Spilyay Tymoo, Wqrm Springs, Oregon
April 1, 2004
Students: Doing well at school in Maupin
(Continued from page 1)
, So, while the Moody family's cross
1 ing the school district boundary isn't
set in stone, it looks like a pretty pood
bet.
The arrangement requires a
committment on their part. "We have
to take the kids to the bus stop, which
is 1 1 miles away, and we have to pick
our kids up every night," says Captain.
But for him, that's OK.
"We get them out the door later
than if they'd gone to Madras. They
don't get on the bus until 7:30. In the
spring and fall terms, they're home by
four o'clock. If they went to Madras,
they wouldn't be home till five," he says.
"We pick up an hour and a half of
time with our kids almost every day."
That's an important thing to Cap
tain and Winnona Moody. But it didn't
mean their worries were over: "I think
one of the things we were a little tenta
tive about is we didn't know how they
would be received. Maupin at one time
had a stereotypical reputation, and we
didn't know how well they would be
treated just because they were Indians,"
Captain says.
But come to find out, that was cjuite
the opposite of what really happened.
He goes on, "The kids were wel
comed, and the families there treated
us really well. They treated the kids well.
They have volunteered to pick up the
kids if we're not here. Teachers have
said the kids could stay with them or
we can give them a ride home - all
those kinds of neighborly things. We
weren't accustomed to that."
All parties agree. There was a little
bit of teasing when Antone and I luston
first entered school in Maupin, but it
was more because they were the new
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Rica Torres is among the Simnasho area students who attends school in Maupin.
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kids on the block. Now, Captain ad
mits, the shoe is on the other foot:
"Now I see my own boy doing it
when the new kids come in. 'We got a
new kid and blah, blah,' and I tell him,
'Remember that feeling. Remember
how that felt? Well, you think about that
when you act up.'"
Appreciating cultural differences
The change in schools seems to be
working well for all parties. The native
kids are playing their part in Maupin's
reputation for scholastic excellence.
Grades are up, and attcndcncc is up.
Tom Rinearson uses a simple mea
suring stick to tell if the organization is
running smoothly. First he asks if stu
dents are improving academically. Then
he takes to the halls to sec if people
are smiling.
"I'm not in a situation where I'm in
day to day contact with kids, but as I'm
walking around, by and large, the Na
tive American kids all have, smiles on
their faces," he says.
Nevertheless, according to
Rinearson, there has been a change in
" think the more parents
take a genuine interest in
their kids, and are willing to
be involved in those kid's
lives, the better those kids are
going to do. "
Tom Rinearson
School superintendent
the school culture since the young Na
tives enrolled: "I don't find the things I
read about in The Orcgonian. In all
fairness, I haven't interacted with the
whole tribe, but by and large they are
very respectful of other people, other
people's points of view and other
people's cultures. That may have been
the biggest impact they've had on our
school. As a result, they've gotten a high
level of respect for their culture in re
turn." Importance of parent support
It seems as though things arc work
ing well for the young Natives in school
at Maupin. But it's more than just the
school reaching for excellence and pro
viding support, as well as the kids be
ing cooperative and participating in their
own education. There are the parents
also.
"I don't think it's unique to any cul
ture," says Rinearson. "I think the more
parents take a genuine interest in their
kids, and are willing to be involved in
those kid's lives, the better those kids
are going to do. Captain and Winnona
have been very supportive of their kids
and very supportive of other kids in
the school system. Winnona especially
has been supportive in ways that don't
draw attention, and that support has
made a huge difference."
Parental support is important. Cap
tain and Winnona Moody are probably
thinking about that when they're tum
bling the kids into the car on an icy
winter morning to take them to the bus
stop.
But there's nothing they can do about
young Antone's discomfort during that
early morning ride.
I le'U just have to hang in there -that
is, until he's old enough to drive
his own car to school.
Naming: nearly 200 people gather for ceremony
(Continued from page 1)
Merle Holmes has for 12 years been
part of the Medicine Society, a group
in Grand Ronde that continues to
honor these traditions. The group also
leads and participates in funerals, first
fishing and hunting successes and other
traditional milestones.
"I know it was very important for
him to bring it here," said We-Ia-lik.
"I attend so much stuff at Warm
Springs and at Yakama," said the Elder
Holmes. "At Warm Springs, if they have
a young man or woman going away to
war, they have a ceremony. When they
come back, they have a ceremony. We
don't have them here... but I wanted
to see if the people here were inter
ested enough, I thought I'd bring an
aspect here to see if people were inter
ested." By one count, 160-180 people were
interested. They filled the Community
Center cafeteria to overflowing for this
event. It started before noon on the
last Saturday in February, and contin
ued until nearly midnight.
As the ceremony got underway,
Tribal Elder Laverne Hostler congratu
lated Holmes and said, "I hope you've
started something."
