'(E Coosh EEWA: The wy it is
Page 4 Spilyay Tymoo August 9, 2001
Spilyay Speaks
Rituals and traditions
continue in present
Author's Note: The services explained is just to give an idea what
takes place in the longhouse. For all it's worth, this is my interpre
tation of the ceremonies, I may he completely off track, but that's
how I view the sacred ceremonies at the longhouse.
The rituals and traditions were observed on Sunday, August
5,h, 2001, in the longhouse at the He He Mill. Everything went
along just fine in the usual manner according to traditions.
It is customary that everyone who helps prepare the meal
dresses in tribe attire. The ladies are wearing wing dresses,
hair braided with "Nook-Shi", and moccasins.
All the men have leggings, brcechcloth, ribbon shirt, and
moccasins on.
All the rituals must be observed according to the tradition
of the tribes. Giving thanks to the "Great Creator," for the
bountiful crop of berries, just as it is carried out for the roots,
and the salmon earlier in the year.
On the day of the feast in the morning as noon nears,
dream beats and chanting can be heard as it echoes through
the forest along the banks of the Warm Springs River.
The drummers going through a scries of seven songs, and a
short pause as the leader may say a few words and sing a
song.
And then they start another seven songs. The drumming
and chanting continues until the meal is fully prepared and
the table is set.
All morning the cooks are busy hustling around in the
kitchen preparing the food, while the men fellas keep the fires
going at the roasting pits.
All the berry pickers line up and circle the longhouse with
the berries they pick on their way back.
Once the food is all cooked they start to serve the meal.
Where they all line up in a single file and each take a couple
of dishes of food and they circle the table with the leader,
placing his dishes down first, just until they have all gone
around the table each placing their dish down after the first
ones have placed their dishes down and they eat.
They all get another plate. This is done in sequence as to
the order of the food. First come the salmon, the deer meat,
roots and the fruit.
When the table is all set the leader will ring the bell and
everyone sits at the table. The leader will tell everyone to test
the salmon, taste the deer meat, the roots, and the berries.
He than will say a prayer, rings the bell, and say "Choosh."
Everyone will drink the water than dig into the food.
While everyone is eating the floor is left open for anyone to
speak, if he wishes too.
When all the rituals are completed and everyone is eating,
people can then do other things, like start the rodeo, or
games etc., during the day.
When all the ceremonies have been observed and com
pleted, then it is permissible for the tribal members to go out
into the berry patch and pick all the berries they need for
themselves.
- Sid Miller
Forgiveness proves its power in practice
Hello from Pastor Rick.
There is a lot of anger out
there. Anger because of what the
white people arc doing to the res
ervation from off the rez. Anger
because of tribal government.
Anger because of family mem
bers. Anger because of what my
spouse is doing.
Anger because of life .... Let's
talk anger: In an emotionally
charged courtroom a South Af
rican woman stood listening to a
white police officer acknowledge
their atrocities. Officer Van do
Brock acknowledged that along
with others, he had shot her 18-ycar-old
son at point blank range.
He and the others particd while
they burned the son's body, turn
ing it over and over on the fire
until it was reduced to ashes.
Eight years later, they returned
to seize her husband. While be
ing burned alive the last words
she heard her husband say were,
"forgive them."
The South Africa's Truth and
Reconciliation Commission
asked the woman what she
wanted. "I want three things,"
she said. I want Mr. Van de Brock
to take me to the place where
they burned my husband's body.
I would like to gather up the dust
and give him a decent burial.
"Second, Mr. Van de Broek
took all my family away from
me, and I still have a lot of love
to give. Twice a month, I would
like for him to come to the ghetto
and spend a day with me so I can
be a mother to him."
"Third, I would like Mr. Van
de Brock to know that he is for
given by God, and that I forgive
him, too. I would like to embrace
him so he can know my forgive
ness is real."
As the elderly woman was led
across the courtroom, Van de
Broek fainted, overwhelmed.
Someone began singing "Amaz
ing Grace." (From the Canadian
Memmonite 9400). PLEASE
read Matthew 5:38-48.
Hey, no one has sent a story
to me yet. Come on kids, 25 days
before school starts.
Hug someone you love. Hug
someone you dislike. No alco
hol or tobacco for children. One
day at a time. Buckle up the kids
and yourselves. Don't hit or beat
on yourself. Pay your bills be
fore gambling, then stay home.
Read the Bible for its effect on
your heart. Pray to God to the
point of your hearing Him.
Honor someone each day. Ixjvc
yourself. Like yourself.
See you in church. Warm
Springs Presbyterian - on the
Campus Worship at 10 a.m.
Pastor Rick R. Ribciro
553-1237.
Letters to the editor
Calica wishes
thanks to supporters
"Pot Shots"
This Guy said, "My wife has a slight impediment in her
speech. Every now and them she stops to breathe." YIKESH!
