E Coosb EEWA: The wy it is
Psge 4 Spilyay Tymoo June 12, 2003
Pi-Ume-Sha
just around
the corner
By Selena Boise
Spilyay Tymoo
Spring has begun and sum
mer is upon us, that means a lot
of organized gatherings and out
door activities are about to take
place.
We can look forward to the
get together or activities involv
ing families and
community
members.
The Rose Fes
tival has just
ended and Pi-Ume-Sha is right
around the corner.
The Rose Festival has always
been a fun time for families to
attend. It is quite a drive for us
but there is so much activity
there. There is the Starlight Pa
rade, the powwow, the Grand
Floral Parade, and the children's
favorite, the carnival.
I was reading the Spilyay
from 25 years ago and found
that the Warm Springs tribes en
tered the Grand Floral Parade
twice back then and won a blue
ribbon each time. The blue rib
bon was in the Civic Organiza
tion category.
I am wondering why Warm
Springs hasn't entered in all
these years between then and
now.
Well I can guess that it takes
a lot of work. Getting commu
nity members involved in a
project such as this takes a lot
of time as well.
Makes anyone wonder what
it takes to become involved, and
why there aren't as many get
ting involved. There are a lot of
youth out there in the commu
nity with so much energy, and
seems like there must be some
way to get them to become in
volved. Develop incentives for
them.
It would be nice if 25 years
from now we would have a blue
ribbon story in the newspaper
to reflect back to.
The Pi-Ume-Sha is coming
around and there will be candi
dates selling raffle tickets to win
the title of queen for the pow
wow. The queen is to reign over
the powwow and represent Pi-Ume-Sha
throughout the year at
other powwows or gatherings.
The Pi-Ume-Sha weekend
will have many activities as they
do each year.
We can look forward to the
Indian dancing, stick games,
softball, basketball, boxing, the
parade, 10k race, endurance
race, rodeo, and golf. There will
be something for everyone at
this annual event.
I look forward to the visitors
coming to Warm Springs. Some
times I will meet up with friends
from years back. I get the
chance to catch up with them,
and find out how they have been
since I last saw them.
I do like to watch the dance
contests held each year because
there arc so many talented
dancers. I don't know how the
judges can choose.
These two celebrations give
us plenty to look forward to.
Then we will look forward to
the Fourth of July celebration
and the day's activities.
The activities for this day
are a lot of work and they arc
looking for individuals who are
willing to volunteer their assis
tance. With the summer coming
along, there are lots of activi
ties wc cant take part in.
If you have some free time
this summer, take the initiative
to volunteer.
Your efforts will be appreciated.
Spilyay
Speaks
A thank you
Dear Editor,
I would like to thank the
Warm Springs people who at
tended and took part in the ser
vices for Gerald "Nic"
Nicodemus. The family appre
ciated the people who took time
out to travel the distance to pay
tribute to "Marc."
Madeline, Ted, Gerry,
Wilford, Wendell, Adeline,
Orthelia and Babe, Freda and
family, Jody Calica, Toto and
Wakash. There were others, I
cannot remember everyone.
Just know how thankful we are
and were comforted by your
presence.
We appreciated the drums,
singing and bundles. We were
comforted and felt like we were
at home and so proud of the
songs and power from the
drums and singing.
Nic thought of Warm
Springs as his second home and
shared many memories of the
good times with everyone. We
will miss him but are content
that he didn't have a prolonged
illness. Sincerely,
Millie Nicodemus and
family
Apology
I, Jose S. Hernandez, would
like to apologize to the Warm
Springs community for driving
under the influence of alcohol.
I am changing my life for the
better. Ever since my arrest, I
have not consumed alcohol. I
have been sober for over 35
days and my plans are to con
tinue to stay clean and sober.
Again, I apologize for driving
while under the influence of al
cohol in the Warm Springs area,
and it will not happen again.
Thank you.
Jose S. Hernandez
Not responsible
I will not be responsible for
any debts for Norman C. Libby,
after May 8, 2003. Thank you.
Alberta Comedown
Libby Jump for Heart
The Warm Springs Elemen
tary School held the Annual
Jump Rope for Heart on April
16. 1 would like to take this time
to thank the following people
for their support and donations.
They are as follows:
Conference helps
(Note: This is a brief introduc
tory article in a short series on
"Wealing the Wounded Spirit."
The article is provided by Commu
nity Counseling.)
The "I lealing our Wounded
Spirits III" conference was held
in Omak, Wash., hosted by the
Colville Tribes on April 6-10,
with the theme, "Releasing the
Tears."
This was the third in a scries
of five "I lealing our Wounded
Spirits (HOWS)" conferences,
to be held in the Northwest.
These conferences are believed
to be the first to address issues
of Native American historical
trauma and grief.
In May 2001, the first con
ference was held and hosted by
the Siletz Tribe with the theme,
"Peeling Back the Onion." The
second conference was held in
May 2002, and hosted by the
Warm Springs Tribes with the
theme, "Facing the I Iurt."
The next conference in 2004
will be held in Pendleton, hosted
by the Umatilla Tribes, with the
theme being, "Wiping the
Tears." In 2005 a fifth confer
ence will be hosted by the Kla
math Tribes, with the theme
being, "Picking Up the Tears."
