Image provided by: Oregon Historical Society; Portland, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 1982)
Page 8 October 25,1982 The long ride from Alaska Slow mile by slow mile Brad Petty is making his way from F a i r b a n k s , A la s k a to W a tso n v ille , C a lifo rn ia . Unlike other travelers who might take a plane or drive and be there within hburs/or days Petty has been on < the road since Màrch 1981. Traveling the 6,500 (two- way) miles by horse Petty is fulfilling a dream formulated in his youth and along with that he is c a m p a ig n in g fo r thousands of cripple^ children as he encourages folks he meets along the way to give to the Shriner’s Hospital for Crippled Children. Petty’s wife in Watsonville, California says, “he has always loved horses.” Petty’s father was a ferrier. Following in his father’s footsteps Petty, after retiring from teaching school in Palo Alto, California, also shod horses full time. When he was young, Mrs, Petty explains, he always wanted to make the .ride between Alaska and Cali fornia, After retirement the opportunity presented itself. ‘*he’s a restless man and I told him to do what .fie wanted to dp,” Mrs. Petty adder). Since the beg-nning of his trek she has been home taking care of thè house ànq “paying the bills,” Petty mentioned. WithQut her he could not have made the trip. Petty?s ride has, taken place two phases. After riding north to Alaska he sold his horses. Roamer and Revally. He r e tu r n e d hom e to California where he decided his journey was not yet complete. The people who owned the horses were willing to sell them back to Petty in exchange for two registered mares. Petty pulled a horse trailer to Alaska with the horses and was reunited with his own equine traveling companions. Since his arrical back in Alaska Petty has riden up the Alaskan pipeline 100 miles past the Arctic Circle. His most recent ride, however, began in Fairbanks and will end in approximately four weeks when he arrives back home. To mark the many places he has been and people he has met Petty’s hat is adorned with pins and his pack horses carries four f la g s ; A la s k a , B r itis h C o lu m b ia, O regon and California. People he has met along the way have assisted him in many ways. Truckers would stop to ask if he needed anything. Petty reminisced. Usually he would only ask that they bring him feed for his horses. They would drop some by on their next trip through. “Not once did they ;hareg me,” Petty said. Upon meeting people along the way Petty asks them to sign their name and home on a piece of white material carried especially fdr that purpose. The main delight of traveling at a slow pace is being able to meet so many people. It’s not such a lonely way to travel as some would think. Many of the people Petty met on his trip to Alaska invited him to stay in their homes on his return journey. “ You can’t imaging how wonderful people tire. I particularly enjoy the people I stay with at night,” he mentioned. Petty is continuing his journey south on Highway 97 to Klamath Falls. Hell then head toward Mr. Lassen crossing it if the weather is fair. Upon his arrival home Petty will begin work on a book relating his adventures. He has many experiences he wishes to share with people. His campaign encouraging people to donate to the Shriners Hospital is part of these experiences. Petty readily hands out envelopes for mailing contributions to the Shriners Hospital. He doesn’t take donations on the road. Emphasizing the work of the Shriners H ospital Petty explains it is free of charge for children needing corrective surgery. Children of any race, creed or color are eligible if they need the help. Contributions may be sent to S h rin e rs H o s p ita ls fo r C rippled C hildren, 1701 N ineteenth Avenue, San Francisco, California 94122. SPILYAY TYMOO Riding fo r the Shriner’s Hospital crippled children Brad Petty is just returning from A lask. A long the way he encourages people to send donations to the hospital and if any child needs assistance to contact hospital officials. \ y S pilyayT ym ooph oto hy Shewczyk Conference stresses need for cooperative effort by Pat Leno The final note of the three day Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Northwest Confe rence stressed the need for participants to return to their homes with a good, positive attitude to promote the IWCA in their home country. The conference was co-sponsored by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and the Siletz Tribe. The conference was the second in a planned series of three. The first was held at the Yakima Reservation and the next will be held in Lapwai, Idaho in April of 1983. D uring the conference ICWA issues were discussed and possible answers were suggested by federal, state and tribal officialsTrom throughout the Northwest. , T he IC W A of 19 78 established standards for the placement of Indianchildren in foster and adoptive homes. The best interest of the children is p ro te c te d by re tu rn in g jurisdictibn to the tribal courts. Before the passage of the act. it was the common practice . o f 1 the state agencies to remove Indian C hildren from their families with little regard given to placing them in other Indian, homes.. Since the act was passed in 1978, all cases involving Indian children should be transferred to tribal courts when the question of foster care or adoption is involved. The result has been that the question of foster care or adoption is involved. The result has been that the children a re b e in g r e tu r n e d to tra d itio n a l and cu ltu ral fa m ilie s liv in g on th e reservations. In the keynote address Dough Hutchinson, chairman of the ICWA ad-hoc committee for Warm Springs, stated the act is working because it has invoked change but he questioned if the change has been enough; He pointed out that one. area of difficulty has . been the lack of funding to im plem ent the act. The governm ents involved