NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Saturday, July 30, 2022
Nimiipuu Experience visits Baker City
By IAN CRAWFORD
Baker City Herald
MORE INFORMATION
For more information about
experiencing the Nimiipuu
culture, you can go to www.
nezpercetourism.com or call
208-790-8873.
BAKER CITY — Performers of
the Nimiipuu Experience, colloqui-
ally Nez Perce, arrived in ornate,
historic dressage on July 21 for
traditional performance and oral
history of the indigenous nation
before a small crowd of Baker City
residents.
“I love when they bring little
ones here, they will soon become
great allies,” said Stacia Morfin, the
founder and lead performer of the
program. Several children attended
the event at the Crossroads Carne-
gie Art Center, Baker City, and even
joined the dance circle.
The term Nez Perce was French
for “nose pierced,” at the time
applied to a wide region of Native
territories. The Nimiipuu did not
historically practice nose pierc-
ing, however the misnomer stuck
in parlance long enough to become
adopted in culture.
All of Baker County once was in
the Nimiipuu territory, stretching to
now Canada and south to Nevada,
from the Columbia Basin to the
ranges of Wyoming.
Together with Maurice “Pistol
Pete” Wilson, the performers led a
battle song in timed harmony before
a staff of eagle feathers, something
Wilson said is as entwined in their
culture as the flag and the national
anthem. The stars and stripes them-
selves are stitched into his attire,
colors he earned by rite of his
service in the Navy.
Ian Crawford/Baker City Herald
Maurice “Pistol Pete” Wilson and Stacia Morfin host the Nimiipuu Experience on July 21, 2022, at the Crossroads
Carnegie Art Center, Baker City.
“You’ll see that I have a very
beautiful dress on,” Morfin said,
“and actually this dress is about
220 years old, and it’s made out of
bighorn sheep.” Stacia was adorned
in extensive beadwork, material
that likely took weeks and months
to produce by hand, no less with
Venetian beads, delivered through
world-spanning trade routes in the
1800s.
Anthropology marks the pres-
ence of humanity in Northeastern
Oregon for nearly eons. Their earli-
est indicators dated to nearly 16,000
years ago, according to carbon
dating. The tribal stories as well
reached far, far back.
Forecast for Pendleton Area
| Go to AccuWeather.com
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Sunny; record-
tying temperatures
Record-breaking
temperatures
Becoming windier
and cooler
Mostly sunny,
breezy and nice
An afternoon
thunderstorm
109° 71°
110° 76°
111° 71°
112° 76°
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
96° 66°
88° 58°
89° 59°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
98° 68°
91° 60°
90° 61°
OREGON FORECAST
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. Fri.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
77/58
98/61
107/68
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
106/75 Lewiston
97/61
110/69
Astoria
74/56
Pullman
Yakima 106/65
97/58
107/71
Portland
Hermiston
101/69
The Dalles 111/71
Salem
Corvallis
98/62
Friday
Normals
Records
La Grande
104/62
PRECIPITATION
John Day
103/67
Eugene
Bend
102/63
104/67
Ontario
107/71
Caldwell
Burns
109°
67°
95°
60°
109° (2022) 42° (1959)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Albany
101/63
0.00"
0.03"
0.11"
7.48"
2.46"
5.13"
WINDS (in mph)
104/65
103/62
0.00"
0.31"
0.34"
11.13"
4.34"
8.29"
through 3 p.m. Fri.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 100/59
104/66
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
HERMISTON
Enterprise
109/71
111/74
108°
71°
92°
60°
108° (2022) 38° (1917)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
95/59
Aberdeen
101/68
105/72
Tacoma
Friday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
94/64
Today
Boardman
Pendleton
Medford
107/71
Sun.
WSW 4-8
WNW 6-12
WSW 4-8
NW 6-12
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
101/60
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
5:36 a.m.
8:26 p.m.
7:19 a.m.
9:55 p.m.
First
Full
Last
New
Aug 5
Aug 11
Aug 18
Aug 27
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 110° in Pasco, Wash. Low 39° in West Yellowstone, Mont.
“It was about 8,000 years ago
when Mount Mazama blew,” Morfin
said. “And our oral history tells us
that when the sky our brother, he
became black, and you could not
see anything for approximately 30
days.”
“We go back to time immemo-
rial,” Wilson said, “what I want to
see is not just one or two genera-
tions, I want to see six or seven
generations down the road that
we’re still here and still strong.”
Following the route and even-
tual surrender of Chief Joseph, the
tribe were forbidden from speaking
their native language, or express-
ing their culture, which Morfin and
Wilson wanted to emphasize. Loss
of language also was a deep cultural
wound, as the tribe was subjected to
conform with the nation that now
enveloped it.