Letters to the
Sara Ohman, Gramcracker,
Monica Leonard, Lyle and Arlita
Rhoan, Edison Yazzie and fam
ily, mom, dad and D-bo, George
and Natalie Picard, Devon
Rhoan, Donna Torres,
Raymond Torres, Antone
Torres, Joann Moses, Bridget
Culpus, Karen Guerin, Jordan
and Jestin Leonard, Dennis Th
ompson, Sam Starr, Tom
Kathrein, Janet Corbett, Redine
Kirk, Candra Philbert, Earl and
Rita Squiemphen, Herb and
Earlynne, Tommy Fuentes,
Robin Mitchell, Vesta Johnson,
and Warm Springs Composite
Products.
Once again I would like to
thank you all for the support.
Jermaine Sampson
To Simnasho
To the Simnasho people,
Thank you for sponsoring me
$5 to $10 to Jump Rope for
Heart. I thank you, Simnasho
community.
Katiemae Smith Frazier
Fundraiser
A big thank you to all who
supported the recent fundraiser
at the longhouse. Over $1,200
was raised. One-half will go to
the Priscilla Yazzie cause, and
one-half to thejefferson County
Special Olympics.
Willy Fuentes, brothers
and sisters
Time to write
I'm writing to the Warm
Springs people to let them know
my address and location. People
have been asking for my address
but I've been withholding it for
a while. I'll respond to all let
ters. I have a lot of time to write
back. I've played a lot of b-ball
with the Chuck Taylor All Stars,
and lots of working out. Still,
letters and pictures would be
appreciated, just no polaroids
allowed. Well, thank you for your
time to read this. My address is:
Ray Smith Sr. 66926-065. Fed
eral Detention Center, P.O. Box
6000, Sheridan, OR 97378-
7000. Sincerely,
Ray Smith Sr.
Fear not
Some duff called me a
preacher because I point our
people to Jesus. Preachers live
lives so clean, they can point out
your unclean living, and get
"money offerings" to do it. I
The staff at the Northwest
Indian Prevention and Interven
tion Core (NIPIRC) initiated this
project through a grant proposal
headed by Tom Ball, PhD, Or
egon Social Learning Center in
Eugene.
The purpose of these con
ferences is to begin a grass roots
movement and process of heal
ing and recovery from histori
cal trauma and grief. All Indian
nations have suffered tremen
dous loss, pain, and continue to
suffer today from genocide and
oppression of colonization. The
realization is that each family in
dividual tribal community has
suffered in its own way, but each
community has the strengths for
healing rooted in their own tra
ditional values and beliefs.
As an example, all Indian
nations have "prayer and songs"
rooted in their religion and cer
emony that guide them daily in
their lives. These need to be re
vived, taught and passed on to
our youth and future generations
of people. This faith and hope
has been the spirit for healing
since time immemorial. I tumble
asking for blessings from the
Creator or God will mend our
wounded spirits.
never claim to be "holier than
thou' (only forgiven) and I don't
take up offerings.
My Grandma, Gladys Th
ompson, used to tell me to pray
before a boxing match, and be
fore I chased horses down steep
hills, only 9 years old, and when
she knew something was both
ering me. I knew she loved me
and would only tell me truth. I
also only want to tell you tnith,
so you aren't heading for hell.
In Numbers 22:28-33, when
God's servant Balaam was not
obeying God, and going a direc
tion that God told him not to,
God placed an angel with a
sword in his way, and though
Balaam couldn't see harm s way,
Balaam's donkey did. The don
key was wise enough to go a dif
ferent way, but Balaam beat him
for it.
So the Lord caused his don
key to speak to him and tell him
it was for Balaam's own good
for changing direction. He was
heading for death and his don
key "saved" his life.
I know my actions are ques-,
tionable at times and water
down my words. But, if my
grandmas, moms, dads and role
models won't tell their kids
about God, then I guess this
donkey will keep on telling them.
Satan hinders my life so I'll shut
up, but I never will. Our people
are too important for that.
So, there are only two fears
man really has. Fear of the past
called guilt and fear of the fu
ture called worry. God says (I
John 4:18) "Perfect love casts
out all fear." Jesus casts our
"guilt" by dying for all your
guilty acts so you can approach
God in prayer with a clean slate.
God casts out all "worry" by
promising to never forsake you
and He'll be with you always
(thick and thin).
So pray to Jesus accepting
that love, and be saved and born
again with the Holy Spirit be
gotten in your hearts. Then fear
not.
Mr. and Mrs. R.T. Thompson
Vaccine
There is a vaccine to protect
people from smallpox. It is made
from a virus called vacinia, which
is similar to smallpox virus but less
harmful. The vaccine does not
contain smallpox virus.
Most people will be protected
from smallpox if they receive
the vaccine before exposure.
healing wounded
There is no easy way to ad
dress the topic of historical
trauma and Indians. The first
conference hosted by the Siletz,
"Peeling Back the Onion," was
a way to identify the traumas,
revealing layer by layer the dif
ferent ways the government at
tempted to assimilate and de
stroy the Indian way of life.
