14 SEPTEMBER 1,2012
Smoke Signals
(SiradliiflatiDdDirD Day
Lane CC offering fall
Chinuk Wawa classes
EUGENE Lane Community College is offering Chinuk Wawa
language classes this fall at both the 100 and 200 levels.
Both courses earn four credits and will fulfill the Oregon Uni
versity System's language requirement for graduation.
Instructors are Dr. Janne Underriner, director of the North
west Indian Language Institute at the University of Oregon, Dr.
Henry Zenk, a consultant and instructor in the Chinuk Wawa
Language Program at the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde,
Beth Sheppard and others.
The classes will be taught in Eugene at Lane Community Col
lege and in Grand Ronde and Portland using traditional face-to-face
and video-conferencing teaching methods.
For more information on taking either AIL 101 or 202, call the
college's Language, Literature and Communication Division at
541-463-5419.
The class at Lane Community College will be taught in Build
ing 31 (The Longhouse) in Room 101 from 5 to 6:50 p.m. Monday
and Wednesday. B
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LV N
i
Photo by Michelle Alalmo
Mikayla Mercier, 5, wavas to har parents from har saat during tha
2012 Graduation Powwow at Uyxat Powwow Grounds in Grand Ronde
on Thursday, Aug. 16. Twenty-four children graduated from the Tribal
Preschool.
Keolbaclhi DueUdl ma rag c ire rawing
RIO I BACH continued
from from page
evening.
While signing autographs after
the concert, a 7-year-old boy named
Liam O Gallachoir approached
Reibach and said that he was a
Grand Ronde Tribal member.
Then the boy's mother, Maya
Frost, introduced herself as a Tribal
member as well.
"There was an immediate connec
tion and they told me how much
they miss the Tribe and that Liam
has a yearning to grow closer to
his Native culture," Reibach, who
works for the Tribe as Lands De
partment manager, recalls about
the meeting.
Reibach presented Liam with a
small cedar flute and taught him
how to play.
"Liam learned so fast that within
10 minutes he was playing the
basic scale of the flute," he says.
Impressed with the quick-learning
musical student, Reibach also
gifted Liam a drum.
"He was very excited," he says. "It
was a touching moment with people
shedding some tears, including his
mother. She said, 'Thank you so
much. This means more to us then
you'll ever know.' "
But the trans-Atlantic Native
American cultural exchange of
members of the same Tribe was
not over.
Liam told Reibach that he wanted
an Indian name. After Reibach talk
ed with Frost, they went backstage
and held a small naming ceremony,
which Reibach has performed for
some members of the Tribe.
"We talked about the traditions
and ceremony of receiving a name
and crouching down on one knee,
I said, 'Part of it is an exchange.
Usually one must give something,
a kind of offering like tobacco, sage
or cedar.'
"Liam looked down and said, 'I
have this,' and gave me a gummy
worm."
Submitted photo
Tribal Lands Manager Jan Michael Looking
Wolf Reibach met two other Grand Ronde
Tribal members Mary Frost and her 7-year-old
son Liam O Gallachoir during his late
July tour of Northern Ireland. Reibach, who
has won several Native American Music Awards
for Native flute, gave the boy a flute and drum,
and also performed an impromptu Native
naming ceremony for him, christening Liam as
"Little Wolf."
Reibach told Liam the sticky gift
would work fine and that he would
bring it back to Grand Ronde,
where he would bury it.
Then after a prayer together,
Reibach christened Liam with the
Native name "Little Wolf."
After the ceremony, Liam told
Reibach how beautiful his boots
were. The boots, hand-beaded with
wolves and medicine wheels by a
close friend and Native Elder, have
been worn at events across the
United States by Reibach when he
performs.
"Meeting you here is
proof that your Tribe is
always with you," Reibach
said to Liam as everyone
was departing. He then
gave the young boy his
boots. "Keep playing that
flute. You have some big
shoes to fill Little Wolf."
Frost, the daughter
of Philomena Hoehnke,
moved to Ireland in 1999
to study Irish traditional
music.
"I had not planned to
stay originally," she said
via an e-mail. "Liam was
born in Ireland and my
mother helps keep us up
on what is happening
with the Tribe."
She told Reibach that
learning and celebrating
their Native American
culture in Northern Ire
land is understandably
difficult.
"It was an honor to meet
Jan Michael Looking Wolf
and his family on the night
he performed in Derry,"
she said via e-mail. "When
Liam mentioned his plans
to go through the naming
ceremony when he is of
age, Jan Michael made
a beautiful gesture by
helping Liam find his ani
mal spirit and his Indian
name. We thank him so
much for his many gifts and have
no doubt that Liam Little Wolf will
one day fill the beaded boots!"
In addition to his Derry concert,
Reibach also performed at ra
dio stations, cultural centers and
churches in Northern Ireland, as
well as a special performance for
.Northern Ireland's Deputy First
Minister Martin McGuinness.
"We performed a 30-minute concert
and interview on BBC radio that was
broadcast across Northern Ireland
and the .United Kingdom," Reibach
says. "We also played on Drive 105.5
FM. Also, several newspapers did
articles on our tour there."
McGuinness presented Reibach
with an autographed poem that
he wrote.
"I am privileged to welcome Jan
Michael, a winner of four pres
tigious Native American Music
Awards, to Derry, and how fitting it
is that he should bring us a flavour
of his unique and endearing culture
at a time when we look forward to
embracing all cultures during our
2013 celebrations," McGuinness
said in a press release.
Reibach presented McGuinness
with a Confederated Tribes of
Grand Ronde Pendleton blanket.
Martina Anderson, Northern
Ireland's representative to the
European Parliament, presented
Reibach with a Coat of Arms and
welcome as well.
McGuinness and Anderson in
vited Reibach to return in 2013
and perform at a large festival in
August that will celebrate "The
City of Culture" event.
Before the July 27 concert at the
Waterside, Derry Deputy Mayor
Mary Hamilton also presented
Reibach with a Coat of Arms to the
city. "This is considered one of the
highest honors of recognition and
welcome," he said.
Promoter Keith Wright said
Reibach's visit had a huge effect
on Northern Ireland. "After several
appearances on national radio, live
performances and meetings with
government leaders, his music has
become very popular in Northern
Ireland," he said.
"This was an amazing experience
for my family and me," Reibach
says. "Of course, we were blown
away by the reception of the mu
sic and honors received, and how
beautiful the country is. But what
touched my heart the most was
meeting fellow Tribal members at
our concert. We immediately con
nected like family and it reminded
me that being Grand Ronde is sim
ply the greatest honor of all." B