"I like to see this sort of stuff be
cause it's traditional and there isn't
much of it going on anymore," said Mel
Holmes, nephew to Elder Merle
Holmes and cousin to We-La-Lik. "It's
a good learning experience for me like
for a lot of Grand Ronde members.
When you have a community involved,"
he added, "there's a higher probability
that others will learn."
Elders from Warm Springs, Umatilla
and Yakama tribes performed songs
and told stories in the beginning. A cafeteria-style
meal followed with tradi
tional meats and fishes, berries, roots,
salads and fruits. Adults stood in long
lines that snaked around the tables and
chairs while young children ran around
with their own traditions of celebra
tion. Following the meal, the tables were
put away and chairs consigned to an
outside circle while many set up for the
presentation of gifts.
"Watch how things are laid out on a
trail," said Taaw-lee-winch.
Blankets and quilts were laid out on
the floor first They covered the entire
area where all the gifts eventually were
placed. Many place settings went down
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Brent MerrillCourtesy of Smoke Signals
The naming ceremony included a giveaway at the community center.
next, followed by large salad-style bowls
that eventually were filled with home
canned salmon, berries, and cereals.
Cans of coffee accompanied each
place setting, then salmon jerky, fol
lowed by towels and wash cloths, socks,
straw mats, skins, shawls, bottled wa
ter, then fruit.
"My dear relatives," said Taaw-lee-winch.
"Witness the beginning of a
name-giving."
The process continued with many
speaking about the family, the ceremony
and the future. It involved loading We-la-lik
with blankets - they were spread
out over his outstretched arms - so
that others of the family's choosing
would come up to him, honor his newly
given name, and receive a gift from
the family.
Taaw-lee-winch gave the instructions:
first to say the new name: We-la-lik, and
then say your own name; take a gift
from We-la-lik (a blanket, for example),
and then give a gift. Sometimes, in these
modern days when 111311' of the craft
skills are lost, friends and family give
money instead, according to Taaw-lee-winch.
"It's kind of cheating," he said, but
allowed in these modern times.
The traditional met the modern in
other wavs.
Yakama Elder Julian Pinkham
whose grandchildren are Grand Ronde
Tribal members, told a touching Indian
family story with a Polish joke punch
line. The home-smoked jerky and
canned salmon sat alongside of cans
of Folgers coffee.
But for Elder Merle Holmes, the
"In the old old times when
things were really hard,
when they had those give
aways, they gave away ev
erything they had. That
was how important this
was. "
Merle Holmes
naming was an addition to modern life,
not a contest between the two. "Most
of us today have nicknames and this
has no effect on our payroll signature
or anything else. It's something above
and beyond."
We-la-lik, 31, who works in Bellevue,
Washington as a Provider Relations
Representative for PacifiCare, the in
surance company, called the commu
nity support, "Overwhelming. It's a
great day, today."
We-la-lik has taken part in Medicine
Society events at the Warm Springs
Reservation, so this was the third or
fourth time he had seen such an event.
"I think I'll still walk the same after
it's over, but there is some spiritual ful
fillment in doing this," he said. "I feel
like I've taken pan in something mean-
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Next deadline
for the Spilyay is
noon on Friday,
April 9.
ingful."
His brother, David, an actor and set
builder in Los Angeles, was unable to
attend because he waS involved in a
play set to open the day after the nam
ing, but if he wanted a naming cer
emony, too, said his father, "We'd put
together a giveaway for him."
The giveaway is the key to all this,
according to Merle. "In the old old
times when things were really hard,
when they had those giveaways, they
gave away everything they had. That
was how important this was."
Among the giveaways, the Holmcses
saved the best for the tribe's oldest, El
der Nora Kimsey, 95.
The Circle of Life Pendleton blan
ket had a message on a sewed in piece
that read: "In honor of all Tribal El
ders, the wisdomkeepers who are
charged with handing down teachings
and spiritual direction so the children
better understand their responsibility to
the universe and the creator."
Another "highest honor" blanket,
this one produced in a limited edition,
went to'Wasco Band Chief Nelson
Wallulatum.
For memories, none topped the
moment when We-la-lik - his arms
outstretched like a scarecrow, the blan
kets being piled on - sank under the
weight.
"It got pretty warm in there," he said
later.
And for tenderness, there was a
beautiful moment when the naming
was over. Merle Holmes' good heart
is none too healthy, and he had been
working tirelessly on this project for
three months.
"I think he can finally relax," said
We-la-lik.
After a whole afternoon spent on
the naming part of the ceremony, as
much time and effort went into a night
of Medicine dances. Without cameras
or reporters, the evening was left to
the sacred.
(This article and the photograph were
provided to the Spilyay Tymoo courtesy
of the Smoke Signals newspaper of the
Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.)
Story idea
for the Spilyay?
Call 553-3274.
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