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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 1978)
JANUARY 27, 1978 PAGE 5 Tribal Films Depict Different Reservation Worlds New faces and cameras are nothing out of the ordinary around Warm Springs. The reservation’s cultural and ma terial wealth are attractive to filmmakers, journalists and re searchers. What is notable about the young men currently engaged in recording the local scene on film is that they are creating pro ducts that will be owned and [distributed by the Tribes. Two films are in the making, one for public relations purposes and the other strictly for the ^educational use of the tribes. Filmmaker Rick Johnson has Ibeen working closely with Cul- tural Heritage Director Nathan Jim and Municipal Manager ¡Rudy Clements since June of 1976 producing most of the foot age needed for one of the films. Bust this week he and his assis- tant Mike McLeod were involved hn the filming of one of the last scenes — a traditional hunt. Johnson was joined recently by freelancer Peter Maroney who is writing the scripts for the two films. Maroney has based himself in the community to be closer to the people and tradi tions about which he is writing. ■ The two films grew out of a proposal submitted ' to the American Bicentennial Commis sion by the Tribes in 1975 suggesting a half-hour color documentary about the reser vation. In early 1976 Johnson was selected for the project, which had obtained funding from the Commission, the Tribes land the BIA to the tune of ; $35,000. As soon as filming began at the Simnasho Root Feast that spring, the need for two films became apparent. As Project Director Rudy ^elements explained, the original film is designed “to convey the positive direction the Tribes are taking in the utilization of non- reservation resources as well as our own.” It will encompass the history, the present and the future direction of the reser vation. There will be only glimp ses into the religious world of the people. This documentary is intended for the education of the non-Indian community and will be made available at the Tribes’ discretion. The outgrowth of this was a traditional film that has actually been given higher priority by the Tribal Council. According to Clements, this film will focus on the spiritual life of the com- Filmmaker Rick Johnson explained operations to Bicentennial Confinittee Chairman Amos Simtustus during filming of the 1977 Pi-Ume-Sha celebration. Two films have grown out of the Bicentennial Committee’s proposal for a half-hour color document ary about the reservation. CDS Photo Community Calendar January 31 - JOM meeting, Community Center, 7 p.m. February 2-Public Education Meeting, Agency Longhouse, ^nacks at 6 p.m., meeting at 7 p.m. 3 - Employee’s Banquet, Kah-Nee-Ta Lodge, No-host cocktail hour at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m. 9 - Miss Warm Springs Pageant, Community Center, 7 p.m Applications must be in by Feb. 6 16 - Talent Show, Community Center, 7 p.m. Indian Group Sets Goals For White House Library Program An American Indian plan ning committee has set three goals for a White House Pre- conference dealing with library ’services on reservations, Dr. ¡ William Demmert, Director of ^the Bureau,of Indian Affairs’ Office of Indian Education an- ,'nounced today. Goals for the session to be held next October in Denver are to raise awareness among In dian people of the value of li braries, to develop a consensus on a long-range plan to improve library services oh reservations and to provide an organized Indian contribution to the subse quent White House Conference on Library and Information Ser vices. The planning committee is COCC Adult Ed News composed of thirteen American Indians who have demonstrated concern for Indian library and information services and who represent a cross section of Indian people. Staff support for the groups is provided through the BIA’s Office of Indian Education and the Interior Department’s Office of Library and Information Ser vices. Two Classes Offered Second Time ■ Two COCC Adult Education classes for which people showed a great deal of interest have been postponed, to be offered at more convenient times. “I Can’t Draw” will begin ^Saturday February 11, at 10:00 a.m. at the Adult Learning Cen ter. Teacher Nancy Chinn, an accomplished local artist, has explained that she will present drawing as a “fun” activity that anyone can participate in. She will start with such basics as how to hold a pencil comfortably and how to loosen up, and will advance to perspective and pro portion. After the five-week begin ning drawing class, a more ad vanced class entitled “I Can Sorta Draw” will be offered. The Welding class, to be taught by Tribal Garage super visor Leon Maxwell, will begin Thursday February 2 at 7:00 p.'m. at the Garage. Maxwell plans to give students a basic working knowledge of the tech niques and equipment, stressing safety. Interested students are en couraged to register in advance for both courses. Stop by the Adult Learning Center in the Community Center between 10 and 4 daily or Monday and Thursday nights 7-10. munity, particularly the Washut religion, and will be used only on the reservation as an education al tool “to carry on the tradition and