Page 6
Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
Howlak tichum
Charlotte Agnes Pitt, Keemsah and Sugar, May 21, 1941-October 1, 2015
Charlotte Agnes Pitt,
also known as Keemsah
and Sugar, passed away
on October 1, 2015.
Charlotte passed away
from an aggressive form
of metastatic cancer. She
was in Warm Springs en
route to High Lookee.
She had been at the Ma-
dras St. Charles hospital
awaiting a hospice room
for two days, as the fam-
ily did not have medical
equipment to treat her
comfortably in the final
days at home.
While in the hospital
she received the wonder-
ful services of friends
and family who came to
comfort her with the tra-
ditions she loved.
The drums resounded
from her room clear to
the emergency entrance.
Staff said it brought
comfort to all. They
were beautiful services.
Charlotte was born in
Portland, Oregon on
May 21, 1941 to Lewis
Edwards Pitt (War m
Springs/Yakama or
Wa s c o / W i s h X a m /
Watlala) and Elizabeth
Thompson Pitt (Warm
Springs or Mileethlama/
Wyampum).
Siblings who survive
Charlotte were born in
Warm Springs. They are
Lillian Pitt and Louie Pitt
Jr.
Charlotte grew up in
a section of housing lo-
cated at the War m
Springs Agency called
Hollywood.
In fishing season her
family lived at Celilo Vil-
lage where her father and
uncle George “Bunky”
Pitt II fished.
Many fond memories
of Celilo and Hollywood
were the source of her
wit, physical strength, and
baseline of her familial
traditional wisdom.
“Once you walked
outside your door, you
were everyone’s child.”
For example there was an
elder that the children
tried to stay out of line
of sight. If spotted, you
hauled her wood, packed
her water, emptied her la-
trine pot, and swept her
floors.
She would line up the
children who helped and
tap her cane on the
ground and sing for
them. She would say,
“Dance! Dance harder!”
This was a duty not a
chore.
She received her nick-
name Sugar after Sugar
Ray Robinson, the
“pound for pound”
boxer. Sugar Pitt was a
fighter. Tussles went on
between Columbia River
villages and on the streets
of Portland Skid Row.
Charlotte was a tough
fighter and she kept
standing no matter how
many jumped her. Many
think, as an elder, she
made any scolding seem
sweet, thus Sugar made
sense.
She eventually lived in
Madras, and went to Madras
High School and on to Mt.
Angel Academy, where she
met her eldest daughter,
Elizabeth Woody’s father,
Guy Woody (Navajo), a rail-
road worker and welder. She
met Lester LaBonte (Clatsop/
Tillamook) in the mid-sixties.
He is the father of her young-
est daughter Jolene Pitt. He
was a logger and laborer.
Both daughters survive her.
In the 1970s Charlotte so-
bered up during the most tu-
multuous and amazing times
of civil rights and Native
rights. She met a group of so-
cial activists who formed the
first free clinic in Skid Row,
supported the United Farm
Workers, and various other
groups in the early coalitions
on the West Coast civil rights
and radical social activist
movement, to protest and
work for change.
This includes the United
Indians of All Tribes Foun-
dation, who formed the first
spiritual walk from Seattle to
Alcatraz. The “Movement”
also took over the military
facility now called the Day-
break Star Cultural Center.
She knew first hand the
people who were involved in
the fishing rights struggle.
They were people who made
change happen and created
organizations we now con-
sider standard, but did not
exist prior to the actions of
brave persons who faced jail,
beatings, nerve gas and bru-
tality.
For example, the first AIM
house in Portland was her
home. The FBI parked out-
side 24/7. Also, during this
time, when Charlotte showed
up in the mayor’s office, he
would say, “Give her what-
ever she wants. Get her out
of here.” She was the tena-
cious go-to person, obtained
funding, and spoke out
against injustice. All without
needing glory or recognition
for it.
The most notable activity
in Charlotte’s life was becom-
ing the first Native woman
counselor at NARA at its
start. She also served on its
board, and was the only
woman on the founding
board of the Urban Indian
Center. This was one of the
first Urban Indian Centers in
the country.
She also wrote a grant for
the Sweathouse Lodge of
CISCO located at Corvallis.
It was the first ever treat-
ment center that proposed
traditional Native healing
practices for treatment of
American Indian peoples. In
this grant, she wrote in a paid
position for a traditional Na-
tive practitioner/healer. This
was in concert with many
people now considered elders
in American Indian mental
health treatment.
In this period she also
worked with Al Smith, along
with many other activists, to
push for the American In-
dian Religious Freedom
act that we enjoy today.
Charlotte believed in
American Indian religious
freedom. She came home
to her family who lived at
Dry Creek, and started the
personal spiritual journey
within the practices of her
mother’s lineage.
This provided solace
during the difficult years,
such as the years of incar-
ceration for DUIIs due to
periodic bouts of alcohol-
ism. She faced a hard set
of circumstances upon
release. She lost her house
and car, and her daughters
were distressed. Personal
healing became a priority
to set right her children’s
future health.
Many times she fell,
and still got up. She made
efforts others would have
avoided. She eventually
attained a Bachelor of
Science degree from Port-
land State University.
Charlotte initially sup-
ported her studies with Pell
grants, selling plasma, and
bingo.
At her graduation, she
groused about President
Clinton ruining it as com-
mencement speaker be-
cause of security. She
jigged after receiving her
diploma and local news
aired her dance that
evening.
She continued work as
an alcohol and drug coun-
selor, level II. She worked
for the Confederated
Tribes of Siletz, and for
other drug treatment clin-
ics in Portland. Eventually,
Charlotte returned to
NARA as a counselor.
