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About Spilyay tymoo. (Warm Springs, Or.) 1976-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 2008)
Spilyay Tyrr C oyote News, est. 1976 November 6, 2008 P.O.Box 870 Warm Springs, OR 97761 OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY 1230 SW PARK AVE. PORTLAND, OR 97205 ECRWSS Postal Patron U.S. Postage PRSRTSTD Warm Springs, OR 97761 Voi. 33, No. 23 50 cents Ladies Auxiliary continues tradition B y L eslie M itts i( We’r e trying to pick up and carry on what the World War II and Ko rean wives and mothers started. ” Spilyay Tymoo O n Veterans Day and throughout the year, a group of local women do all that they can to support those in volved with the military. The local Ladies Auxiliary has been active in Warm Springs for over 50 years. Both the VFW post and the Ladies Auxiliary began in 1952 after a VFW member in Bend approached Arlene Graham’s parents, Graham said. They expressed interest in founding a VFW post in Warm Springs and soon started the VFW Elliot Palmer Post and accompanying Ladies Auxiliary. “They were the first all Indian post and auxiliary in the nation,” Graham added. In fact, the Ladies Auxiliary mem bers have log books dating back to the beginning of the auxiliary in 1952 with lists of members who volunteered their time. There are 38 members that cur rently volunteer through the Ladies Auxiliary in Warm Springs. Through out the nation, Ladies Auxiliaries con sist of female family members of vet erans who volunteer their time to sup port the troops and encourage patrio tism. “It’s a service organization,” Gra ham said. “We try to assist veterans and their families.” Arlene Graham B y Selena B oise Spilyay Tymoo Leslie Mitts/Spilyay Leminnie Smith, Tamera Kalama, Arlene Graham and Lucy Gadberry are currently involved with the Ladies Auxiliary along with 34 other members. When the post and auxiliary first began, Graham said, they were incred ibly active and travelled to state and district conventions as well as national conventions. While the VFW post still hosts a lo cal parade on Veteran’s Day, Graham said, in the past large parades through out Oregon communities were com mon and posts would travel to events in other districts. Both the VFW and Ladies Auxiliary used to host events like rodeos, dances, bowling teams, and concession stands at Pi-Ume-Sha and the Huckleberry Feast. Several VFW members are even responsible for putting in the baseball fields at the community center. The women remember being active in contests to sell buddy poppies— dis abled veterans still assemble the buddy poppies that are sold to benefit VFW posts around the country. Throughout the 1960s, Graham said, they had contests to see who could sell the most flowers. The poppy is the official memorial flower o f the Veterans o f Foreign Wars of the United States. For many o f the women involved in the Ladies Auxiliary, their partici pation began very early on due to encouragement from family mem bers. Leminnie Smith currently serves’ as president o f the local Ladies Aux iliary. Smith began volunteering at the age o f 14 because o f her mother’s involvement with the auxiliary. “My mom was always active in that and we were always helping,” Smith explained. As children they would always go to different events to show their support, Smith added, and that was the important thing to her family. See LADIES AUXILIARY on 11 Warm Springs hosts Canada, Montana tribes B y D ave M cM echan Spilyay Tymoo T he C onfederated Tribes o f Warm Springs recently hosted lead ers of the Tk’emlups tribe of Brit ish Columbia, and the Salish and Kootenai tribes of Montana. The Tk’emplups, or Kamloops, and Salish and K ootenai leaders stayed at Kah-Ne-Tah. They visited the Museum at Warm Springs, the Eugene G reene Sr. N atural Re sources building, administration, and Warm Springs Power and Water Enterprises. The Kamloops tribe is planning to build a new $30 million adminis tration building, and the tribal lead ers were looking at examples of other tribal buildings. The Salish and Kootenai are con sidering acquiring a hydro project, and they wanted to learn from the Warm Springs tribes’ experience with the Pelton-Round Butte dams. At Power and Water Enterprises, T ribal C ouncil C hairm an Ron Suppah welcomed the guests. “We need to have this kind of coopera tion,” he said. “We’re facing issues in com m on, and som e o f the projects we’re working on run paral lel.” It is important, he said, to share experiences and knowledge in plan ning