Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 2001)
Spilyqy Tytnoo, Warn? Springs, Oregon August 25, 2001 Mill V- i .V "1 t s e 1 I Continued from Page 1 Since then, the mill has become more efficient, and the production level has actually increased with one shift rather than two. There are various reasons why this hap pened. One reason is that the operators of the big-log equipment, installed in 1998, have matured in their skills, said Larry Potts, mill gen eral manager. Another reason for the im proved production level is that maintenance workers now have time to ensure that the machinery is operating as efficiently as pos sible, said Dave Reynolds, mainte nance supervisor. Production coordinator Katchia said, "We're running the machin ery at design capacity." Under one shift the cooperation and coordi nation among the departments at the mill has also greatly improved, Katchia said. Anthony Van Pclr, sawmill su perintendent, said, "Running the mill on one shift means that there's more time to make sure we're do ing things right. And the crew we have now is very good," he said. "There's good cooperation be tween maintenance and produc tion." When the mill changed from one shift to two, Van Pelt had the task of developing the list of who remained on the job, and who was let go. 'That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," he said. "The people wc have here now are the best of the best" (This is the first of two articles on the WSFPI mill. The second article, on changes that may hap pen in the future at the mill, will run in the next edition of the Spilyay Tymoo.) Photos by Davt McMtchan Emily Waheneka, left photo, has seen many seasons of gathering over the years; Sara Vaeth's youthful energy resulted in a bountiful accumulation of huckleberries. Huckleberries Continued from Page 1 Past HeHe, Scott drove onto Skyline Road toward High Rock. Scott, Waheneka, Judy Kalama and Sara Vaeth, who works as an in tern at Cultural Resources, gath ered some huckleberries. Vaeth, being many years the youngest, came back with by far the most berries. Scott explained that the huck leberries this year are small. The bushes have also produced fewer berries than in most years, Scott said. The problem was the winter snowpack in the higher elevations, Scott said. With little moisture in the ground from the snow, the huckleberry bushes were not able to produce many berries, he said. The same thing happened last year, Scott said. Baskets practical, with artfiil delivery By Bill Rhoades Spilyay' Staff High up in the Cascade Moun tains, where weathered stands of noble fir i,. and mountain hemlock .'t nV .t'rt.'? r.J- endilr'6 persistent wi'n'SsJartd'Yr5g(i', Y""' ' tl "Yi; oroi & .'Trh . winters, the warmth or July is a passing luxury. The growing sea-' son is short, but often prolific. If one knows where to look, there are fleeting treasures available for the ' taking. At the forest's edge near a high elevation meadow, the huckleber , ries, buried in snow just' three ' months earlier, signal their edible presence by turning a bluish purple. Resident black bears and blue grouse have come to dine on the plentiful crop, sharing this sea sonal bounty with human visitors from the rangelands and river val leys far. belaw... . , . '. A footpath winds through the towering firs and leads to a ; sunny opening' where berries, grow in abundance. A'1 tribal Wrry1'' picker walks the familiar path, tracing the footsteps of her mother, her grandmother, and countless ancestors before them. Like her mother, she wears her longj black hair in braids,. Her .floral-patterned ; , dress is hemmed at the. shins, hang ing over the elk:skin moccasins protecting her feet. She wears a sash belt around her waist and carries a conical-shaped basket at her hip. The basket is palm- ' sizprl at thp hasp flar- inf out n the 1 1 1 inches, where it achieves the diam eter of a small din ner plate. Along the basket's rim are a series of loops, often re ferred to as "ears." ine loops are laced with string to hold down ferns that will be used to cover the day's har vest. Ribbons of bear grass, stitched into quarter-inch squares, decorate the basket's exterior with multi-colored geometric The pattern appears as connecting Vs or mountain peaks. It is carried wuh tlit inmost uk .a,J an. cnor- e 4 4M4yW W . fc. l '. ' ... .tliJlJiilJ J fcjt Xllui j 1 - i J mous sense of pride. The basket described above is one of several variations used for huckleberry picking, on the reser vation, its ori gins are in the Mid-Columbia region, as evi denced by its common name, "Klickitat." Cedar root, stitched to gether in a method known as coiling, pro vides a durable and highly functional foundation. Narrow roots farthest from the tree are sought out as the straightest and easiest to use ma terial After they are harvested, the cedar roots are split with a heavy knife so the rough outer laver can be removed. Selected portions of the. r. 