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Museum hosting 'Art of Ceremony'
 Natalie Moody prepares the Warm Springs display. The Museum at Warm Springs is hosting a new exhibit, The Art of Ceremony, opening June 25. The Oregon Arts Commission has selected The Art of Ceremony as the 2008 National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpiece project. With the Museum at Warm Springs, the upcoming exhibit is courtesy of The Hallie Ford Museum of Art, and Willamette University. “The Art of Ceremony: Regalia of Native Oregon is an unprecedented exhibition of historic and contemporary ceremonial regalia from, and selected by, Oregon’s nine federally recognized tribes,” said Rebecca Dobkins, curator of the Hallie Ford Museum of Art, and professor of Anthropology at Willamette University. “As Oregon’s 2008 National Endowment for the Arts American Masterpieces Project, The Art of Ceremony presents the region’s tribal regalia as masterworks of American art,” said Dobkins. The objects in the exhibition–collectively referred to as “regalia”–include clothing, items of personal adornment and implements used in ceremonies. Many of the items come directly from individual and family collections, and are regularly part of ongoing ceremonies. The Museum at Warm Springs invites you to attend the June 25 opening reception on the museum grounds. Activities will include a “Walk of Nations,” starting at 11 a.m., followed by the exhibit opening, light salmon lunch and round dancing. Regalia is welcome for the Walk of Nations, but is not required. Horses are welcome. The event is free and open to the public. If you have any questions, please call Natalie Moody at 553-3331, ext. 412. Musically inspired, Doney overcomes obstacles  His music—like the way his talent has grown—is an inspiration. Jeremy Doney first started playing piano at the Oregon School for the Blind in Salem. He would listen to songs and then play them back on the piano. Recognizing his talent, the teachers at the school helped him pursue his gift. He learned new songs every day, and his repertoire became vast. In time, the school hired a professional piano teacher to work with Jeremy on the more difficult playing techniques. The Snowman Foundation, an organization that promotes music in the Northwest, has been a great supporter of Jeremy and his music. The foundation helped in hiring his piano teacher. And the foundation has helped Jeremy produce his first compact disc, In The Garden. The CD is named for the sensory garden at the School for the Blind, where Jeremy has played many songs over the years. Jeremy has been blind since birth. His parents are Orlando Doney and Lenora Starr. Jeremy first went to the Oregon School for the Blind when he was 9. He is about to graduate, and he will be moving this summer to Madras to live with his father. He has a job lined up at a thrift store in Madras. He said he is looking forward to moving back to Central Oregon, and especially is looking forward to playing at the Bend Summer Festival. His concert experience includes the Ten Grands performances in Portland and Seattle. At the 2007 Ten Grands concert in Portland, Jeremy played a highlight of the show with composer and pianist Michael Allen Harrison, who founded the Snowman Foundation. Jeremy has played concerts at schools, retirement homes and fundraising events. He has played at the state Capitol, and he will play there again on May 14, during Tribal Information Day. His music is inspiring to the people who hear it, said Liz Owens, Jeremy’s teacher at the School for the Blind. “He brings joy to others when he plays,” she said. His piano teacher Jill Kickenlooper said, “Jeremy has been an adventure to teach. And I have observed that the more he learns, the more his creativity expands. He appreciates and explores all sounds and styles of music,” she said. “When he plays piano the limitations he has without music fall away. It is a wonder to see and hear.” “I think that the greatest joy in Jeremy’s life is sharing his musical gift with others,” said Don Ouimet, director of the Oregon School for the Blind. “He plays and gives from his heart.” (Note: Anyone who would like to purchase In the Garden should contact Warm Springs Voc Rehab at 553-4952.)
