? E Coosh EEWA: The wgy it is
Spilyay Ty moo April 5, 2001
Spilyay Speaks
Winter dryness may
bring summer heat
Everything points toward a drought year since there was no
snow to talk about this year. The snow pack is far below
normal and we could be in for a hot summer. There could be
a lot of fires around the country. That we don't need; or
maybe I should say, "Vie need that like we need a Hole in the
Head."
Was at the post office and saw a poster showing where they
will be doing some controlled burning. Gosh, let's hope we
don't have another 1 Iche burn. A burn where we lost a lot of
dollars in burned timber. And to make things sound good the
Natural Resources said we will go in there and re-seed the
area. Which is just a waste of money as you know it will
regenerate on its own, that was sort of a cover-up for their
mistake in letting the fire get away.
On the Tcnino Bench there was a real good stand of new
growth of Ponderosa Pine, perhaps 30 to 50 years old. They
go in there with their broadcast burn to get rid of the debris
but instead they burn the whole works, losing about 50 years
of timber growth. They can give all kinds of excuses like
there were bug infested trees or there was mistletoe, but I've
been around timber long enough to know there were no such
things at this site.
At one time there were brush pilers with the logging
companies and during the fall and winter months they
burned those brush piles and there was no damage done to
the young timber that was growing in that area.
Well, with the dry season coming, wonder how the vegeta
tion is coming along, like the roots. This is the time for all
the Root Feasts to be held before people can go out to harvest
their roots. This will probably be a short season for the roots.
Like they say if there isn't much snow in the high country
there won't be a very good huckleberry crop. The season
could be a very short one too, but let's hope there will be
enough of a crop to produce some berries.
This could affect a lot of things around the country, like a
short growing season for livestock feed and the price could
rise a lot to store enough feed for the coming winter. This
will not only affect the domestic animals, but the wildlife also
as there won't be an abundance of feed for them to survive on
during the long winter ahead. Haven't heard how the roots
are out on Webster Flat, heard they were in pretty good shape
over at Lu-Lu-Kush Butte. Yep! We've got to keep up with our
traditional foods like roots, fruits, wildlife, deer, elk, bears,
wild turkeys and such. The spring fish run should be coming
in soon to Sherars Bridge, where all the scaffolds are set up
each spring. The fishermen are starting subsistence fishing on
the Columbia River, using their gillnets to catch fish.
At one time before The Dalles Dam went in there was a
place called the Big Eddy, where there was good spring
fishing. The spring runs were plentiful and the fishermen did
real well for themselves.
The big fall run was a sight to see at Celilo Falls, where
tribesmen from all parts of the northwest gathered to do
some fishing. They gathered by the thousands to fish and that
drew the tourists just to watch the Indians fish on those rocks
at the falls. Cable cars were set up from shore to the islands
where fish were brought in by the tons. There were guys that
came out of there with new cars all paid for in cash, from the
fish they sold when the big run was on. And there were some
fishermen who didn't do so well, and went home broke.
The big one that got away was the story for many guys
who didn't make it fishing. Yep! Today we can only dream of
those days when the salmon ran up the river and men caught
them with dip nets, along the banks of the mighty Columbia
River.
Today the dams have been installed and flooded all those
good fishing places and we can only dream or think of them
and wonder what it might have been like today if they didn't
flood all those fishing sites, would the fish runs still be there
or have they be depleted like everything else. Today there are
only a handful of fishermen on the river as compared to the
good old days in the past.
We have only the Sherars Bridge area where scaffolds are
set in for some net fishing, but that is not near what it used to
be along the Columbia River.
Letters to the editor
Editor's Note
Spilyay Tymoo welcomes letters from its readers. All
letters, preferably 350 words or less, must be signed by
the author and need to include a phone number for
verification or questions. Letters will not be printed unless
signed. All letters are the opinion of the author and do not
reflect in any way the opinion of Spilyay Tymoo.
Spilyay Tymoo reserves the right to edit all copy or
decline publication of material that exceeds length guide
lines or contains libelous or malicious statements.
Seeking photograph
To the editor,
Here is a letter to the Winishut
family, as of January 31" kith of my
parents have died who were Martin
and Linda Hannigan. Pauline
VC'inishut had a picture of my par
ents together. I would love to have
that picture.
Thank you very much for your
help in this request.
Their youngest daughter,
Trudy Hannigan Jaramillo
I'O Box 175
Brownstown, WA 98920
Letters sought
To the editor,
Niix Pachwai Inmima
Naimuma!!
My Indian name is "Twinashat"
and my En
glish name
is Lawrcn
John
Slockish.