heritage of the Tribes.” Writer Maroney pointed out that the original narration may be in the Sahaptin language. One film completed by April The pace of filmmaking has been slower than expected in order to “make sure the films are authentic,” said Clements. Johnson noted, “Rather than move the project at a pace that accommodates me, I’ve been waiting for things to happen in the normal course.” This, he feels, will result in films that more accurately reflect the mood of the reservation, rather than an outsider’s viewpoint. At this point, the visual portion of the traditional film is being edited and is awaiting a verbal and musical soundtrack. The music, according to the crew, will be a balance of tradi tional and modernized Indian song; A rough cut of the film was shown to a group of locals at Kah-Nee-Ta last month and a refined product will be ready to view by the first of April. The final cost of both films will be $47,000, according to Clements. Extra funding is being requested from the Oregon State Depart ment of Education. * Already the Tribes are benefiting from the project. Hours of videotaped interviews with tribal members have been collected and are to be included in the tribal archives. Johnson and Maroney expect there to be many such by-products of the films — from .transcripts of verbal history to recordings of traditional songs — to serve as reference materials for the Tribes. Films with “feeling” Clements and the film makers seem to agree that the “feeling” created by the films can be a stronger statement about the people of the Warm Springs Reservation than the actual facts and words. The traditional film flows with scenics and is oriented toward the seasons, in keeping with the strong spiritual base in the natural world. There will be no “talking heads,” said John son, meaning that stilted speech es will be avoided in favor of a natural rendering of people and events. Feasts, sweats, and ceremonies have been recorded as they happened. The original documentary will be filmed more convention ally, but Johnson still acknow ledges the importance of letting circumstances and people sug gest the style of presentation. It will not be “a vase of roses,” noted Johnson, who expects a realistic balance of progress and problems on the reservation. Both Johnson and Maroney are relative newcomers to In dian country. In 1976 Johnson produced “Time of the First Moon,” an award-winning film about Indian fishing rights on the Columbia, but admits to having had a “grade school textbook understanding of In dians” prior to that. The closest Maroney had come to experienc ing Indians was to work on a Trailblazers film with a fellow who had produced “The People Are Dancing Again” about the Siletz Restoration. But both men have profited from their close alliance with Nathan Jim. As the official liaison between the filmmakers and tribal members, Jim has spent many hours providing guidance, interpretation, an es cort service, and access to ma terials and individuals. Maroney, who has been at tending as many traditional functions as possible, reading up on history, and taking Ada Sooksoit’s Indian language class, .feels that he and Johnson aré “facilitators” for the Tribes, providing their technical skills to carry out an idea originated by the Tribes. The result of this cooper ation may well be film docu ments that the Tribes are proud to own and use. TOE NESS There was this guy that went into this huge hotel and registered signing his name “Tex”. The desk clerk looks at the name. Finally said to this guy, “What part of Texas are you from?” The guy looks up and said, “I’m not from Texas, I’m from Minnesota.” The clerk asked again, “How come you call yourself Tex?” “Because I sure wouldn’t want to sign my name “Minnie.” “YIKES” SS SS SS There was this guy who had dinner in a Chinese restaurant. When he finished his meal he asked for his fortune cookie which said: Hard work will bring you success. The guy wasn’t satisfied with that answer, so he asked the waitress for another cookie. He opened the next cookie and it had the same answer. The guy very disgusted said, “Something I just hate is a nagging cookie.” “YIKES” SS SS SS There was this guy playing golf who had quite a slice on one of his drives.lt curved real hard and broke Jim’s windshield. “Hey!” Jim comes running over to this golfer and said, “You broke my windshield, what are you going to do about it?” The guy said, “I think I’ll take your advice and move my thumb a little farther up the club.” “YIKES” SS SS SS There were these two hillbillies that traveled out west to California and when they arrived they only had $1 between them. One of the guys said, “What can we do with a dollar?” The second answered, “Give me the money and I’ll go see what I can get.” He leaves and was gone for some time and he finally returned with a box of tampons. The other said, “What can we do with this?” looking at the box, the other guy said, “Look here, it says we can do a lot of things like waterskiing, swimming, horseback riding..“YIKES” SS SS SS There was this guy that had a hard time meeting people. One day he was talking to his friend and was telling him his problem. His friend said, “If you want to meet people the best way is to pick up the wrong ball on the Golf Course.” SS SS SS
