E Coosb EEWA: The wy it is
Pqge 4 Spilyay Tymoo November 25, 2004
Spilyay
Speaks
A great
tradition
of giving thanks
By Selena Boise
Management Successor
Happy Thanksgiving to all
relatives, friends, and Spilyay
Tymoo readers.
We at the Spilyay
arc thankful for
another successful
year at the news
paper office.
Ever wonder about the his
tory of Thanksgiving
I read about it on the
Internet and here's what I found.
Well, the Pilgrims set sail
from Plymouth, England on
September 6, 1620 bound for
the resourceful "New World."
They were separatists who
merged together to be called
Pilgrims, and John Carver was
elected their first governor.
They first sighted the land
off Cape Cod but later settled
in a place they called Plymouth.
It offered an excellent harbor
and plenty of resources, and the
local Indians were non-hostile.
But their happiness was short
lived, as they were not equipped
to handle the winter. They were
then saved by a group of local
Native Americans who be
friended them and helped them
with food. Soon after, the Indi
ans taught them how to culti
vate corns and grow vegetables
to store away for hard days.
By the next winter they raised
enough crops, and the winter
came and passed without much
harm to them. They knew they
beat the odds and it was time to
celebrate.
They celebrated it with a com
munity harvest feast where the
friendly Native Americans were
invited. The Pilgrims would
have such feasts in England. The
recipes included corn (or wheat
by the Pilgrims usage of the
word), Indian corn, barley,
pumpkins and peas, fowl, deer,
fish, and the yummy wild tur
key. However, the third year was
bad as the corns were damaged.
Pilgrim Governor William
Bradford ordered a day of fast
ing and prayer, and then rain
happened to follow. To cel
ebrate, November 29 of that
year was proclaimed a day of
thanksgiving. This date is be
lieved to be the real beginning
of the present Thanksgiving
Day.
So the Thanksgiving Day was
a celebration of harvest. They
were thankful for the harvest
they received after having their
Letters to the Editor
Little pumpkins
On behalf of the children
and staff of Warm Springs
Early Childhood and Head Start
Program, thank you parents,
grandparents, family members,
and tribal departments for par
ticipating in tie "Little Pumpkins
Parade" on Oct. 29. Without all
of you it would not have been
possible.
A special thank you to Lisa
Johnson, Lena Ike, and Nancy
Mendez for contacting all the
tribal organizations. Thank you
to Danni Katchia for taking all
those great photos of our ghouls
and goblins, Jolene Soto and
family for the decorating the
main lobby and setting up tables,
and Marie Tom and her family
for making and donating deco
rations. To the teachers and parents
of A-pod and B-pod, great
decorating. It looked
spooktacular.
Thank you Agnes Wolfe for
the time and help you gave your
classroom teachers. Thank you
to Tribal Council and Kah-Nee-Ta
Reservations for your candy
donations.
To the Warm Springs Police
Department, Officer O'Riley
for providing traffic control so
our children and staff could
cross the road safely to I.H.S.
Lastly, to I.H.S. for allowing us
to come bver to trick or treat,
and visit all of you and your
patients. If I have missed any
one forgive me.
Jodi Off, Acting Family
Partnership Coordinator, Warm
Springs Head StartEarly Head
Start.
War veterans
I wish to thank the Madras
Lions Club for recognizing Ko
rean War Veterans. The club
recently placed a plaque in their
honor at the Museum at Warm
Springs. It means a lot to us who
served in frontline positions.
Chesley Yahtin Sr.
Thank you
I am writing to thank the dia
betes program for putting up the
$50 for the fourth, fifth and
sixth grade boys to play tackle
football. The boys had fun and
learned some good skills of the
game. I would also like to thank
Roy Spino for donating his time
to coach the sixth graders. It is
a challenge to put all of that time
into coaching and hold a job.