for the future. Secretary-treasurer Jody Calica spoke o f some o f the fundamental facts o f the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. The tribes’ treaty is one o f only two w ith a unique phrase, said Calica. The phrase, he said, is that the tribal members reserve rights in common with “the citizens o f the United States,” while treaties often reserve rights in common with “citi zens o f the state.” The tribes own 99.7 percent o f the land o f the reservation, said Calica. The Warm Springs Reserva- ROWDI plans events for heritage month Dave McMechan/Spilyay Chief Shane Gottfriedson of the Tk’emlups Indian Band visits with Wasco Chief Nelson Wallulatum at Warm Springs Power and Water Enterprises. tion is one o f three, he said, that is ex empt from state jurisdiction, except as allowed by the tribes. Jim M anion, manager o f Warm Springs Power and Water Enterprises, made the presentation on the tribes’ energy projects. The main project is the Pelton-Round Butte dams, which the tribes co-own with Portland General Electric. The tribes also produce a little en ergy from biomass, and planning to increase biomass generation. Wind gen eration is a project for the near future, said Manion. He explained the process by the tribes have acquired part ownership of the dams, after many years o f just re ceiving lease payments. - The tribes acquired ownership in the two dams during the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission dam relicensing process, which has also led to substantial effort to re store anadramous fish above the dams. See TRIBES VISIT on page 11 “Honoring the Good in our People” is the theme o f Warm Springs Native American Heritage Month. The Twenty-Fourth Tribal Council o f the Confederated Tribes made the official proclamation, declaring N o vember as Native American Heritage Month. The proclamation prompted the ROWDI group to became active in planning activities to celebrate. ROWDI stands for Recognizing Our Wonderful, Dedicated Indians. The group is planning events in coordina tion with community groups or depart ments. ROWDI has chosen 10 individuals or groups who depict this sense o f achievement in Warm Springs. A dis play o f photographs and biographies o f the individuals and groups will be part o f a traveling display. The hon ored people are: Vernon Jackson and Ken Smith for their achievements; the three Chiefs; the current Tribal Council; elders Gladys Thompson and Olney Patt Sr.; M asters degree recip ien ts Molly Fuentes, Pita Pitt, and Direlle Calica; and Native American teachers Luanne Foltz, Taralee Suppah, Rosa Graybael, Esther Culpus, Ardis Smith, Natalie Mitchell, Arlene Graham , Deannie Smith and Shirley Allen. The display o f these accomplished individuals and groups will travel to Madras High School, Warm Springs E lem entary School, and Jefferson County Middle School for students to view throughout the month. O ther ac tivities will take place as well. O n Monday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m., there will be a community meal at the Agency Longhouse in honor o f Native Ameri cans. O n Tuesday, Nov. 11, ROWDI en courages community to become a part o f the Veterans Day Parade in Warm Springs. Native Americans have fought in every American war dating back to the Revolutionary War. O n this day they will receive acknowledgment at the annual Veterans Day Parade, which will include traditional and contemporary dress as well. O n Thursday, Nov. 13 will be the Native American Heritage Walk. Join the ECE children at the ECE starting at 3 p.m. A health fair on November 19 will be one o f the organized activities. O n November 22 a children’s powwow is scheduled at the Simnasho Longhouse. N ovem ber 28 is national Native American Heritage Day, a day o f rec ognition o f Native Americans, encour aging knowledge o f Native American accomplishments throughout history and present day. A n essay c o n te st will be held throughout November. Details will be sent to the local schools for students to enter. Winners will be chosen and photographed for an upcoming Decem ber Spilyay Tymoo edition. Still in the planning stages is the art workshop, in coordination with Voca tional Rehabilitation. The plan is for teams to work on painting designs on a canvas depicting the theme, “H onor ing the good in our People.” There will be a powwow, or Indian Nite Out, still in the planning stages, also a shoot-out basketball tournament Watch for flyers announcing the dates and times for these events to take place. L j / f