I would like to take this time to
thank the following people for their
support and contributions that
made this years Huckleberry Feast
Pow-Wow a success: Doris Miller,
Joe Moses, Rhonda Smith, Emerson
Sqiucmphen, Arlene Wewa, Jeanne
Thomas, Rudy Clements, Nat Shaw,
Gorkcy & Lori Mitchell, Patches,
Moose Tanewasha, Norma Kaudle
Kaule, Suzic Moody, Merle Kirk,
Leslie Squiemphcn, Trudy Thomp
son, White Dove Cooper, Danny
Martinez, Anson Bcgay, Josie Red
Fox, Kah-Nce-Ta High Desert Re
sort & Casino, Museum at Warm
Springs, and Benson Heath for al
lowing me to take responsibility of
the Pow-Wow this year due to his
family in mourning.
I would like to send a BIG thank
you to: David Belgard Sr., Captain
Moody, Longhouse Lucy, Gene
Sampson for their help, and Greg
Arquette for the PA. Even though I
the rain was with us most of the day
it didn't break the spirit of the feast.
I felt like the creator was cleansing
the ground for the Beautiful Feast
we were given. Thanks also goes out
to the cooks, washut leaders, and
drummers, hunters, fishermen, :
berry pickers, Rodeo Committee
Nikki and Toolz Charley, Leslie,
Buzzy Scott and others for the best
liT Rodeo in He-He. It had brought
a lot of good feelings and provided a
positive activity for the children.
I was given the opportunity to
run this Pow-Wow for this year only,
and Benson Heath stated he would
return to resume the Pow-Wow next
year. It sure felt good to see the com
munity together all as one working
together and sharing good times.
These days should be happening
everyday in our community. I used
to remember when everyone was
one and got along with a lot of posi-.
tive activities for the community,
going back to community BBQ's,
Play for fun sports, Trips, and cul
tural camps, and other positive com
munity functions.
We had a good time performing
and bringing back our social dances
to the Pow-Wow and thanking Dry
Creek and Wawokya for the songs,
again thank you to the community
and you the people for supporting
the last minute event. Please forgive
me if I had forgotten any names.
Carlos Calica
Seven years, no arrest
To the editor,
It's been about seven years now,
since my brother Randy Yahtin was
murdered. Still NOTHING seems
to be done about it. What's going
on? Does anyone care?
Does the person(s) who were in
volved have any conscience or guilt
that they took the life of someone's
brother, uncle, son, dad and friend?
I miss my brother a lot; he was
always smiling, seemed never to get
mad at anybody and had a lot of
friends. It just really bothers me
. more as each year passes that the
person (s) involved with who killed
my brother is still walking the streets
"guilt" free.
Dorothy Yahtin
Parental involvement
Dear ParentsGuardians,
I have been involved with Indian
Education Parent Committee's Title
IX, Johnson-O'Malley (JOM) for 10
years under the Yakama Nation's
Tribal Council, Education Programs
and most importantly, the parents.
When I first started, there were 27
JOM Tide IXTitlc I Inian Educa
tion Parent Committee (IEPC) and
they made me their advocate for In
dian Children, Parents, Committees,
school districts and tribal council.
Wherever there was a problem I was
to go. If there was a parent dispute
with the school, I would accompany
the parent or guardian to make sure
they were not railroaded.
I recently was working for the
Jefferson County 509-J Middle
School as an education assistant and
I witnessed Indian, White and His
panic children cuss teachers, princi
pal, office staff and other education
assistants with every cuss word you
can think of and they could do noth
ing, but on the other hand I would
see Indian children be put on In
School Suspension (ISS) because
they forgot their gym clothes. I have
also witnessed Indian parentsguard
ians go to meet with school officials
by themselves; I did not see anyone
from your tribal government educa
tion programs accompanying them.
That told me that because you
have independent committees, you
as parentsguardians have nowhere
to turn for help and you do not
know how much funding each pro
gram gets and for whom. Did you
know that JOM students gener
ate$80 each for the program or the
Tide IX students generate $169 each,
or that the school district gets over
$2 million for your children and you
as parents can advise the school dis
trict where to improve the programs
for your children., 0 . ,
Ask yourself how much each In
dian child generates and who gets the
funding or who has say on where
the funding is spent. Did you know
that you are supposed to have a Tide
VIII and Tide I Parent Committee?
Or that you can get parent training
for these programs and have that
training right here at Warm Springs?
If you are not one Indian Educa
tion Parent Committee for all these
programs, then your children will
remain at the mercy of who ever is
controlling the funding and you as
parents will remain with out a voice
or an advocate to help you when you
have disputes with the school dis
trict. Remember that the school
district is its own government entity
and the only way to have input is to
go to the school board meeting or
have your representative at the meet
ing. You have tribal council mem
bers willing to help, an education
committee willing to help, but can
not do anything for you as long as
you do not change the system.
Alvin Schuster
Hello from training
Dear Tribal Members,
How's it going down there (up
there actually)? Well, I'm at recruit
training on Parris Island in South
Carolina.
I'd just like to say "hi" and I hope
everyone is doing well. I'd like to ask
if any of you have a few spare mo
ments to drop me a line. It's so
lonely here being away from home.
I really miss my family and home.
I'm on my 5' week. We just started
phase II of training, which means we
get to blouse our boots. In the next
two weeks we go to the rifle range.
