2 AUGUST 1, 2004
2004 Pow-wow
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Native Pride Veterans were a force at this summer's powwow held in their name. Seen almost everywhere at the powwow, they were reminiscing and talking
about the future. They performed in the Color Guard and bestowed medallions to honor their fallen comrades. Shown above are Norris Merrill, Marce Morwest, Gene
LaBonte, Steve Kife and Ron Richison.
2004- Veterans' Fowwow
"It was awesome seeing all the Veterans."
By Ron Karten
Colleen Payne (Athabascan) and her
daughter, Rebecca (Athabascan), ar
rived at the summer's traditional Vet
erans' Pow-wow with 17 students from
the Native American Youth Association
for the weekend. For her, the non-competitive
nature of the pow-wow was the
winning feature. "It was so relaxing.
The whole family came down," she said.
"It was awesome seeing all the vets,"
said Rebecca Payne, a former Miss
NIVA (Northwest Indian Veterans
Association) from the Portland
Vancouver chapter.
If the crowds were not gigantic, the
weather certainly cooperated with sun
and cooling breezes on and off all week
end. "We had a good time," said vendor
artist Lisa Brown (Siletz).
Veterans turned out to be a major
force over the weekend. Nobody had
exact numbers, but Gene LaBonte said,
"There were 117 last year," and Viet
nam Veteran and Tribal member Steve
Rife, at LaBonte's side, added, "but
there were a heck of a lot more today."
Many medallions were presented to
Veterans over the weekend. Rife made
one touching presentation to Grand
Ronde Tribal member Sacheen Houck,
whose brother, Tribal member and
Navy Vet Greg Houck, had served on
the Kittyhawk, an aircraft carrier, but
died ten years ago. Also receiving the
medallion were Houck's wife, Kim, and
sons, Greg Junior, now 17 and
Geoffrey, 15.
Three groups of Vets arrived on mo
torcycles. "We think it's great to be part of it,"
said Keith Travis (Arapaho), a Viet
nam vet who was part of the Veterans
Motorcycle Club. Twelve members of
the club showed up over the weekend.
In addition, he said, members of the
Oregon Veterans Motorcycle Associa
tion and In Country Veterans also were
on hand over the weekend.
"In the 1940s after World War II,
see the unveiling of the World War II
Memorial, it was attended by 5,800 vet
erans on Harley Davidson motorcycles.
Among other pow-wow chatter,
Tribal member Lydia Logan talked
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Honored Tribal member and Vietnam Veteran Steve Rife presented a
Veterans Medallion to Tribal member Sacheen Houck in honor of her brother,
Tribal member Greg Houck. As an E-4, Greg served with the Navy on the USS
Kittyhawk but passed away 10 years ago. With Sacheen is, from left Greg's sons,
Greg Jr. 17, and Geoffrey, 15, and Greg's wife, Kim Houck.
all the Veterans were outcasts when
they came back," said Tribal member
and Vietnam Vet Steve Bobb. "That's
where the outlaw (motorcycle) gangs
came from."
He added that when a friend went
back to Washington, D.C. recently to
about how her brother, Tribal mem
ber Frank Hostler, had changed on re
turning from Iraq. "Things that were
frivolous before, like visiting family,
are not now. He's doing the 'Run to
the Rogue,' and things that bring him
closer to the Tribe. Family's impor
tant to him now," she said.
Protecting the rodeo grounds, the
Natural Resources division staffed a
wildland fire engine at the rodeo for most
of the day on Saturday and Sunday.
Nick Sixkiller (Cherokee) and Tribal
Elder Bob Tom served as announcers.
Host drum Eagle Beak Drummers
were joined by the Northwest Con
nection, Warner Austin, the White Wolf
Singers, Redland and the Chet Clark
group. They provided a penetrating
backbeat for the Dow-wow's many events.
New royalty, crowned at the pow
wow, included Tribal youth Miranda
Provost, Queen, Halona Butler, Jun
ior Queen, and for the first time, the
Tribe crowned a "young warrior,"
Tribal youth Leland (Brother) Butler.
Tribal Elders Kathryn Harrison and
Diane Lane and Tribal member Bobby
Mercier served as judges. Outgoing
royalty included Miranda Provost, who
was last year's Junior Queen, and
Tribal youth Stephanie Duran, who
was Senior Queen.
A small group of indigenous Hawai
ians attended and danced at the pow
wow's center in what Hawaiian Club
president Bobby Archuletta of Grants
Pass called "an exchange of cultures."
Five-year-old Ashley Meanus, an
Oglala Lakota from Portland, in Fancy
regalia, participated in the Tiny Tots
dance. She has been dancing since she
was three, said her mom, Gina.
Jetaime James, 7, of Yakima
Nisquilla Cowlitz descent, of Portland,
also in Fancy Regalia, danced for her
grandmother. "My mom lives through
her granddaughter," said Jetaime's
mom, Lynn James. "(Her mom) never
danced at a pow-wow."
"Everybody did good," said Gene
LaBonte.