Drugs < ire not the answer
To the people,
I d o n ’t know how you people
feel or realize w hat it is that
you ’re doing to our younger
generation. Ten yearsago I used
to sell different types of drugs,
and because of this, one person
is dead. Seeing alm ost all b f my
friends die because of alcohol
and drugs is insane. W hat peo
ple call fun is becom ing a very
deadly problem with anyone
who indulges in alcohol or drugs.
I d o n ’t see w hats fun ab o u t get
ting beat up, com m itting adul
tery, being stabbed, shot or get
ting into car wrecks, getting
seriously h urt or evén dying. It’s
because of Jesus C hrist and His
love th a t I am w riting this letter
of concern.
It seems no one hardly ever
preaches hard anym ore, like sin
is death, hell is hot, and heaven
pure, and Jesus loves you and
died fo r you and I, to save us
from w hatever it is th at has con
tro l over us (drugs, alcohol)
etc). In Genesis 3:14-19 God
talks ab o u t a curse, because of
one m an’s sin, sin entered into
the world. Verse 18 “and thou
shalt eat the herb of the field.” It
says m an shall eat of the herb
an d not the herb eating man.
People are to have this under
subjection^ but the world we
liv e in is the herb of the field
eating m an, w om an and child
(drugs, alcohol, cigarettes) etc.
P ro v e rb s 20:1 “ W ine is a
m ocker, strong drink raging:
and w hosoever is deceived is
n o t wise.”
We have preachers running
around this country who are
justifying themselves m ore than
they justify God Almighty. Once
give this old warrior, the strength
you’re doing to oUr younger
no m iddle ground, if you die in
your sin y o u ’re going to burn in
hell forever, but if you get right
w ith Jesus you ’ll live in p ara
dise. Som e have fallen away
fro m the gospel o f Jesus Christ,
tipping a bottle, doing dope and
slapping Jesus in the face.
Isaiah 5:11-14,2^ “Woe unto
them th a t rise u p early in the
m orning, th a t they may follow
strongdrink; th at continue until
night, till wine inilam e them.
A nd the harp, and the viole, the
tabert, and the pipe, and wine,
are in their feasts: but they
regard not the work of the Lord,
niether consider the operation
of this hands: Therefore my
people are gone into captivity
because they have no knowl
edge: and their honorable men
are fam ished, and their m ulti
tude dried up with thirst. There
fore hell hath enlarged herself
and opened her m outh w ithout
Pleasure, W oe u nto them that
are m ighty to drink wine, and
men of strength to mingle strong
d rin k .”
Christmas is almost here, Jesus
the son of G od, God is hum an
flesh, being b o rn in a manger,
Christ living am ong men, Christ
dying on the cross for you and I.
Som e people say cuss words
about Jesus Christ. Jesus this,
C hrist th at, it’s very upsetting
when I hear people say things
like that. I m ean how would.you
like it if I used your father,
m other, sister o r brothers name
in every cuss w ord? Jesus means
Savior-C hrist means anointed
one.
M atthew 27:33-35 “And When
they were come unto a place
called G o lg o th a,th at is to say, a
skull, they gave him vinegar to
drink mingled with gall: and
Continued on page 8
Spilyay Tymoo photo by Behrmd
Planners for the future
Mid-Oregon Indian Historical Society board members are (left to right) Jim Southern, Lilly Heath,
Rudy Clements, Marge Ettinger, Dr. Richard Ettinger, L iz Tewee and D on Kerr. The board meets
quarterly and is currently busy working on plans fo r the museum. Other board members include
Nelson Wallulatum, Harold Culpus and Donna Behrend.
“ Give the old warrior the strength to win just one more war”
Note to the Editor: This story
was printed a year ago in the
Rawhide Press o f the Spokane
Tribe. I have been informed
that it has been used in several
Tribal alcobol programs. One
caller told me, th a tit was not
just the story o f one man, that it
applies to. many. I have been
asked to submit it to other Tri
bal Papers, so more people could
benefit from its lesson. Getting
a glimpse through, the window
o f time, into another persons
life, can be a powerful ex
perience.
Inges Mebes
Box 755
Kettle Falls, Washington 99141
738-6027
“The Old W arrior”
by Inges Mebes
The day before rain had cast
its gloom over the, land, b u t this
m orning the sun cam e o u t. Its
brilliance adding to the good
m ood of the crowd; W hat a per
fect day for a powwow.