Tribes, IHS establish Health Commission  Councilwoman Aurolyn Stwyer-Pinkham signs the IHS MOU. The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Indian Health Services have reached a new agreement for providing health care services to the membership. The agreement represents a hopeful change in the relationship between the tribes and IHS, which in recent years had grown troublesome. The new agreement provides for the creation of a seven-member Joint Health Commission that will oversee health care services, as provided by the tribes and IHS. The commission will consist of the tribal secretary-treasurer and the health care director, plus at-large positions. Tribal Council is in the process of filling the at-large positions. “I commend the Council for getting us here,” secretary-treasurer Jody Calica said at the signing ceremony this week at the clinic. There had been major disagreements between the tribes and IHS about health care on the reservation, “but we have worked beyond that for the benefit of the people,” Calica said. The tribes and IHS reached the agreement through mediation before a federal judge. The mediation process began after the tribes filed a lawsuit against IHS. Through the agreement, or memorandum of understanding (MOU), the tribes agreed to drop the lawsuit. At the signing ceremony, Council Vice-Chairwoman Aurolyn Stwyer-Pinkham said that tribal members continue to rely on traditional medicines, but the membership must also have access to the best of modern medical technology. The tribal-IHS agreement, and the creation of the Joint Health Commission, “will let our people know that this is a safe place to heal,” she said of the clinic. The MOU represents a great accomplishment for the tribal staff at IHS and others who have worked on the project, Calica and Stwyer-Pinkham said. Those at the clinic who provided support during the agreement process include Cassie Katchia, who is now the Joint Health Commission officer; and staff Bob Boffin and Dayle Tuftie. The Health and Welfare Committee—chairwoman Janice Clements, Urbana Manion, Frank Charley and Earlynne Squimphen—are to be commended for their work, as is Roberta Queahpama, director of Community Health. Mike Clements, director of Human Resources, who was master of ceremonies at the signing, took a lead role in the agreement process. Other speakers at the signing ceremony were Warm Springs Chief Delvis Heath, Councilwoman Bernice Mitchell, and Councilmen Wendell Jim, Rafael Queahpama and Buck Smith. Reflecting on Tradition and Education  Mariah Coffee The theme of her award-winning narrative is “Tradition is my life, education is my future.” In her essay, Mariah Coffee writes about the importance of past generations and tradition, and the struggle for a better life through education. Coffee won second place for her essay in a national competition conducted by the Office of Indian Education of the U.S. Department of Education. This is a great accomplishment, as the competition was open to all American Indian and Alaska Native students through grade 12. Coffee, an eighth-grader at Jefferson County Middle School, said she not sure yet what she wants to do for her career after she graduates from school, although writing may be a possibility. Following is the personal narrative that Coffee submitted in the competition. We as Natives have to pursue a better education and a better life for our families and others. Each day we wake up and go to school, life the daily lives that we have, but what we truly desire is an education that really makes a difference to everyone around us. Native American students keep their culture close to their hearts, and their future set on the education they desire. What exactly happens on our pursuit of happiness? Sometimes we lose our way and even take a wrong turn. When we see what has happened we keep going and keep praying that it will get better. People doubt us, but they cannot see the real side of us beneath all of the lies and stereotypes. It does hurt; we are strong and we have a goal to fulfill. The hurt and pain will not stop us from getting our education and keeping our tradition alive. Many ancestors have gone; it is up to us, the younger generation, to make a true difference for our family members who are struggling. We will show them that it is okay to fulfill your goals and still be able to keep your head held high. I hope we as Natives can join together just like our ancestors did and help one another to get the life we have been longing to live. The true question is: can we do it? Yes, we can if we truly try; we really want to pursue the education we need and still be able to teach our young ones everything we can so our culture can stay strong. Nobody should just give up, if they cannot do something. They should think about the future and where they will be if they just give up. Along the way we have touched many people’s hearts and changed their outlook on everyday life. We have taught so many people to just go for their goals without giving up, taught people how to live again, and we even learned more about ourselves than we ever thought possible. We found we have so many secrets that we have been hiding from our loved ones. When our journey comes to a conclusion, we will find out that the saying is true: Tradition is our life and education is our future. By Mariah Coffee National Pie Day celebration Filberto Sanchez and Damon Garcia prepared for a pie eating contest as part of a recent celebration at Early Childhood Education. In honor of National Pie Day on January 23, ECE hosted the contest and involved students and parents in the festivities. One parent per classroom was nominated to represent the classroom in the pie eating contest. Aldo Garcia won the contest by eating the most pies in a 30-second time frame. Tourism map project seeks sites of interestWarm Springs has been selected to participate in a geotourism pilot project with the National Geographic Society. Through this project, nominations are now being solicited for a Central Cascades map guide. The goal is for the tribes and National Geographic, along with Travel Oregon and Washington State Tourism, to develop a two-state storytelling map, or MapGuide, of the Central Cascades region. Girls basketball squad features tribal membersBy Leslie MittsSpilyay Tymoo  On and off the court, several girls from Warm Springs are finding success through teamwork. The 2009-09 girls’ varsity basketball squad at Madras High School is made up entirely of students from Warm Springs. That’s something that the White Buffaloes see as an advantage this season, as the group of girls’ has grown incredibly close as a team. Museum hosting youth exhibit
The Sixteenth Annual Tribal Youth Art Exhibit opens this week at the Museum at Warm Springs. The exhibit opening ceremony is from 5:30-7:30 p.m. this Thursday, Jan. 29 at the museum. The Tribal Youth Art Exhibit, on display in the Changing Exhibit Gallery, this year is sponsored by Warm Springs Composite Products. Setting goals, taking small steps and following throughby Selena BoiseSpilyay Tymoo As we reflect on the past year and move into the New Year, we remember any resolutions we may have made. Did we reach our goals? It is one thing to reach your final goal, but if you were still moving toward your goal, it would still be considered a success. Where as, if you were still in the same place when you made the resolution, it would be failure. |
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