My parents
are Mr. &
Mrs.
Wilbur Jr.
and Suic
Slockish.
My dad is
from
Klickitat tribe and my mom is from
the Warm Springs tribe.
I am currently in the military ser
vice at Ft I lood, Texas and I have a
year and half more to go here. I
would enjoy any letters from my
people. I get lonely for my Indian
people and I wish to get to know
new people through the letters. If
you can please take the lime to write
to me.
1 am 19 years old and I graduated
from Wishram High School in
Wishram, Washington in June 1999.
1 left for Ft. Benning, Georgia on
July 28, 1999 and graduated in No
vember 1999 from Ft Benning and
was stationed in Ft. Hood, Texas
where I am currently at.
I enjoy listening to wardamc and
Vashut music and also the modern
music of today. I am always kept
busy here, but I will do my best to
answer any letters, but the main
thing would be to hear from people
from home.
, Thank you!
Lawrcn Slockish
Good job team
Spilyay F.ditor:
Congrats to the J.C.M.S. girls' 8"
grade basketball Blue team: Jaylyn,
Dcz, Jaqueline and Raylene on an
awesome 9-1 season! Good job. Keep
working at your game.
Suppahs
Congrats to player
Congratulations to Billic Suppah
on being selected to the Tri-River
All-League Second Team and lead
ing Chemawa Indian into the Class
2A State Play-offs (Hppg. 5 apg,
4spg). Best wishes for the future.
Suppahs
Spirits take third
To the Editor,
The Chief Spirits competed in
the Annual Basketball Against Al
cohol and Drugs Tournament on
March 26 27. I would like to thank
the girls that played for my team.
They all did a wonderful job and I
am very proud of the way they
played. I would also like to thank
Grandma Gladys, Sylvia McCabe,
and Rhonda Atencin for their added
support and help with the team. My
team competed in the age 10-12 year
old bracket, they were up against
girls that stood over them by 5-10
inches, but still managed to defeat
most teams. The girls were defeated
by Lipwai in their first game, which
meant they had a tough struggle to
win their way back up through the
back door. They won several games
before they got their second loss to
Syntec from Pendleton for the third
place award in the tourney. We re
ceived a third place plaque and
crewneck sweatshirts. Brianna
Stacona received an all star for the
team, good job Brianna!
My team looks forward to this
tourney every year and we would
like to thank all the sponsors that
made this possible. It was good to
sec other Warm Springs teams there
also, which brings me to a totally
different subject that I would like to
bring out. In watching the kids from
Warm Springs play I noticed that
there was something lacking in the
performance of the players. It then
dawned on me that is was practice,
we all lacked practice. It then angered
me that we had a so called "Com
munity Center", with a nice gym
and enough room and time for all
teams to practice basketball.
This community center is now
the Boys & Girls Club. I had tried
to get my team to go down there to
get as much practice as they could
but they were not interested in this
at all. I tried to attend with them
but later was told I could not be in
the gym if 1 was not a coach. I think
of all the programs and the people
that arc shut out of the gymnasium
because of the Boys and Girls Club.
Parents aren't even allowed to sit in
the gym and watch their children
practice. I sec the reports with the
numbers made to look good in the
newspaper and how good the club
is doing but when you arc actually
there at the gym the number of chil
dren isn't so high as they chum it to
be. How many children and adults
do not go to the Community Cen
ter anymore because of this club?
How are we supposed to be the
I lealthiest Nation when we arc shut
out from the gym? I low are the kids
going to perform during tourna
ments when there are no structured
practices for teams? I would like to
air my opinion because this makes
me sad that we always have to change
things that do not benefit the young
people of our Tribe. And then we
wonder w hy there is so much alco
hol, drug use, gangs, teenage preg
nancy, and runaways. I am thankful
for all the youth coaches that put
on tournaments for our kids to keep
them busy and keep them looking
forward for something positive to
da This much I would like to share
because it has been bothering me
throughout the basketball season.
Deannie Johnson
Getting ready for vision of empty tomb
To the editor,
Hello from Pastor Rick. Easter is
here. April 15. What does the empty
tomb mean to you? Jesus Christ who
was a brown skinned man. He loved,
laughed, cried and. was angry. I le
also was God.
We go from the baby born. To
the bloodied cross. An empty tomb.
Standing before Thomas. And then
finally to a room filled with fire and
wind.
All of this and more that speaks
of the love of God for us. Are you
ready for Easter???
I read a story from "Stand Firm."
It is about temporary contentment.
A mother and son were outside
-when a tornado surprised them. The
mother clung to a tree and tried to
hold her son.
