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Happy Canyon marks a century of family tradition
By SUZANNE KENNEDY
,ĂƉƉLJĂŶLJŽŶŝƐĐĞůĞďƌĂƟŶŐŝƚƐ
ϭϬϬƚŚďŝƌƚŚĚĂLJƚŚŝƐLJĞĂƌĚƵƌŝŶŐƚŚĞ
Pendleton Round-Up. One of my
favorite things about the show is
ŚŽǁŝƚĂƉƉĞĂůƐƚŽĂůůĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚĂŐĞƐ͘
I love watching the children per-
ĨŽƌŵĂŶĚƐĞĞŝŶŐĞŶƟƌĞĨĂŵŝůŝĞƐŐŝǀĞ
ŽĨƚŚĞŝƌƟŵĞĂŶĚƚĂůĞŶƚƐĨŽƌƚŚĞ
enjoyment of others. These families
are the thread that keeps the show
ŐŽŝŶŐ͕LJĞĂƌĂŌĞƌLJĞĂƌ͘
dŚĞƵīͬ,ŽĚŐĞŶĨĂŵŝůLJŝƐŽŶĞ
such thread. See if you can keep
up. As Macy and Michael Rosselle
perform their roles, they carry the
,ĂƉƉLJĂŶLJŽŶŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶƐŽŶďŽƚŚ
sides of their family. Macy and Mi-
chael’s dad, Bob Rosselle, is a fourth-
ŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶ,ĂƉƉLJĂŶLJŽŶĂĐƚŽƌ͘
,ŝƐƐƚĞƉĨĂƚŚĞƌ͕:ŝŵƵī͕ŝƐĂƚŚŝƌĚͲ
ŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶĂĐƚŽƌĂŶĚǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌ͕ůĂƚĞƌ
becoming a Happy Canyon director
and president. All of Jim’s children
;tĞŶĚLJ͕:ŽŚŶ͕<LJůĞ͕ZŽĐŬLJĂŶĚ
Davey) also performed in the show.
:ŝŵ͛ƐĨĂƚŚĞƌ͕:ĂĐŬƵī͕ĂůƐŽĂ
Happy Canyon volunteer and direc-
tor, was himself a president. Bob
Roselle, who began as a swim kid,
says, “It is part of my family tradi-
ƟŽŶ͕ĂƚƌĞŵĞŶĚŽƵƐƐŚŽǁƚŽďĞƉĂƌƚ
of it. There is really nothing like it
around.”
dŚĞƵīĨĂŵŝůLJ͛ƐŝŶǀŽůǀĞŵĞŶƚ
Chief Gary Burke makes the most of his current role as a raider. He is the
fourth generation of his family to perform in the Happy Canyon show.
ďĞŐĂŶǁŝƚŚ&ƌĂŶŬƵī͕:ĂĐŬ͛ƐĨĂƚŚĞƌ͕
ǁŚŽŽīĞƌĞĚŚŝƐƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐĂƐĂŵƵůĞͲ
skinner at the Old Canyon. Bob
ZŽƐĞůůĞ͕:ŝŵƵīĂŶĚ:ĂĐŬƵīĂůů
ƐŚĂƌĞĂďĞĂƵƟĨƵůĐŽŵŵŽŶĂůŝƚLJ͗ƚŚĂƚ
of president of Happy Canyon.
Macy and Michael’s mother, Teri
Hodgen Rosselle, is a third-genera-
ƟŽŶƉĞƌĨŽƌŵĞƌĂŶĚǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌ͘,Ğƌ
father, Tom Hodgen, acted in vari-
ous roles in the show. Tom’s father,
dƵŬ,ŽĚŐĞŶ͕ŝŶŝƟĂƚĞĚƚŚĞĨĂŵŝůLJ͛Ɛ
ƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂƟŽŶďLJǀŽůƵŶƚĞĞƌŝŶŐĂŶĚ
later serving as a Happy Canyon
director.
Another strong thread is the
descendant line of Poker Jim. Poker
Jim’s sons, Clarence, Richard and
Robert, have all played key parts
throughout the show. In fact, the
ϭϵϮϯƐĐƌŝƉƚůŝƐƚƐWŽŬĞƌ:ŝŵĂŶĚŚŝƐ
wife as having key horse parts. Clar-
ĞŶĐĞƵƌŬĞĐŽŶƟŶƵĞĚŚŝƐĨĂƚŚĞƌ͛Ɛ
legacy as Round-Up chief and
,ĂƉƉLJĂŶLJŽŶ^ŚŽǁƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂŶƚĨŽƌ
ŶĞĂƌůLJϲϬLJĞĂƌƐ͘dŚƵƐďĞŐĂŶĂƚƌĂĚŝ-
ƟŽŶĨŽƌƚŚĞƵƌŬĞĨĂŵŝůLJ͕ǁŚŽŶŽǁ
ĐĂŶĐůĂŝŵƐĞǀĞƌĂůƐŝdžƚŚͲŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶ
actors in family parts and scenes a
century old.
