Page 6
A February tradition
Eagle Watch soars with cultural opportunity
fly D. "Bing" Bingham
Spi)'y Tymoo
Nine years ago when Rudy
Clements started speaking at
Eagle Watch, where people
gather every February to learn
about and watch the birds, there
were very few people in atten
dance. As the years have gone by
the crowd has grown consider
ably. "That encourages me," he
says, "not only non-Indian
people, but our own young In
dian people go there with our
group to share the experience."
Me goes on, "It gives us el
ders an opportunity to pass on
what we've learned from our
elders...I see it as a wonderful
way of educating and sharing
cross-culturally."
Breaking down cultural
boundaries to share information
about Mother Earth is impor
tant to Rudy Clements.
"I'm not trying to pass on
spiritual values to make other
people practice them," he says,
"I share them so people will
understand our Indian ways and,
hopefully, be able to utilize some
of the principles to enhance
their way of contributing and
sacrificing on behalf of Mother
Earth and The Creator."
He acknowledges there are
plenty of native and non-native
people who value the land and
have dedicated their lives to pro
tecting and enhancing the earth.
"If we all try to do that in
isolation from each other...we're
not going to get much done," he
says, "I think Eagle Watch pro
vides an opportunity for people
to come together and join their
knowledge, wisdom and hands
together, join their resources and
"Because you are his people, he is
going to forgive you and let you live,
but there will be great change. "
encourage one another to work
together rather than try to be
more powerful than one
another.. .'My way is the best
way'.. .and control everybody
else."
The big problem for the land,
as Rudy Clements sees it, is gov
ernmental gridlock. There are so
many governmental agencies
that are involved in trying to
protect their turf - forest, wa
ter, land - they forget what
they're trying to accomplish.
"As a result, the earth is the
one that gets the damage done
to it," he says.
Political favoritism is a chief
gripe of his where certain indi
viduals or corporations use the .
land to the exclusion of every
one else.
"I think if the natural sacred
laws were followed in govern
mental decision making," he
says, "we'd have a healthier
earth."
Even though spiritual guid
ance and responsibility are key
issues in Rudy Clements involve
ment with Eagle Watch, he
hasn't always seen himself as a
spiritual man. As a young man
he never found the time to be
come involved in traditional
tribal ways. He spent his time
getting an education. It wasn't
until after graduation from col
lege he became involved in the
Washut religion at the Simnasho
Longhouse.
"There I began to understand
the spiritual responsibilities we
have and how all of nature re
lates to that," he says, "the eagle
is the most sacred symbolization
of the creator."
Rudy Clements of Tribal Relations is host at Eagle Watch.
He continues, "The primary
message in our longhousc reli
gion is that we as human people
have been placed here to take
care of Mother Earth. ..to pro
tect it, to enhance it.. .to use the
things The Creator put the
Mother Earth here for, but we
use it in accordance with sacred
laws The Creator made. ..I think
the eagle represents that."
When the organizers ap
proached Rudy Clements to
speak at the first Eagle Watch,
he saw the opportunity to build
bridges between cultures and
pass along some longhouse wis
dom. "As I listen to our elders and
become more experienced in
reading and sharing with oth
ers," he says, "I try to build in
positive ways to speak on behalf
of the Mother Earth and The
Creator in taking care of the
Mother Earth."
Rudy Clements admits he gets
discouraged sometimes when he
sees the way the earth is treated,
but he views himself as an opti
mist. He'd like to see Eagle
Watch continue to grow. If he
were to return to the event 50
years from now he'd like to see
even more eagles flying the skies
of Central Oregon. That's not
all he'd like to see:
"I would like to see an edu
cation observatory where we
become nationally or world
wide involved and help, not only
Eagle Watch locally, but Eagle
Watch all over the world. We
would be a good example
through cooperation, integration
of resources and all people
working together.. .that'd be my
hope."
But most of all he'd like to
see if the children of today have
listened to his words:
"You need to learn to love
and respect the eagle. The eagle
is very, very important to us as
Indian people. It's going to guide
your life. If you follow the life
of the eagle all the way.. .you will
not only have a strong commu
nity, -ou will be strong people."
THE DAY EAGLE
SAVES THE WORLD
A long time ago, we don't
Spilyy Tyvnoo,
know how long ago, a great
drought overtook the earth. It
was during the time when the
bird people and all the other
animals were the ones The Cre
ator had assigned to take care
of the land. Tor many thou
sands of years, they took good
care of The Creator's land, the
earth. And The Creator was
very happy with them.
The bird people and all the
other animals became lazy and
forgetful. They quit carrying out
the sacred ceremonies. Soon
thev fo
rgot them altogether. The
Creator was very angry with
them.
