Spilyay Tymoo
Warm Springs, Oregon
April 1,1994 Pages
Warm Springs Elementary News
CALENDAR UPDATES
April 4th-Back to School-Regular
Day
May 25th-No Kindergarten
Early dismissal.
May 30th-No school-Memorial
Day Holiday
PHONE NUMBER CHANGES
Due to phone problems, effective
March 9th, the phone number for
Simnasho School has been changed
to 553-6023. We apologize for any
inconvenience that his may have
caused.
FIREBUSTER CONTEST
RESULTS
On Tuesday, March 8th Fireman
Bob Sjolund came to the awards as
sembly to announce the winners of
the recent Firebuster Contest. Kin-dergarten-Rayann
Katchia & Weston
Heath, First Grade-Juila Stwyer &
Matthew Craig; Second Grade
Julienne Govenor & Jackson
Mitchell; Third Grade-Shayla Frank
& Richard Rowe; Fourth Grade
Nicole Main & Devery Arthur; Fifth
Grade-Krysta Rhoan & Oscar
Queahpama. The grand prize winner
of the bike was Louis Smith from
Mrs. Comment's fourth grade class.
Classes who turned in the most for
each grade were: Mrs. Fuentes, Mrs.
Cook, Mrs. Adams, Miss Ohman,
Mrs. LaPage and Mr. Phillips.
CENTRAL OREGON ARTS IN
EDUCATION
COAIE and the Redmond Park
District will be hosting a Native
American Day on Saturday June 1 1 th,
from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on the
grounds of the Redmond Park Dis
trict Office. We are looking for art
ists that are willing to demonstrate
andor offer simple workshop
classes. In exchange, artist will be
offered a small honorarium and a
free booth space in which they could
sell or display their own wares. A
small amount would be available to
cover mileage and an effort would be
made to provide food for participants.
Individuals wishing to set up or stay
overnight on Friday evening may do
so with the pool rest room area open
for your use at no charge. If you
know of other individuals at Warm
Springs that might be interested in
participating in this event (foods,
dancing, drumming, children's ac
tivities, information booths, etc.),
please contact Gretchen Bass at 9320
4860. CAMBELL'S SOUP LABEL
UPDATE
Recently, the Campbell's soup
labels were trimmed and counted to
see where WSE stands. We did reach
our goal of right at 4,000 labels, but
will be holding them until next year
to try and trade them in for a larger
prize. As mentioned in an earlier
newsletter, it takes almost 3,000 la
bels just to get a basketball. Please
continue to send in labels throughout
the year. Thank you for your support! !
INSIGHTS FOR PARENTS
Helping Children Focus On Sav
ing Our Earth
As our country celebrates Earth
Day on April 22, much attention will
be directed at ways we can make our
world a better place to live. We would
like to invite you to work with us to
continue the important focus on our
environment throughout the year.
Here are some ways you can help
your children understand how unique
and precious our environment is and
how they can enhance it for future
generations:
Recognize that you are a role
model. One way you can do this is by
practicing and involving your chil
dren in waste recycling. By separat
ing the garbage and being responsible
for saving recyclable materials, your
children can play an important role
in helping our environment.
If money is earned from the alu
minum cans, glass or newspapers
you return, let your "helper" snare in
some of the profits.
Discuss the concept of recyclin,
with your children. Better yet, as
your children to explain the advan
tages of recycling and the uses of
recycled materials.
Take family outing to zoos,
aquariums and museums and take
the time to notice exhibits of extinct
animals or endangered species. Talk
about what that means.
Develop a family recycling or
waste reduction project. You can
reduce the amount of waste you con
tribute to land fills by being aware of
product packaging, reusing bags or
using canvas bags when you go to the
store and using reusable instead of
disposable containers. Ask your
children for other ideas.
Encourage your children to expe
rience nature first-hand. Go on walks
together. Count the stars and planets.
Hunt for fish in a stream, identify
edible weeds or look for new birds in
your neighborhood.
Read about and discuss local and
national environmental issues. Let
your children know why you are
concerned about a particular issue
and discuss what stand your family
can and should take.
As a family, take personal respon
sibility for keeping your street free of
trash and litter.
Contact your local electric andor
gas company for energy-saving tips
and enlist your children's support in
implementing some of them (such as
turning off lights, closing doors and
reducing laundry volume, thus using
less hot water, etc.) by explaining the
impact of savings on our environ
ment. Insights for parents is provided
by your child's school in recognition
of your role as a partner in education.
