Smoke Signals
Yesterday &
The long, rich
Continued from front page
basic skills and parameters.
"Basically, we're trying to put some
structure in their lives," said Mack.
"A lot of these kids haven't had struc
ture or have rebelled against struc
ture all their lives and haven't been
successful.
"We have a lot of students that are
talented in arts and crafts. Some in
English and science," said Mack. "I
think art is one of the strengths in
our curriculum."
Art Teacher Don Bailey agrees
with Mack that art is a strength of
many students. Bailey said this aca
demic year has been very positive at
Chemawa.
"The students here are visual learn
ers," said Bailey. "They sometimes
have trouble with the idea of abstract
art, but there is so much talent here
that it keeps me from going to a pub
lic school to teach. The last two years,
I've had a great crop of kids."
Bailey, who also oversees the
school's gifted and talented art stu
dents, said the students take to the
art classes right away. He said stu
dents are learning and growing.
"This has been the most positive
year we have had here in a long
time," said Bailey.
Student Body President Clarissa
Antonio likes school and takes pride
in her role as a student leader. An
tonio, from Pueblo Acoma, also misses
her traditional activities at home in
New Mexico. She said it took a while
to get used to her new surroundings.
"I've been here three years and this
is my senior year," said Antonio. "I
had to get used to it here and being
away from home. The first year I
got homesick. I had my cousins here
to help me through that. It was a
learning experience. I don't like be
ing away from my traditional dances
and activities missing out on all
that. Most of our traditional activi
ties take place during the school year.
I look forward to going back to that
after I graduate from here."
Antonio said she will return home
to her tribe after graduation from
Chemawa. She would like to enroll
at the University of New Mexico.
Antonio said the friendships she
has made mean a great deal to her.
"One of the things that usually
brings the students back to Chemawa
is the people they meet and coming
back here they know they can be re
united with the people they met over
the years," said Antonio. "It is inter
esting getting to know the different
people and the tribes they come from."
Febraary 19, 2000
3700 Chemawa Rd Salem, Oregon
Grand Entry 1:00 & 7:00
Dinner will be served in Crampton Hall from 4:30-6 p.m. for $3.50
Host Drum: Johonaaii, Chet Clark Graduate of 1957
Color Guard: Northwest Veteran's Administration
Concession, Frybread, Arts & Crafts, 5050 Raffles
Vendor Info: Chrystal Boyd at (503) 399
Today:
history of Chemawa
After attending public school prior
to coming to Chemawa, Antonio is in
a unique position to compare.
"The difference between public
school and here is the culture is more
recognized here," explained Antonio.
"At public schools everybody has
cliques and everybody sticks to those
cliques. Native Americans aren't rec
ognized as much in the public school
that I went to. Here it's all Native
Americans and everybody talks to ev
erybody. Here the culture is a lot
richer with the pow-wows and the
pow-wow club. There is more cul
tural contact than there would be at
a public school. You grow close with
the people here."
Senior Ceylon Grey Mountain, from
Fort Duchesne's Uintah and Ouray
Ute Reservation in Northeastern
Utah, said he also has adapted to life
at Chemawa.
"Last year it was totally different.
It was more like a family. This year,
everyone has kind of drifted apart
and gone into their own groups." said
Grey Mountain, who is in his second
year at Chemawa.
Grey Mountain said he wants to
go to college and wishes he had an
opportunity to take college prep
courses not offered at Chemawa.
Grey Mountain wants to study law
and English. He said he will go to
night school in the summer and go
to a junior college if he has to.
He said the difference between
public school and Chemawa is obvi
ous. "Here you know everybody," said
Grey Mountain. "In a public school
you hardly know anybody. Here it
is easier to stay focused, but the cur
riculum could be a lot more challeng
ing than it is."
Although Antonio and Grey Moun
tain are aware of the past and the
changes the school has gone through,
they, like most young people regard
less of culture or geography, are fo
cused on their own lives and how to
get through school and begin prepar
ing for life after high school.
"I think part of the problem here is
that some students are afraid to
speak up and let their voice be
heard," said Antonio. "They are wor
ried about what their peers are go
ing to think and I don't think they
should let that get in the way of let
ting their voice be heard."
Grey Mountain agrees with Anto
nio that students have an opportu
nity to be heard. He said whether or
not students take advantage of that
- 5721, ext. 261 or Karen at ext. 225.
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Ceylon Grey Mountain (left) and Student Body President Clarissa Anto- j? J b. f T?
nio are part of a new spirit at Chemawa Indian School. If - f I
opportunity is up to them.
Tor some people, their friends are
everything to them and for others it
doesn't matter it's just another
joke," said Grey Mountain. "I don't
think they should depend on what
their friends think of what they do
or whom they talk to. Because it is
your life and you have the right to
live your life the way you want to."
