Smoke Signals November 1989 Page 5
VISITOR FOUND JOY AT
THE TRIBES POW-WOW
BY SHIRLEY DEVOSS
The setting was common but the spirit was not. The
drums and the singing a strange combination of foreign
and familiar, the pulse beat of a nation. It was to be a
day of unexpected contrasts, but I didn't know that yet.
I walked from my cat to, and through, the elementary
school building-nothing unusual here. As I stepped
through the large doors opening onto the school
playground, vivid images of the American past competed
with the reality of the Confederated Tribes of Grand
Ronde today. This was Pow Wow 1989!
It wasn't a particularly big crowd as crowds go, but a
certain strength was evident as a group of dancers began
to form a circle on the green grass. It took me a while
for me to see the circles within the circles within the
circles.
These people had changed a rectangle into a round
space. The placement of a variety of chairs, bales of hay
and wooden bleachers formed a longish, unbroken
circle. Within this outer circle the drummers formed 3
small circles around each of three drums. Circles of
feathers and beads were sewn onto the clothing of the
dancers-all serve as a reminder of the unbroken hoop
of the Indian Nation.
The dance ended and I walked out of the round world
into the commercial world; the area of venders and
concessions. This was American familiar-the gandy, the
tawdry, and the good. I comfortably bought a coke and
Indian fry bread-a contrast?.
The voice of the master of ceremonies called me back
to the edge of the outer circle. One by one the people
came forward to speak-unpretentious-straightforward-directly
honest-yet elegant in their simplicity. Unbid
den, the thought came, "They speak no! with forked
tongue, but heart to heart." My eyes stung with unex
pected emotion; tears of guilt, or prideI didn't know
which.
The drums began-the dancers returned-over and over
the circles-over and over the honoring of the 4 direc
tions, and Mother Earth, and Father Sky. These were
the Fancy Dancers, the intricate skill of the Hoop
Dancers, the feminine beauty of the Shawl Dancers.
The dancers were able, the costumes well done, but
there was something elsean elusive something that
nudged at the edge of my mind-then it came of a
sudden as J, watched a young 7 year-old girl dance the
Jingle Dance. This child, like the other dancers before
her, danced for the sake of the dance: not centered on
audience approval, no plaing to the spectators, only
serious intent on meaning and form. They danced for
the healing of the people.
I felt included and left out at the same time: I was
white.
The Eagle Dance called the eagle back-slowly the
eagle awakened and flew, to return again. The masked,
painted warrior, Standing Bear, danced and transformed
the area. When Standing Bear danced, your mind
played tricks on you-caught between two worlds. Mo
mentarily you felt and saw a clearing in the woods-the
flicker of firelight the strength of his mission-he
brought change-pride and fear! This man had power!
He awakened a collective memory. He was the dance
and the message!
The drums stopped: The circle was empty. The voice
of the MC spoke of Our Mother Earth and our need to
respect and care for her-she has been misusedwe
must all work to make her well again. "Above all, not to
place blame. That does not good." he said. The
generosity of this statement struck me as beyond
understanding, given the historical past
The traditional dancers came forward; uniting the past,
present and the future.
A wise, older woman, with infinitely gentle, strong
voice, offered a prayer to the Great Spirit: She spoke
softly of the pain of Termination and asked humbly for
the courage and strength needed for Restoration.
The closing ceremony began with 4 flags leading the
procession around the circle-the U.S. flag (carried by a
Native American Vietnam War Veteran)-the Oregon
flagthe Council flag-and the uniting eagle feather
staff. Then came Pow Wow Royalty, just behind the flag
bearers, followed by elders, dancers and all the behind-the-scenes
workers who make it all possible in any
culture. By their entering the circle, the "thank-you"
came alive.
Even at this closing event I faced the contrast again-of
place and feeling-the pathos of this comparatively small
group of representing the thousands of yesterdays. This
reservation, the result of many broken treaties and
promises, representing the vast lands that once were
their home.
The bitter taste of sorrow my mouth as I acknowledged
the fact that the house I live in at Cascade Head Ranch
sits on stolen sacred Indian ground.