'i ar. .id for decoration. the coil foundation and stitching material. The outer skin is suitable as decoration, while the longest and smoothest fibers are reserved for stitching material. Basket makers do not weave coiled baskets; they sew them. Long coils are wound around and around to form a base and then on top of each other to form the walls of a bas ket. Each succes sive layer is stitched to its prede cessor to keep the basket intact. The completed foundation is sturdy and often wa tertight, suitable as a storage container or even for cooking. Bear grass, the preferred mate rial for decoration, is gathered in the late summer when the grass has matured. leaves are harvested and allowed to which time ihev appear white in color. White is of ten used for the decorative base, with yellow, black and brown be ing the other favored colors histori 1 "cally. Black can be obtained by "'soaking the design, material in mud from an alkaline spring. Brown comes from willow bark and yel low from Oregon grape stems and roots. Contemporary basket mak ers often color the design materi als using commercial dyes. Imbrications are applied to the coiled foundation by folding the design element on top of each stitch. Designs are applied as the foundation is being constructed, making the two processes insepa rable. The three-peaked mountain design is common, but other ele ments such as human figures, horses, crosses, salmon gills, flow ers and triangles are also used. Klickitat-style baskets are a clas sic form used by huckleberry pick ers, throughout the Columbia Pla teau, It is not, however, the only form. Baskets similar in shape, but made of split willow, are also popu lar and highly functional. Split willow baskets used for huckleberry picking have Paiute, as well as Wasco, origins. The foun dations are coiled and the rims are : often looped. Strips of willow are used as the foundation and stitch ing material. There is no exterior decoration. Cedar bark baskets are com monly associated with Columbia River tribes. Foun- s - . ,rt , " .. . Pat Courtney Gold uses both traditional and modern materials. Wasco work artist's j i .i . ,,, on display in gallery ""'r'""""nfiii,,i, ,."st dations are made from a single plait of western red ce dar bark folded in half. Historically, the two halves were stitched into a tubular form with a thread made of the cedar's inner bark. A variety of bas kets used for huckle berry picking are on display at The Museum at Warm Springs. Classes in basket making are offered on a periodic basis and books relating to this subject can be purchased dirough the gift shop. I T"" rii'n i, mm I,,, i I ''waMt'-iL'TI-i1niiiriir ii I t-"i .-mritMitMi riiiii . f -- .l.....i...Li..-'-" PORTLAND - The Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (IFCC) announces its Fourth Annual Community Artist Award and Residency given to Native Ameri can fiber artist Pat Courtney Gold. Keeping Tradition: Exploring the Boundaries will showcase her re cent works, September 6 through October 27, 2001. The public is invited to a First Thursday opening reception in her honor on September 6, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., featuring the music of Na tive American flutist James Greeley. The IFCC Gallery is lo cated at 5340 North Interstate Av enue. Gallery hours are Tuesday -Friday, 1 1 a.m to 6 p.m. and Satur days, noon to 4 p.m. A Wasco na tive known for their traditional Sally Bags, Gold was selected for the IFCC award and residency in recognition of artistic excellence in service to community. Her work has been integral to the revival of the almost lost technique of full turn twining, a basket weave which incorporates geometric designs (human and animal motifs) unique to the Wasco tribe. "I felt as though the ancestors were waiting for someone like me to come for ward all this energy was being focused and funneled through me for the generations that are com ing after me" says Gold. Gold de scribes her earliest memory of Sally Bags when her family visited the Maryhill Museum. Her Mother said, with pride, "Our people made them." Her artwork has helped to educate the general public about Wasco and Plateau culture, and the impor tance of protecting our natural re sources that provide the traditional plant fibers used, while perpetuat ing the traditional art form. As a contemporary artist Pat Gold uses traditional techniques to create new works, but goes beyond tradition using non-traditional ma terials, and experimenting with new patterns and forms. Her Sally Bags feature contemporary motifs such as "Yuppie Couple" and "Spandex Sally." Her baskets and wall hangings explore plaited and twined weavings with textured designs and mixed media: commercial fibers, copper sheets, wires, linoleum, wall paper and "recycled" plastic bags. Pat Gold will also present mono-prints in the Entry Gallery in conjunction with the East-West Symposium in Print Art. She ex plores printing techniques with handmade paper, mixed media col lage and various textures, while highlighting Native American themes. In addition to the exhibi tion, Pat Gold's residency will in clude an ORIGINS LECTURE SERIES, October 17th, 7:30 p.m., and two weaving workshops on Plateau art and culture in Spring 2002. For more information call 503-823-2072. Fort Sill school sets 2001 reunion Fort Sill Indian School Alumni Association is preparing for the 2001 reunion. Dates have been set for Sept 28 and 29. On Friday, Sept. 28, a re ception is planned at the Fort Sill Indian School campus. On Saturday, the reunion will continue at the Comanche National Fair. This year's planners have de cided to have the reunion during the Comanche National Fair to give alumni a variety of things to da The last reunion lasted three days and included a powwow. A specif.! invitation is extended to all former students and former staff. For more information, contact: Richard Bread, (405) 643-2770; Phyllis Hunter, (405) 247-6673, ext. 258, e-mail PhyllisHunter(abia.gov.; Lorene Kerchce, (580) 492-5492