He became so angry, he
caused a great drought to come
over the earth. The Bird people
and all of the other animal
people began to suffer. The lack
of food, water and disease
spreading about caused sickness
and death. Soon only a few ani
mal people were left.
They paused and gathered
together, "What are we to do?'
they exclaimed, "How can we
stop this? Why is this happening
to us?"
Owl spoke up, "We have for
gotten the old ways. We have
forgotten the songs. We no
longer have the feasts. We no
longer gather in the longhouse
to worship. We fight and cheat
one another. We no longer take
good care of the land. That is
why The Creator is punishing
us!" The Owl went on, "Some
one must go to the Sun and beg
him to stop this terrible drought.
Who amongst us is brave
enough to do this?"
In those days the Magpie was
white just like all the other birds.
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He was a boastful little guy and
a braggart. He pranced about
and made bold statements about
how he could go to the Sun and
make him end the drought and
save the people. He said, "Let
me go to the sun and make him
end the drought so that we may
live!"
The animal people agreed.
Magpie, with his chest stuck out
and a smirk on his face, took
off like a rocket going to the
moon. He wasn't gone very long.
When he returned he was no
longer flying like a rocket going
to the moon. In fact,' he was nos
longer flying in a straight line.
When he landed, he wobbled
about and seemed weak and out
of breathe.
Magpie said, "I couldn't
make it very far. The heat is too
strong."
Magpie was no longer all
white. Some of his feathers got
scorched. Today when you see
magpie, he has some black
feathers and some are still white.
Raven spoke up, "I am the One-Who-Makes-Things-Right."
But
the people knew he was not a
humble person. They knew he
would use his strength and cun
ning and not always be truthful
to get what he wanted. The
people considered him a bully,
but they also knew he was very
strong and would do anything
to stay alive and maintain his
power among the people. The
people had no choice but to
agree with him.
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Raven started his journey to
the sun. I le flew and flew. It was
very hot but Raven continued on.
The heat was becoming greater
and greater. Sun watched Raven
getting closer and thought,
"Raven is a very strong person."
Raven continued flying until his
body was very black and his
thick claws were thin.
When Raven returned to the
people, he exclaimed, "The Sun
is too strong, we are doomed."
From that day on, Raven be
came a good person and a
strong symbol for the people.
Many clans' name themselves
after 'him because he tried.1
Way in the background was
Bald Eagle; he was a magnifi
cent looking bird, He was large
and streamlined for speed. He
was strong and brave; Eagle was
the humblest of all the bird
people.
The people said, "Eagle is the
only one of us who is strong
enough to go to the sun and ask
him to stop the drought." They
begged and begged him to go.
Eagle said, "Sun is too strong.
We have forgotten the proper
ways of our Creator. He is an
gry with us. We are being pun
ished." "What are we to do, Brother
Eagle?" the people asked. Eagle
answered, "We must remember
the old and proper ways of our
people. We must remember the
songs, the feasts and the laws
of life."
Finally a young child began
March 4, 2004
to sing a song he had heard his
grandfather sing. He couldn't
remember the whole song. The
child said, "We must gather and
try to remember what was
passed on to us by our grand
mothers and grandfathers. We
arc neglecting Mother Earth and
grandfather is taking it from us.
That is our punishment. Maybe,
if we remember, he will forgive
us." Eagle finally agreed to fly
to the Sun. I le flew and flew. It
was getting very hot. I le could
see the sun getting closer and
closer. I le was about ready to
turn back when he thought, 'If
I put my wings over my head,
maybe I can get close enough
to the Sun to speak with him.'
That is what the Eagle did and
today the Eagle has a white head
and white tipped tail feathers.
Eagle reached the Sun and said,
"Sun, my brother, the people of
earth are dvinc because of this
great drought. I have been sent
to beg you to stop it. It is caus-'
ing great famine and disease."
Sun said, "The people have
forgotten the old ways and The
Creator is angry at them. They
no longer respect him and the
sacred laws. The longhouscs are
empty and the drum cannot be
heard. The people have become
evil and wicked. The first food
feasts are no longer carried out.
That is why this great drought
was brought."
The Sun continued, "Because
you are his people, he is going
to forgive you and let you live,
but there will be great change.
No longer will Sun sit in the sky
all day. Half of each day will be
darkness. From now on you will
have to work to survive. Some
of you will not be able to do
that and shall perish. You will
no longer be in charge. You will
be cared for by a new people, '
the human people. If they take
good care of you, they will live.
Moon and stars will assist you
during the nighttime. Nighttime
will be your rest time. If the
human people become as you
did, then Earth and the world
shall perish forever. You must
teach them. When the human
people arrive, it shall be your job
to offer up yourselves so they
may live. That is the message
Eagle brought back from the
Sun and that is the way it has
been since that time.
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