There are many people
who say Charlotte Pitt
saved their lives. One per-
son proclaimed thousands
of people benefitted from
the tough, loving, and
strong personal will of this
woman.
They continue her
legacy, as do her daugh-
ters, believing in the power
of love; especially in the
ongoing strength of our
people that means one
must never give up. She
came “home to die,” as she
said, and found people still
needed her. She worked
until her illness took all of
her strength at the Warm
Springs Counseling Center.
She was 74 years old.
Her family asks if you
wish to honor her, prom-
ise to live an Indian life,
no drugs, alcohol or other
harmful behavior, or at
least promise to do so.
Strive to be happy, look
back at your mistakes to
learn, laugh and love your-
self.
We never know what
one given half a chance
will be. Charlotte not only
loved all children, but also
was an avid animal lover.
Her fur family, Chong,
Kita, Baby Girl and Tippy
Tail, also survive her.
Community notes
through the lunch hour for
food pick up. If you have
questions or need a delivery
done, call them at 541-553-
3422.
A Race will start at noon with
registration opening at 11
a.m. There will be Football
Fames, Hot Dogs, a Bouncy
House and fun. MAC Recre-
ation District youth basket-
ball, club volleyball, adult bas-
ketball and adult soccer reg-
istration is open. Register
online macaquatic.com
The War m Springs
Commodity Food Program
is operated under the Warm
Springs Social Service Pro-
gram. If you are denied
SNAP, you may qualify for
this program. The Commod-
ity Program is open 7am and
The Madras Aquatic Cen-
ter will be hosting
Oktoberfest on Saturday
October 17 at Sahalee Park.
October 14, 2015
Gardens yield plenty of produce
OSU Extension has been
busy this summer, growing a
garden and providing educa-
tional classes.
Extension employees Scott
Duggan and Rosanna Sand-
ers, working with tribal mem-
bers kept a garden, grew a va-
riety of fruits and vegetables.
This was the OSU dem-
onstration garden and the
Warm Springs Community
garden. They used raised
beds at the demonstration
garden.
The raised beds are an
advantage, as the soil heats
up earlier in the spring, and
the ground is easier to weed
than traditional garden plots.
In the Warm Springs com-
munity garden they grew corn,
watermelon, pumpkins and
other vegetables.
Edmund Francis manages
the Warm Springs community
garden, and was helpful in
securing a plot for OSU to
grow more food than the
smaller demonstration garden
would allow.
Edmund also handled all
the irrigation for the garden,
a big help to OSU and the
tribal members who have gar-
den plots.
The two gardens were not
only used to grow food but
functioned as a learning labo-
ratory as well.
Courtesy OSU Extension
Produce from the garden.
Classes subjects included
soils, composting, cool and
warm season veggies, and
container gardening, to name
a few. To complement these
classes, Extension hosted a
lunch and learn series of gar-
dening classes on Tuesdays in
August. This was organized
by OSU faculty and staff
Bethann Beamer, Sara
Rogers, Rosanna Sanders and
Andrea Sapuay.
The students were pleased
with what they learned in
these classes, in addition to
eating some tasty food grown
in the two gardens.
At last count the produce
from the gardens weighed in
at over 200 pounds, and was
donated to tribal members.
Tribes establishing TERO Commission
The Tribal Council has es-
tablished the Tribal Employ-
ment Rights Office Commis-
sion.
The commission will over-
see the operation of the tribal
TERO office, a branch of
Warm Springs Ventures.
This will be a five-mem-
ber commission, appointed by
Tribal Council.
Any Indian 18 years and
older who works or resides on
the reservation is qualified to
be appointed to the commis-
sion.
The commission shall elect
annually a chairperson from
its membership. The chair-
person shall preside at all
meetings of the commission,
and shall be authorized to sign
required documents in accor-
dance with the powers of the
commission.
Duties and Powers-The
commission shall be respon-
sible for conducting hearings
on Tribal Employment Rights
matters in accordance with
this code. The commission
will have duties as set out in
the establishing document,
and will meet monthly.
Submit letter of interest
and resume, no later than
noon, Nov. 13, to:
Glendon Smith, S/T-CEO
P.O. Box 455
Warm Springs, OR 97761
For more information con-
tact Lynn Davis:
lynn.davis @wstribes.org
Authorization letter will be
mailed to all applicants for a
criminal and credit back-
ground check to be com-
pleted & returned to the S/
T’s office.
KNT golf tourney for Buffs
Kah-Nee-Ta hosted the Madras High School White
Buffalos football benefit tournament in October. Win-
ner of the tourney was the Tiger VanPelt Team.
The Butch David Team was second, and third-place
went to the Sean Cease Team, followed by”
The Mark Simmons Team, the Crarl Lindgren
Team, Chief Heath Team, and Chet VanPelt team.
Close to the pin awards were Butch David (hole
number 1); Al Estimo (3), Willie Stacona (8), Carl
Lindgred (10), and Al Estimate (16).
Long putts went to Teresa Lindgren and Chad
Lindgren; long drive to Al Estimo and Teresa Lindgren.
The tournament organizers would like to thank the
following sponsors who supported this fundraiser:
Prineville Country Club, Meadow Lakes Golf
Course, Desert Peaks Golf Course, Indian Creek Golf
Course, Rio Restaurant, Black Bear Diner, Kah-Nee-
Ta Resort & Spa, Dancing Beans Coffee, Wild Winds
Station, and the Central Oregon Cup n Cake.