I hope to see more kids get
involved next season. You cant
say you didn't hear about it, be
cause the radio station an
nounced it every day. Our kids
need something to keep their
time used constructively, instead
of running around acting like
thugs. Sports are a good way to
do that. Besides baseball and a
few other tourneys, there is noth
ing. And until we get our own
high school we are cheering on
future White Buffalos. So
please, parents and kids, get in
volved in activities that are avail
able. Thanks again. Orlando
Stevens.
Atwai Nettie
Thanks to everyone who
came to celebrate atwai Nettie
Shawaway at her memorial Nov.
6 at Simnasho Longhouse. I
apologize for how my part at the
end of the main giveaway wasn't
clear, and I want to thank Wil
son Wewa, Suzie Slockish,
Shirley Heath and Bobbie
Conner for helping straighten
that out. Thanks to Wilson for
speaking and handing out the
things with me. I wanted to rec
ognize the people those things
were for, and their contributions
to Auntie's life but there wasn't
time then, so I'm writing this
letter instead.
I first met Auntie in the early
70's when I was the first woman
John Umtuch brought home to
his parents, atwai Don and Ha
zel Umtuch in Toppenish. The
second weekend I was over,
Auntie and her sisters arrived on
the Umtuch doorstep with wing
dresses for "John's new bride."
John and I didn't go far together
but I never lost my in-laws and
remained close to his family,
acquiring new sisters, Lorintha,
Patricia, Louiza, and Julie, and
Hazel just gathered me in as
another daughter.
Auntie claimed the Umtuchs
and so she and they used to visit
me a lot when I lived in Wash
ington and she lived in Parker.
She used to get cedar from my
trees up at Poulsbo where I was
working, bake bread in my fire
place, and go around with all of
us. When Hazel unexpectedly
passed away and the other girls
were working and I wasn't and
had my own money, I started
making myself available to help
Auntie after she moved to
Warm Springs.
Wilson was right: I drove her
around a lot. We went to visit a
lot of people in the Northwest,
to Round-Up, to Lapwai, to Se
nior Days all over, to Lorintha's
graduation from college, to root
dig, to Priest Rapids where she
was a digger, etc. As her health
declined, I became more active
in caregiving and advocating for
her interests with Health and
Wellness, Housing, and whatever
she wanted done.
She and her sister, atwai
Sylvia, had me set up a meeting
with a representative of the gov
ernor so that they could try to
protect sacred sites like Enola
Hill, and meet with an Interior
Department fellow who came
all the way from La Grand just
to hear their input into the Nez
Perce National Monument then
being planned. I also spent many
times with her in the hospital
and interfaced for her between
her and the medical staff. I tried
to champion her wishes and
support her as she wanted until
I was ultimately prevented from
doing so. I only knew her a little
while in her great, long life, a
little over 30 years. But so very
many people cared about her
and she loved everyone, no
matter what a person's failings.
She might have been disap
pointed in you but she loved you
nevertheless. I want to thank all
those people who supported her
and who helped me help her.
Thanks to Olivia. Thanks to
Gail Turcotte. Thanks to
Blaney; to atwai Geri Blodget a
special thanks to "her cooks,"
Shirley Heath and Nola
Queahpama.
Thanks to the Health and
Wellness staff. Thanks to the
staff at the Fire Station and the
EMT's who came to check on
her many times. Thanks to the
staff at Mountain View Hospi
tal. Special thanks to Levi, Cris,
and Terry. Thanks to Nola Q.
and Neda Wesley who made
special efforts to bring her tra
ditional foods. Thanks to Neda
who made beautiful pillows for
her, made herself available to
translate for Auntie in the hos
pital and who helped when the
Happy birthday and other wishes...
corn damaged, and that they
were able to harvest and store
it to begin with. The harvest,
corn, and preservation for win
ter was taught to them by the
Indians.
The people of Warm Springs
today celebrate each year for the
roots and huckleberries.
Well, to further tell the story,
Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt in
1939 (approved by Congress in
1941), set Thanksgiving as the
fourth Thursday of every No
vember. Before that it was the
last Thursday as set by Pres. Lin
coln. But the last Thursday
would end up sometimes being
the fifth Thursday, falling too
close to Christmas, leaving the
businesses less than a month to
cope with two big festivals.