Antonio said the recent improve
ment of the school's athletic teams has
carried over to the student body. She
said students are excited about going
to games and spend their own time
attending games to support the teams.
"Athletics are a big deal here," said
Antonio. "The students do support
the team. We have a pep rally to
show our support and recognize our
athletic people."
Mack said the emotional carry over
from athletic success has changed the
way some students approach daily
life at the school.
"I think a lot of kids have realized
they can win, and even if they don't
win the game they are winning by
playing and doing their best," said
Mack. "The boy's team (basketball)
has won more games this year than
in the last four or five years combined.
. Kids are attending the games on their
own time. In the past when study
hour was over, the kids would just go
wander around. Now, they get a pass
and go back to the game and support
the team. I think it transfers over into
the classroom as well. They see that
they can be successful."
Grey Mountain said people at the
school are proud of the athlete's suc
cess, but he said the majority of stu
dents are not athletes and they (non
athletes) need a means of attaining
recognition as well.
"Last year we had performing arts
and they went all over," he said.
"This year, it's not even started."
He said individual success depends
on the kind of person each student is.
"If you want to be involved and you
want to be successful the opportunity
is here for you," added Antonio.
School Superintendent Louis King
said Chemawa is on the right track
with academics and they are mak
ing improvements all the time in the
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overall scheme of the school. King
said although the school constantly
works to overcome funding issues,
much has changed.
"I'm pleased with where we are
going," said King. "For the last five
years, we have been involved in the
BIA's (Bureau of Indian Affairs)
school improvement efforts, which is
part of the Improving America's
Schools Act. We've developed a mis
sion statement for our school.
"Funding is an issue," said King.
"When you look at the funding an
Indian boarding school receives com
pared to a public school; there is a
disparity. We are working hard at
working within the limitations that
we have to bring about the best pro
gram for students. We are making
forward progress in trying to bring
about school reform, school improve
ments and to raise expectations for
students."
According to King, 46 different
tribal affiliations are currently rep
resented at Chemawa.
"We have 16 states this year that
are sending students to school," said
King. "They are a very diverse group
of folks, but they all share their cul
iift to
fci-OV t
tures. There are some commonalties,
but there are also some distinctions
among that broad range of folks.
Native Pride is a common theme that
prevails here at our school year
round. It (Native Pride) really is a
year round focus for us here at the
school.
"We're working very hard to im
prove our curriculum," said King.
"We are trying to hone in on what
our students needs are. We take kids
that have really run out of opportu
nities back home. Boarding schools
today represent an alternative to
years ago when there were not a lot
of options or public schools near res-
ervations. That has really changed.
There are more schools, and tribes
have established their own schools.
We provide safety, adequate housing
and food and those are the basics be
fore someone can go on and think
about something like education. A lot
of these students weren't getting that
at home on their reservations."
King said attitudes about youth
alcohol and drug abuse is also
changing at Chemawa. King said
the issue is a challenge. He said the
school now embraces the problem
Above: 1916 girls basketball team.
Left: 1919 football team.
and tries to create alternatives for
each student.
"Alcohol and drug abuse and other
social ills are rampant in Indian
Country and we see a lot of those kids
coming here to us who are products
of that," said King. "For a number
of years in the past, we were really
in denial over that, but in the last
few years we have really come out of
that and now we are saying come on
lets get to work. We have a lot of
work to do. So, we deal with a lot of
the social problems kids have as well
as educational issues, but we are just
funded to be a school."
King envisions a future Chemawa
that will go a step further and pro
vide mental health counseling and
recreational therapy that currently
they aren't ready for.
"We're optimistic that we will be
able to do some of the things that our
students are saying, through their
crying out, that they need," said
King. "Chemawa is trying to open
up its doors and be more accessible
to the community. For so many
years, Chemawa has been viewed as
a little island out here in North Sa
lem. We are really looking at the
whole student, rather just bringing
students here and giving them a tra
ditional education; we are looking at
ways to improve them academically,
socially and spiritually.
"We're really hoping that much like
your tribal chairman (Grand Ronde
Tribal Chairman Kathryn Harrison),
our students go on and become tribal
chairman back in their communities,"
said King. "When I look at pictures
of the famous chiefs of the past, I see
the same faces in our kids here to
day. It's amazing how you can see
that connection. We want these stu
dents to be lifelong learners, not just
stop with high school. This is really
just a beginning."
By Brent Merrill
Grand Ronde Tribal Chair Kathryn
Harrison wants people to know that
there are many success stories at Che
mawa Indian School. Harrison attended
Chemawa from 1939 to 1942.
Harrison said much of her life was
shaped while attending Chemawa.
She said she learned life skills that she
still uses everyday.
"I would like people to know there
are positive things that come out of
there and a lot of successful people
have come out of there," said Harrison.