Was this gathering pathetic because at one time these
people had so much? Are they losers? I think not. All
the legends of mankind speak of rebirth by way of
making the sacrifice that leads to transformation, and if
any people ever have, these people surely have made the
sacrifice and survived the terrible painthe transforma
tion is due. It is time for the Eagle's return.
111118
REMAINS TO
BE RETURNED
A newly established Smithsonian Institute policy could
allow the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to bring
home from Washington, D.C., the remains of long-dead
ancestors that were removed from an island in the
Columbia River.
According to tribal attorney Jim Noteboom the
Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History has
28 sets of skeletal remains gathered in 1934 from
Memaloose Island in the Columbia River. The Tribe
believes the remains are those of the ancestors of the
Wasco tribe.
Although the Tribe has had a request for the return
pending for several years with the Smithsonian, a formal
request, under provisions of the new policy, will be made
soon, said Noteboom.
The Smithsonian will form a five-member commision
to inventory and identify its collection of remains with
the intent of returning them to their descendants. The
Smithsonian has an estimated 18,600 sets of Indian
remains.
The Warm Springs remains were collected without
permission by Herbert Krieger, curator of ethnology at
the Smithsonian from lower Memaloose Island in 1934.
While the Smithsonian housed the remains for 55
years, Wasco Chief Nelson Wallulatum enlisted the aid
of tribal attorneys to seek the return of the remains for
burial on the reservation.
Noteboom added actual return could occur within six
months to a year.
GRAND RONDE TRIBAL
DEPARTMENTS:
BY MICHAEL CHILD ERS
"ACCOUNTING DEPARTMENT" - PAT
AND SHELLEY
For the last few months the Accounting Department
has been very busy working on the '88 and '89 Audits.
Pat Mercier, the Controller and Shelley Hanson, the
Program Director says that the '88 Audit will be sent out
at the end of November and the '89 Audit will then be
started. Besides the Audits, the Accounting Department
will still stay busy with other work such as Processing
computerized general funds checks and Payroll checks.
Also in the next six months the Department plans on
starting the Accounting Manual and Procedures.
If anyone has any questions or wants more information
of the status of the Accounting Department, please feel
free to call Pat or Shelley, Monday through Friday
during business hours, (503) 879-5211.
"DRUG & ALCOHOL" -MARGARET
PROVOST
Just recently the Drug and Alcohol Program attended a
Public Presentation "No No Know" for the Quarterly
NW Portland Area Indian Health Board Meeting. The
Five Tribal youth members that also showed an interest
by attending the Conference with the Drug and Alcohol
Director, Margaret Provost, are, Tina Butler, Joe and
Erica Mercier, Amelia Haug (Standing Bear), Molly
Rimer (Jr. Miss Grand Ronde), and Jolene Poole (Miss
Grand Ronde).
On the 21st through the 24th there is going to be a
Prevention Conference, "Strategies for the 90's at Sun
River where the Tribal Youth will additionally attend.
The Conference will focus on five prevention strategies:
Information, Social Skills, Social Policy, AlcoholDrug
Free alternatives and Training Impactors.
For any more information on these upcoming activities,
please call Margaret Provost at (505) 879-5211.
"EDUCATION" - DEANAZULE
With the start of Fall Term 1989 and the remainder of
the '89-'90 school year, the Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde currently have a total of 47 students
participating in all educational programs. The Higher
Education Program has 21 students, the Adult Voca
tional Training Program has 11 students. The Adult
Education Program had a total of 15 during the months
of September and October '89. This year the
JOHNSON O' MALLEY Program will provide services
to a total of 81 students Pre-School aged (3 & 4 years
old) through the 12th grades.
Upcoming activities the Education Program will be
providing during the school year include: field trips for
students to the NW Indian Youth Convention, College
and University visitations, field trips to the Oregon
Museum of Science and Industry, College Fair Aware
ness workshop for students and parents, Oregon Teen
Leadership activities for students and Parent Committee
Training and related activities.
The 1989-90 school year is off on a positive step. If you
are interested in participating or any of the Educational
Committees, Parents Committees or wish more infor
mation regarding Educational Services and activities,
please feel free to call Dean Azule or Camille VanVleet
at 879-5211.