Actually, we leave to the rifle range
next week. It's important that I get
letters of encouragement and moti
vation, because, on average, these are
the two weeks when most people
break and quit. I want to make my
family, friends, and the tribe proud
by furnishing and becoming a
United States Marine. After these
two weeks it only get harder but
what's life without challenges, BOR
ING!! I'd like to thank my dad,
mom, LeRoy, Steic, Naydra, Kenny,
Jesse, Grandma Corrinea, Uncle
Emmitt, Ann, Faron, Aunt Rachel,
Uncle Mickey, Aunt Ortheloa,
Uncle Ab, Uncle JP, Grandpa Patt,
Aunt Nina, Toni, Feina, Jerry,
Grandma & Grandpa Hodges, Jody,
Kelly, Kim, Tyler, Jenna, Tiffany,
Greg & Teresa, Pastor Lee & Cindy,
Tashina & Kirby, Rashcena, Monica,
Fallon, Kaelonn & Don, Hilary,
Colonel Gardner, Captain
Burroughs, and Mr. Wysham. I'd
love to thank everyone but the list
goes on forever and I'm out of time,
but please do write.
Love,
Tashna Hicks
RCT HICKS
PLT 4029 4,h BN P company
P.O. Box 14001
MCRD PISC, SC 29905-4001
P.S. I'd like to thank aunt Esther
and August. My graduation date is
September 21" (the day before my
19th birthday). Joe Thompson,
Thank you so much. SEMPER FI
Editor's note
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eserves the right to
edit or decline publica
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exceeds length guide
lines or contains libel
ous or malicious
statements.
Hood River letter outlines plans for Gorge casino
(Editor's note: Attorney Dennis
Karnopp, representing the Confed
erated Tribes of Warm Springs, re
cently wrote the following Tetter to
the Editor of the Hood River News,
regarding the Tribes' plans for gam
ing expansion. The letter may be
of interest to tribal members.)
To the Editor:
For over 30 years I have been
Legal Counsel to the Confeder
ated Tribes of the Warm Springs
Reservation of Oregon. This has
been a unique and unparalleled
experience in which I have been
privileged to grow very close to
the Tribal leaders and become
immersed in the culture and val
ues of the venerable Tribe,
Because it is the Tribal
Council's intention to place be
fore the Warm Springs people a
decision package which very well
may lead to the construction and
operation of a recreational and
gaming facility on a site east of
Hood River on Tribal Trust
lands, I believe it is useful for the
readers of the Hood River News
to understand why the Tribe is
under-taking this enterprise, our
legal authority to do so, and some
of the values which will guide our
efforts.
For 10,000 years or more na
tive peoples have come to the
Columbia River for sustenance.
For all of that time, the Salmon
has give life and spiritual focus to
Tribal members. This noble cul
ture values harmony with nature,
respect for the land the creator
has provided us, and respect for
each other as basic tenets of life.
The building of the Bonneville
and The Dalles dams dramati
cally changes the Salmon-based
culture beginning in the 1930s.
The Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs turned to forest
products and the stewardship of
the upland areas of their historic
lands for sustenance. As Hood
River and the Gorge and other
Tribal Ceded Lands have experi
enced a decline in the natural re
sources based economy, so have
the people of Warm Springs.
Tribal members understand this
natural cycle - a time to grow, a
time to harvest, a time to grow
again, they live close to the land,
they know that from a forest
products point of view, it is time
for the land to rest
The 1988 Indian Gaming
Regulatory Act allows the sover
eign nation of the Warm Springs
Tribes to conduct gaming that is
consistent with all state and fed
eral laws on Tribal lands. It is in
teresting to note that recognition
of Tribal government by Treaty
with the United States in 1855
predates the State of Oregon's
government by four years.
Gaming has given the Tribes
the ability to transition from a
reliance on natural resources to
an economy based on a healthy
mix of wood products, tourism
and recreation, including gaming.
As is their heritage, the Tribes are
now returning to the Columbia
River, which has strong spiritual
and symbolic meaning. As has
been the case for thousands of
years, the people of the Warm
Springs Reservation will con
tinue the spirituality-based belief
in stewardship of the land. A
tribal Columbia River Casino
will be developed consistent with
this core value.
In the public debate about lo
cating a casino east of Hood
River, we have heard many hys
terical allegations. I urge you to
compare these untrue stories of
how this casino will defile the
land against the track record of
the Confederated Tribes of the
Warm Springs. If tribal members
choose to build on the Hood
River site, which they have ev
ery legal right to do, it will be as
tasteful as Kah-Nee-Ta, as beau
tifully executed as The Museum
at Warm Springs, as serviceable
as the award-winning Health and
Wellness Center and as demo
cratically managed as the 146
year history of self-government
based on the premises of respect
for the individual, and majority
rule. To do any less would be in
consistent with whom the Warm
Springs are as a people. We ask
that you judge us by our actions,
not by the shrill voices of others.
Whatever the people decide,
you can be assured that tribal
members will continue to main
tain a great reverence for their
traditional homeland, and will
continue to be a major presence
in the Gorge.
Sincerely,
Dennis C Karnopp
Tribal Attorney