and the staff of that office is specializing in consumer law affecting low income residents of Multnir mah County. The Consumer la w Office is one of four specialty units created by Legal Aid in recent re o rg a n iza tio n ef forts which saw the closure of the Southeast Branch at 2005 Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. The staff of that office has been ab sorbed by the remaining units, whirh handle one major area of civil law each. The offices, and some of the types of cases each deals with are listed below: Consumer l-aw Office, (re p o s s e s s io n , g a rn is h ments, liens, collections, e t c .) , 1515 S o u th e a s t 122nd, Telephone: 255 6590 Administrative l-aw Of fice, (Veterans' benefits. welfare, fixxl stamps. Social Security, Supplemental Se curity Income, etc.), 517 N o rth e a s t K illin g s w o rth , Telephone: 288 6746 Housing Law O ffice, (utility terminations and deposits, evictions, security deposits, public housing, foreclosures, e tc .), 1100 Board of Trade Building, 310 Southwest Fourth Ave nue, Telephone: 224 4086. Family Law Office, (di vorce. annulment, custody, child support, adoptions, etc.), 717 Board of Trade Building. 310 Southwest Fourth Avenue, Telephone: 226 7991. Legal Aid does not handle criminal matters; it is a federally funded pro gram charged with assisting people who have civil prob lems but who cannot afford to have an attorney. A p p o in tm en ts are re quired, unless an emer gency situation exists. SLMUR BUILDING S SA 3rd A M o ' r 1 ' P , ''lu r id O 'P i j u " T u k e f l e v u t o ' to Z p , i I lo o ’ 3 ' d S ’ I n h u m P ho ne: 2 2 8 - 7 5 4 5 ’ ifp in lik e «1 Mchool o f glrtdiatom , w here m en live and fig h t m o th e r locating it within easy access to Portland so it could become a permanent tourist attraction. Their Encampment at Delta Park has attracted large crowds. Over thirty different tribes comprise the Tepee Village, coming from as far away as Northern Canada, Montana. Oklahoma, and North and South Dakota. Joining them are Indians from Yakima. Washington, Ne vada and those from all over Oregon. The drums beat as in the old days before the buffalo hunt and the young braves fierce, tall and proud in their buck skins dance the rituals handed down from genera tion to generation. This is their heritage their past. They share this despite the heartache and abuse they have received. And from the proceeds of this pageant they will alleviate poverty striken conditions among non reservation Indians in the Portland metropolitan area. These Indians have not been dancing for sheer pleasure. It's to help others. I t shows a unified attempt to help themselves. But there is much to do. This is the Nation that welcomed the white man to his shores. I t is the year of the Bi-Centennial. It's the Century that man went to the moon and the one also that 452,000 Cubans found homes in this country along with 50,357 Hungarians. They're still counting the Vietnamese. If all this can be accomplished it might be the year an American Indian Center, the finest in the United States, could be started in Oregon. by J.M . Gate* Participation, represents tion, prevention ol blight, more responsible allocation of finance m irror past and present. Vacant buildings and boarded windows are visiable symptons of urban blight. The twenties reflect an urban consciousness and awareness generated by P a t r ic k G eddes, th e acknowledged founder ol the Regional Survey Move ment. In Robert W. Bruere's summary of the shifting urban pattern and inadequate planning of the 1920's, he states: ....the free, healthful life of the citizens is the only reason for the city's existence. To this the life of in d ivid u al ind u stries must be subordinated as the life of individual organs in the body is subordinated in the normal life of the whole man. A 1924 issue of The Survey reports the follow ing dismay over eroding community relationships: Not much more than a century ago, the neighbor hood was synonymous with community, a natural divi sion of social life; it was a unit in religion, race, tradi- 'ion. politics. Today the old neighborhood has passed away and neighborliness had disappeared.... A different kiqd ol neigh borhood had emerged then. A different kind of emerg ing neighborhood, in any period of history, is one of the by products of living. It is the responsibility of a concerned citizenry to as sure that the neighborhood changes for the better. The following excerts from the poem “Devastation" relate Marian Anderson in 1939, after she was refused the use of Constitution Hall. T h e to u r also visits a n o th e r m o n u m e n t to A b raham Lincoln. the Freedom Memorial Statue, which depicts the former President standing by a slave as he breaks from his chains. Funds, design, and execution of the statue were all the result of Black effort, culminating in the unveiling in 1876. In another part of this park there is a monument of M ary McLeod Bethune, Black educator and humani tarian. The daughter ol slaves, Mrs. Bethune's life accomplishments included: the opening of a Negro girls' school, serving as an advisor to four U.S. Presi dents. and founding the National Council of Negro Women. Other points along the tour include Howard Uni