Well, I think that having a
celebration for a community
feast is a nice way to give thanks.
It gives us time to think of
other things to be thankful for
in our lives.
I asked my children what
they are thankful for, and one
responded that something to be
thankful for is having grandpar
ents still here with us. Hey that's
a good one.
Happy Thanksgiving and
have a good feast to celebrate.
Merry
Christmas to
family and'
friends, from
the Diaz fam
ily in Colo
rado Springs,
Colorado. Yerlonda and Jesus
Diaz Justice, Holly, Kat, Shania,
Hakela, Emmanuel, and Sun
shine. Happy Birthday to Holly,
Kat, and Justice. How time flies.
Enjoy your time with your fam
ily. Let the party wait, leave the
bitterness, and enjoy today
because tomorrow is not prom
ised to anyone.
Happy first
birthday to
Tyson Marcus
Waheneka on
Nov. 15. We
love you, from
Mom, Dad
and Sonny.
Happy birthday
Grampa, from your loving
grandsons Sonny and
Tyson.
Happy birthday Dad on Nov.
24. We love you very much,
from your baby girl and Mack.
Happy first b-day (pumba)
Tyson Waheneka. Love y a lots,
Uncle Cory Sr. and Auntie
Vanessa.
Happy b-day or our Dad
Erland Suppah on Nov. 24.
Love, Mr. and Mrs. Stwyer.
Happy b-day to ouf
grandpa Erland Suppah
Sr. Love, Shaniah and
Alexis, Antoine and
Chance, Cory Jr. and
Coreena.
Happy first b-day to our
cousin Tyson Waheneka. Love,
Shaniah, Antoine, Cory Jr. and
Coreena.
Happy b-day to Grandma
Marcelena. hove, Mr. and Mrs.
Stayer, Shaniah, Antoine, Cory
Jr. and Coreena.
Congratulations to Melinda
and Joe for making the Dean's
List in Haskell. We're very
proud of you two. Love,
Gramma Evelyn and your
uncles in Washington.
Happy birthday to Kurtis
Leonard. We love you. Your
Gramma Evelyn and your uncles
in Washington.
Congratulations to
Melinda Polk and Joe Th
ompson for making the
President's Honor Roll at
Haskell. And happy holi
days to Ashley and John
Kalama. You are all in our
hearts and on our minds.
Keep up the good work.
From Jessie, Kurtis and
Tommy Thompson.
Happy belated 16th birth
day to Kurtis Leonard.
"Take your time and en
joy who you are. Keep it real,
son.
From your family, Mom
and Tommy, Melinda and Joe
Thompsoa
Happy 18'1 birthday to my
baby girl Ina Kaleak.
My gosh how fast you've grown
now. You're a young adult.
Hope you had a good day. I
miss you babe.
Be good, like you are. God
bless.
Love, Mame, Alvin and
Pedro.
Happy first birthday to
our baby boy Heaven
Kalama on Nov. 16.
With lots of love, Mom
and Dad and family.
house was being cleaned out.
Thanks to the Veterans whom
she supported all through her life
and for their honoring her.
Thanks to Antoinette for all her
efforts on behalf of Auntie be
fore she passed, for the funeral,
and with the memorial. Thanks
to all Auntie's nieces and neph
ews who helped with the memo
rial, and to Nola and her family
who cooked for it Thanks to
" Auntie's Washington relatives,
Cleta, Sybil and everyone who
came and helped out with the
memorial.
Thanks to all the people from
Pendleton - Tessie Williams,
Cecilia Bearchum, Thomas
Morning Owl and his mother,
Armand Minthorn and his wife
Bobbie, Leah, Dana and Elliot
Conner. Thanks to Fred and
Olivia for helping plan her great
100th birthday.
Thanks to Teresa Crane.
Thanks to Bobbie Conner and
Leah. Thanks to Lonnie
Alexander. Thanks to the staff
of Tamustslikt. Thanks to all
the folks from Priest. Thanks
to Alex Buck, and to his mom,
Angela. Thanks to Rex Buck.
