r r r r
Spilyay Tvjsioo
Warm Springs, Oregon
July 18, 1996 7
Wasco lessons also instroduces family members-
Culture Camp Language Activities
Kiksht
(Wasco)
Monday
Itshuxdiksh
Family
'""fA m
Ail
1" f
iff
Lgujrulal abjutqix asablal.
Making Campfire Bread.
Thursday
Qawigiqnan kwadau uadmutxmx
Culture Camp Language Actlvitit
Qawigiqndnbama
itgwfwmxat
Camp of learning.
Daushda winamsh kwadau wanaqsh
This is my father and mother.
Daushda Ichgak'ush kwadiu akshkfx
This is my mother's father and mother.
r.7
I
0
4fr
r iiici'LiiMiini
Lgugulal ibrfubaumat
Making Drums
Qawigiqnan kiksht awawat
Teaching Wasco Language
Daushda ichq'ashush kwadau akk'ish.
This is my father's mother and father.
Tuesday
Qidau awawat
Conversation
Daushda ichuxix kwadau waglxt.
This is my younger brother and older sister.
JL
T $
AT
Kw'aia nkiax,
Happy
Qiklaucnaika
I'm Fine.
I I 1
Ifukdikadux
Good Morning.
Wednesday
Qawigiqnan kwadau ux.dmutxmx
Culture Camp Language Activities
PAIUTE
Face Parts
1.
3.
7.
in
2.
4.
6.
8.
10.
12.
Friday I
1. Tsopuhu 2. Aapuhu 3. Mobe
4. Tama 5. Naka 6. Kamoo
Friday H
7. Pue 8. Shoba 9. Tupa
10. Kwo 11. Ego 12. Punutzibu
A W M
0
Dmlmuit
I'm tired.
Ichgmm
I'm sick.
Lduxuchqinan alaxit
kwadau itgamachx.
Making bow and arrows.
Lgiuxlal ilishal
Making shawls
Wewa new Culture and Heritage Director since November
0
(V
Wewa is now Director of Culture and Heritage Department.
New Culture and Heritage Direc
tor, Wilson Wewa, Jr., hopes to
"make a difference" for the Warm
Springs tribes by "keeping cultural
traditions alive." He accepted this
new job at the end of November
1995, after 16 years at the Senior
Citizen Program and will stay for as
long as he can "make a difference for
the tribe." He feels fortunate for the
opportunity to help the Warm Springs
tribes maintain their traditions and
cultures and to voice concerns in In
dian country for retention of Warm
Springs cultures that continue grow
ing and preserve them.
As the Culture and Heritage Di
rector, Wewa oversees the Culture
and Heritage Department, does some
archiving, recording of legends,
stores personal and tribal histories for
all three tribes, administrative duties
and budgeting. His major focus is the
vitalization of the Indian languages.
"Learning the language you have a
better understanding of the ceremo
nies, songs and dances," he says.
Wewa hopes that when people learn
the language they will be more ap
preciative of their cultures.
The eight months that he has been
Director have been "interesting."
Wewa says. "I thought is was going
to be easy, but I found out it was a
lot of work. I'm doing a lot of read
ing, starting to work with numbers
and charts." He is reading about bud
gets because it is a whole new expe
rience for him. Wewa adds, "I'm re
ally happy to be here, it's something
I like doing."
He works with a team of twelve
language instructors, a curriculum
developer, computer programmer,
secretary, support staff and resource
people. They work together to attain
accuracy in their language lessons.
The three languages have different
dialect and ceremonial uses.
During the sixteen years that
Wewa was at the Senior Program, he
saw that program grow. He had a
commitment to help seniors live a
better way or to find a means in
which they can enjoy life longer. "I
helped a lot doing that," Wewa com
ments. Wewa's decision to take this new
job was based on the changes hap
pening in the Senior Citizen Depart
ment "Due to shortages of money,
we were not putting our people first
Money was first Not being able to
do anything about it was hard."
Wewa also found it hard mentally
and emotionally because he was
close to the Seniors and so many of
them are passing on
Wewa has always worked with
Seniors. They taught him Sahaptin
and a little Wasco, songs, legends,
shared their personal history and
many other things with him. In a way
he sees that he was being prepared
for something better. His new job is
that something better.
In his personal life he does many
cultural things involving the
Longhouse. He is also called to do
ceremonies at other reservations, col
leges, universities and special inter
est groups.
Most of his learning is attributed
to his grandma. "She had a lot to do
with teaching me the traditions of my
people. It was through her that I was
able to meet other elders and learn
from them," Wewa says. He enjoyed
sitting and talking with the elders
w hen they told their stories.
Wewa says that Warm Springs has
a living culture, the singing, dancing,
language, bead work, drum making
and things like that continue here.
Wewa hopes to maintain the tradi
tions that are important to this tribe.
It is Wewa's personal belief that
the "Creator put us here and instilled
within us the longing to have an iden
tity. The people of this culture iden
tify themselves as being part of the
Creator himself. Because the Creator
created water, land, sky and every
thing on them, we identify being a
part of those things. Our people no
longer have those teachings that give
them an identity of belonging to the
earth, so children look for other ways
to find identity-gangs, sports teams,
full-time student.
"What is missing is that longing
to have their own identity of being
Native American. If they accept that
and if it is taught in such a fashion
they can identify with it, they feel
pride in w ho they are. The negatives
can turn to positives."
Wewa spoke of how Native
Americans were supposed to be stew
ards of the land but, "you see graf
fiti, broken glass and litter every
where. People from off-reservation
see that and wonder why Warm
Springs can talk about water rights
and land rights, when the reservation
looks like this. It hurts us." concluded
Wewa.