2 SEPTEMBER 15, 2002
Smoke Signals
Dear Toni Rose of the Sheridan Public Library,
I was interested to read the Smoke Signals about the "issue" over the
naming of your library.
I assume your feeling "insulted" about the controversy results from your
not knowing some facts that are implanted in the memories of some North
west Tribes.
My great-great-grandfather Tumulth (Tumalth) was hanged, along with
eight other men of the Cascade Tribe at the direction of Phil Sheridan just
after the Ft. Rains Massacre of 1856.
You can read the details of this hanging and the massacre in a book
written by my cousin, Chuck Williams. You might have this book in your
library. The book title is "Bridge of the Gods, Mountains of Fire."
On page 114 of this book, you can read the story that has convinced our
family that Tumulth was wrongly hanged at Sheridan's directive. His
eldest daughter Virginia had been with her father that day and she claimed
that he had warned the whites of the massacre and had not participated
in it. Later, as if in support of Virginia's story, the soldiers at Ft. Vancouver
took up a collection "for the wrong done to her father." They gave her a
bag of gold, which she kept most of her life until she spent it to buy a
tombstone for her husband.
Other sources for the massacre and the hangings can be found in the
Oregonian newspaper of the day and in the Skamania County Pioneer
Bicentennial Edition of August 27, 1976.
Many of my family members (descendants of Chief Tumulth) are mem
bers of the Grand Ronde Tribe, although I doubt many have shared our
story.
Still, I thought you might be interested in why the name Phil Sheridan
evokes some unpleasant memories for many Tribal members. Although
Dick Jordan commented that it's "time to forget all that stuff." I think one
cannot tell people with a history like ours that it's time to forget.
Yours truly,
Marilyn Portwood
Roll 2915
EDITORS NOTE: This letter was also sent to Smoke Signals for publication.
Dear Smoke Signals,
The following is just an idea, I am unable to attend community forums
and intend no criticism. I am well pleased with the leadership and the
benefits I enjoy.
If war starts in the Middle East (Iraq), fuel supplies could become more
scarce and more expensive. Obviously the casino could be affected. People
would not be able to afford to travel. However, my real concern is not
only immediate, it is the long term energy planning issues facing the Tribe.
Shell Oil published a booklet about energy choices recently. In that
booklet it said that there will start being fuel disruptions within the next
20 to 25 years because oil is running out. This opinion comes from an oil
company. It took 25 years for cars to get this huge and for the public to
forget the last oil shortage in the 70's, when the concept that small is
beautiful and conservation was the key to sustainability.
So my concern is this:
1. Is the Tribe doing everything it can in terms of energy efficiency?
2. Has the Tribe considered developing their own energy source?
I have looked at the Renewable Energy Atlas of the West and it does not
look like the Tribe is particularly well suited for wind or solar, but there
might be options close by. Having their own energy source would be
great security for the future both economically and as a source of power.
As an investment, a power plant is a complicated issue but another ad
vantage of renewable energy is that it does not use the water that a fossil
fuel plant does, in fact a wind energy plant uses no water. The United
States is starting to have some very contentious issues over water rights,
Klamath Falls is just one example.
Thanks,
Judith Pettibone
Roll 717
Dear Brent Merrill and staff at Smoke Signals,
May I add my congratulations and best wishes for your recent awards
in San Diego. You made your whole Tribe proud of your accomplish
ments. You are doing a great job with your photos and keeping us in
formed of Tribal happenings across the United States. Further, we all
really loved the pow-wow calendar we received last year as it was our own
pow-wow featured. The photos in it were the best!
I have already thanked you about the new paper, the Council Forum,
but please let me say again, that paper is so needed and appreciated by all
of us. It's time had come and you are doing a great job with it also. We
who live in other states, find ourselves gleaning every bit of information
we can get our hands on about our Tribe.
Thank you for all your hard work,
Sincerely,
Rosemary Jameson
Roll 883
Dear Smoke Signals,
Thank you for the great pictures and story regarding the Grand Ronde
Pow-wow 2002.
I have been honored and pleased to be one of those who are asked to
judge the Grand Ronde Royalty candidates, not only for this pow-wow,
but also for the Veterans' Pow-wow in July. Any one who is asked to
judge others has a great responsibility to remain honorable to their choice,
despite anger and frustration from those persons who may feel the choice
is unfair. Every potential candidate is exceptional and it is difficult to
choose, but that is why judges are selected to make the choice. It works
the same forjudges of dance contests, drumming contests, etc. What the
judges see, hear and feel determines the winner, every time.
Our pow-wow is a national event and brings the best dancers, drum
mers, and singers to our Grand Ronde Pow-wow grounds. That 22 Grand
Ronde Tribal members stepped into the circle for competition is very won
derful news. I hope the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Com
munity of Oregon will continue their August pow-wow each year. This is
a public event, much enjoyed by many people. Thank you, again, Smoke
Signals staff for the great story and pictures.
Claudette Parazoo,
Roll 2923
Dear Smoke Signals,
I would like to thank the Reyn Leno, Jan D. Reibach and Bob Haller for
helping pay for the candy for the parades we recently attended. I also
want to thank Diane Lane, Dorothy Lawe, Mabel Gaston, Louise Coulson
for riding in the parade with us.
Thank you so much,
Donna Casey,
Roll 829
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