4 AUGUST 15, 2008
Smoke Signals
Tribal descendant died in May car accident
By Ron Karten
Smoke Signals staff writer
The moment of grief goes on.
On Monday, Aug. 4, in the Tribal
Education Building, Administra
tive Assistant Debbie Bachman
wiped tears away.
"My aunt died last weekend,"
she said. "It didn't get to me until
just now."
She had just left a memorial for
Tribal descendant Nick Faas, 24,
who died in a car accident in May.
The memorial was sponsored by the
Sapsik'wala program, a component
of the University of Oregon Native
American Initiative. Sapsik'wala is a
Sahaptian word meaning "teacher."
In partnership with Oregon's nine
federally recognized Tribes, the Col
lege of Education master's programs
prepare Native students to be teach
ers "to meet the lifelong learning and
developmental needs of children and
young adults," according to the Uni
versity of Oregon Web site.
During the memorial, there was
a reading of Nick's application
essay competing for a spot in the
program.
Pat Rounds, director of the pro
gram that provides funds for Native
students at the master's degree
level who want to be teachers,
introduced the Nick Faas that the
people at Sapsik'wala got to know,
and then read from his astonishing
application.
; "We knew Nick a short time, but
had a great deal of fondness for
him," Rounds said. "He had a lot
of warmth and personal integrity.
He was committed to his family
and Tribe."
"One must find the purpose and
happiness in life through them
selves rather than searching in
other things outside," Nick wrote
in his application. "My name is
Nicholas Faas and my mother is
Kathy Cole, a Tribal member and
Chinuk Wawa teacher for the Con
federated Tribes of Grand Ronde. I
am writing to you in regards to the
Sapsik'wala project. I feel as though
I am a perfect candidate for this
program because of my passion of
my Native American heritage and
my desire to help all Native youth
understand the world and life."
Nick was a young man whose
grandfather taught him hunting and
carving, who worked in the Grand
Ronde Youth Education program
and with middle and high school stu
dents at OMSI's Salmon Camp, who
was a member of the Grand Ronde
Canoe Family, who participated in
round dances and powwows, and
then, at the time of the accident, was
prepared to enter the Sapsik'wala
program for his master's degree to
teach Social Studies.
"I have experienced the low
points of life at my father's house
and the warmth and love at my
mother's house," Nick wrote in
his application. "Most people only
experience one world, but this is
what separates me from the rest. I
connect with the kids who succeed
and kids who struggle in the school
and at home."
He was the oldest of four broth
ers. The three younger brothers
Zach, 18, Chris, 15, and Gabe,
12 were all on hand for the me
morial. Gabe wore a hooded black sweat
shirt with white letters. Nick's
name was on the front along with
the years of his life. On the back,
there was an unfinished picture
that Nick had drawn.
Some 50 of the sweatshirts are
out in the neighborhood, courtesy of
Shawn Bobb, wife of Tribal member
Billy Bobb. Shawn also is an assis
tant Chinuk Wawa teacher in the
Cultural Resources Department.
He said that the sweatshirts were
Gabe's idea.
V 'K rv ; . y
t ...
Photo by Ron Karten
Tribal member Alexandra Foster, 16, left, hugs Tribal member Kathy Cole,
mother of Tribal descendant Nick Faas, during a memorial for Faas on
Monday, Aug. 4. Faas died in a car accident in May.
"He wanted to do something for
his brother," Shawn said.
"We are so proud of Nick," said
Tribal Council member Wink So
derberg. Tribal Council member
Chris Mercier also shared the mo
ment with the family.
About six members of the Grand
Ronde Canoe Family, led by Travis
Stewart, Tribal member, Educa
tion Department staff member
and member of the Canoe Family,
drummed and sang. After they
started, they were joined by six
others.
Nick paddled with the group last
year on the Paddle to Lummi and
the previous year on the Paddle to
Muckleshoot.
"It was real important that we
make it back from Cowichan for
this," Stewart said. "Even though
he was with us in spirit on the jour
ney. We sing to honor the family."
Tribal member and fellow Canoe
Family member Brian Krehbiel
gave the family the copper ring
he received for participating in a
Canoe Journey.
"In spirit," said Sapsik'wala co
director Alison Ball, "Nick is our
Elder. He had leadership and
- dignity," ,..,..
"Having a mother as a teacher
. has taught, me a lot about how t;o
have compassion for other people,"
' Nick wrote, "and the value of educa
tion for one's happiness.
"My knowledge and understand
ing of my Native American culture
have mostly come in the last seven
years, but my passion has always
been a part of me."
"I think he is looking down from
heaven and laughing," Kathy Cole
said through her tears, "because he
always told me he would get more
educated than me, and because of
you," she added to the Sapsik'wala
folks, "he made that happen." B
Natural Resources youth crews
Photo by Summer Youth employee Joel Selwyn
The Tribe's Natural Resources Department had two
summer youth crews this year. They worked on a variety
of projects this summer, including clearing trails up
Agency Creek on the reservation.
Above, left to right- front row: Jack Ham, Adam Butler,
Douglass Gray, Alana Hobbs, Justin Butler, Denny Linton,
Winston Mercier, crew leader Chip Holton, left to right
back row: Leif Esbenshade, Josh Harman and Eric Gretxon.
1
r -
Joseph Ham
At right, on ground- left to right: Joseph Waldron,TJ McKnight, Shannon
Grosse, Scott Brown, crew leader Jennifer Ortowskl-Robertson, and Ricky
Kamosh, up In tree- left to right: Greg Butler, Brandon Linton, Colt Davidson
and Gary Lambert.
(
r :7 '
II