Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
April 18, 2002
Page 10
Salmon's return
Celilo celebrates with powwow and salmon feast
it
By Trudee Queahpama Clements
Spilyay Tymoo Staff
The Celilo Wyam Salmon Feast
was held this past weekend with tribes
from Warm Springs, Yakama,
Umatilla and throughout the region
celebrating the return of the salmon.
Ceremonies started with Washut
Services held in the Celilo Longhouse
followed by the feast
According to spiritual leader Rudy
Clements, since time immemorial
Indian people who come from the
Columbia River pray for spring to
come. They know that the spring will
bring them the Great Food, the
salmon.
The Columbia River Indian
people believed that the Creator sent
their people the very first salmon in
the first spring when the world was
now. He also sent the sacred perfect
natural laws on how the people must
live to take care of the salmon. If the
laws were not obeyed, he would take
the salmon and bring great famine
upon the people.
Each spring the people must hold
a salmon feast. The purpose of the
feast is to show the Creator that they
are remembering his law and that
they are thankful to him for sending
them the Great Food.
The salmon feast is held in a
longhouse, a very sacred place to the
Indian people. The longhouse is their
church. The people cannot think bad
thoughts when they are in the
longhouse. Bad thoughts bring them
bad luck, maybe even death.
The swallows lead the first salmon
up the Columbia River from the Pa
cific Ocean. The people say it is al
bino, white with glowing eyes. The
swallows alert the people that the
salmon are coming.
When the first salmon is caught a
three-day salmon feast is declared. It
is a great honor and blessing from the
Creator to the fisherman who catches
the first salmon of the spring. That
person is presented with an eagle
feather, usually by the chief of the
tribe during the feast.
Three tule mat tablecloths are
placed down the center of the
longhouse. The four feast foods are
placed on them for blessing being
served to the people. They are roots,
venison, berries and salmon.
The people selected to serve the
feast foods will all have been blessed
when they serve the food; they do so
walking in the direction that the earth
turns. The tule mats that are placed
on the ground as Indian tablecloths
are blessed by the spiritual leaders
before they are unrolled as tablcmats.
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Photos by Trudee Queahpama Clements
Above, Roxanne Spino-Begay and friend prepare salmon for the feast; below
(right) Garrison Tailfeathers is ready for dancing; and below (left), mother
and daughter enjoy the powwow.
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The water that is poured into
cups is brought to the spiritual
leaders for a blessing. When
blessed, a little is poured into each
cup. You drink the water after the
feast songs and prayers are com
pleted, just before the people are
told, "Now eat." You must never
cross over the center part of the
longhouse. That is the heart of
Mother Earth.
Ever since the Creator gave the
Indian people the salmon, the
people had to follow the Indian
longhouse religion everyday. The
first salmon caught had to be eaten
at the Salmon Feast and offered by
the people to the Creator. If they
forgot the songs and the ceremo
nies to be performed at the feast,
he would take the salmon from
them. Only after the feast can the
people begin catching the salmon
for themselves.
The beating of the drums and
the songs being sung are the echos
of the people that the Creator
hears though the heart of the
Mother Earth.
The remains of the first salmon
caught must be returned to the
river where it was caught. Three
songs are sung and a prayer offered
before the salmon is returned to
the river.
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Housing: work starting
soon on new houses
(Continued from page 1)
The hard part is finding the solu
tion to a problem that has persisted
for decades.
An obvious means of addressing
the problem would be to expand the
Tribal housing programs. This, how
ever, would require more funding,
which is not easy to come by.
The I lousing Department receives
1.4 million annually in HUD
money for housing activities, includ
ing maintenance and repair of HUD
and tribal units.
Willy Fucntes, Tribal Chief Op
erations Officer, has commented that
in his opinion the $1.4 million is not
enough to address the local housing
needs.
With the HUD funding, the Tribal
Housing Department maintains and
repairs 100 low-rent HUD units.
Tribal funding provides for mainte
nance and repair of 130 Tribally built
units.
Some of the HUD money is also
used for construction of new units.
For instance, an upcoming housing
project will involve construction of
new rental homes at (Ircclcy I Icighi.
Through this project, up to 25 new
homci may be built over the course
of the coming year, said Van Pelt.
Construction will probably begin in
about a month, he said.
