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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 2004)
Spilyqy Tymoo, Wgrro Springs, Oregon September 16, 2004 Page 5 More letters to the editor Be proud To our people, In our young years during the 1940s and '50s our mother spoke in our language fluently, but not to us children. She said she was getting us ready for sheapo world. Her choice. Now that we've seen both worlds we might have chosen to learn our languages, but we did participate in our longhouse cul tures., We also learned that our an cestors chose to adopt other people, tanun people into our tribe. So why is it that now our own people choose to say ugly things about who we are as In dian people. Whether we're Wasco, Paiute or Sahaptin, we all live in the same community, have prob lems, we all see our children and grandchildren grow up and try our best to teach them good values. Be proud of who we are. Last, we are no better than anyone else. Thank you. Shirley Sanders. A thank you The family of Illon Gerralena Wahsise (Kalama) would like to express their thanks to all the relatives, friends and others who came together in our time of need, to help send our mother on her journey. We send our gratitude to Mountain View Hospital doctors, nurses and visitors who went by and showed their support for our mother and mainly all the sup port that was toward our sister Roberta, for she was the main one who stuck by our mother's bedside up to her last breath. Thanks goes out to all the fol lowing: Bel-Air Funeral Home , (Doug), Utilities, Tribal Council, ! the Credit Department, Warm Springs Police for escort, KWSO, Natural Resources, officiators (Pat Tanewasha and Norman Lucei), dressmakers (Adeline Miller, Phyllis Strong and Eileen Spino), dressers (Margaret Boise and Mona Starr), cooks (Janice Clements, Millie Colwash and kitchen help ers), gravediggers (David Lucei, Edward Lucei, Berlyn Yazzie, Lyman and Shawn Jim, Steve Stewart), all the pallbearers and volunteer pallbearers; the fol lowing supporters and helpers: Alveda and Elmer Charley, Jerri Polk, Emily Yazzie, Rose Rud der, Farrell Hance, Angie Tho mas, Roberta Bruce, Sandra, Andrea and Maria Moroyaqui, Trisha, Judith, Eliza, Verleen, Marissa Kalama, Tonya Tewee, Sarah Belgard, Toni Marie, Suzette Boise, Susie Briseno, Janelle Tailfeathers, Krista Rhoan, Grandpa Leslie and Star Thomas, Edith Kalama, Alice Wyena, especially the ones who went out of their way to travel here to Warm Springs to show their respects, they are as fol lows: Norma Williams, Arlene George, Jason Sampson, Joyce and Andrea Spino, Zena, Gerald Dotch, who all traveled from the Yakama Reservation area. This was a totally new expe rience and a huge step for the four of us sisters and brothers. We are at the early stages of adulthood and we're also at a very young age when we lost our fathers Edwin Thomas Sr. and Michael Wahsise. During then, it was our mother and older family who were respon sible for handling the arrange ments. If we may have by passed anyone, not mentioned, we apologize. Once again thank you. Also hope to see you again for the stonesettings, memorials, which are being scheduled one year from now, for our mother and both of the fathers. Love and sincerely, Vera Thomas and family, Roberta Thomas and family, Edwin Thomas Jr. and Joseph Wahsise. Burial To my family, I am writing this so I can let people know why I wasn't at the burial of my mother, Illon Wahsise (Kalama). I got a lot of negative looks from family members who could've easily come ask me why I wasn't there. I feel like maybe it was meant to be that way after I heard about the things that went on at the cem etery. I am so proud of my sis ter Roberta for standing her ground. We were hurt because of a lot of negative statements made because our decisions on ar rangements that were made. Be ing the oldest child I decided to step down and let my sister do the talking after we realized it was getting late. My sister was the only one who was able to talk to her and get this kind of information from her. Thank you for your time, Vera Tho mas. PS, my not being at the burial was not intentional. Forgiveness A lot of people are afraid to pray, because they know God knows all - perceiving their hearts with all their unconfessed sins, (confessed sins are not re membered by God) and shun God. Recently, I had one of my friends ask me, "Are you still going to church?" I said, "Yes." He said, "That still doesn't change your past." I think he wishes that were true, because he hopes his excuse for reject ing God's son as a sacrifice for him will hold water. I said to my family who was with me, "It might never change my past, but it does wonders for my future." But most people think God died and left them the judge. God is the only judge, and judge's decree is the only one that