. But the swirling winds carried
him into the sky. He was gone. The
woman began to weep and pray:
"Please, O Lord, bring back my boy!
He's all I have. I'd do anything not
to lose him. If you'll bring him back,
I'll serve you all my days." Suddenly
the boy toppled from the sky, right
at her feet - a bit mussed up, but
safe and sound. His mother joyfully
brushed him off. Then she stopped,
looked to the sky, and said, "He had
a hat, Lord."
Found in front of the Presbyte
rian Church, a set of keys, Dodge
Ram and other keys.
Hug someone you love. Hug
someone you dislike. No alcohol or
tobacco for children. One day at a
time. Buckle up the kids and your
self. Don't hit or beat on yourself.
Pav vour bills before gambling, then
stay home. Read the Bible for its ef- ,
. feet on your heart... '.'1 1'..
Pray to God to the point of your ,
hearing Him. Honor someone. Love
yourself. Like yourself. See you in
church. '
Pastor Rick R. Ribeiro
WS Presbyterian Church
On the campus
Columbia's crashing stays in memory
By George Aguilar
The crashing, violent stream
of the wild Columbia River will soon
be taking place. The setting is about
March 15, 1930, a 64-year-old
grandpa is commuting to the Colum
bia River area to establish a fishing
scaffold at his fishing station located
at Cascade Rapid Falls.
During his trip to the river,
there will be a brief stop to visit their
daughter who resides at House No.
44, Washington St., The Dalles.
James Polk Jr. and Hattie arrive
March 29, 1930 at this residence.
They also came to visit and see the
new grandson that was born on
February 22. The grandson's father is
employed at a bank in The Dalles.
This grandpa's son-in-law's life will
be snuffed out a year and a half later
by the furious Cascade Falls. Editor's
note: this information is taken from
my baby record book. Seven years
later, this portion of the Columbia
River, with its deafening roar, will be
stilled by Bonneville Dam. The !
grandpa never lived long enough to
see it happen.
Despite the dangers of this
river, those that become familiar
with fishing it will return again and
again, defiantly challenging the
river's fury. Just 22 years later, the
wild Columbia River will engulf the
lives of five more family members.
The untamed river, during the snow
melt off at Five Mile Rapids had a
sort of hypnotic effect, perhaps the
ancestors of old, crying out the
warning of the taming and the
slaughter of this wild river.
The aftermath of the previous
year's snow melt brought in large
boulders, some of them were the
size of automobiles. They were
strewn all over places they had never
been before. On the Five Mile
Rapids, the high positioned fishing
stations were often left in place for
the next spring fishing season. To
make these fishing stations produc
tive, boulders would have to be
removed. If they were left in place
the result would be an alteration of
current flow, causing the fishing
station to be useless.
As a youngster, I'd experienced
the harvesting of the eels in the
shallow narrow channels and
watched the elders harvest vast
amounts of the early spring chinook
salmon run. Later, in some of my
teen years, I helped with the fishing,
constructing nets, and sometimes
assisting with the blasting of huge
boulders. When the bright spring
run chinook salmon came, they
ascended the river so fast they were
still infested with sea lice.
The early spring chinook run
came just as the spring snow melt
off began to take effect. This species
weighed about 8-25 pounds. In the
earlier times I was told they came by
the thousands, hugging the Colum
bia basalt cliffs at Five Mile Rapids.
It was here the ancestors of many
years ago netted and speared the
salmon during the raging rivers
flood time. Even in the later times
before the dams destroyed this
fishery the boiling water often
brought the backs of salmon to the
surface.
On one of the fishing stations, the
salmon could be heard several yards
from below the scaffold. The thrash
ing sound made by a fish ascending
the swift current made their pres
ence known. At this fishing station
the blue backs (sockeye) would be
scooped out, the larger chinooks
would be roped. Roping is a term
used by Indian fishermen for the use
of a trip-able net on a steel hoop,
The salmon came slarnming into the
set nets as though trying to beat the
violence of the impending flooding
from the snow melt off. The spring
chinook run lasted about five weeks.'
The activity of any anadromous
species (such as salmon) became
dormant for about four weeks. The
appearance of the blue back signaled
their journey to the spawning
grounds just as the spring snow melt
started to recede. Some of these
sockeye runs have become extinct.
The turbulent water of the river was
now becoming milder as the river
receded. The huge majestic June
Hog chinook salmon also made its
appearance.
The June Hog has been annihi
lated into extinction, as a result of
the salmon-murdering dams of the
Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph near
the borders of Washington and
Canada. These gigantic salmon
weighed 45-75 pounds. In earlier
times a 100-poundcr might be
caught. This salmon run ended
about the first week of July