wttf,,ffr Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon November 10, 2005 P.tge 9 News from Indian Country Howlalc Tichum Renowned Navajo artist dies ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Famed Navajo artist R.C. Gorman, who has been called "the Picasso of Indian art," has died. I Ie was 74. Gorman, who had been ill with a blood infection and pneu monia, was surrounded by fam ily and friends when he died last Thursday at University of New Mexico Hospital in Albuquer que. "I Ie never lost touch with his Navajo soul," his sister, Zonnic Gorman, said in a statement released by family spokeswoman Tazbah McCullah. "I Ie never lost touch with his roots, and that kept him very humble. I lis soul emanates in his work, whether it was a beautiful scene with mountains and can yons, women or whether it was a simple sketch," his sister said. "Although R.C. the man is no longer with us, his spirit will never die." Gorman was internationally renowned for paintings and sculptures of graceful female figures, often depicted as gen erously sized and draped in a blanket. "I revere women. They are my greatest inspiration," Gorman told The Associated Press in a 1998 interview at his studio north of Taos. His work was collected by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Andy Warhol, among others. Gorman was to be buried on land he owned at El Prado near his Taos home, McCullah said. Gov. Dill Richardson, who announced Gorman's death in a news conference, said: "New Mexico loses a great citizen and the world loses a great artist." Navajo Nation President Joe Shirley Jr. said Gorman will be sorely missed. "He contributed greatly to the great name of the Navajo Na tion," Shirley said. "I Ic afforded us the opportunity to talk about ourselves to the world. When they took an interest in him, they also took an interest in our na tion." Gorman's work represented an anthology of styles over the years - some featuring Indian rugs, pottery and sand-painting motifs. Some were mystical, sur real. "His color and his whimsy, the way he celebrated Native American women in particular, and the way he elevated the fig ures to an art form, really, was tremendous," said New Mexico Cultural Affairs Secretary Stuart Ashman. He said Gorman will be re membered as "one of the great est Native American artists." He praised Gorman "not only for the quality of his work but for his contributions toward putting Native American artists into the mainstream of visual artists." Gene A. Kcams, a Navajo and pueblo artist from Albu querque, said Gorman was a mentor and often shared with him important bits of wisdom about staying true to one's self and taking art seriously. "1 Ie was almost like a father at times," Reams said. "He would take me under his wing and share with me some things only a true friend would get to hear." Gorman began drawing at age 3. He credited a teacher, Jenny Lind of the Ganado Pres byterian Mission School in Ari zona, for starting him as an art ist "She gave me lessons in art history and different mediums and always encouraged me," he recalled in the AP interview. "I guess she was the most influen tial teacher that I ever had." Gorman found his artistic hand, however, while visiting Mexico. He acknowledged strong influences of Tamayo, Orozco, Siqueiros and Diego Rivera. "It was not only the art and the color and the material they used, but their subject matter came very close to where I came from," he said. Gorman also relished food, wine and travel. He authored at least four cookbooks, each con taining a collection of drawings and paintings, called "Nudes and ftxxl." He also visited the Louvre and other European museums to sec Picassos, van Goghs, DaVincis, El Grccos and Michaelangelos. "They're all, to me, precious people," Gorman said. Gorman had been hospital ized about seven weeks. I Ie ini tially was hospitalized at Holy Cross I lospital in Taos, then was moved Sept. 24 to intensive care in the Albuquerque hospi tal. Richardson, who ordered flags around New Mexico flown at half-staff, said Gorman had been on life support for "quite some time." Gorman's friend and agent, Virginia Dooley, said Gorman became ill at his Taos home af ter scraping a knee, leading to a bacterial infection in his blood. Born Rudolph Carl Gorman on July 26, 1931, in Chinlc, Ariz., he was known as R.C. throughout his career. I Ie grew up on the Navajo reservation, the son of Navajo Code Talker Carl Gorman, and moved to Taos in 1968. He is survived by his brother, Don Mitchell of Chinle; and four sisters, Donna Scott of Chinle, Shirley Beechcr of Black Mountain, Ariz., Zonnie Gorman of Gallup and Carla Anderson of Kaibcto, Ariz. Wesley