Thanks to atwai Effie Culpus.
Thanks to atwai Janet McCloud
for her concern about Auntie.
Thanks to the Housing De
partment and Lyle Rhoan.
Thanks to the museum and
Kah-Nee-Ta gift shop folks.
Thanks to Auretia; and thanks
to Kunya. Thanks to Viola Gov
ernor, and to those among the
High Lookee staff who really
did care about her. Thanks to
Klarice and her, and to Trish,
Suzie LB. and her daughter who
spent many good times with
Auntie.
A special thanks to Delvis
Heath and his family. And
thanks in particular to both Suzie
Slockish and Shirley Heath.
Thanks to Minnie and
Mariah. Thanks, too, to my
sweetie, George Llufuto
Smallman, and thanks to my
many friends who felt friendly
enough to joke with him and
help him feel welcome at the
memorial.
Most of all, thanks to every
one who carries on the tradi
tions, who learn the songs, and
who represent Auntie's culture
now and in the future. Bless you.
Gail Campbell
Thank you for writing to
the Spilyay Tymoo. Letters
may be mailed to: Spilyay
Tymoo, P.O. Box 870,
Warm Springs, OR 97761.
Letters may be up to 350
words in length.
Letters of apology
To the Warm Springs community, I would like to take this
time to apologize for driving under the influence of intoxicants
on or around Nov. 6. Would you please accept this sincere apol
ogy because drinking and driving is dangerous to all. John
Ball.
To the people of Warm Springs I apologize for being under
the influence of alcohol on the morning of Oct. 23 with a 0.13
BAG I had to go to court and plead guilty for my actions. I am
very sorry and will not do it again. I know drinking has caused
a lot of hurt on the rez. Eliah Squiemphen.
To the people of Warm Springs I would like to apologize for
drinking and acting stupid on Oct. 31 at 3:17 a.m. I'm not a
person who drinks and when I did, I got caught. I'm glad I went
to jail before something really bad happened to me or I got
hurt. I would just like to say sorry. Stephanie Rowe.
I express my heartfelt apology for driving under the influence
within the community of Warm Springs. The awful choice I
made is not advised for anyone. My choice jeopardized safe
roads within our community, my job, my personal wellbeing
and positive efforts toward a healthy life. Please accept my apol
ogy. Thank You. Marge Kalama.
I was arrested on Oct. 22 by the Tribal Police for DUII. At
the jail I blew a 0.16 blood alcohol level. I am sorry for driving
on the reservation while intoxicated. Please accept this letter of
apology. Charlie Chee Jr.
To the citizens of Warm Springs, I would like to take this
time to apologize for my driving under the influence of both
alcohol and marijuana. To the best of my ability this will not
happen again. Roscoe Thompson III.
I would like to say I am sorry for driving under the influence
on the night of 10-24-04. 1 also would like to thank those who
stopped to make sure I was okay. Amanda Tom.
To the people of the Warm Springs Reservation, I am writing
this apology for two charges. I was arrested in the middle of
November for carrying a weapon when prohibited and attempt
ing to elude a police officer. I apologize for endangering people
during an instant of bad judgement. I am incarcerated for a
while, to pay for my actions. Also I apologize for having a
weapon on the same morning I was arrested and lodged here at
the WSCF. Warren Wallulatum.
Spilyay Tymoo
CCoyote News, Est. 1976)
Publisher Emeritus: Sid Miller
Editor: Dave McMechan
Management Successor: Selena T. Boise
Advertising Manager: Sam Howard
Media Advisor: Bill Rhoades
Spilyay Tymoo is published bi-weekly by the Confederated
Tribes of Warm Springs. Our offices are located in the white
house at 1100 Wasco Street. Any written materials submit
ted to Spilyay Tymoo should be addressed to:
Spilyay Tymoo, P.O. Box 870, Warm Springs, OR 97761.
Phone: (541) 553-1644 or 553-3274.
FAX No. (541)553-3539.
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