in making the act work have had problems in knowing and accepting their exact roles, according to Hutchinson. He felt the federal government has played a very passive role in monitoring the act and that the states appear to be threatened by the act and seem to generate the feeling that they can’t understand why it was written since state laws cover the issue of adoption and foster care, said Hutchinson. The tribal governments do not always have the full meaning of the act and its impact upon their ability to exert jurisdiction.. He s t r e $Ve d c dm m u n ic a t i o n ,- cooperation and correlation among thethree governments to bring the act closer to its original goal. Funding ’ * - Finding the monies to enforce the act and monies to offer the services which are needed, has been a major draw back in the ICWA accordingto officials. In some cases, it has been necessary for the tribes to use state services as they do not have the services on their reservations. This has not always been taken kindly by state officials as they feel the tribes, in taking over the jurisdiction, should provide their own resources. In writing the act, the federal govem- in their planning for return of available for the support services needed. “lack of funding a major problem” The responsibility has been placed on the Indian tribes and lack of funds often prevents tribes .from having adequate D ivorce and Paternity issues parents are going to court. The programs. Support programs best people to protect Indian The act was not written to rig h ts >are th e In d ia n s have been identified as being vital in ;he transformation of give Indian* parents special themselves, so don’t rely on Indian children going back into privileges in a divorce Sand non-Indians to pass the word to a traditional ’ ana i cultural custody case. It was written in your tribal court. Indian setting. cases of fo s te r c a re , termination of parental rights; Children’s Service Division Foster Parents and Homes pre-adoption placement and adoption. It addresses the . The C hildren’s Service The need for more foster removal of a child from Department (CSD) can be a parents on the reservation has parental custody to ensure that resource to the Indian parent been a need tribes must address a child has the advantages of a but it is necessary for them to in planning for return of traditional and cultural Indian know any Indian blood the children. The responsibility of upbringing. child may carry. They CSD being a foster parent entails The paternity issue’s involve faces budget cuts as are most meeting the needs of the children who are members of governmental agencies. But children in everyday living an Indian tribe or who have the they are a resource and must situations. As one parent put it, right to be a member of a tribe. not overlook any rights of “Children don’t play by the The paternity of the child must Indians. They know of the: rules. Raising children is a joy be established by the court and ' different avenues available to > and gorilla welfare.” The need by court order within the patents^• i s t for a place to house children meaning of the act. “Need seen for updating until they go to a faster home is needed on most reservations. Adoption Issues intake forms” a h Warm Springs is ahead of other Leroy Wilder, Siletz tribal // ‘ At' this'time, the CSD offices areas in that respect with the attorney said the all .Indians áfé in tíje Jfrocéks of making Vern ' Jackson home and the. tribail group home serving as^ who appear in court outside ' rules Which will jeritail getting reservations, land s ft must be ¿more mput dt a fastej rate from temporary shelters. ¡remembered fhey^'are; ;ra n the field. Each* case is being “ C om m unication and Anglo-America n court system dealt with on an individual c o o p e ra tio n prevent and the judge hearing the case basis. The agencies see a need is in all liklihood, an Anglo- ¿‘for* a clearinghouse for misunderstanding” American. This value system is “ information. It has been an different than tribal couifts. All oversight by the state juvenile State/Tribal Agreements p a re n ts faced w ith the • courts in not including ICWA termination of their parental .initspresentprocedure. There is a definite need for rights have the right to an Important reminders to all the states and tribes to work attorney. They have thfè rightto Indian people are: 1) it is out agreements to identify all resources available to them necessary for tribes to exert problems before they arise. Art and the right to “good social jurisdiction to preserve their Bensell, chairman of the Siletz work.” rights given in the act but they Reservation, pointed out that need to be notified of the case; learning to work with the state “State rules for evidence 2) it is necessary for all parties can be an asset for tribes. It is are important factors” to meet the requirements that im portant to gain these the state requires for evidence; Evidence must be given at 3) Make certain the people you agreements to speed up the present processes now being the offset that the child is an are dealing have the authority In d ia n and th e p ro p e r to make a decision for their used. Agencies felt a real need for authorities of the child’s tribe agency; 4) Make certain the agreements in the management must be notified. Before a tribe agencies know of the Indian of the act. The State of Oregon and the proper authorities of blood and with which tribe had proposed a blanket the child’s tribe must be the child is affiliated. agreement written to cover all notified. Before a tribe can The act is there and it is for tribes in Oregon but have assert jurisdiction over an the Indian child and his best decided this is not the best Indian child in state courts, interests but the parents must vehicle and are now looking at they need to know as soon as be sure to start the process possible that the child and agreements with each tribe. correctly.
