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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2006)
FEBRUARY 1, 2006 Smoke Signals 7 flies, teaching agility, speed and patience. The child was praised for catching the butterfly, but praised even more for catching it and re leasing it unharmed. Adults recog nize such activities as a child's special talents: "You're going to be a great fisherman one day." Eight: Choices in Parenting Today, Indians have very differ ent challenges than those facing traditional Tribal people. Indians face racism and other barriers to housing, jobs and family issues. Indians have to overcome stereo types that were once far more pro lific than they are today, but they continue to infiltrate everyday life. Indians who would preserve the Fire Takes Grandchildren Of Tribal Member Tribal member Terry Houck and family mourn the loss of three young boys. By Ron Karten By 4:00 a.m. on Monday, Janu ary 23, the Salem Fire Depart ment was on its way to the Sprague Court Apartments in South Salem. At the same time, Jeremy Arendt, son of Tribal member Terry Houck's wife, Betty, was crashing through the window of his bedroom to first escape the inferno that had been their home, and then to try to reach his two boys, Zachary, 6, Ryan, 3, his daughters, Mariah, 8, and Brittany, 22 months, and their cousin, 4-year-old Alex Shipley, who was sleep ing with the boys. Arendt's wife, Tonya Hegwood, was staying the night with her mother in Salem. Zachary and Ryan perished in the fire, and Alex died at Doernbecher Children's Hospital later in the morning. Sometime during the night, three-year-old Ryan had come into Jeremy's room to sleep with his dad, but when Jeremy was awakened by the smoke and when he opened his bedroom door, the incredible heat drove him back into the bedroom. He broke out of the bed room window without noticing that Ryan was still in the room, still in his bed asleep. In the hospital with "his lips black, his face black, he was so freaked out," said his mother, Betty. "He said he failed his children," she said. "He almost went into cardiac ar rest four times. He said, 'Momma don't leave me. Why did God take my boys?' It was like he was los ing it. He kept asking how Alex was? (Alex) was hanging in there." In fact, Alex may have been brain dead by the time they got him out of house but his heart kept beating and Betty said, "In my heart, I knew that Alex hung in I mm Ibj LJ old ways have to work to make that happen. Almost every thing in today's society leans to ward mainstreaming everybody. That translates to day into having to learn to live in two worlds at the same time that social problems compound the difficulties of getting along day to day. And finally, Indians face early childhoods of want that taught many not to need, not to feel and not to trust. "It's not about bringing back the old days," said Joseph, "but about integrating the old ways into fulfilling new needs." "It's exceptionally valuable to family members in our colony there to give everybody else hope to go on." Because Alex's mom, Danielle Arendt, had given birth to preemie triplets late last year, and had health issues of her own, Alex had been almost living with Jeremy's family. "Jeremy remembers waking up coughing and disoriented," said his mom, Betty Houck, a few days later. Jeremy and his sons have suffered with breathing problems and allergies in the best of times, said Betty. In fact, she added, Jeremy had very recently come out of surgery for his adenoids and tonsils. "He said that this was the hardest thing he ever had to do," said Betty. "My son, Christopher (who is six), and Zachary were pretty close," said Tribal member Terry Houck Jr., 28, of Sheridan. "It was pretty much an annual thing for them to go together to see the monster trucks. They did it every year for the last four years." wwtti n mrnrm rwrnn r -,t wrr--limit' ft jl wWw i fi I1 f Teaching NICWA Executive Director Terry Cross instructed another three-day seminar on child protective services. Cross developed the NICWA in 1 987. The show is coming again this month and the families already had tickets. "Christopher took it pretty hard," said Terry Jr. "He curled up in a ball." The families four children from Jeremy and Tonya, and four from Terry Jr. and his former wife, Sandi got together regularly, said Betty. Mariah, 8, and Terry's daughter, Rebecca, also 8, played together. The kids all had nicknames, too. Ryan was Ry-guy. Rebecca was "my little Victorian princess." Zachary was A Tragedy Tribal members Terry Houck Jr. Qeft) and Terry Houck Sr. (right) with Terry Sr.'s wife, Betty, in the center, came to Smoke Signals' offices last week where they described the ordeal that took the lives of their grandchildren. Top left Mariah, bottom left to right Brittany, Zachary, Ryan Arendt at Christmas in 2005 (not pictured Alex Shipley). Photo courtesy of the Arendt family the Zach-attack. "Little Brittany was just into ruling the world," said Betty. Mariah was the "little Tasmanian devil." "Even though those boys lives were short," said Betty, there wasn't a day that they didn't know they were loved." The girls love to go to Play World at the casino, said Betty. "They'd ask their grandpa for money to play the games and he would ask: 'Do you want the money for your college fund.' 'No!' because it presents parenting skills in a way they can relate to without feeling threatened," said Judith Campanaro, Social Services Direc tor for the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony in Nevada. "It allows parents to be who they are and encourages them to allow children to be who they are." It helps the colony acknowledge a parent as a beautiful person and a loving par ent even if they have encountered other problems along the way. In one of the storytelling exer cises, Yakama HeadStart Teacher and Case Worker Marlene Simla (Yakama) told a story in which she showed how the stars are in apples. Looked at that way, the apples were almost too good to eat. the girls scream. 'For Super Play!" "And grandpa couldn't tell them, 'no." "Alex was always go go go go," said Betty. On Zachary's fourth birthday, we asked him to tell us four reasons why everybody was over," said Betty. One of his answers, she said, was, Tuz I'm so cute." The Zach-attack also boasted about being able to count to 400. What Betty remembers is having to listen all the way through. No cause had been determined for the fire at press time. Jeremy's employer, Taco Bell, has been more than generous in spirit and with financial help, said Betty. They told Jeremy that his checks would keep com ing though he was in the hospital, and they set out collection centers at Taco Bells throughout the area, said Betty. They also were on hand at the hospital and con tributed to the cost of the joint funeral for the three boys, scheduled to be held at the West Val ley Baptist Church in Keizer on Saturday, January 28. The Washington Mu tual Bank has set up a fund in the name of Tonya M. Hegwood. U.S. Bank, through Taco Bell, has set up the Jeremy Arendt Fund. In addi tion, the families need clothes and toys and per sonal items like toiletries. Feel free to call our office (503 879-5211)fbr clothes sizes for the family members, and to drop offerings for the family at the Tribe's Central Telephone Station. An exhausted grandfather, Terry Sr., took a couple takes to get out his thoughts on the mat ter. They were overwhelming. He fought back tears three times try ing to get them out. "Spend as much time as you can with your kids and grandkids," he said. "Always make time for them."
