Spilyay Tymoo
September 29, 1981 Page 3
W.S. students experience life in Japan
by Marsha Shewczyk
“It was a chance in a
lifetime,” says student Travis
Wells as he told of his
experiences following his trip
with ten other Warm Springs
youth to Japan. For one month
these students lived with
Japanese families and became a
part of their world, unfamiliar
to us.
The eleven Warm Springs
youth and one Madras youth
spent their month with host
families in M ito, Jap an .
Arrangements for the trip and
the host families were made
through the New York based
Council on In tern atio n al
Educational Exchanges.
The students who were able
to participate in the program
include; Eydie Switzler, Allie
Smith, Anita Bryant, Rowena
Begay, Melissa Johnson, Sonja
Bryant, Travis Wells, Jamie
Smith, Bridgett Macy, Minnie
Yahtin, Kristin Englebretson
and Madras student Bruce
Courtain. Mike and Pat Darcy
acted as chaperones for the
group.
Upon arriving in Japan
students were introduced to the
Japanese way of living before
actually going into the homes
o f t h e i r h o s t p a r e n ts .
According to chaperone Pat
Darcy they were shown such
things as how to sleep on tatami
mats. She says, “After a long
while it got easier.”
They were also introduced at
this time to a full Japanese
supper called Hoo-no-ma.
Chopsticks were the eating
utensils. Pat Darcy says, “The
kids had problems but they
learned to use them after a
while and use them well.”
A fte r o r ie n ta tio n th e
Tw o W arm Springs students show their expertise in using chopsticks white on a recent exchange trip
to Japan.
students boarded a train to
Travis goes onto say, “I liked problem with obesity like there
Mito where they were met by where I stayed. There were no is here.”
their host parents and their chairs, they sat on mats...We
Pat Darcy mentioned that,
Japanese advisor, Katsutoshi ate with chopsticks.
because of his size, many
Kogure, who was wearing a
“The high school students Japanese people would stop
western hat. The reason for the
hat he explained to Pat Darcy, dressed like the 50’s. Their and look at Travis. He did not
wear a uniform shirt to school
“I understand to Americans we favorite star is James Dean.
like the other boys because they
all look alike.”
“They are a very clean were unable to fit him for one.
people. When taking a bath
“ O ur kids were really
Travis Wells was able to give they wash themselves off first
pampered,” says Pat Darcy.
an overview of the city and the and then soak in a hot tub.”
home in which he stayed. He
There was one unexpected
says, “Most houses are two
Travis says, “The people I and unfortunate occurence
stories because of space.” He met were always happy. They which caused anxiety for many
says also that the streets are express disappointment if you people, especially for the host
very narrow and people drive don’t like the food.” He also parents and chaperones. After
small cars or motorcycles.
commented, “There is not a being in Japan only three days
Eydie Switzler became ill and
had to* have her appendix
removed. Mrs. Darcy says,
“ She was hom esick and
scared,” but “she was treated
royally there.” Her doctor
would take her to his home a
few hours a day and his wife
would visit her at the hospital.
Eydie was able to join in
activities only a part of the last
week the students were there.
The students were welcomed
to their Japanese school with
an assembly in their honor
during which the band played
America The Beautiful and the
Madras High School loyalty
song. It was an emotional
experience for everyone, Pat
Darcy commented.
During their stay in Japan
the Warm Springs students
were given the opportunity to
a tte n d a J a p a n e s e te a
ceremony, a wedding and a
fu n e ra l. T hey visited a
B u d d h is t s h r in e , w en t
swimming in the warm ocean
and were given a birthday
party. Throughout their stay
they received many gifts.
In turn, the Warm Springs
youth gave a demonstration of
Indian cooking and Indian
dancing. By the end' of their
stay several students were able
to give speeches in Japanese.
After spending so much time
together both the students and
host families had grown very
fond of one another. Pat Darcy
explains, “Parting was a tear-
jerking situation.”
By means of this cultural
exchange students were able to
be a part of a different way of
living. As chaperone Mike and
Pat Darcy say, it was a
successful experience. And
Travis Wells sums it up by
saying, “I know a lot more
about the world, now.”
“W ounded K nee” to
Shaker Church vandalized by bikers
become TV mini-*series A person or persons gained damaged.
at the Shaker Church.
Production of the television
mini-series “Bury My Heart At
Wounded Knee” is one major
step closer to reality.
E v e rg re e n F o u n d a tio n
Films, Inc., (EFFI), based in
Seattle, Washington, has won a
f a v o r a b le c o u r t ru lin g ,
upholding the company’s claim
to the television rights to the
literary work Bury My Heart
At Wounded Knee, written by
Dee Brown.
The book, which the author
describes as a “history of the
American West from the
viewpoint of the American
Indian,” was a best seller in
1971.
The first order of business
within the next week or so, will
be a treatment of “bible,”
according to Jim Thebaut,
president of EFFI and project
producer, who is relieved the
year-long delay on the project
is over. Thebaut is now looking
forward to lots of hard work
that will ultimately result in a
rew arding m ini-series for
television viewers around the
world.
“For the first time, the true
history of the American West
will be presented in a very
h o n e s t, c o m p re h e n s iv e
manner,” Thebaut said. “I
th in k one o f th e m ost
significant reasons that this
project can do so much good is
that until a country deals with
the past, it can’t really come to
grips with its future.”
The point is not to make entrance to the Shaker Church
The vandals opened the door
The damage was estimated
people feel guilty, according to September 17 by ripping off a and rode motorcycles inside. It to be around $ 1,000 which the
ten-foot
screen
to
the
rear
Author Dee Brown. But, the
was believed the same people Tribe will have to pay for. The
real reason for telling the porch of the dining room and b ro k e in to th e A gency
Shaker Church, just recently
story to a mass television breaking a window pane to get Longhouse and also rode remodeled to the tune of
into
the
church.
Several
audience is “so we don’t do it
motorcycles around on the
will cost the tribes
window panes were broken and floor there. However damage $76,900,
again,” he said.
even
more
to repair the damage
The sensitive, im portant fixtures inside the church were was not so bad there as it was the vandals created.
nature of the subject matter of
“Wounded Knee” has attracted
interest in the project among
some of the biggest names in
Hollywood.
For the first time in their
acting careers, the Fonda
family — Henry, Jane and
Peter—will participate in the
same film production. And
Thebaut has also recieved
commitments from many other
top actors including Burt
Reynolds, Marlon Brando and
Will Sampson.
Most major roles, in what is
planned to be a five-part mini
series, will be filled by
American Indians. In fact,
Thebaut said, “only American
Indians will play American
Indians.”
“Wounded Knee” is the first
of several projects planned by
the company which is currently
being reorganized into a larger
multi-faceted motion picture
production company, Ever
green Internation, Ltd., (EIL).
The goal of EIL is to become
the first major motion picture
company to be situated within SENSELESS— M otorcycle-riding vandals entered the Shaker C h urch September 17 through the
window after tearing o ff the heavy screens. Wooden crosses were strewn on the floor, several
the Seattle-Vancouver, B.C. above
other windows were broken and fixtures damaged. R a ja h costs to the tribes ere
market place.
51,000. Nearly 577,000 had Just been spent to renovate the church