Spilyay tymoo., April 30, 1982, Page 5, Image 5

April 30,1982 Page 5
Spilyay Tymoo
Warm Springs and Hawaiian cultures share similarities
by Marsha Shewczyk
Hawaiian student, going with
that student to his classroom.
Many questions were asked
each student concerning Warm
Springs and the way in which
people lived there.
At the same time the
Simnasho Students were able to
see many parallels between the
native American culture and
the native Hawaiian culture.
U n til r e c e n tly n a tiv e
H aw aiians repressed their
culture. The last generation
were not given Hawaiian
names. Now, however, there is
an interest in reviving the
native culture. Children once
again receive names and the
Hawaiian language is taught in
some schools. The native
Hawaiian wants to stay on his
own land because “This is my
land,” one Hawaiian elder
stated.
Simanasho school teacher
Rich Little feels the children
have become “much more
aware of the similarities and
differences in a healthy way, a
more accepting way, “as a
result of the trip.
Many misconceptions about
an unfamiliar culture exist until
a person can actually see the
people and their culture in
operation. Even a week’s
exposure to this new culture
changed any stereotyped ideas
people had about Hawaii and
its people.
O ne S im n ash o stu d e n t
thought for sure that Hawaiian
people lived in tepees until she
arrived there to see typical
wood frame houses. By the end
of the trip the students learned
that these people are much like
those people back at home. The
students were saying, “They’re
so nice to us.”
Despite appealing adver­
tisements both students and
adults learned that Hawaii is
not just the land of sunshine
and surfers. The weather was
not ideal all the time and the
land was occupied by many
people, both those who lived n
the island and tourists. One
child commented, “It’s just like
learning about the students and a big ¿ity.” Hawaii’s number
their home. At one elementary one industry is tourism and
school the Simnasho students many of the people who live
were able to pair up with
Discover Hawaii! What does
that mean to 22 Simnasho
students and adults who
worked hard to take such a trip.
After achieving the goal,
spending a week on the island
of Oahu and returning, just
what has been learned?
Discovering is “finding out”
and “learning about.” The
Simnasho 4-H “ Discovery”
Club’s trip to Hawaii enabled
the group to actually do some
discovering. They were able to
see Hawaii as it really is and to
learn a little ab o u t the
H a w a iia n c u ltu r e . T hey
learned, too, that traveling
takes much planning and is as
valuable as you make it.
The 13 students and 9 adults
making the journey to the
Hawaiian islands were exposed
to many situations demanding
effort at times. They learned to
relax, too, in an unfamiliar
setting, surrounded by an
u n f a m ilia r c u ltu r e . T h e
individuals in the Simnasho
group saw many new things
and many new ways to relate
on interpersonal levels both
within the traveling group and
betw een them selves and
the people of Hawaii. t
Besides m erely seeing
Hawaii on the tourist level the
Simnasho group were both
able to leave a part of
themselves and their culture as
well as take a little Hawaiian
culture back with them .
Through their performances
the students showed the people
of Hawaii some of their own
native American culture. They
demonstrated the dances of
Warm Springs along with a
special song and sign language
performance. The students
with valuable assistance from
accom panying adults per­
formed at the Ilikai Hotel in
Honolulu, at two elementary
schools and at Brigham Young
University.
All who saw the perfor­
mances were very interested in
Toe Ness
There was this guy who had been drinking, went into a bar and sat
down next to this young attractive young girl. H e ordered a drink
and finished half of it, he turned to the girl and said, “Would you
like a kiss?” She looked at the guy and slapped him off the stool.
He got up shook his head sat down finished his drink. He again
turns to the girl and muttered, “I guess that means holding hands
is out of the question?” YIKES
CULTURAL SIMILARITIES—The Hawaiian people like the Warm Springs people are striving to
preserve the basic elements of their culture. This site on the island of Oahu was once used in
Hawaiian cultural activities. Work is being done to restore it.
Spilyay Tymoo photo by Shewczyk
on O ah u a re th e re to
accomodate the many visiting
tourists.
H ighlights of the trip
included swimming in the
warm, aqua-marine waters of
Hawaii and a visit to the
Polynesian Culture Center
sponsored by Brigham Young
University. At the Polynesian
Culture Center the Simnasho
group toured the various
representative villages of the
south sea islands learning
dances of each distinct culture
and games familiar to the
islands’ people. At each
representative village visitors
were able to see how the native
cultures of each island group
lived.
To culminate the visit to the
Culture Center an evening
performance of many native
dances was presented. The
pageantry of bright colors and
rhythmic dances was definitely
a grand finale for the day’s
activities.
The Sea Life Park was a part
of the visit to Oahu, Tropical
sea life was viewed along with
performances by penguins and
Dolphins.
The Hawaiian Council of
Indian N ations on O ahu
sponsored a pot luck dinner the
last night of the group’s stay.
The affinity between native
Americans in Hawaii, visiting
native Americans and native
Hawaiians was felt at this get-
together.
The co uncil was also
responsible for arranging an
e x h ib itio n by S im n ash o
stu d e n ts a t a H aw aiian
reservation school. Lorena Bill
and Hazel Suppah enjoyed a
visit with local senior citizens
also arranged by the workers at
the council.
T h e c h ild r e n o f th e
Simnasho elementary school
“ re p re se n te d b o th W arm
Springs and Oregon well,”
related teacher Rich Little. The
experience is something the
children will never forget.”
“They will be relating back to
these things. They will be
relating to the differences and
the similarities. That will affect
them in a positive way,” Little
expressed.
Along with the experience of
seeing and experiencing a new
culture Little says, “Some of
the relationships with each
other (within the group) will be
stronger. Some will be life­
long.”
The students who made the
trip include: Joseph Rudy,
Joshua Currey, Jay Burger,
Anthony Allen, Lillie Meanus,
Corey Thomas, Starla Green,
Casey Green, Spencer Poitra,
S h a r o ld T h o m a s , R e n a
Suppah, Jo h n Ross and
Ramona Meanus.
Adults accmpanying the
students include: L ucinda
Green, HazOl Suppah, Lorena
Bill, Nancy Tailfeathers, Dale
Spencer, Marsha Shewczyk,
Charles Tailfeathers and Rich
Little.
Powwow at CWU
T he N a tiv e A m e ric a n
Student Association of Central
W ashington U niversity is
inviting any alumni to attend
their powwow which will be
held on May 21, 1982 at the
SUB Ballroom in Ellensberg,
Washington. The powwow will
begin at 7 p.m. Also invited are
any other Indian people who
may be interested in attending
the university someday.
Cash prizes will be given
to men and women contestants
in the Traditional and Fancy
Dance categories. The public is
invited.
F o r m ore in fo rm a tio n
c o n ta c t th e A s s o c ia tio n
president, Mike Hyde, at (509)
865-5250.
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There was this mother who was trying to get her little son to eat all
of his vegetables, She said that he would grow up and be a big
strong man. The little boy said to his mother, “Instead of eating all
my vegetables to become big and strong...couldn’t I just hire a
body guard?” YIKES
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CONFUCIUS SAY: “Difficult to finish with woman with whom
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After a lengthy deliberation the lawyer told his client, “Your wife
agrees with the conditions of the divorce providing she gets
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