Providing new residences for 25
families will help to address some of
the over-crowding that is happening '
in homes on the reservation, said 'an I
Pelt.
(This ut the first of two articles on
housing issues facing the Confederated
Tribes. An article in the next edition of
the Spilyay Tymoo will look at some
changes that tribal officials are consid
ering to address various aspects of the
problem.)
nament, hosted by Kah- -Nee-Ta
Golf Association,
is set for April 27 and 28.
Call 1-800-554-4786 for
information.
Also an MHS Golf Team
fundraiser is set for
Saturday, April 27. Call
548-7140 or 475-6538 for
information. The
fundraiser includes prizes
such as four rounds of golf
golf at Sunriver Resort.
Howlak Tichum
Marylcna Elsa Heath
Marylena Elsa Heath, age 47,
passed on March 16 at the Provi
dence Toppenish Medical Center.
She was born July 28, 1954 in
Portland to parents Teddy and
Delores (Heath) Bruno.
Her grandparents Walter and
Ellen Heath raised her at Warm
Springs.
Ms. Heath was also an enrolled
member of the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs. She lived
in Warm Springs most of her life
until she moved to White Swan,
Washington.
Marylena attended schools in
Warm Springs and Madras. She
later married George Picard Jr.
She was a very happy person
who loved reading. She enjoyed her
job as a blackjack dealer at the Leg
ends Casino in Toppenish. She
greatly loved being with her fam
ily. Preceding her in death are her
parents Walter and Ellen Heath,
and biological mother Delores
Heath; three brothers Christopher
Heath Sr., Walter Heath Jr. and
Larry Heath, one son George
Picard III, and one grandson Ster
ling Kalama.
Survivors include her children
Delores Picard of Wapato, Heather
Picard of Warm Springs, LeMinnie
and Clarissa Picard of Madras,
Charisse Heath and Ray Picard of
White Swan, WA; sisters Stephanie
Heath, Sharon (Richard) Crooked
Arm of Warm Springs, Colleen
(Anthony) Johnson of Toppenish,
Julie Seelatsee of Brownstown,
Wash., brothers William "Cubby",
Kirby Sr. and Roosevelt Heath Sr.
all of whom are of Warm Springs;
five grandchildren LeiRon, Kiwiw,
Elante and Bryson Picard and
Brian Kalama.
Ms. Heath was transported to
the Simnasho Longhouse for dress
ing, Monday, March 18, and over
night services.
Burial was Tuesday, March 19 at
the Simnasho Cemetery.
Catherine Veloris Courtney
Sammy Danzuka
Tommy Lee Dickson
At the time of publication, Spilyay did not have information on the
above, a complete obituary will be printed in the next edition.
Correction: the Spilyay was given the wrong Indian name for Jeanne
Thomas in the last editon, the correct name is "So-Se-Quah".
Publication date of the next Spilyay Tymoo is Thursday, May 2.
Please contact the Spilyay if you wish to share information in the
Howlak Tichum section of the paper.
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April 3f & 28, 2D)2
Warm Springs Rodeo Arena
Warm (Springs, Oregon
llodco Start At 1:00 PM Each Day
nvnrrrnc. fbbo
Calf Roping
Otoer Wrestling
Team Roping (Per Roper) 2 Loop
i Umiti Roptr may only inttr twin)
preakairty roping
- , (Women At Coyt 14 ft Under)
Bareback Riding
Daddlo Drone Riding
Dull Riding UmiUd,,,
Calf Riding ( 10 Yre 6 Under)
Women's Darral Racing
Junior Earral Racing (10 Yrs 6 under)
PER EVENT
$60
$60
$60
$60
$60
$60
$60
$60
$10
$60
$10
KUctrie timir Ud $2.00 eleetrio eye charge
UUd Xlorsa Racing
$10.00 OOoe Fee per Contestant N9JJfi for Junior ivm)
Stock Contnutor to fx Determine
1 CHI Ibcfcnvill Ik
April 25th-Thiirsday
6:00-9:00 PM
(541)553-5209
DOOL1C OPEN
APRIL 22nd & 23rd
6:00 PM-9:00 PM
Call: Jodel Johnson (541) 553-5209
CASH 0NLT11
4
ABSOLUTELY NO DRUGS OR ALCOHOL ON PREMISES
Not rwpomibU Tor lot, itoln, or Damaged pmonal property