AUGUST 6, 1976 WARM SPRINGS, OREGON PAGE 7
Ny-Mu-Mah Indian Youth Camp
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“There’ll be a lot of tearful
good-byes when it’s time for
everyone to go home,” said
Dan Bomberry of the fifty or
so campers whose tepees have
been pitched near the com
munity center for two weeks.
Bomberry is the coordinator
for the Ny-Mu-Mah Indian
Youth Camp that was hosted
by Warm Springs and spon
sored by the American Indian
Lawyers Training Program
(AILTP). Kids aged 12-17 from
all over the country, including
Warm Springs, came together
as strangers but will leave
their new friends reluctantly.
The 12-day camp, the only
one like it in the United States,
was hastily planned but offered
a variety of activities and
learning experiences. Richard
Trudell, the Executive Director
of AILTP, who conceived and
organized the camp said he
was pleased that three of the
four objectives of the camp
had been achieved: cultural
enrichment and reinforcement
of Indian identity, career ex
ploration, and recreation. The
work component, which would
have involved assigned tasks
geared toward helping the
camp and the community, was
not developed as hoped.
Kids had ample time to get
to know and enjoy each other,
while also being involved in a
full schedule of activities. A
typical day might find kids
learning to make skin drums,
carving a cedar canoe, fash
ioning beaded jewelry, sight
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seeing and attending a lecture.
Tepees and sweathouses were
constructed early in the first
week and several campers
were sweating regularly.
Trips were made en masse
to Trout Lake, The Dalles, and
Timberline and a tour of the
reservation highlighted Kah-
Nee-Ta and the mill.
An impressive array of
outside personalties were in
vited to speak to, entertain and
work with the campers.
Thomas Banyacya, a Hopi
spiritual leader, showed films
about controversial “progress”
on a couple of Indian reser
vations and he explained the
Hopi prophecy to the group. On
another evening, recording ar
tist Paul Ortega presented a
program of Indian music from
his native southwest.
Other guests included
Janet McCloud from Washing
ton, who spoke about Indian
pride; and various successful
Indian professionals such as an
engineer, a nurse and a law
intern, made the possibility of
a career more real to the
campers.
Perhaps the most famous
visitor was Bill Walton of the
Portland Trailblazers. Walton
offered a two-day basketball
clinic for the camp and the
public, ; and he drew a large
number of participants and
spectators. The lanky star was
suffering from a slow-mending
broken arm but nevertheless
inspired kids of all sizes to
practice and play hard.
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The last evening of the
camp featured a salmon bake
and Indian dancing for the
whole community.
Dan Bomberry expressed
appreciation to the people of
Warm Springs “who have
gone out of their way to be
helpful.” Of those local adults
who gave of their time, Ber
nice Mitchell, the cook, and
Harry Miller, a crafts teacher,
seemed to be thoroughly en
joying the camp activities.
Trudell feels encouraged
by this camp. Although funding
Patt Is Cast
Fantasy Films Hires Locals
Fantasy Films has formal-
|ly met with the Tribal Council
a number of times now in an
■effort to finalize arrangements
Iso they can begin shooting
■“The Warriors,” a major mo
tion picture.
Some locals have already
gbeen hired for short speaking
marts including Byron Patt and
gEdna and Andrew David. The
■Davids will play the role of
friends of the grandfather in
■the movie, and Patt will por-
■ray the father of the young
toy.
Others auditioned and were
interviewed for parts Thursday,
■August 5, at the Community
■Center, but it was not known
■at press time who caught the
■producer’s eye. Lizzie Rhoan
and Lloyd Smith, Sr. are assis-
ting the film producer with the
hiring of personnel.
Aside from movie roles,
■en locals have been hired as
■construction workers, Cy Ka-
atchia is working in an advisory
capacity as construction liason,
(Susan Moses is language ad
visor, and pending an ok from
Klint Jacks, Jacob Frank may
«work as head wrangler.
Only three roles (Indian
jparts) have not been cast at
■Warm Springs. They are:, Kiko
Soto (Navajo) who will play the
■he young boy; Lois Red Elk
■Sioux) who will play the
^mother; and Charles White
Beagle (Apache) will be the
fcrandfather. It was felt (diie to
■he difficulty of these three
roles) that it was necessary to
go with experienced, profes
sional actors.
At a special Tribal Council
Meeting Wednesday, July 28,
Keith Merrill (director), Saul
Zaentz (producer), Terry
Morse Jr. (executive produ
cer), and Sy Gomberg (co
producer and script writer)
were present.
They informed the council
and Tribal attorney, Dennis
Karnopp, that they are inter
ested in making a film of high
quality that will be as auth
entic as possible. Toward this
end, they said they would like
to hire a cultural liaison to
advise and assist them.
According to Merrill, they
want to make a film that not
only will they be proud of, but
one that the people of the
Warm Springs Reservation can
be proud of, too.
Since every day spent on
location is very expensive, the
production company wants to
move as expeditiously as poss
ible. To assist them in getting
started with plans, organiza
tion, and arrangements for
construction crews, Cy Katchia
was appointed by the Council
to act as a construction liaison.
A major portion of the
filming will be done in Sim-
nasho which is to be the
village where the grandfather
lives. Permission has been
given to restore the glass in
the windows in the old church,
and to fix up the house by the
church and the one across the
road.
Shooting will begin in Port
land August 16, 17, and 18,
then the crews will be on the
Warm Springs Reservation
from August 19th through Sep-
tember 10th.
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from the National Football
League came rather late, the
camp became a reality through
the footwork of many dedica
ted people. Kids were selected
and chaperoned by a number
of individuals contacted by
Trudell throughout the nation.
Counselor orientation and
transportation arrangements
have beep identified as areas
needing more careful planning.
It is hoped that three such
camps, each consisting of two
12-day sessions, will be spon
sored by AILTP next summer ■
The lunch hours of more
than 100 people were bright
ened when a summer company
of multi-talented performers
brought free song, dance and
comedy to the campus July 22.
The Shoestring Revue was
a satirical look at some dis
tinctly American traditions
presented with great enthus
iasm by the touring group
from Oregon State University.
Among the featured episodes in
American history were the
signing of the Declaration of
Independence, the westward
movement, the glory of fifties
rock and roll, and the coming
dll flirt
:erent parts of the coun
try. The actual cost of the
camp in Warm Springs was
well over the $10,000 donated
by the NFL. Trudell is looking
for additional funding sources
to raise the $100,000 that will
be needed for an expanded
program next year.
Judging by the scope and
reception of this camp, it
would seem worthwhile to
make such an experience
available to even more Indian
teenagers. AILTP has a good
idea — and hopes to make it
even better.
in
of automation.
Produced by special fund
ing from the Oregon Arts Com
mission, the American Revol
utionary Bicentennial Com
mission of Oregon, and OSU,
the traveling show stars eight
men and women with a variety
of musical and dramatic
skills.
Eva Montee, Youth Pro
grams Coordinator, was re
sponsible for arranging the ap
pearance. Encouraged by the
turn-out of people, Ms. Montee
hopes to bring more such qual
ity entertainment to Warm
Springs.
■7* »
FANTASY FILMS has asked permission to
replace the glass in the windows of the Sim-
nasho Church since they would; like to use it in
their filming of “The Warriors.” Pending
Council approval, the filming will begin this
month.
Photo by Sandy Rangila