DECEMBER 1. 1978 PAGE 3
Indians in
Media, A Series---------------------------—=--------
For Umtuch "Ad Alley" May Lead Home Again
By Cynthia Stowell
While the newsroom is turn
ing out rewrites for the threestar
and sunrise editions of The
Oregonian, people like George
Umtuch are producing ads for
next week’s papers.
The deadline is different and
foremen pace instead of editors,
but the twilight world of “ad
alley” is no less frantic or
pressured. Ad builders fashion
the skeleton on which the flesh of
the news will be hung—while the
clocks tick away the minutes.
But glory rarely seeps into
the backroom where X-acto
knives deftly assemble lines and
images into blocks of advertis
ing, which in most newspapers
occupy 60 percent of the space.
Ad builders like George find
other rewards.
“I take pride in giving the
customer what he wants,” says
Umtuch, a Warm Springs tribal
member-who has been on The
Oregonian’s “ad alley” for four
teen years. Umtuch has not only
superintendents and foremen to GEORGE UMTUCH, PRE-FRAME AD BUILDER FOR THE OREGONIAN Spllyay Tymoo Photo by CDS
please but also a host of custo
From there it was a natural hot type, George was in unfamil
has been a battle to fight against
mers ranging from mammoth
Fred Meyer to a suburban stereotypes. As one of only two step to the Chemawa American iar territory when the paper
Indians at The Oregonian, Um at the Indian high school in went offset and he gladly
Christmas tree farm.
Although produced behind tuch feels he had to prove Salem. For four years he was “moved back home.”
At The Oregonian, Umtuch
the scenes and out of the public himself. “At first I was labeled typesetter, printer, bindery man,
eye, Umtuch’s work is probably as Indian (i.e. unreliable, drunk mailer, paper cutter, and “kill- feels he has reached the “height
handled and viewed by more en) and was treated as such. It out man” for the school organ. of a career” in ad building, a
One year of general studies career that he says he fell into
people than the news. Unlike the took some years to overcome
at Willamette University proved rather than chose. High perfor
direct route the news stories take that.”
Now he is “just one of the to be “the most grueling exper mance standards have been in
to the pages of The Oregonian,
the ads travel a long, circuitous regular guys,” although his In- ience” George has had in educa stilled in the 43-year old skilled
worker, whose 7pm-3am work
journey before publication. dianness is a source of good- tional spheres, and he happily environment is characterized by
transferred
to
Oregon
Tech,
natured
ribbing
and
banter
—
From the ad salesman an ad
where he took up graphic arts. the pressures of schedules, dead
moves on to the dispatcher, to ad most of which Umtuch brings on
Seven months later, the lines, and competition (to the
alley, to the compositor, to the himself, notes one of his super
young
artist and cameraman point of “craziness,” he savs).
computer, to the proofreader, visors.
was working for an advertising
Umtuch has also been
Umtuch does not aspire to
and eventually back to the
customer — within about two labeled as a strike-breaker ever agency in San Francisco and his his supervisors’ jobs. With over
career was launched. Umtuch time, he says he earns more than
days. It is then ready for the since he came to The Oregonian
speaks wistfully of his three the foremen or superintendents
public eye, which scrutinizes in 1964, the last year of a drawn-
years spent assembling display who receive fixed salaries.
meat prices at least as thorough out strike by the camera and
ads for such clients as Safeway, “Maybe I’m spoiled,” says Um
press rooms. But Umtuch is
ly as the lead news story.
Harrah’s and Fuller Paints. He tuch, who averages nearly
George admits that there are proud of the qualifications he
refers proudly to three of his ads $20,000 in annual income. And
times he’d like to be out in the brought to the job and the fact
that were selected by the Print maybe his supervisors get a bit
newsroom. “Everybody wants to that he has met the newspaper’s
ers Auxiliary for display at their more of the glory but they are
get his fingers black on the high standards in staffing.
convention gallery. Compared to also the “fall guys,” a role not at
typewriter ribbon, but you mel The trip down Ad Alley
the creative energies he expres all attractive to Umtuch.
Ad Alley has been a long,
low out with time,” he remarked.
sed in San Francisco, Umtuch
As an Indian in a metropolitan continuous road for Umtuch who
sometimes feels he is just “going The Road May Lead Home
area, Umtuch is acutely aware of first stepped into the newspaper
Proud of his many years of
through the motions” at The
world
while
attending
the
B.I.A.
the public’s view of Indians.
experience
and cognizant of the
Oregonian.
“People are oriented through boarding school in Warm
When the shop unionized, comforts provided by The Ore
textbooks and old west maga Springs. In 1947, the young
George left and took an advertis gonian, Umtuch communicates a
zines. When newspapers do write George was mimeographing The
ing job on a weekly paper in Los touch of restlessness and a
about Indians it’s from hear Tymoo, a school paper that bears
Banos,
California
where he longing for the reservation.
the
name
but
not
the
ancestry
of
say.”
An example of the success
stayed
for
four
years.
Trained in
Even in the backroom there SpHyay Tymoo.
Hunters Take Heed
Alex Smith says he’s lucky to
be alive. His close call with an
angry buck while hunting in *he
White Horse rapids area has
provided him with a message for
hunters. Be aware of the dangers
of hunting alone, he says.
Alex was just approaching
the White Horse Rapids area
when he pegged out three does
and a buck dropping over a knoll.