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John Katchia, III was born Saturday, March 26. He weighed a whopping J 1 lbs., 14 oz and was 23 inches long. He is
affectionately known as "Lil' Sky" to those of us at Spilyay. UT Sky joins sister Toya, three. His parents are John and
Saphronia Katchia, Jr.
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mmm r aapnroma n.aicma,jr.
Iff SeaS" Gathering of Nations to begin April 21
Happy 3?? Birthday-
Richard
From brother Chuck &
Suzie
Well, people "It s that time of the
year again! Look for your mitt and
dust off those running shoes. Come
out and "Play Ball!"
This year I've only got three of
my own trying out, Rocky, Willyum
and Dawn. I'll be busy, myself.
Coaching T-ball again! I hope this
season will be just as good as last
With the help of their team 's coaches,
my children got to make it to their
games while I was working with my
own team. Thank.
Little League had a fund raiser
selling candy and pepperoni sticks
last year and Rocky sold the most
He earned two tickets to the April
12th Trailblazer Game. I'm so proud
and happy for him! But, I'd like to
thank our community for your sup
port and sponsoring little league in
their efforts of raising money.
A few problems from other sea
sons I'd like to address: our biggest
"problem" is there's no bathroom
facilities available near our playing
field (sorry), no cleats are allowed
for t-ball players but (on the other
hand) sturdy running shoes are re
quired. I'll only be responsible for
my own team members (and my own
children) at practice or games. Any
extra brothers or sisters of the play
ers need a baby-sitter to care for their
well being and needs! I'll be able to
provide drinking water, but my play
ers need to bring their own sip cups
or something to use to drink from.
Thanks.
Tammy J. Kalama
An International World
Celebration of Indigenous People
"Gathering of Nations" is to begin
April 21, 1994, at the University of
New Mexico Arena "The Pit," in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. There
will be over$70,000 to be awarded to
contest winners. The three day event
is co-sponsored by The University of
New Mexico and is North America's
biggest powwow. Powwow will
feature the Indian Trader's Market,
Miss Indian World contestandspecial
contests. The public is invited to
attend. Admission fee is $5.00 for
Friday and $6.00 for Saturday, $9.00
for both days, group rates available
also.
Powwow schedule is as follows:
Thursday, April 21: Registration
; for dancers opens from Noon to 5 :00 ,
p.m. at the Host Hotel. Friday and
Saturday, April 22, 23: Noon Grand
entrycontest dancing; 5:00 p.m.
Gourd dancing; 7:00 p.m. Grand
entrycontest dancing.
9:00 p.m. crowing of Miss Indian
World (Saturday).
Contest categories include: Tiny
Tot Girls (all styles), Jr. Girl's fancy
jingle and traditional (divided), Teen
Girl's fancy & jingle (divided), Teen
Girl's Traditional (north and south
combined), Women's fancy and
jingle (divided). Women's Northern
Traditional buckskin, Women's
Southern Traditional buckskin,
Women's Traditional Cloth,
Women's Golden Age (50 & over),
Tiny Tot Boy's (all styles), Jr. Boy's
fancy, grass and traditional (divided),
Teen Boy's fancy (north and south
combined), Teen Boy's Grass, Teen
Boy 's Northern Traditional, Southern
Straight, Men's Northern Fancy,
Men's Southern Fancy, Men's Grass,
Men's Northern Traditional, Men's
Traditional, Southern, Straight,
Men's Golden Age (50 & Over),
Men's and Women's Elders (70 &
over). Special contest include:
Women's jingle sponsored by
Charlene KJien family from Taylor,
Michigan; Men's Southern Straight
Sponsored by children of Johnny
Houghs; The "Super Shawl"
women's fancy (30 & over)
sponsored by Melanie Mathews
($1 ,000 cash to one winner 3 day
ocean cruise and gifts $3,500 total
package), Consolation gifts to all
participants.
Drums invited to Gathering of
Nations are: Whitefish Bay (1993
World Class Champions), White Fish
Bay, Ontario, Canada; Eagle
Mountain, Kyle, South Dakota;
Assiniboine Jr.'s, Long Plain,
Manitoba, Canada; Southern
Thunder, Hominy, Oklahoma; Stoney
Park, Morley, Alberta, Canada; Fort
Oakland Ramblers, Ponca City,
Oklahoma; and all drums welcome.
For more information contact:
Gathering of Nations, P.O. Box
75102, Albuquerque, New Mexico
87194; (505) 836-2810(800)551-6291;
FAX (505) 839-0475. For
Miss Indian World information ask
for Melanie Mathews.
Host Hotel is Fred Harvey Hotel
at the Albuquerque International
Airport, (800) 227-1 1 17(505) 843
7000. Not responsible for accidents or
theft. Alcohol, drugs and weapons
not permitted.
