Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
September 13, 2007
Signs convey serious message
By Leslie M itts
Spilyay Tymoo
Three new signs are sure to
garner a reaction in Warm
Springs— especially since they
pame back several square feet
larger than ordered.
« The signs designate a desire
for a zero-tolerance, drug-free
community and are all three in
memory o f people who have
lost heir lives to drugs or alco
hol
| Meth Prevention Coordina
tor Wayne Miller said the idea
for the signs came from several
elders who attended a meth task
force meeting.
Though they were originally
supposed to be two feet by three
feet in size, Miller said, they ar
rived as four feet by four feet
Instead.
I Before they placed the signs
in the community on August 24,
Milter said, a blessing ceremony
jvasheld.
I It Was there that som eone
Suggested that perhaps the mis
take in sizes was a sign in itself,
Milter said.
! “One o f the people that was
doing the blessings of the sign
|a id ,’‘W ell maybe this is a
sign;».maybe die Creator or die
Lord has made the sign so big
to get the m essage across/” .
Müler Said. “I thought that was
kind of fascinating. I never re-
aly thought about it that way.”
It wasn’t the only positive
sign people noticed that day—
the morning rain suggested a
type o f cleansing as w el, Müler
said.
Overall, he added, the bless
ing was an extremely emotional
event. •
W ashut singers attended
alongside representatives from
the Shaker Church, whüe PäSr
Neh V-
Dave McMacharVSpilyay
One of three new road signs
conveying the drug-free
message.
tor Rick R ibeiro offered a
prayer.
“To be there and to feel that
type o f emotion was pretty in
tense” Müler said. “The fami
lies were stül hurtful about the
fact that they have lost a loved
one to drugs or alcohol. You
just had to be there torealy feel
the intensity o f it.” ...
Though they originally in
tended to put up eight signs, it
was difficult to gtef families to
commit to putting the name of
a loved one. on assign, Müler
said.
But for the families that did
come forward, Müler said, “The
meth task force honored them
and their famÜy for coming for-.
ward and being able to put their
famüy name on ,this drug-free
community sign, zero-tolerance
sign.”
After the blessing was done,
M iller said, they offered the
families a chance to speak.
According to Miller, “They
said it hurt, and it was still hurt
ful, but hopefully the message
can get across to the commu
nity that we cannot lose more
of our younger generation/’
“For them to come forward
like that, and listen to them
speak, and really grasp on the
message that we’re trying to get
across to the public, it was re
ally intense,” Miller said. “It was
not only emotional but you could
feel the warmth.”
It’s all part of a greater ef
fort on the part of the commu
nity to end 'methamphetamine
abuse.
“ The meth task force is ac
tually involved with a lot o f '
community members who want
change,” Miller said.
“Every aspect o f the com
munity was involved in this,” j
Miller added. “It wasn’t just one
person or two people saying this
is what we need to put on them,
this was the whole community
that wanted them to be.”
A group of elders came up
with the idea,,, Miller said, but
many different people were in
volved in the creation of the
signs— including those from the
mteth task force working in con
junction with the Community
Health Education Team ,and|
CPS.
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“I want to thank the meth
task force and those that took
part in die planning of these
signs,” Miller said.
For families that would like
to feature the name o f a loved
one on a sign, Miller said, “We '
are actually keeping that open
to the public to come forward
if they too want their family toy
be out there and voic.e their
opinion about how they think
drugs are bad.”
Families seeking information,
should call CHETat 553^3462.
from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The art show opening at the
lodge wül be on Saturday, Oct.6
from 5-6 p.m., and the artist
panel discussion to foUow.
More special events, includ
ing
traditioal
arts
demonsrtations, are scheduled
through October 29." ÿ;
For more information caU the.
Columbia Center for the-Arts
at (541) 387-8877; or visit the
wtebsite at:
w w w .colu m b iaarts.org/
n’chiwana.
Dolled-Up Sally, woven
basket by Pat Courtney
Gold.
bia Center for the Arts. Artist
reception is from 6 to 8:30 p.m.,
with artist panel discussion to
follow
The follow ing day at
Skamania Lodge will be the “She
Who Watches” petroglyph tour,
M aster ASE
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Technician
Steve, D atila & Henry ihe dogf
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W arn celebrates Native art o f the Columbia
' The Nch’i-Wana. art show and
events are scheduled for early
petober at Columbia Center for
the Arts at Hood River, and at
Skamania Lodge in Stevenson,
$0ash.
* ' Featured artists include Pat
Courtney G old, Lillian Pitt,
Roxanne C hinook, Bernyce
! Courtney, Tony Stevens, arid
atwai Apolonia Susana Santos,
along with artists from other
jribes o f the Columbia.
i Nch’i-Wana is dedicated to
Apolonia Susana Santos, Tygh
Yakama, who providted vision
jand guidance during the early
planning phases for this show.
' The art show and events cel
ebrate the Native American arts
o f Nch’i-Wana, Wasco for “the
feig River.”
|. The celebration is set for Oct.
5 -2 |y
\ The art show opening will be
bn Friday, O ct 5 at the Colum-
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