counts in the courtroom. All the other judgments in the courtroom are mere opinions. God decreed, "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." (Psalms 103:12) The East never meets the West, so our sins will never be close to us again. I know that man has the hard est time forgiving, and there are those who know my past, and don't forgive me and I never wronged them personally. Then the ones that I really did wrong, come up and hug me and ex press their love for me. Now that is irony. But God forgave me and forgots my past and has a mansion in heaven waiting for me. (John 14:2). Knowing this allows me to forgive others. God says perfect love casts out all fear. (1" John 4:18). Fear of the past is called "guilt." Fear of the future is called "worry." The blood of Jesus on the cross casts out all fear of the past with my sins into the "sea of forget fulness." The resurrection of Jesus after his three days in hellG promoted to the right hand of God J defending my soul casts out all fear of the future (of where I will spend life eternal). Freed from the fear of the past and future, letting me live in the now (born again.) Do you believe God will not be offended, when you refuse his best gift, his only begotten Son? Your place to spend eter nity depends on this gift. Why take a chance? R.T. Thompson see you grow up. Carla Rose, I just want to thank you for all of the love that you gave me. You know we've been through some bad times because of me, but I'm here to tell you that I'm sorry for all those times I made you cry. We can't let all those sad times and bad times sepa rate us. I didn't forget you or my daughter. I got too much love for both of you. Listen, Carla Rose, we've been through good and bad times together but together we've managed to pull together as one. No matter what. I'm gone for now. Alicia, this is your dad. Listen to me. Please for give me for not being there for you as you grew up. I'd like to hear from you both. Here's my address below, and please send photos too, okay? No polaroids. Rayfield Mitchell, No. 60839-065, US Penitentiary, Leavenworth, PO Box 1000, Leavenworth, KS 60048-1000. Smokey Thank you to all those who attended Smokey Bears 60,h birthday party. A special thank you goes out to the following individuals for making Smokey's party happen: Gary Cooke, Ken Lydy (who kept bringing me items that I forgot to bring to the Community Center and moral support), Irwina Smith for help in the organizing, shop ping for food and general prep of the event, Thomas Medina and Adrian Tulce, who took care of Smokey Bear and kept him under control. Thanks guys, and last but far from least, to Fire and Safety personnel Michelle Jensen, Erma Garcia, Earlcne Tufti, Lisa Webb, Whitedcve Cooper, Dana Smith, Blaine Begay and Bobby Thurby for the excellent job with decora tions and cooking abilities. To all these fine individuals who donated their time and abilities to help make the party a success, a big thank you. Fire Management. Sorry I'm writing this letter to let Carla Rose Pedraza and my daughter Alicia Pedraza know I love them and that I'm always thinking about them. Alicia, I'm Isoriy I wasn't! there forvyoMo I ! III il'-lnVnifii i r i Hi i I ' ill 7ffllli Kasheena Stevens likes school so much that she wants to be a teacher when she grows up. At school she likes spelling. She 's at a level 38 in spelling, meaning she spells at nearly a fourth-grade level. Kasheena is 7 years old and in the second grade at Warm Springs Elemen tary School. . "Like all of our student achievers, she works hard at everything she does in school, " said school principal Dawn Smith. "She knows that being a good student is very important. " Kasheena dances at powwows, and this year was on the Pi-Ume-Sha Junior Court. Her parents are Lisa Webb and Orlando Stevens. At home Kasheena likes to use the com puter. At school, besides spelling, one of her favorite things is recess. :,V -orno?. iridic! H.i ;fvn ww .onO )vk'joI m t ?:,v 'jrnori , I. VI .fi.'l Ol '. maun ono Letters to the editor Letters to the editor can be spilyaytymoowstribes.ore. sent to Spilyay Tymoo, P.O. Box 870, Warm Springs, 97761. Or dropped off at 1100 Wasco St. E-mail is Letters can be no longer than 350 words in length, and can contain no libel against any person. o iio ill Sin $tand Opening, m Chinese Restaurant hutch tpeciafo 11-3. tPwpcvted ptcdfi daily JVeut awneu, A em management, Came inVtyut out Hours: 11:00 a.m. -10:00 p.m. Tuesday - Sunday 1 6 N.E. 'A' Street, Madras 541-475-6559 4J 1999 Mercury Mystique Air, auto Silver 1997 Subaru Outback 4x4, stick shift, air Red RUCE Auto 40 NW 4th Street, Madras 475-8100 Many other models to choose from, Stop and take a look!! $5,995 $7,995 i 1997 Nissan 4x4 Pick up, extra cab Blue v 4 $6,995 1998 Ford Expedition Auto, air White $8,995 vwvvvwmwwvvwvwwwwwwwvv V