7
DECEMBER 15, 2000
the San Diego Spearchuckers. No one
would accept that, but yet it is okay...
But the problem is that the Indian population
is too small to have any real social or cultural
power. Plus, a small percentage of Indians are
actually offended by it. Once again it goes back
to conservative politics. The thing is hundreds
of schools have changed. And more and more
will do it until those that refuse to are just going
to look like complete idiots. If Amity doesn't
change in the next five to ten years they are
going to look like idiots.
The student body is usually the ones who
get it first and they educate the adults.
Oh yeah. It is always the kids. The Orego
nian doesn't print mascot names or logos and
that is going to continue to happen.
One of the things that isn't progressive in
my mind is you know the Makahs are
out whaling the way I look at it is that I
can see both sides of the story. One is I
like the idea that Tribes are trying to re
gain traditions, but it would be different if
they didn't have that cannon out on the
front of their boat. Just because something
is traditional doesn't mean it is not bar
baric. So, I struggle with that issue. What
do you think? Do you think they ought to
be out there whaling or do you think the
time is gone for that kind of thing?
In this world, as nations, you are either pro
whaling or anti-whaling. You are either with
Japan and Sweden and Norway who would and
did hunt the whales nearly into extinction and
would do it again in a heartbeat. I give the
Makah the sovereign respect of being called a
nation and as a nation you decide am I anti
whaling or am I pro-whaling. Do I align myself
with Japan which they have or do I align
myself with the non-whaling countries. And that
is the decision you make. That is what it comes
down to, are you pro-whaling or anti-whaling?
So it doesn't have anything to do with tra
ditions or anything like that?
Japan has the same traditions as well and they
have been hunting whales continuously a lot
longer than the Makahs have. They never
stopped. So that is the issue for me.. We know
far too much about whales now. I'm not against
animal testing. I'm not against the use of ani
mals in various ways, but the point is that you
do it with respect and you do it with a very con
crete purpose. And there are animals that sim
ply should be held sacred. They are very close
to us. Primates, dolphins, whales. They are
higher mammals we shouldn't be doing that.
I know I really struggle with that one. If I
still worked at the fish commission I would
be in a position of having to promote whal
ing... Oh, I get lots of grief. And, once again, I think
it is conservatism 'give me my gun and let me
shoot it.' I was having a conversation with some
friends of mine about this subject. By and large
the people I was talking to were mostly liberal
Indians and non-Indians. I asked them after
the incident where the woman was hit by the
Coast Guard boat while protesting the Makah's
right to hunt whale, which of those three groups
are you most likely to have at your house for
dinner the group of Indians whaling, the
Coast Guard guys or that Birkenstock-wearing
woman on the jet-ski. Of course the answer is
the Birkenstock-wearing woman on the jet-ski.
So, don't you think that says something about
what your position in this thing ought to be?
And, didn't the Makahs find it ironic that the
U.S. Military was protecting them? Are you no
ticing the irony here? Have you exploded from
the irony yet? I mean it is the 21st century. I'm
a lot more interested in how we can use our tra
ditional values and our beliefs and our ceremo
nies and use them to survive in a 21st century
world and whale hunting isn't part of that. Let's
make a ceremony on how to go into college.
Tribe's Legal Department Adds
New Attorney to the Family
By Justin Phillips
New Staff Attorney Lisa Estensen brings more
knowledge, power and education to the Tribe's
Legal department.
Estensen is experienced in Indian Country law
and is sure to bring enthusiasm and energy to the
Legal department.
Estensen started her college journey at the Uni
versity of Minnesota; also during that time she did
an exchange program at Oregon State University
in Corvallis. She finished her last two years of
undergraduate study at the University of Georgia.
She then attended and graduated from Lewis &
Clark College in Portland and got her Jurist Doc
tor (JD) degree in law with an emphasis in Envi
ronmental Law. While she was attending Lewis &
Clark College she began an interest in Indian law.
Estensen worked with the Umatilla Tribe in
Pendleton as an intern through Lewis and Clark
College.
She also worked as an intern with the Colum
bia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission based out
of Portland. She did research and writing on en
dangered species including salmon.
After graduating in 1997, she moved to Arizona
and worked for the Hopi Tribe as an attorney.
According to Estensen, she will be working pri
marily with the gaming commission and housing
authority.
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Lisa Estensen
"I like it here, it's very organized and the people
here are great," says Estensen. "The area here is
so beautiful."
Estensen went to school at Lewis & Clark Col
lege with Angie Fasana, Tribal Court's Adminis
trator, but did not know her well and it didn't even
cross her mind that one day she would be work
ing with her.
She also has traveled to Europe for six weeks
through an International Law program.
"I like to work in Indian county," says Estensen.
"I cannot see myself working anywhere else."
Tribal Court Shows Off New Courtroom Seal
New logo created by
former gang members.
By Justin Phillips
"1 hurried into the courtroom a
little late, this time if was for a dif
ferent reason. There was food, deco
ration, Tribal Council members
and everyone was smiling and talk
ing. For the first time, a judge
thanked me for coming to court."
J.P.
The day was long awaited by the
Tribal Court. A new court seal is
now showcased in the Tribal court
room and the pieces were put to
gether in an interesting way.
A stroke of fate brought Department of Correc
tions Education Director Bill Roach and Grand
Ronde Tribal Court Judge Katherine English to
gether. And as a direct result of their chance meet
ing, art was created out of chaos.
Roach works with incarcerated gang members
and channels their energy into art. When Roach
and English put their heads together they turned
street gang warfare into something extremely
beautiful unity.
English and her staff proudly showed off what
is their new Tribal Court Seal. The new seal hangs
directly behind the judge's bench.
It all started about two years ago
when Judge English stopped by
Roach's booth at the Oregon State
Fair.
Roach and his work-based educa
tion program, which is part of the
Department of Corrections Education
program, design and build artwork.
The court seal is made up of wood
that is pieced together. It consists of
circles of wood that are fit together
to make the Tribe's logo. A gold ring
is canary wood. All black rings are
ebonized walnut and a red ring is a
wood called padauk. A blue ring is
alder and dye stained. The green is
poplar that is naturally dark, but
also was dyed. All the white wood is aspen.
The feathers are oak, with aspen down the
middle. Each feather is signed by the artist.
Roach and five members of his crew worked on
the project for about two weeks. Roach's members
were five different associated gang member leaders.
"These guys worked really well together," Roach
said. "They are some of the best artists we have
on the work force."
Once outlaws, together the member's of Roach's
program have created unity by working together
as one.
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New
Entrance
at Clinic
Construction of a new
covered walkway into the
Tribe's Health and Wellness
Center is complete and has
been reopened to the public.
The new design features the
family memory bricks on the
entrance posts and along
the walkway.
Photo by Justin Phillips