From the distance I could
hear the drum s, drawing me like
a m agnet, as they always do.
S topping to greet friends here
and there, I m ake my way to the
W ar p à n c e H all and the magic
of yet? another powwow. My
eyes sweeping ove/ the;crbw d.,
looking for a goodplacestt> si t, I
noticed you.
A lthough there were many
people there and the benches
were filling up fast you were sit
ting alone a p a rt from the oth
ers. Your hair looked rumpled,
your eyes dull as if shrouded in
fog. Y our clothes had an un
kem pt appearance and there
was the smell of alcohol about
you. You were not loud or dis
orderly. You were not b o th er
ing anydne but seemed With
draw n from your Surroundings,
A small child smiled up at
you and was about to sit next to
you, b u t was snatched away by
a m other’s hand and ushered
into another direction. I heard
her mutter something about “that
old 4ru n k .” I know you heard it
too.iyou looked as if someone
h ad slapped you in the face.
You looked h urt and sad. So I
sat next to you, hoping to make
up for someone elses th o u g h t
lessness. Y ou looked a t me a
»Toe Ness * >
There was this guy who came into a bar pretty well out of it. He
told the bartender he wanted to throw darts. Bang! He hits-the
b u ll’s eye bang! He hits another one, and again bang! He hits the
bull’s eye. “ D on’t I get a prize?” The bartender didn't know w hat to
give him, all he had was a turtle in a box that he was going to give
his son. He gave the turtle to the drunk and he went out. A tew days
later here he came again, “ Hi, rem em ber me?” “W here is the d art
bo ard. I ’d like to win another one of yOur prizes.” “I can’t
rem em ber w hat the prizes w as.” “ It was that nice roast beef in a
hard bu n .” YIKES
ssssss
j
The flood was com ing to Louisiana and this guy was sitting on his
fro n t porch. The N ational G uard dame by in a jeep and said,
“Y ou’d better com e w ith us, a flood is com ing,” “Nope, I’ll put mv
hands in the Lord, he’ll save me.” After a while the water rose higher
and they cam e by in a boat, the guy was sitting on top of the porch.
Y ou’d better com e with us.” “N ape, the Lord will save me.” The
third time they came on a helicopter as he sat on top of the chimney
and the w ater was rising. “Y ou’d better com e with us.’’“Nope, the
Lord Will save me.” A bout that time there was a big “G lum p”and he
was gone. He was sitting in heaven when the Lord came walking by,
Psst, pst, hey Lord why did you let me die?” “ Well, gee whiz, I sent
a je ep , a b o a t an d even a h elico p ter and you never res
ponded.” YIKES
stranger and greeted me. I re
turned the greeting with dignity.
The drum s started their sdupd
filling every corner o f the ball.
Their echo reaching deep inside
,us,asif.XtyingJ.Q.aAva ke-snnje-
thing, that has been asleep within
Slowly you become alive, your
eyes losing their dullness, begin
to shine. Y our body moving
with the rhythm of the drums.
From your lips comes a chant
new to me, yet sounding famil
iar, m aking me feel J have heard
it before. Som ew here long ago
outside the scope of my memory.
Amazed I watch your tranfor-
m ation. The words of your song
floating to me, like u bird on
silent Wings. I must Jfjstenclosely
to understand you.
You are of an o th er tribe, you
have tfaveled far to g et here.
Always you m ust follow the
powwow, as a bird follows the
season, you m ust answer the
call of the drum s. I close my
,eyes,ishutting out all else except
the beat of the drum s. I follow
your voice into the past: Yott
were young then, so full of life,
hope and plans, for the future.
Y our body was healthy and
strong and you liked to race
with the wind and cunningly
stalk, wild game. N o horse was
so wild th a t you could not tam e
it.
Life on the Reservation was
simple then,, you did not have
m uch, you were p o o r and yet
you felt rich. Then your country
took away from your people
and the life ypu loved. It sent
you to a foreign land, to fight
for freedom. You could not
quite understand why you were
there, so far from home, fight
ing for people whose language
you did not understand and
whose ways were strange to
you*. But your country had sent
you, so you did your d qty and
did not question it.
