Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 1978)
FEBRUARY 24, 1978 PAGE 3 A Continuing Investigation . . . Spilyay Uncovers "Truth" Behind Nicknames N icknam es. Everyone has had one at one time or another. Most names are bestowed upon a person in th e ir youth while some are given a nickname be cause they look like the nam e given them . O thers a re Indian names given by an older person years ago. Most nam es stick for life and in fact, some people might have to stop and think w hat a person’s “real” name is. Every one knows everyone else’s nick nam e. T hat nam e given them years ago is almost considered a legal nam e. But since these nicknam es a re so well known, why is it th a t a few people around here won’t tell of the origin of their nickname? Orthelia Miller, alias “eels” , was one who would not tell Spilyay Tymoo w here she got her nam e. She giggled and asked, “ Do you really have to know? It’s a secret. Let me call you b a c k .” We’re still waiting for her call. “Eight-Ball” , occasionally known as Nathan Jim, received his nicknam e m any years ago when he first appeared on stage while attending boarding school here in W arm Springs. E very year the boys dorm would have a ta le n t show, and one year three kids w ere intending to p resen t an “ Amos and Andy” radio show. “You do remember Amos and Andy, don’t you?” he asked: We half-heartedly r e plied, “ Yes, but Eight-Bdll, you’re dating yourself.” Apparently, Amos and Andy had a side-kick and his nam e was Eight-Ball. Nathan was not one of the original three kids in the Amos and-Andy show, but the kid who was to be Eight-Ball was unable to perform , so N a than gallantly rescued the show. He sang and tap-danced, thus becoming “Eight-Ball.” W endall Jim , or “ W ater melon” has a brief story behind his nickname. When asked how he got his name, he indicated a humongous stom ach with his hands. “ I was fat when I was a kid.” Thus came “Watermelon.” “Bunski” , sometimes known as U ren Leonard, received his name in grade school. His tea c h e r’s nam e w as Branzinski. Uren received very good grades while in this class, in fact he was at the top of the class. The other kids in his class thought he was buttering up the tea c h e r and considered him te a c h e r’s pet. How “Bunski” ever came out of “Branzinski” we’ll never know, but the “kids” probably know. We contacted the T ribal judges “Barnman’ and “Ham- bone” . “Barnman” or Leonard Scott as we know him , got his name in 1931 during a forest fire. “Barnman” was responsible for the watering arid feeding of 20 to 30 horses. These horses were kept in a barn-like structure. When asked where his name came' from, Greeley or “Ham- bone” wouldn’t say. However, “ B arnm an’ elab o rated for us. But first, take a grain of salt. He said th e re was a huckleberry patch n e a r High Rock called Hambone. According to the story, Hamilton was born in that patch. N eedless to say, those judges have very interesting and exciting beginnings. V ictor Sm ith, or “ C hers” got his nam e from his m other, who was part Cherokee. To be gin with “ C hers” w as Chero kee, but over the y e a rs it was shortened to what it is now. At first, we thought it was that he sat around a lot on chairs. We are continuing our inves tigation of nicknam es, so look for m ore of the inside story behind those nicknam es in up coming issues. If you have any different nam es and th e ir ori gins just call us, Lois Lane and Clark Kent. We’ll be more than happy to hear your story. Space Creatures Invade Talent Show Completé with futuristic lighting and a disco pulse, the com m unity cen ter gym was tran sfo rm ed into an elaborate “ S tar W ars” environm ent for the third annual Warm Springs Talent Show Thursday, Febru ary 16. This y e a r’s show featu red “Gong Show” type judging, and once the crowd of 200 w arm ed up to the idea they w ere quite vocal in letting the judges know what they thought. Boo’s and hisses as well as applause and cheers rang th ro u g h th e d a rk e n e d gym as the audience expressed its opin ion of the judges’ decisions after each act. Apparently the scores were m et with general approval as none of the four judges got “un benched” . The judges were Ada Sooksoit, M adeline M clnturff, Cynthia Stowell and Marie Cali- ca. Gate receipts totaled $372.50 and, after expenses are paid, the proceeds will go the community Fourth of July celebration fund. Following the Lord’s Prayer by Aurolyn Stwyer (Miss Warm Springs of 1077), em cee Uren Leonard introduced special guest D arth V ader and his friend “ E lla-V ad er” . The two stayed throughout the evening and were hassled occasionally by Groucho Marx-type charact ers. The audience was generous with its applause for the serious contestants, and the judges gonged only one scheduled act, Spilyay and his Dancing Dog. Taking first prize with 32 points was Ja c k L. Smith 'of Bend. His g u ita r picking and yodeling ability was greatly en joyed by the foot-stomping, handclapping audience. A whacky and clever pro duction by the “ Royal Space A liens” in Ms. C rocker’s 5th grade class at the Warm Springs _ Grade School kept the audience chuckling and won the kids 31 points and second place. Third prize w ent to Lala Delude for her trick roping and rendition of “Daddy was a Cow boy” . The judges awarded her 29 points. A thoughtful and sensitive poetry reading by Billie Jo Cle m ent won her 28 points and fourth place. F ifth place was sh ared by the “ West Hills Cosmos Mini- creatures” and the “Year 2000 Disco Dancers” who tied with 27 points each. The acts moved,along with a bit less tim e-lag this year be cause th ere w ere two stages, something which will undoubted ly be kept in mind for future shows. Door prizes, courtesy of Kah-Nee-Ta, w ere given out a bit differently this year. Instead of calling out a nam e, unsus pecting m em bers of the audi ence w ere toped and hauled down from the bleachers to re ceive their prizes. It was evident th at people enjoyed this year’s talent show and, as sev eral in the crowd remarked, “It gets better every year.” Photos by Sandy Rangila With hair hanging all over her face and wailing a pitiful tune, poor Cow Bell Annie was gonged by the judges at the third annual Talent Show last Thursday, Feb. 16. “ Star Wars” was the theme, and most enjoyed the “ Gong Show” type judging — a new feature this year. At the end of the final act, the curtain fell (literally!) Warm Springs fifth graders from Ms. Crocker’s class won second place with their whacky performance of “ The Fatal Quest” . The Cast was: Queen - Becky Rhoan; King - R yan Sm ith; Me Too - L effert M iller; Princess - Lena Mitts; Duke - Tyrone Ike; Curtains - Jason Smith and Anthony Davis; and Bell Ringer - Juanita Blodgett.