Leslie Charley Wcslev Leslie Charley dustries. He also worked for 0 passed away October 27, 2005. He was 78. Mr. Charley was born January 7, 1927 at Simnasho to parents Robert Charley and Carrie Johns. He was married to Jane Charley, who preceded him in death. Mr. Charley was a lifetime resident of Warm Springs. I Ie was a planer man for Warm Springs Forest Products In- NW Resource, as a fencing boss and a logger. I Ie is survived by his chil dren: Keith Charley, Robert Charley, Merda Charley, Bonnie Charley, I illy Charley, Dewayne Charley, and Lvslie Squiemphen, all of Warm Springs; sister Gladys Th ompson of Warm Springs; 31 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren. MEMORIES Ili STONE Custom Designed Memorials Hand Engraved In Goldendale For Over 1 8 Years Pioneer Rock tic Monument 500-773-4702 201 Cmton Road FO Box 348 QoldendalcWA 98620 www.plonBorrock.com Pair study American Indian languages to preserve them (AP) - Jeremiah Farrow and Linda Sampson are spending at least five hours a day trying to keep 'an American Indian lan guage alive. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla say only 44 elders among the 2,525 tribal members still speak their three native lan guages fluently. The effort to preserve those languages has gotten a boost with grants totaling $585,000 from the Nathan and Violet David Foundation, the Lannan Foun dation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to pairing master apprentice teams, the Nixyaawii School on the reservation teaches students the Umatilla, Cayuse-Nez Perce and Walla Walla tongues. Farrow and Sampson, both apprentices, say they are pas- program. Sampson taught Head sionate about bringing their na- Start classes and Farrow worked tive languages back from the at the reservation's Tamastslikt brink. '' - - - Cultural Centet running the "There are only a handful.of front desk and working with sneakers left." Farrow said. 'To artifacts. lose it in our generation would be bad." "It's been the best year of my life, the most enlightened," Sampson said. "It's opened my eyes." At the end of three years, apprentices may become li censed as language teachers. Both Farrow and Sampson chose the Walla Walla dialect for study since it's the closest to ex tinction and the least docu mented of the three. Other ap prentices are studying the other two dialects. Both Farrow and Sampson gave up their jobs to join the Farrow has spent seven or eight years trying to learn all three dialects by attending lan guage classes at Tamastslikt and working with master speaker Inez Reeves to learn the Umatilla language. Reeves, 80, is a short, round woman with a bright smile and an intense desire to see her na tive languages flourish. She re members speaking the Umatilla dialect since she and her two brothers were small children. "There was no English speak ing allowed at home," she said. "My mother, father and my aunt talked the Umatilla language, so we had -to learn." When it came time to raise her own two children, she re quired them' to learn the lan guage as well. Reeves has tutored three ap prentices, including Farrow, for two years, "Jeremiah is a good student," she said. Sampson hopes the program will spark renewed interest in learning tribal languages, some thing she believes is crucial. "Ev ery tribe has the same goal keeping their language going," she said. "You can preserve it, but you've got to transfer it to your kids." ir Auto 541-4756140 Hours: 8 am. 5 p.m. Mon. Fri. .19;- Fax:475-2677 880 S. Adams Dr., Madras, OR IF" YOU HAVEN'T LISTENED LATELY.,, YOU SHOULD hW Warm Sprmgs Cowuuiuty Radio, IITIN6 OUR X 6AMES CP? b)vJJy fm mm wr w w THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWINS BUSINESSES FOR UNDERWRITING OUR BROADCASTS OP MADRAS WHITE BUFFALO HOWE FOOTBALL GAMES The Oulposl Oregon Embroidery Mt Hood Meadows Ski Resort Warm Springs Composite Products Ron McDonald Chevrolet, Pontlac Bulck The Insurance Mart Warm Springs Forest Products Industries Komopp J. Petersen. Attorneys at Law Warm Springs Power Enterprises Cold Beverages Snacks & ) ( Groceries ) Candy J Deschutes Canyon RAA Store Experience our "Friendly" service We accept Oregon Trail Cards Tree" government end tribal check cashing Store Hour! Sunday - Thursday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday & Saturday 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Cans 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily Coupon 10 Off All grocery items One per person Expires 111505 Now taking cans and bottles daily. Bedroom Furniture 15 OFF Annual X-mas Sale starts day after Thanksgiving mum m Spasm mss&m Ralph's TV & Furniture 51 475-2578 525S.E.5th St. Madras OR 97741