Darcy named Parent of the Year by National Indian Education Association
by E.K. Caldwell
for News From Indian Country
In a time when parents receive
media attention for abuses like aban
doning their children to go on vaca
tion in Mexico or chaining their
children to a bedpost and leaving
them home alone as a punishment, it
is heartening to know there are par
ents who understand the value of
honoring and loving our children,
the future of our nations.
Tucked in the small community
of Siletz, Oregon, there lives a mother
of five who has long been recog
nized in the state for her ongoing
dedication to the well-being of chil
dren. In October 1993, Pat Darcy, of
Northern Cheyenne and Ojibway
descent, was unanimously recog
nized by the National Indian Educa
tion Association as the Native Parent
of the Year. Unaware that she had
even been nominated, Darcy stated
she was "honored, but shocked. I
never expected this."
She is the second award recipient
from the region in the past 25 years,
and is especially honored because
the previous recipient was her men
tor. Verbena Greene of Warm
Springs, where Darcy was raised.
Until the 1970s, Oregon had no
concept of "Indian education." Darcy
initiated an Indian Parents group
during this time "because we started
realizing our kids were off the reser
vations and in urban areas. In the
public school system, they were be
ing left out worse than ever, and it
prompted us to take some action."
This action resulted in her in
volvement in the original ad hoc
committee that introduced and insti
tuted the idea of Indian education
throughout the state. She has been
active in the Oregon Indian Educa
tion Association and various com
munity activities, including work
with the local women's shelter.
Currently planning yet another
statewide OIEA conference slated
for the spring, her ongoing dedica
tion to young people and to educa
tion continues to make a valued con
tribution. Recently Darcy took time
from her always busy days to spend
a morning discussing her percep
tions about parenting and young
people.
Q: You've been working with
women and youth for a long time
now. What do you see as the major
trends and patterns of difficulty with
our youth?
Darcy: I've been really rethink
ing that as of late. I think because I
have been here and have been in
volved for so many years, that I've
seen where kids didn't have any
thing. Kids would have to put to
gether a buck for gas so they could
all pile in a car to get somewhere and
drag the streets.
Then I saw the tribes getting
money and I saw drugs a lot of
drugs and then I saw death because
of drugs and alcohol. Most were car
wrecks, solely because of drugs and
alcohol. Many young people will
never reach the age of forty. I read
somewhere that most deaths of youth
are directly related to drugs and al
cohol. We didn't have that before.
We had horses.
We went swimming. Put our
money together for gas if we were
lucky enough to be going somewhere
in a car. We were more involved in
the community. And we were able to
have leaders come from that in our
era.
Q: Why do you think so many
youth
aren't in
volved tn
the commu
nity in that
way any
more? Darcy:
Because
they're
handed too many "things" and they
got spoiled. They're not having to
work for it I'd like to see it go back
to where the kids are more respon
sible, but I don't know if we'll ever
see those days again because there's
too much greed for money. Now it's
expected, not earned.
Q: What about our youth who are
disenfranchised and who are basi
cally lost and confused and running
amok with this wannabe gangster
mentality in which their sense of
power is based in violence? Why
aren't they connected to the commu
nity? How are we losing them?
Dairy: I think it's because of pa
rental involvement You used to see
alot of parents involved. You don't
see that anymore. Yon see the kids
being sent to something.butyou don't
see the parent accompany that child
and the parent doesn't take responsi
bility. Parents are into alcohol and
drugs and they set those kids aside
and let them go without any direc
tion. These kids have no direction.
They don't know how to follow rules
and regulations from anybody. And
they end up hurting themselves and
hurting their families.
Q: Do you think alot of people in
this country just don't know how to
parent?
Darcy: I think so. I was taught by
my grandmother and there were more
family oriented things. My grand
parents were a really big part of my
life and my aunts and my cousins.
We were all one big family.
And happy. Cooking, learning,
doing things together. Learning tra
ditional ways. It was wonderful. You
don't have that anymore. You have
parents giving kids money to get
lost. To get out of their hair so the
parents can party. It's come to that
now. I ' ve seen it and it's sad. All they
want to be is little kids and what
they're doing instead is trying to act
like what they've seen on TV.
Tough guys. What they really want
is to be
loved and
to feel
loved. No
one
should
p u t
shame
and doubt
in them.
That's abuse.
Q: Do you think it's possible to
reclaim our children from the street
and the drugs and the violence and
the confusion?
Darcy: Thai's a real tough ques
tion. I don't see alot of parents that
know how to do that (long pause) or
want to learn. Only if they've hit
bottom, like with drugs and alco
hol men all of a sudden they want
to learn how right now. But until that
happens, we'll have these kids lost
generation after generation.