“That’s why, today, I try to
express to the kids about how
important it is,” Wilson said, reflect-
ing on getting his great grandchil-
dren involved in powwow. “I told
them, ‘you guys want to go to the
powwow floor? I’ll make you guys
outfits.’”
At the close, Pete supplied
rhythm to his hide drum as Stacia
lead the audience in a simple, tradi-
tional group dance. The small, straf-
ing steps added together to turn the
whole group into a churning wheel
on the dance floor. They stuck on
for photos and questions after the
group, and encouraged others to
visit the Lewiston, Idaho area.
Pendleton suspects in 2021 Walla
Walla group attack still await trial
By JEREMY BURNHAM
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
WALLA WALLA — It’s
been a year since police inves-
tigated an alleged group attack
involving Pendleton residents
in Walla Walla that Deputy
Prosecuting Attorney Jennine
Christensen compared to an
“old western.”
Five adult suspects still
await trial in Walla Walla
County Superior Court.
Two minors also have been
charged, and a sixth adult had
his charges dismissed.
According to court docu-
ments, on July 5, 2021, Charles
Thompkins Jr., 63, and a group
of people, including his sons,
drove from Pendleton to the
100 block of Prospect Avenue
and confronted a man he
claims stole a vehicle from
him.
The group then allegedly
beat the man and two other
men after intimidating them
with loaded guns, according
to the documents.
One of the alleged victims
had to have surgery for multi-
ple breaks and fractures on
his face and skull, documents
noted.
Charles Thompkins, his
son Habukkuk Thompkins,
21, Ira O. Toledo, 21, Santi-
ago R. Lara, 21, and Carlos R.
Johnson, 22, all face charges
of first-degree robbery, three
counts of first-degree assault
with a deadly weapon, first-de-
gree burglary with a deadly
weapon and criminal mischief
with a deadly weapon.
All those charges are Class
A felonies — with a maximum
penalty of life in prison —
except the criminal mischief
charge, which is a Class C
felony with a maximum
penalty of five years in prison.
In addition, Charles
Thompkins, who police said
was the leader of the group,
faces a charge of harassment,
which is a gross misdemeanor.
Meanwhile, charges against
Jeremiah A. Thompkins, 19,
have been dismissed.
A trial date of Oct. 18 has
been set for Charles Thomp-
kins, who is representing
himself, and Toledo, who
is represented by Jason R.
Wargin of Wenatchee.
This does not mean the
two trials will happen at once
though. Walla Walla County
Superior Court is scheduling
multiple trials for the same day
in case one or more of the cases
gets postponed or settled.
The trial for Johnson, who
is represented by Julie E. Karl
of Waitsburg, is set for Nov. 29.
Lara was the last of the
adults arrested in connec-
tion with the case. While he
had charges filed against him
in August 2021, he was just
arrested this month and had
his first appearance in court
on July 18. No trial date has
been set yet.
He’s also the only defen-
dant still in jail, as the others
have all posted bail. Lara’s
bail is set at $150,000, with
no reduced cash equivalent.
Normandy Park attorney
Christopher Swaby has been
assigned to represent him.
Habukkuk Thompkins,
who is represented by Walla
Walla attorney William
D. McCool, was in court
Monday, July 27, to modify
his electronic home-monitor-
ing order.
While he asked Judge
Brandon L. Johnson to not
impose an ankle monitor
because he needed the ability
to get a job and prepare for his
wife to give birth to their child,
Johnson ordered that the moni-
tor be used.
He did, however, say the
order could be adjusted to
allow him to do what he needs
to do, saying that it’s not so
much about limiting where
he goes, but instead knowing
where he goes.
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
IN BRIEF
Baker City City Council
approves psilocybin ballot title
BAKER CITY — Baker City Council
approved giving City Recorder Dallas Brock-
ett permission to pursue the psilocybin ballot
title for the Nov. 8 statewide election.
Councilors unanimously approved the first
full reading of the local law and the second
reading by title only at their regular meeting
Tuesday, July 26.
Councilors decided at their July 12 meet-
ing to instruct staff to prepare the ballot title.
The ordinance bans psilocybin, or
psychedelic mushrooms, manufacturing
and service centers.
While Oregon’s 2020 Ballot Measure
109 to legalize the psychoactive mushrooms
passed statewide, Eastern Oregon overall
voted it down. The law allows cities and coun-
ties to vote anew to ban psilocybin manufac-
ture and services in their jurisdictions.
Umatilla County Board of Commissioners
and the Pendleton City Council also referred
bans to voters in November,
Hermiston City Council at its meet-
ing July 25 voted to ban psilocybin service
centers. The council also referred the matter
to voters to repeal the ordinance or let it stand.
— EO Media Group
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