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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2009)
Smoke Signals 5 JULY 1,2009 Powwow Tualatin grads share Native ancestry, if not the same Tribal affiliation By Dean Rhodes Smoke Signals editor Tribal member Jared Ripley re members when he and Siletz Tribal member Anthony Cook would pass each other in the hallways of Tu alatin High School and compete on the same football and track teams together. They also were both members of the school's Outdoor Club. Little did they know that they were both enrolled members of federally recognized Tribes in Oregon and, somewhere back in time, might have a common relative. But then the Grand Ronde Tribe's 2007 Competition Powwow oc curred. Ripley attended and recognized his classmate, Cook, who attended to support his cousin, who dances. "I saw him at the powwow and it kind of took me off-guard," Cook, 18, recalls. "I had no idea he was a Tribal member." "We just became close friends, and then through other friends on the track team, we all just started hang ing out a lot, and have become closer friends since then," Ripley says. "It's pretty funny at first, because we didn't know each other until foot ball came around and just ran into each other at the powwow." Since their junior year, they've been fast friends who, despite being omer Intormodisto IWIning Basketry Class GrandRonda Jury 11 9 A.M. -3 PM. t Eugana Juty18 9 A.M.. 3 P.M Portland Aug. 1 9 A.M. -3 P.M. Bring a tack lunch and good actaaors Umft to 1 6 paopta par offtca. RSVP to Misty Thoragard 603-879-2320 Wing Dress Class students need to contact Msty ThorsQsnJ for supply Ret Portland JulyM3,20,2TY; Grand Ronda Jury 19. 26 11AM.-6P.M. Eugana Aug. 2,9 11AM.-6P.M. inraeetininifijj from different Tribes, have found a common, sublime bond in their Na tive ancestry. "It's actually pretty cool," Cook says about becoming friends with another Native American. "I would talk about powwows and stuff in some of my classes, and my experiences and whatnot, and everybody was always like, 'What's a powwow?' With Jared, we could actually talk about what went on at the powwow instead of just trying to explain what one is." "In 2008, Jared and Anthony brought eight Tualatin High seniors to the powwow and camped out for three days to teach them about Na tive culture," says Ripley's mother, Tribal member and Mentorship & Workforce Development Coordinator Denise Harvey. "None of these students or their parents had ever been to a powwow before. All of them really enjoyed the experience." Ripley and Cook graduated to gether from Tualatin High on June 3, participated together in the Grand Ronde Tribe's Graduation Celebra tion on June 19 and plan on attend ing Chemeketa Community College in Salem together this fall, living together as roommates. Ripley says he is seeking to get into the fire program at Chemeketa while Cook says he is interested in law enforcement. r I Phone: 503479-2320 Fax:503-879-2126 E-msirl; wuraSftes TcrifoaD faseiras Ripley, 17, says his Native ancestry has sparked interest from his classmates while attending Tualatin High School. "People think it's kind of interesting and ask me questions about it," Ripley says. Ripley says that he and Cook have not let any issues between the two Tribes trickle down to their friend ship. Actually, the biggest differences be tween the two Tribes, they've found with their teenage perspec tives, is in what they individually receive in assistance to continue their education. "Tribal differences don't really come be tween us at all," Ripley says. "We just compare stuff. We're going to be room mates next year in college so we talk about getting financial aid from the Tribes and how much aid our Tribe is going to give us." Who's getting the better deal? "Moneywise, I think it's me," Rip ley says. "But Siletz gives him a free laptop and stuff. But I think as far as money goes, I get more money." "We joke about that all the time," Cook says. "Both of the Tribes take care of us pretty well, so it's hard to complain." 1 Ripley says he has researched his Eugsno Wetlands July 23, Aug. 13, Sspt for Information contact Grtg Archuteta . W3-C33-C327 ,, or 9GarctiutetsQvtf1zonnt Parflschs Class "Tt uranarwnaa July 16, 17 Education Room 207 6:30 P.M. -8:30 PM. Portland Aug. 1 11A.M.. 6 P.M. a em a . Jt Eugana Aug. 8 11 All-6 P.M. Al matarlala provldad Urn to 10 paopla par odea. RSVP to Misty Tnoragard 60379-2323 Gathering Class Eugana Jury 23 11AM. Portland Jury 18 11, fork if ot ii icon cornet Cr or prarchctr .z i h ' ' '""flu (''a T? Photo by Michelle Alaimo Tribal member Jared Ripley, left, and Siletz Tribal member Anthony Cook became friends their junior year while attending Tualatin High School. They graduated together from Tualatin High on June 3 and attended Grand Ronde's Graduation Celebration on June 1 9. heritage, participating in sweats and attending powwows, but hasn't gone as far back as necessary to determine if he and Cook are distant cousins. After Chemeketa, Ripley says he and Cook also might continue on their educational journeys together to Western Oregon University. Will they be lifelong friends after their chance meeting at the pow wow? "Yeah, I think so," Ripley says. "I'd like to say so," Cook says. "We're rooming together in college. After that, I'm sure we're not going to be too far away." Clccs 1 24 i . . it ilk i . i y v Ad cfpatpd by George Vaktet
