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
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was the only person to receive
a graduate degree.
But Hintsala estimates next
year there could be as many
June
as tanMna vidinnis
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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