Page 8
Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
April 13, 2016
Warm Springs part of novel The Killing of Ishi
James J. Callahan Jr., of Bend,
is a self-taught expert on Ishi.
Ishi was the last member of the
Yahi, a group of the Yana Indians
of California.
Callahan’s fascination with the
story of Ishi has led him to create
his own fiction novel based on the
historical facts. And Warm Springs
plays a part in the story, The Killing
of Ishi.
Callahan is how retired. His ca-
reer had been in health and plant
safety with Pacific Corp. By chance
his job also brought him to Warm
Springs, where he taught the
ONABEN business course.
After he retired, Callahan found
he had free time on his hands, and
he decided to write a book.
The subject that interested him
the most was that of Ishi, and the
Courtesy James Callahan
Cover of the novel. The book is
available at amazon.com
fate of the Yahi Indians. So
Callahan decided this would be the
historical source for the novel.
Callahan gives a brief history:
The Yahi were killed by settlers—
miners, for instance—in horrible
massacres. In time all of the Yahi
were killed, with one exception:
Ishi.
Ishi was skilled at survival in the
wilderness, and lived for years in
California outside of modern cul-
ture.
As Callahan explains, Ishi
avoided all contact with whites be-
cause he reasonably assumed they
would kill him, as they had done to
his family and tribe.
At about the age of 50, in the
year 1911, Ishi emerged from the
wilderness. He became a kind of
celebrity in the U.S., known as the
“last wild Indian in America.”
Ishi ended up at the University
of Berkeley, where he worked as a
custodian, eventually learning ap-
proximately 660 words of English.
Ishi would give demonstrations of
the skills he used to live in the wil-
derness.
And Ishi was very famous, espe-
cially in the San Francisco area
where he lived.
Callahan picks up the story in the
present day. A premise of The Kill-
ing of Ishi is:
What if Ishi had not been the
last of the Yahi?
What if, instead, some other Yahi
tribal survivors had continued liv-
ing in the wild. What if these few
survivors, over time, made their
way to Ochoco Mountains of Cen-
tral Oregon?
War m Springs Natural Re-
sources becomes a part of the
story, in their wolf-tracking work
with the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife. The agency had
set up cameras in the Ochocos, to
track the wolves.
By chance, one of the cameras
picked up something more, some-
thing no one ever expected:
“After filming a wolf pack led
by a massive black wolf, four Na-
tive Americans were caught on cam-
era hunting in the forest. Three of
the four were male. The fourth was
a young female.”
The Natives are wearing tradi-
tional clothing and carrying tradi-
tional Native hunting weapons…
and so begins The Killing of Ishi.
The book is now available at
amazon.com
Congress must address tribal housing crisis on the Columbia
by Rep. Earl Blumenauer and
Sen. Jeff Merkley
The Columbia River is the eco-
nomic heart of the Northwest, a
beacon of prosperity and beauty.
More than 4 trillion gallons of wa-
ter are drawn from it and its tribu-
taries annually for agriculture, in-
dustry and other uses.
It provides electricity for mil-
lions of people and powers the
region’s economy. Nearly 17 mil-
lion tons of cargo move along its
waters every year—from Lewiston,
Idaho, to the Pacific Ocean. The
river provides world-class outdoor
recreation, bringing millions of visi-
tors annually to its picturesque
shores. Native fish and wildlife de-
pend on its waters to sustain diverse
habitats.
But the Columbia River of to-
day came at a steep price for the
first people living along its shores
and fishing salmon from its waters.
The Columbia used to look
very different. It was narrower
and faster-moving, with massive
waterfalls and rapids. It was teem-
ing with salmon . The river formed
a cultural artery, a network of
places where families and nations
congregated, sharing stories and
history.
Western development, including
the construction of the Columbia
River dams beginning in the 1930s,
severely and negatively impacted
the vibrant cultures of tribes and
bands now known as the Warm
Springs, Yakama, Umatilla, and
Nez Perce.
In just a few decades, as villages
and traditional fishing sites were
flooded, a huge part of the cul-
ture and identity of the tribes was
lost forever. It has been devastat-
ing for these communities, which
were never fully compensated for
their losses. Today, many tribal
members live at 31 small sites
along their beloved Columbia in
makeshift housing without proper
electricity, sewers or water. They’re
living in severe poverty — ironi-
cally next to the massive, expen-
sive and profitable dams that for-
ever changed the lives of their
people.
These 31 sites were constructed
by the U.S. Army Corps of Engi-
neers to provide the tribes treaty-
protected river access to fish, com-
pensating in small part for the ac-
cess lost through the construction
of the dams. The Corps designed
the sites, now owned by the Bu-
reau of Indian Affairs (BIA), to
be used primarily for daily, in-sea-
son fishing access and temporary
camping.
Out of both a need for hous-
ing that was never replaced, and a
desire to be closer to the river
where they have always lived,
many tribal members now use
these areas as longer-term, even
permanent residences.
We’ve visited some of these
sites. The conditions we’ve seen
first-hand are deeply distressing
and unsafe, with entire communi-
ties living in makeshift housing, re-
liant on limited water sources and
often without electricity.
No one should live like this.
Due to unacceptable bureau-
cratic inertia and congressional in-
action, tribal members along the
Columbia River have been living
this way for far too long.
We cannot continue to ignore
these shameful conditions. We’re
dedicated to providing both im-
mediate and long-term relief to
address the urgent need for ad-
equate housing and infrastructure.
We’re working with the tribes, the
Corps, the BIA and our colleagues
in the Senate and the House to
address this problem.
The federal government should
step up immediately and devote
resources to improve the living
conditions at these sites by con-
structing temporary dwellings and
addressing current sanitation, safety
and infrastructure needs. Longer-
term, permanent housing must be
built to replace what was flooded,
providing compensation the tribes
have too long been denied.
We have met with tribal leaders
and have been profoundly affected,
humbled and moved to action. An-
other year cannot pass without ac-
tion to improve living conditions
and provide more housing for the
people whose culture and heritage
are at one with the majestic Co-
lumbia River.
Democrat Earl Blumenauer repre-
sents Oregon's 3rd congressional dis-
trict in the House of Representatives.
Democrat Jeff Merkley represents Or-
egon in the Senate.
Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home
Jayson Smith photos
The Vietnam Veterans Welcome Parade featured the Color Guard
(above); many parade floats and vehicles, and the motor cycle
procession. After the parade the veterans and families gathered at
the Longhouse, for lunch and explo hosted by the
Eugene Greene Sr. American Legion Post and
Auxiliary Unit 48.