Q: What do you think about the
ideas some have about parenting
courses and mandating people to
come in and get trained to be par
ents? Darcy: I have a friend who is
Number one rule in parenting.
"Listen to your children. Don't
tell them to shut up and go
away."
Kids "don't know how to
follow rules.Jhey end up
hurting themselves and..their
families"
directly involved with that. After lis
tcning to her, I've come to the under
standing that it's like a bandaid ap
proach, but you have to start some
where. And these are our kids' lives
at stake here.
Q: What skills do you think it
takes to be a good parent?
Darcy: I have no problems an
swering that One. And that's to lis
ten. Listen to your child. Don't tell
them to shut up and go away.. And
respect that little human being for
what they are. They're real and part
of you.
Don't
snoosh
them out the
door. Let
them speak
to you.
Q: What
would you
say to par
ents who are trying t learn to listen
and their children tell them things
they don't want to hear?
Darcy: I'd stuff it, as the adult, so
you can talk to that child. I would talk
about birth control and make sure
there's no an unwanted pregnancy
because they're too young to be par
ent I had to have talk like this with my
kids. And you have to be up front
with them, like, "Okay, you wanna
smoke some pot or do some crank or
crack or whatever," then you say, "I
want to show you something." And
you show them their counterparts in
their age groups in state hospitals
and treatment centers and de-tox
centers.
They need to see that That's ex
actly what needs to happen with lots
of these kids. It takes time to d this.
And parents have to be involved.
When I was raising my kids, I didn't
work outside the home at all. Cause
I don't go for that Not anymore. At
first I thought I did with all this
working business for women, but I
don't go for that anymore.
Q: What about the moms who
have to work? The single mothers,
and fathers, who are heading single
parent households?
Darcy: That's a hard one. You
would have to almost be a
"superparent" to be able to put you
job and your tiredness and your life
aside you have to put it aside t deal
with your kids. These kids need at
tention. They have to come first.
Q: There are thousands f single
parent female headed households in
this country more than ever before.
There are so many absent fathers.
What would you say to the men in our
communities who have chldren that
they don't keep in contact with and
take responsibility for?
Darcy:....These are real kids. It's
time to be responsible. Or else some
day a knock will come on your door
to let you know your child is dead.
And
that's
exactly
what
h a p -pens.
The
chances
f these
kids liv
ing are worse than the chances for
kids living with two parents who are
involved with them.
Q: Earlier we talked about the
extended families that some of us
were fortunate to be raised with and
how that can help us have a founda
tion and understanding about fam
ily. Now there is suspicion and dis
trust between us, and abuse happens
more with people children know than
with strangers. Do you have any sug
gestions about what communities can
do to create safety and a sense of
family for the children?
Darcy: The chldren must be sur
rounded by good people who love
and care for that child. And those
kids who have that they know it
They're very respectful and when
they become disrespectful, one of us
will say something to those kids, and
make sure those kids know we are
saying, "We love you and that our
hearts are connected as if the same
blood runs through our veins as runs
through yours."
I've connected to alot of kids be
cause the parents don't want to be
parents. It involves getting to know
one another more honestly as adults
so we can communicated and mist
one another more. You have to know
who you can trust, especially with
your kids.
Q: When you think of this work to
which you have dedicated yourself,
what comes into your heart and your
mind?
Darcy: I never knew what uncon
ditional love was. I knew what love
was, but I didn't know what uncon
ditional love was. I know what it is
now. It means our hearts and our
minds are connected, even when we
disagree.
Every tribe has their problems and
has their kids nobody wants. That's
why I wish I had a big house that
would cover all these acres and I
would take them all in. I feel like I
have this much love to share. Not the
knowledge, mind you, just the love.
The longer we're out of the bottle
and the drugs and the abuse, the hap
pier we can be. We're going back to
feeling our Indian spirit again.
It still exists you can open that
up. It doesn't have to leave you be
cause you're in prison or you're
drinking and drugging. But when the
drink and all the things leave you,
well, you want to have your spirit
that's what's left That makes sense.
And the kids want to know about
the spirit Seek the counsel of others
more experienced than you are. These
young girls and boys, we need to
help them to realize how unique and
special they are. Honor yourself.
Don't get into the bottle or the drugs
or alot of the white ways. You will
find peace if you do it the Indian way.
Keepers of the Treasures
Conference
May, 2, 3 and 4, 1994
Kah-Nee-Ta
For more information, contact Culture Heritage
Committee Members, Culture Heritage Department or
La I m
y u-uuurai resources
4