These are a few ways that were
used to destroy our Indian ways:
Land Removal Act of 1830,
used to place us on reservations,
not allowing food gathering
trips, no access to natural foods.
We would be our own farmers
and grow our own food on in
adequate land, with no water, ir
rigation, etc.
Establishment of boarding
schools (in Warm Springs 1874
1963), not allowed to speak In
dian language, learn from En
glish language books. If parents
or grandparents were in board
ing schools, thcjwere reluctant
to speak to their own children
in their own language, feeling
their children might fail in
school. Also took children to
Christian church. Longhouscs in
early years had to go under
ground because longhouse lead
ers would be exiled from reser
Editor
Getting the vaccine within three
days after exposure can prevent
the disease or make it less se
vere. In May a volunteer group of
health workers from Jefferson
and Deschutes counties (includ
ing the Warm Springs Health
Center) were vaccinated against
smallpox. In the event of a case
of smallpox in Central Oregon,
these workers would locate and
vaccinate the people who came
in contact with the infected per
son. Voluntary vaccinations will
be expanded to include all
healthcare workers and first re
sponded during the second
phase of the pre-event planning.
The vaccine is not available to
the general public at this time.
For more information about
smallpox, please call public
health nursing at the Health and
Wellness Center, 553-1196, ext.
4142.
Diana Howell, RN,
MSN, public health nursing-Path
to God
Hey, how are you and God
doing today? I have had a lot
of discussions with folks about
religions, the many paths to God
idea. All paths leading to the
same God are good.
I have been looking hard at
my own path to God, called
Christianity. I look down at the
trail I'm on and see other trails
coming and going with people
scattered about them. For some
folks there are questions of di
A visit to the
Tribal members Ernie
Ruiz, Cameron Smith and
Illante Smith recently traveled
to Salem, where they met with
Gov. Ted Kulongoski.
Tribal members were at
vations or punished for practic
ing their own religions.
1950s and 1960s, adoptions
off-reservation with non-Indian
foster homes. Used to take the
Indian out of the Indian.
Termination of reservations
(1953-1968), a quick fix for In
dians to fail in society, forced to
survive in a white world or die.
Lots of people did not survive.
The suicide rate was high.
To name a few ways used to
assimilate our ancestors, Our
people (ancestors) were strong
people, who were very resilient
survivors. Their inner spirit, the
spirituality of our ancestors,
could not but be passed onto us
- LWj '""v
I yu-.. J:
Releasing the Tears Gathering
Tuesday, June 17,2003
He-He Longhouse 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
8-8:30 a.m.: Registration, coffee, juice, etc. 8 a.m.: Invo
cation. 8:45 a.m.: Mr. Tom Ball, keynote speaker, "Peel
ing back the onion to facing the hurt to releasing the
tears." 10-10:15 a.m. Break, 10:15 a.m. Clans. 11:45-1:15
p.m. Break, snacks. 2:30 p.m.: Sharing time. 4:30-4:50
p.m.: Washing the tears. 4:50-5 p.m.: Closing prayer. 5
p.m. Time out. 5:30 p.m. 1 (one) seven. 6 p.m.: Dinner
Vor further information contact ' Char I lerkshan or Guy W'allulatum,
Community Counseling Center, SS)-320S.
rection, speed, even if this is the
right trail. As for my own path I
am reminded from the Bible
and my prayers that the differ
ence of my path is that my God
is with me.
My God is in me. My path is
not to him, but with him. The
trail does not lead me to heaven,
because heaven is with me, and
also with those who believe God
is with them in their lives.
So, I still walk the trail of life,
but it is a different kind of trail.
My God of love is with me, in
me, beside me, over me, under
me, a part of me on the trail of
life.
If anyone has an extra coin
or two to donate to the Warm
Springs Presbyterian Church, we
can use the money to buy food
for the food bank. For a case
of pork and beans, or refried
beans the cost is $9. For a case
of peanut butter or chili it is $12.
Rev. Rick Ribeiro
Letters
It is the policy of Spilyay
Tymoo to print Letters to the
Editor from any and all tribal
members, Because of space
limitations, letters cannot ex
ceed 350 words. Letters that
are longer than 350 words
will be cut starting with the
last sentence and progressing
up until the text falls within
the 350-word limit.
This policy is necessary in
order to ensure that room ex
ists in the newspaper for all
of the Letters to the Editor.
Photo courtesy of Colleen Roba
state capital
the state capital to testify in
regard to proposed legislation
relating to Native American
helath care. It was also Na
tive American Appreciation
Day.
spirits
as the blood within our veins.
The religions of our people, the
hope, strength, and faith of our
ciders is the wisdom that got us
to today. Resiliency and faith is
the blessings the CreatorGod
gave us to live life.
I low do we heal our wounded
spirits form historical trauma?
I low do we talk about the. un
speakable? I low do we forgive
the unforgivable? If we realize
it or not, today, we carry in our
hearts the grief and traumas of
our ancestors. Reviving our tra
ditions, culture, language,
prayer, and songs are ways In
dian nations can heal their
wounded spirits.