As the tirtim s stop, you grow
silent, w aiting for them to siart
again before you continue. It ®
your first battle, you are fight
ing shoulder to shoulder^with
your cdm ando, beating th e a t
tackers into retreat. S uddenly
you find yourself alone, isolated
from your group and face to
la c e with an enemy, looking
into the b arrel of his gun. You
have never killed a m an before
in hand to hand com bat. But
now you know th a t it is either
him o r you. F o r an instant you
feel the te rro r o f d eath and you
w ant to run. Then instinct takes
pvrj^.yon-feei.ypuT blood Stir,»■(
Som ething inside of you recalls
your ancestors, the proud war
riors. You let out a war-cry
shrill and penetrating. Com ing
unexpected, it so startles your
enemy, m aking him freeze m o
mentarily. You, use this time to
change. The noise of your gun
blending with the sound coming
from your throat. Then it is all
over..'Your enemy laying at your
feet, all life gone out of him.
You look dow n at him, the first
m an you killed. W hat is it you
feel, you wonder? Remorse for
the young man, not much older
th an you, who now looks so
harmless in death? O r is it a
relief at the conquest, th a t it is
not you laying there in his place?.
Y ou feel Som ething ru n n in g
dow n your cheeks, you wipe it
with the back of your hands. It;
is tears, you discover alm ost
amazed. You had not cried since
you were a child. Almost au to
m atically ypur hand reaches
dow n to touch hini, as if count
ing coup lilce your w arrior an
cestors have done before now.
The w ar goes on, with its suf
fering, death and destruction.
You fight bravely, for w hat your
country stands for. You take
life, but you also save life. Y our
fellow soldiers marvel at your
courage. You are treated as a
hero and decorated for your
bravery. Then the w ar is over.
Victbrious you return home, to
the life ybu had left.
While many details of the war
grow-hazy with the passage of'
tim e /th e mem ory of the first
mail you killed, your first coup
will always stay with you, as
clear as if it had happened yes
terday. Even the fog of alcohol
cannot dim th at p art o f y o u r
life.
’ The drum s have stopped and
you grow silent.»I open.my eyes
and look a t you, in w onder. I
touch your shoulder, convinc
ing myself"that you are real and
not a dream . Then pointing to
the dancers I tell you “You
should not be sitting h e re /It is
out there that you belong. Dress
ed in the trad itio n o f your peo
ple,” You shake your headsadly.
“But you must,” I implore, “Y our,
hearty your soul are out there, in
th at circle.” You turn and look
at, m e »full now. The painful
expression in your eyes is some
thing beyond the description of
words.
1 The drum s have started again,
your body picking up the rhythm,
ypqr voice sounding sad: “ I
have been out there, taking home
many honors, th at is past now.
Now I can only w atch the o th
ers, They much dance for me.
Those drum s, they are my reli
gion, they speak the words of
my h eart.” As you turn away
from me, I understand what it is
you are telling me. You do not
join the dancers, because you
are a d ru n k an d you are
asham ed. You have betrayed
and dishonored your b ody with
alcohol. But you will not disho
n or th e sacred circle' and the
sound ,af.thosedrum s,the4radi-
tion oiffyour people.
So long ago, you cried fo r
your first dead enemy. Now it is
my heart th a t cries for you, a
brave w arrior, who fought with
such courage. You won the b at
tle you fought far away from
hohie b u t you lost y o u r battle
with alcohol and let it defeat
you.
I walk outside into the dark,
away from the crowd. I inhale
the cool air o f the evening and
look a t the stars th at have been
shining on m any generations
and witnessed m any battles, in
victory and defeat. W ith the
sound of the drum s still in my
heart I say “ Oh G reat Spirit,
give this old w arrior .thè strength
to win ju st one m ore war. Let
him defeat alcohol, let him count
coup over the bottle. Let him be
strong and proud once more, so
he cap jo in the dancers in the
circle where he belongs.
Tribal Council Agenda
December 18 Tribal Council Meeting
1.9:00 a.m. Secretary-Treasurer
2. 10:30 a m. Judge A ppointm ents
3. 1:30 p.m. 509-J School D istrict/ D arrel W right
December 19 Tribal Council Meeting
1. 9:00 a.m. Seekseequa W atershed/W ater C ontro
* Board
2. 1:30 p.m. C ourt Jurisdiction/H ow ard A rnett
December 20 Joint Tribal Council/Committee Meeting
8:00 a.m. Kah-Nee-Ta Resort
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