He managed to bring a doe down
with his 30-.06 rifle and was
proceeding to gut it out. He was
almost completing the task when
he heard a thumping noise, fhe
area he was in was clear for
about 100 yards each direction,
according to Alex, so when he
looked up and saw a four-point
buck charging it surprised and
scared him. The big buck came
up so suddenly that Alex only had
time to grab his rifle, fall back,
and squeeze off a shot just as the
animal went over him.
“I sure thought it was the
end of the world for me,” said
Smith. “I made the mistake of
ful off-reservation Indian, Um
tuch still talks of returning to
Warm Springs. “I look forward
to fishing and hunting and catch
ing up with the old people,” he
says with obvious respect for the
traditions in which he grew up.
“I had a chance and I took
it,” says Umtuch about his
decision to leave the reservation.
He and his wife Patty and their
seven children are impressed
with the conveniences and oppor
tunities of city- life, but George
regrets “depriving (his) children
of their inheritance right” by
raising them off the reservation.
But as he feels everyone
should, Umtuch followed his own
“will and spirit.” Amidst “an
abundance of opportunities” a
person must understand what he
himself wants to do and arrange
his life accordingly, Umtuch
believes. “I would like to see kids
introduced to careers, as I was,
and given a chance to pursue
those careers.” Growing up shel
tered does not prepare a young
person to adapt to the world
outside the reservation, he main
tains.
Umtuch’s pursuit of a career
has meant straying far from
home but never forgetting home.
One day he may return with the
gift of information and exper
ience gathered from his trip
down Ad Alley.
Reality Therapy
Workshop
A down-to-earth approach to
the art of adult-youth communi
cation will be presented by Ed
Ford December 7 and 8. Ford, a
certified reality therapist and
father of eight children, has
designed the workshop for adults
and teenagers.
On December 7 tne workshop
will be for adults and will be held
in the Jr. High Library from 9
a.m. to 2:30 p.m. That evening at
5:30, a potluck will be held in the
Warm Springs Elementary cafe
teria, followed by another ther
apy session beginning at 7 p.m.
On Friday, the workshop will
conclude with two sessions for
adults and youth.
The workshop is free to those
attending and will be sponsored
by the Tribal Education depart
ment and Johnson O’Malley
program.
Learning Center Plans Busy Winter
As the
fall term
term comes
comes to
tn an
an
As
the fall
end and more than 90 students
finish up their C.O.C.C. commu
turning my back.”
nity ed classes, the Adult Learn
After the buck n .1 over him, - ing Center is planning an equally
Alex admitted sitting there for a eventful winter term.
few minutes crying because the
Classes will start the week of
pain was so intense and because January 8, with pre-registration
he was scared. Just when he beginning Saturday, December
thought it was going to attack 30 and continuing January 2-5.
again, he looked up and saw it
me Community Center
lying there about ten feet away, should be just as lively through
dead of a broken neck. Alex the winter as it was all fall, with
didn’t realize right away that his nine non-credit and two credit
bullet went through the neck classes meeting daily.
until he had a closer look.
Fall term’s four-credit math
“I saved my own life when I class was so successful that it is
fell back,” said the lucky hunter. being repeated. In addition, a
A week after the fortunate three-credit English Composi
mishap, Alex still suffered tion class will be made available
“charley horses,” continuous for the first time.
cramps, and had a big bruise on
Non-credit classes range
his chest where the big animal
either stepped on him or hooked
him with his horns.
The public is invited to
The moral of the story is
(according to Alex) - Don’t ever attend the dedication of the
hunt alone and if you must, at Umatilla Tribe’s new longhouse,
least let somebody know where an event that will coincide with
you’re going and when you their annual Christmas celebra
expect to return just in case an tion. The dedication is set for
10:00 a.m. December 21. A
accident should occur.
from crafts to animal science to
native languages. Craft enthu
siasts have two classes to look
forward to. Navajo and thermal
afghans will be taught by Mrs.
Fernandez of Madras and Caro
line Tohet will teach beadwork.
Mike Clements will offerfhis
“Warm Springs Then and Now”
course, a historical look at the
reservation similar to classes he
has taught for the school district.
Last year’s successful beef
cattle management class spon
sored by the Extension Service
will be offered again, with an
added course in the care and
diseases of horses.
The Indian Language offer
ings will be expanded with the
addition of a reading and writing
class in Sahaptin for those who
already speak the language. Oral
Sahaptin and Wasco will be
offered again.
Most classes will be held on
weekday evenings with the ex
ception of two shorthand classes
which are slated for afternoons
and a class in creative stitchery
which will meet three Saturday
mornings in February.
Check the next Spilyay Tymoo
for a complete class schedule or
call the Adult Learning Center at
553-1428. The Learning Center,
housed in the Community Cen
ter, is open Monday through
Friday 9-4 and Monday evening
7-10.
The Learning Center will be
closed from December 18 until
January 2, but will open Decem
ber 30 for pre-registration.
Umatillas Invite Public to Longhouse
Dedication
w
followed by prize dancing in the
dinner will follow.
That evening the Christmas
celebration will begin. Prize
dancing and memorials are the
featured events Thursday and
Friday evening. On Saturday a
dinner will be held for veterans,
evening.
Washat services will be held
on Sunday and dinner will be
provided on Christmas Day.
The new longhouse is situa
ted near the community center in
Mission.