versity, the M artin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, the Museum of African A rt, and the Frederick Douglass National Shrine. The tour concludes at one of the c i t y ' s B la c k o p e r a t e d restaurants. Eastern’s tour highlight ing the contributions of Black people to America's foundations is just one of many Bicentennial tours the airline offers. Further information can be obtaine« through a travel agent or by calling Eastern Airlines. today's need for account ability: Progress people erasers: Cruel but not understood H u rt and happiness of generations smashed in a building raze for freeways and a motor craze or better housing some say confused in a maze of land use haze -- And now the rubble, human scavengers clear scrap with visions ol progress and indifference to people who have thus become anonymous question marks Acts of man, cruel surprises not different from merciless cyclones Belfries and church steeples erased by dislocation -- Returning visitors can't find the place they lived or tracks of streetcars and trains that used to ring with vitality What • happened to the randy stores stocked i*ith suckers and jaw breakers, licorice and bubble gum? Was it here? Was it there? Nostalgic recollections of walls filled with infinite secrets - front porch spectator to the world: people to and from work deliveries of milk and bread happy conversations, grief of those who mourn Sweethearts and proposals. plans, dreams Monuments of toil and perserverence, Mortgage payments fulfilled Tortured memories of heartless chaos. Shocked pensioners fail to reconcile the Bill of Rights and Eninent Domain, fruitless hearings and inadequate lawsuits - Lonely emptiness By permission from Rele vance and Reality by J.M. Gates (Sandy: St. Paul’s Press, Copyright (c) 1937), pp. 14 15. PEPI’S BOTTLE SHOP Let Pepi's Bottle Shop be your headquarters for cham pagne. wines, mixers . . . at the lowest prices in town Lloyd Center -- Next to the Liquor Store. Pepi's one and only store. Open 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. daily. Sundays: Noon to 4:00 p.m. 281-2731 J o e J o sep h Your Com m unity Insurance M a n 3 9 3 3 N.E. Union 2 8 2 -3 6 8 0 THE ROYAL ESQUIRE CLUB Invites you to its ANNIVERSARY DANCE August 3rd, 6-10 p.m Music: Babe Williams 1708 N. E. Alberta A D M IS S IO N FREE SHOP lENOW'S FO R B R A N D S you know V A R IE T IE S you likt SIZES you w a n t SI M U . . . 1 A I « • 8 u «n vA 1 » J.’ nd A N | C t .» ... 1 N l#p > h «,«t el C *e»i • a » V M i* P la ie l | ) M «’ S I D . , c ■ » « Il Th« Friendliest Stores In Town| Since 1908 • M IM S IR 1 t e *< « 1 1« «Í A a t N 1 M, ,,.... H e n to -k »♦♦h A S< Ì l » d A W e x I L .b e Ox a - q o ■ » » R A O» U N IT tO GROCIRS ROZELL'S ROZELL'S FIRST ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION July 16 through August 15, 1975 ^pnnrrm niTTrm ni » n rrrrrrm n n n ry COUPON A N N IV E R S A R Y D ISC O U N T Notice The Metropolitan Arts Commission, funded by the City and the County is soliciting community input for art in public places. There is a possibility that funds will be available for art in public places within the community. A meeting will be held on August 5th at 7:30 p.m. in the C ity H all Council Chambers. 1220 S.W. Fifth Avenue. Page 3 TOS ¿A Q SIO A Bicentennial tour views Black history A m erican Blacks who made major -- but fre q u e n tly lit t le known contributions to the de velopment of the country are featured in an Eastern Airlines Bicentennial tour of Washington. D.C. A Black cultural program, in conjunction with Soul Journey Tours, is the high light ol a seven day, six- night package that includes use of a car with unlimited mileage. Accommodations are at a selection of eighty- five Holiday Inns in Dela ware, Maryland. Pennsyl vania, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and one or two children under twelve may share a room with their parents at no extra charge. A guidebook is included with the tour and covers major attrac tions in the region and provides numerous discount coupons. Price of the package is $135.90 per person, double occupancy. In Washington, the Black Cultural tour starts every Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. Its first stop is at Benjamin Banneker Circle, named in honor of the Black m athem atician who was part of the team of three men who designed the physical layout of the Dis trict of Columbia in the late 1700s. Guides, referred to as “historians" on this tour, not only explain the signifi cance of specifically Black monuments, but also ex plain the contributions of Black people to other parts of the nation's capital. They in fo r m v is ito r s , fo r example, that the Tidal Basin bridge and sea wall were designed by a Black engineer, Archie A. Alex ander. And the Lincoln Memorial,* which almost al ways has an atmosphere of hushed awe, was the back drop for a concert by Thursday, July 31. 1975 r'or purchases of: 50c through $1.49 $1.50 through $4.49 o $4.50 and above o Discounts: 5c 10c 15c > F E A T U R IN G : Fast food items plus ¡ Bar B Q ribs, chicken and beef sandwiches Phone 283 5559 Hours: 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun. Thurs. 10 a.m. 12 midnight, Fri. A Sat. 5949 N.E. Union at Ainsworth