E Coosh EEWA: The way it is
Page 4 Spilyay Tymoo January 25, 2023
Letters to the editor
Remembering
Hug-O-Grams
Thirty
years
ago,
Valentine’s Day in War m
Springs included the Hug-O-
Gram fundraiser. The Hug-
O-Gram featured a card cre-
ated by volunteers that was
delivered with a hug.
The card was handmade
and featured a Native person
with arms out-stretched to
give a hug. Lucinda Green
recruited volunteers, and
Carol Allison helped to cre-
ate the Hug-O-Gram cards.
The Spilyay Tymoo online
archive found several articles
about the effort. Some of the
items from earlier years:
In 1989 the Wellness Com-
mittee helped to coordinate
the ‘Val-O-Gram’ effort to
raise funds for the Commu-
nity Center Reader Board.
The order form described
the fundraiser as “promoting
healthy communication and
giving from the heart through
‘Val-O Grams’ and ‘Hug Cer-
tificates’ on Valentine’s Day.”
The cost was 50 cents per
Hug-O-Gram.
In 1990, the Valentine’s
Hug-O-Gram project raised
$238 that was used to buy
stuffed animals for the Fire
and Safety Teddy Bears for
Kids
project.
1991’s
fundraiser donated $270 to
Youth 4-H Clubs in Warm
Springs.
Hug-O-Grams in 1992
yielded $300 that was do-
nated to the ‘Lil Miss Warm
Springs Pageant to purchase
gifts for all the participants.
In 1995, the Recreation
Department added balloon
and candy heart options to the
fundraiser. The cost for a
balloon was $1, if you deliver
yourself; and $2 for Recre-
ation to deliver.
The chocolate heart cost
was $5 to be delivered.
They also added a Madras
delivery for an additional $6.
At the present time, while
covid is still an issue, it’s
probably best to not have
volunteers hugging people.
But KWSO and the Spilyay
would like to give a shout
out to autwai Lucinda Green
for her loving work that ben-
efited community programs
and put smiles on folks
faces.
This year, the Recreation
Department is sponsoring a
Valentine’s Decorating con-
test for Warm Springs of-
fices with a theme of Show
the Love NDN Style.
KWSO is all about try-
ing to win the contest and
we are including a tribute to
Hug-O-Grams as part of
our display. Using a tem-
plate from the Northwest
Regional Lab Indian Read-
ing Series book Being Indian
Is, we’ve created a couple
graphics that you can use to
make your own Hug-O-
Gram. The illustrator is
Debbie Smith.
You can print our Hug-
O-Gram 2023 out and color
it—Hug O Gram Girl and
Hug O Gram Boy—or use
a computer program like
Paint to color the digital file
of the images.
A great day
for the dogs
Fences for Fido and
their partner Companion
Animal Medical Project vis-
ited War m Springs one
weekend day earlier this
month. The team of vet-
erinarians and vet techs
were on hand for a free
parvo shot clinic for pets
of the tribal community.
By the end of the three-
hour clinic, the team had
given shots to 83 dogs, a
great turnout event. Fences
for Fido and partners will
host another shot clinic in
February, scheduled for
Saturday morning, Febru-
ary 11 at the fire station.
Photos by Ali Peterson,
Fences for Fido Vet Care
Coordinator
Births
Ryan Keven Thomas II
Ryan Keven Thomas
and Shaylene Nicole Craig
of War m Springs are
pleased to announce the
birth of their son Ryan
Keven Thomas II, born on
December 23, 2022.
Ryan joins sister Riyan,
age 13.
Grandparents on the
father’s side are Everette
Windy Boy of War m
Springs, and the late Sharold
Thomas.
Grandparents on the
mother’s side are Kathy
Smith of Madras; and Joel
Queahpama-Craig of Kla-
math Falls.
Aldo Antunez III
Aldo Antunez Jr. and
Ivory Kalama of War m
Springs are pleased to an-
nounce the birth of their
son Aldo Antunez III, born
on January 18, 2023.
Also joins sister Deliza,
age 6.
Grandparents on the
father’s side are Lanelle
Warner and Aldo Antunez
Spilyay Tymoo
(Coyote News, Est. 1976)
Publisher Emeritus in Memorium: Sid Miller
Editor: Dave McMechan
Spilyay Tymoo is published bi-weekly by the
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Our of-
fices are located at 4174 Highway 3 in Warm
Springs.
Any written materials submitted to Spilyay Tymoo
should be addressed to:
Spilyay Tymoo, P.O. Box 489, Warm Springs, OR
97761.
Phone: 541-553-2210 or 541-771-7521
E-Mail: david.mcmechan@wstribes.org.
Annual Subscription rates: Within U.S.: $20.00
Sr.
Grandparents on the
mother’s side are Sirena
Medina and James Kalama
Sr.
Non-Native
gillnetting
The days of non-tribal
gillnetting on lower Colum-
bia River may be numbered.
Now equipped with Wash-
ington Gov. Jay Inslee’s sup-
port, long-awaited legislation
to remove nontribal gillnets
from the lower Columbia
River are a step closer to
reality.
Senate Bill 5297, intro-
duced to the Senate Agricul-
ture, Water, Natural Re-
sources and Parks commit-
tee, would remove nontribal
mainstem gillnet use in the
Columbia River downstream
of Bonneville Dam to off-
channel locations beginning
in 2025.
Tribal gillnetting in the
Bonneville, The Dalles
and John Day reser voirs
would be unaffected by
the bill.
MHS principal
Madras High School
Principal Tony Summers
will be in Warm Springs for
his next ‘Coffee with the
Principal’ event this Thurs-
day morning, January 26.
You can stop by at 9 a.m.
at the Community Center
for an informal meeting with
Principal Summers to ask
questions, learn more about
the high school happenings,
and share ideas or concerns.
Meanwhile:
Cheer
conditioning
Are you currently a cheer-
leader, or thinking about try-
ing out for cheer? If the an-
swer is Yes, this conditioning
class—Advanced Cheer Con-
ditioning—is for you.
The class is Tuesdays and
Thursdays, 5:20-6:30 p.m. at
the Prevention Youth Center
(the for mer elementar y
school g ymnasium). For
more information call 541-
699-9111.
Riding the wave of grief
by Dr. Shilo Shaw Tippett
for KWSO
This is the second article
in a four-part series on cop-
ing with grief and loss.
You might find that your
grief comes to you like
waves in the ocean. Initially,
like a shipwreck, the emo-
tional waves can seem to be
overtaking you and you may
feel like you will never come
out of it. You can feel as if
you are drowning in grief.
There will be moments
when things are calm and
you can feel almost normal
and happy, just for a little
while. However, before
long, another wave of grief
comes, sometimes bigger
and more consuming than
the one before.
This unpredictable and
intense emotional process
may make you feel you are
losing your mind or going
crazy. However, it is a very
normal process.
As time goes on, the
waves are still there, but they
change. Maybe they aren’t
as big and scary, but if they
are, that is normal too. It
may be that you will have
more times between waves
when you are able to smile
or laugh, or maybe even get
some sleep.
However, for a long time,
the waves of grief can be
very chaotic, challenging, and
consuming. You will be very
tired, it may be hard to en-
gage in self-care, and you will
feel lost at times.
Gather a strong and de-
pendable support group
around you. Make sure
your closest people are ones
you can be honest, raw, and
vulnerable with.
If you are a friend of
someone who is grieving,
make sure to stay with them
for the long haul, for all the
waves, not just the initial
ones. You are not alone, if
you need support, dial 988
for the national crisis hotline.