Poker Jim’s grandchildren,
Raymond “Popcorn” Burke, Wil-
ůŝĂŵƵƌŬĞ͕ƌŶĞƐƟŶĞƌĂǁĨŽƌĚ͕
“Assisting people to become Videll Bronson, Ellen Cowapoo and
Jr. “Summer” Burke, also
independent, healthy and safe.” Richard
have performed in various parts
%#2'%1/CKP1HƂEG
721 SE 3rd Suite D • Pendleton
ŝŶ,ĂƉƉLJĂŶLJŽŶ͘ŌĞƌƚŚĞƐŝůŚŽƵ-
541-276-1926
We Offer Help With:
CAPECO - Airport Location
ĞƩĞǁĂƐĂĚĚĞĚĂƚƚŚĞKůĚĂŶLJŽŶ
1605 NW 50th Street • Pendleton
• Housing/ Homeownership
541-276-5073
venue, Chief Clarence became the
• Employment/ Training Services
ŽĸĐŝĂůŽƉĞŶŝŶŐĂĐƚ͕ďLJŐƌĞĞƟŶŐƚŚĞ
• Emergency Services
audience and welcoming them to
• Food/ Nutrition
ƚŚĞƐŚŽǁďŽƚŚŝŶŚŝƐŶĂƟǀĞƚŽŶŐƵĞ
• Senior Services
of Cayuse and in English, and was
• Energy
known as the most photographed
Services
Indian in America. He was followed
ŝŶƚŚĞƐŝůŚŽƵĞƩĞďLJŚŝĞĨZĂLJŵŽŶĚ
͞WŽƉĐŽƌŶ͟ƵƌŬĞ;ŚŝĞĨtŝƐŚůĂƵdƵ
ůĂ͛ƟŶͿǁŚĞŶƚŚĞƉĂƌƚǁĂƐŚĂŶĚĞĚ
down to him by his Uncle Clarence.
WŽƉĐŽƌŶďĞŐĂŶŝŶϭϵϯϱďLJĚĂŶĐ-
ing in the Happy Canyon pageant
ĂƌŽƵŶĚƚŚĞĂŐĞŽĨϭϯĂŶĚŚĞůƉĞĚ
translate for the elderly cast mem-
bers who did not speak English. He
also performed as a raider and rode
horseback when the cavalry arrived.
Currently, Chief Raymond’s
ƐŽŶ͕ŚŝĞĨ'ĂƌLJƵƌŬĞ;dƵŬ>Žǁ
<ĞLJʹ'ůĂŶĐŝŶŐ^ŚŽƚͿ͕ŝƐĂĨŽƵƌƚŚͲ
ŐĞŶĞƌĂƟŽŶƐŚŽǁƉĂƌƟĐŝƉĂŶƚĂŶĚ
ŶŽǁŽĸĐŝĂůůLJǁĞůĐŽŵĞƐƚŚĞĂƵĚŝ-
ĞŶĐĞŝŶĂLJƵƐĞ͘ŚŝĞĨ'ĂƌLJĂĐƚĞĚ
as the lone chief in the trail horse
ƉĂƌƚĂŶĚĐƵƌƌĞŶƚůLJŝƐĂƌĂŝĚĞƌ͘'ĂƌLJ
and his sisters’ involvement began
ĂƚĂƌŽƵŶĚĮǀĞLJĞĂƌƐŽĨĂŐĞ͘ŚŝĞĨ
'ĂƌLJ͛ƐŐƌĂŶĚŵŽƚŚĞƌ͕ĚĂ:ŽŶĞƐ
Patrick, trained him, Alvina Burke
,ƵĞƐƟĞƐĂŶĚ:ƵĚLJƵƌŬĞ&ĂƌƌŽǁ
to be in the show. Both Farrow
ĂŶĚ,ƵĞƐƟĞƐĂƌĞŐƌŽŽŵŝŶŐƚŚĞŝƌ
grandchildren for parts in the show.
Alvina and Judy served as Happy
Canyon princesses as well.
Want to learn more about the
families involved in Happy Can-
yon? Be sure to purchase a copy of
Becky Waggoner’s book, “Happy
ĂŶLJŽŶ͗,ŝƐƚŽƌLJŽĨƚŚĞtŽƌůĚ͛Ɛ
Most Unique Indian Pageant & Wild
West Show,” available for pre-order
at Amazon and Barnes & Noble,
or buy it in person at the Round-
hƉĂŶĚ,ĂƉƉLJĂŶLJŽŶ͛ƐŐŝŌƐƚŽƌĞ͕
dĂŵĂƐƚƐůŝŬƚĂŶĚhŵĂƟůůĂŽƵŶƚLJ
,ŝƐƚŽƌŝĐĂů^ŽĐŝĞƚLJĨŽƌΨϯϰ͘ϵϵ͘
On with the show!
________
Suzanne Kennedy is a former
middle school teacher who lives in
Pendleton with her husband and
three children.