Image provided by: The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs; Warm Springs, OR
About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (June 26, 2003)
Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Tear The wounded spirits of Native people who have suffered from years of oppression and systematic geno cide display symptoms similar to those of Post Traumatic Stress Dis order. For some, heal ing with traditional ceremonies proves to be the most effective treatment. By Shannon Keaveny Spilyay Tymoo The thick smoke of burning sage clouded the room. A woman held a candle over a weeping young man. The sweet smell of steaming rose water slowly crept from the kitchen into the room. Later participants soaked a cloth and washed their faces and hands with the soothing rose tea. Rose water, sage smoke, and burning candles all serve as cleansing and clarifying agents for the wounded soul, said Charlotte Herkshan, coun selor at the Warm Springs Counseling Center. Lots of tears were shed at last week's all-day "Releasing the Tears Gathering" at He-He Longhouse. , The emotional gathering at tracted over 60 people, many tribal members, and focused Senior This year the Warm Springs community gradu ates nearly 70 stu dents from high school and higher education. By Shannon Keaveny Spilyay Tymoo Last week's annual Senior Banquet at the Agency Longhouse offered a show of community support for the high number of Warm Springs tribal member graduates. The banquet fea tured dinner, entertainment, speakers and awards. The number of gradu ates in higher education, and high school, and those completing G.E.D. require ments holds steady for Warm Springs tribal mem bers as the demand for edu cation in the local workforce rises. "There is a growing need for education for most spe cific jobs here on the reser vation," says Lorraine Hintsala, of the Warm Springs Education Depart ment, about growing inter est in education among tribal members. "I think most tribal mem bers will return to the res ervation when they are done with school," Hintsala said. The total number of graduates from Warm Springs that received high school diplomas, G.E.D.s, vocational education certifi cates, baccalaureate de grees, and graduate degrees was nearly 70 for 2003. The number of gradu ates has been relatively stable since 2001. Springs, Oregon spu Dr. Tom Ball, a Klamath tribal member, speaks at HeHe Longhouse about trauma specific to Native Americans and the merits of traditional healing. on reclaiming Native American cultural identity to help heal the cultural wounds resulting from systematic genocide and years of oppression. "Western medicine doesn't work on Indian people. We need to use our ceremonies for treatment. We have every thing we need to take care of ourselves but we're looking outside for the cure," said Dr. Tom Ball, a Klamath tribal Banquet celebrates high members CONFEDERATED TRIBE Y " :iv I ' r I J r w s-c y , u A - '.. ; a ,":S) . m ,,.& I'm : lV I: LiaJULUlJ LJ ; ' ; f . y L ,7; was the only person to receive a graduate degree. But Hintsala estimates next year there could be as many June as tanMna vidinnis Net jl I- 0 member and keynote speaker at the event. Ball compared depression in Native American communities as similar to the Post Trau matic Syndrome Disorder (PTSD) many war veterans suffer. "Seventy-five percent of our people suffer from clini cal diagnosis of PTSD," he said of Native Americans as a whole. ARM SPRINGS ASS OF as five tribal members receiv ing graduate degrees and that the number of graduate stu dents could be on the rise. 26. 2003 But something is different with the Indian version of PTSD, he added. Success rates with mainstream PTSD treat ments arc lower for Native Americans. Ball referred to the words of a medicine man from Mon tana as the reason Indian PTSD is different. "The medicine man said it's not a depression, it's a wounded spirit," explained Ball. And a wounded spirit can only be healed with Indian ways, he said. While all Native Americans have endured similar fates in the United States, each tribe and individual has endured unique traumas associated with that fate, Ball explained. Each tribe needs to address their people's traumas with their own traditional tools, he suggested. The Native American spirit was wounded in a variety of ways, said Ball. According to a handout at the gathering, 60 million Na tive Americans died from dis ease since the arrival of Co lumbus. In 1492, when Columbus arrived, 20 to 30 million Na tive Americans lived in North America. Indian lands covered 2 billion acres. By 1890 the Native Ameri can population had been re duced to 237,000 people and Indian lands to 140 million acres. Today lands entrusted to 3 2003 She says an additional three students will be receiving bac calaureate degrees after com pleting summer school this tribes amount to only 50 mil lion acres. "That's genocide,' said Ball. Some other examples con tributing to Native American trauma are disease, starvation, war, treaties, sexual abuse, re location, termination of tribal identity, forced religion, board ing schools, and foster care. "Most Indian people have been through these things," said Ball. "Historical traumas are car ried on from generation to generation unless they are dealt with." he added, "One way to stop the cycle is through ceremony." Results from this type of trauma, if not properly ad dressed, can be crime, suicide, physical and mental abuse of loved ones, addiction, and other social ailments. Unresolved trauma effects Native communities in nega tive ways. On the Warm Springs Res ervation car accidents are the number one cause of death with 72 percent of them alco hol related, according to a mortality study. Suicide in Warm Springs is also the fourth leading cause of death. Many others just struggle to survive day to day, explained Ball. Their house may become messy and they struggle to get out of bed. "Some might just zone out in front of the television all day as a distraction," explained LEFT: Arthur Mitchell, a Madras High honor roll student for 2003, speaks at the Senior Banquet about tribal programs that have helped him prepare for college. ABOVE: Heather Schut, who received a Bachelor's in Business Administration from the University of Washington, encouraged students to continue their education while they are young. Schut was the only tribal member to receive a master's this year. year. Five students with under graduate degrees were honored at the banquet, including Molly Page 3 Iheail. Herkshan. The healing process was facilitatd when individuals at the gathering broke into small groups. Participants in each group discussed prevalent traumas in their lives. Elders spoke of the trauma of being torn from their fami lies and sent to boarding schools and how disease killed their friends and family. Oth ers spoke of suicide in their families. Some shared their tearful stories over the microphone. Ball explained that facing the hurt, feeling the tears and then picking up the tears was the path to healing. Both community and indi vidual involvement is impor tant to heal, said Ball. "We need to take care of each other," said Ball. The gathering served as an ex ample of community support and facing the hurt. Incorporating traditional healing methods into counsel ing for Native Americans is a growing movement. Losing that part of Indian culture is part of our oppres sion, said Louie Pitt, a speaker at the gathering from Warm Springs governmental affairs. Let's look to the elders for answers, he said. " I like to say, Tou can teach a new dog, old tricks," not Tou can't teach an old dog new tricks," mused Pitt about valu ing the knowledge of commu nity elders. Fuentes, who received her degree from prestigious Stanford University in Cali fornia. Warm Springs Madras High honor roll student for 2003, Arthur Mitchell, spoke to the attendees about tribal programs that helped encourage him in his high school years. "Visiting different col lege campuses around the state help prepare me for what college will be like," said Mitchell. But, he said, positive en couragement from friends and family was his biggest motivator. Tribal attorney Cindy Starke, the keynote speaker for the banquet and of Chero kee descent, assured students that graduation was not "an end but a beginning." She offered practical advice like always being a good per son, keeping an open heart, and always being loyal to your friends, family, and commu nity. Starke said education of fers a sense of empowerment. Schut gave a short speech encouraging students to finish their education while they are young. "I did it with kids and it was hard," she explained. Graduates received Pendleton book bags, a gift bag, a coffee mug, and a pen from the Confederated Tribes. Jim Manion, general man ager of Warm Springs Power Enterprises, Tribal Council Vice Chairman Ron Suppah, and Paiute Chief Joseph Moses shook the hands of graduates and offered words of encour agement. Foster Kalama provided en tertainment with his flute. A traditional longhouse dinner and cake were served before the banquet. For 2003 I leather Schut