"Most things you hear and see (in the
media) are negatives. There were good
athletes, seamstresses, and carpen
ters. I went to school with people like
Henry Sijohn, who was an amazing
singer. Lefty Wilder was another stu
dent at the time (Wilder gained fame
in the 1930's for being a four sport star
at Chemawa while having just one
arm). Jazz musician Spade Coolie went
to Chemawa as well as Frank Backbone
(record setting athlete), Stanley Will
iams (a carpenter), Robair Thomas (a
printing instructor) and Robert Mitchum
(famous actor). They had what we
called the Rhythm Chiefs (musicians).
There were a lot of talented people out
there. In my time, the school was self
sufficient. We had orchards, vegetable
gardens and fruit trees and we picked
and canned the fruit and vegetables.
So, when winter came, the school had
its own Supply of food. There were
cows - the boys learned how to farm."
Harrison said half her day was spent
in class and the other half was spent
learning a vocation.
"The difference (between the school
back then and now) was we went to
school half-a-day and then we went to
vocational training the other half-a-day,"
said Harrison. "We learned to crochet,
knit and darn socks. We learned just
basic life skills that you could use. We
sang and performed at school func
tions." A typical day for Harrison started
when the bell rang first thing in the
morning.
"The bell rang and woke you and you
got right up and went down with your
towel and soap," remembered Harri
son. "You got $30 a month in script.
With that you had to buy your tooth
paste, soap, and wax to wax your
floors. And, you always had to save
your money for nickel hops (dances)
and you had to pay to go to a show in
the auditorium."
Harrison said students lined up ac
cording to classes when ever attend
ing a school event. Everyone had to be
on time.
"Every class put on a dance and a
play. We always had a Sadie Hawkins
dance when the girls asked the boys
and paid their way. I bet they don't
even know what one is today. We held
a pageant at the end of the school year.
That really gave you pride," she said.
Harrison said she remembers every
one had a job to do. Students were
assigned to the bakery or the laundry
or the kitchen. Students cleaned the
dining room and cleared the dishes and
reset the table.
She said some students worked for
the teachers or administrators after
school and on weekends. She worked
for the superintendent doing laundry,
cleaning and making the beds. She re
members taking table scraps to the
superintendent's dog.
"It was helpful. We felt privileged,"
said Harrison. "Every other weekend
we girls could go to town. But, you
had to have enough girls signed up to
go and they had to have saved some
money too. We went shopping or to
the movie. They (school staffers) pro
tected us even though we didn't like it.
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Kathryn Harrison (left), Marie
Mount LaRoque and June Simmons
Austin at their graduation from
Chemawa in 1942.
We learned how to budget and cook
meals. It was fun. You could go over
to the orchard and fill your suitcase with
apples or prunes and if anybody had
money we would go down to the store
and buy a box of Ritz crackers. There
was a lot of sharing. At that age you're
always hungry. If you had a friend who
worked in the kitchen you could have
them make you a sandwich of peanut
butter and honey. They would sneak it
out to you."
She remembers people getting cre
ative with their hunger.
"We had what was known as a soup
sandwich," said Harrison with a smile.
"A soup sandwich is three dry slices of
bread one dipped in the soup and
placed in between the others for a
sandwich. Anything tasted good."
Harrison remembers the athletic
teams of her day were always success
ful. She said people didn't want to play
Chemawa because they knew they
were going to get beaten.
"We had great teams and we won a
lot," said Harrison. "There was a lot of
pride then. It was great."
Harrison said her best memory of
Chemawa came when she arrived.
"For me, coming from a foster home,
my best memory was knowing that is
where I was going to go," said Harri
son. "They (her foster parents) never
told me where I was going. When we
pulled up to that driveway leading to
Winona Hall I knew I was going to
be among my own people and things
would be okay."
Harrison's worst memories of Che
mawa were the good-byes at the end
of each school year.
"We would sing 'God Be With You Till
We Meet Again,'" said Harrison, obvi
ously saddened by the memory. "We
held hands. We knew it was going to
be hard, but it was our tradition. We
never got through it. It was always too
hard. Then school ended. Some of
the students were leaving on the bus
that brought them. You always knew
when to be ready. They would post it
Flathead bus is leaving on such and
such a day. Some would go by train.
The rest were left behind, and there
were quite a few. The train whistle
became the loneliest sound of all when
you knew they were taking your friends
away.
"I remember standing at the window
many times listening to that (whistle)
and crying," said Harrison.
Despite the sadness of certain
memories, Harrison said many good
things happened to her at Chemawa.
"Chemawa is were I gained my self
esteem," said Harrison. "I had none
when I got there."
Harrison remembers making her own
dress for graduation and the pride she
felt at its completion.
"One of my best memories is of
graduation. We made our own long
dresses," said Harrison. The dress had
ribbons that we made ourselves. It was
nice to walk down there and have your
name called. I didn't have anyone there
from my family, but I felt part of it all."