Warm Springs Program; Salmon in the Native American Culture

Welcome to the Warm Springs program. This production of Kay WSO radio focuses on matters involving culture and education. I'm Sue Ryan. The winter season for treaty fishing on the Columbia River started this week. This is for zone six which includes the Bonneville downhills and John de Poules sanctuaries for all river mouse and dams remain in effect except for the Spring Creek hatchery. The winter gill net season is a time for travel fisherman to sell salmon steelhead Shad walleye and sturgeon. Some of the fish also make the trip home to the dinner table or for ceremonial use before the time of winter season's compact States and court decisions. There were just native people in salmon in the Columbia River. How are salmon viewed in the Native American culture. Louis dick expresses one viewpoint I'm surely

glad to be here with you today I'll talk to anybody that will listen to me. I'm going to give you as clear as philosophy. Though. I live by Louis Dix laws and that straight line people I'm going to introduce to some of you a philosophy that is psyche or the Indian people have been groomed as a group. Not an individual like Europeans. It's not wrong or bad but it's something to understand. The Indian people have been groomed to live a cycle or. I am preparing. The Earth for my body to enter into it. I don't know when it's going to be. That could be tomorrow hopefully 20 30 years from now. But I'm preparing the land. For myself to enter. Because creator left it that way he lent me this body.

That year that you're viewing. Unfortunately. I'm I'm addicted to Safeway and Albertson's. I'm addicted to Domino's Pizza and those sorts of things I'm not supposed to have that food. But I'm a foolish person and I enjoy that food. My former service friend his name was Kim till chemist till he told me about the bears. I said Louis you're your way of living is truly the way to live. He told me about the grizzly bears that he went in Montana with. He crawled in a hole in the measured your teeth measured her claws. This is really interesting he he called them garbage bears as compared to the wild bear the wild bear lived by creators law. In which we heard this morning it's Indian law. The garbage bears course that they dug in the Yellowstone garbage pit

and they took all the handouts from those people like Louis. But the garbage bearers their hair was coarse. Their claws were smaller they weighed less and they did not follow the law and that is a lesson to us people we should eat the food that we are obligated to eat. For example I had a wonderful teacher His name is Walter specious. He's Iachimo nation leader. He told a group of people ladies and gentlemen this here is theory please believe this. He said somebody said that they crossed this boring Bering Straits across the top of the continent. He said that is theory and you leave it that way. He said in this long house like this when you are in today these stories are told. This air is lent to you. It is sacred.

This water is lent to you. It is sacred. The land is sacred. The food that you consume called NOSSO house and all those that is a sacred food. And I'm glad to see the ladies food was on the table today my wife a WATSON My gives me a bad time. You guys always defended me in food but you know. Nobody says anything about the women food. The House and it be OK. So I'm putting in a pitch for the girls for the ladies. There is a neat story that I heard up in Alaska this native. Was speaking. He said he went to this village the fish and wildlife game department of Alaska went to the village and they explained to the villagers you people quit hunting the moose because he is nearing extinction. And then people

listened very politely like they do. And when they were done. The natives begin to speak and they says. When the beaver was down on his cricket he says no no no no we're not talking the beaver we're talking a moose. And so he listened again politely and then they spoke again. And they says when the beaver was on this crick and he says no no that's not our department. You know what most people you know we talk moose and game we're not talking of trapping. That's another department. And so the end in listen again real quiet and politely like he did again. So finally near the end of the day they begin to listen to the natives. He says when the beaver was here there used to be ponds. And there's another type of grass that grows on the hillside that the moose eats. But when the beaver were all trapped out and gone that is when the moose's food begin to be gone. It wasn't the hunters. It was because you're trapped you know. And what I'm trying to explain was we got to look at the big picture.

We've got to look at the big picture. Our people along the Columbia have lived in harmony. They have lived in harmony with the land. When they were taught as youngsters. You live in harmony with the land your name is superior people your name is human beings. And to me what that meant was they identified themselves as a group of habitants on the land. They were not ones that flew in the sky. They are not ones that swim in the water. They are not ones that grow into the ground. They are not the ones that go from the ground but. They are part of those species that are on here. We live in harmony with them. When we live out of harmony then things bad will happen. When you take too much your greed is too much. Then it will be out of harmony. The Umatilla is have three tribes use Umatilla and wall off the sated

six point four million acres. And they says OK let's zero in on here. Dialogue or if you can get him to settle down probably after three or four days when he runs down you can explain the spotted owl is not a problem. The spotted owl is not the problem. In that 6.4 million acres we used to have dip in. Japan wandered all around in that area he got a lot of respect from everyone. Everything white man calls in Grizzly Bear Grizzly Bear used to wander the Baker panel and all that area there. He is no longer there. That's an earmark. That's an earmark. My friend Nathan Jim told me the name of the wolf. And I forgot because I didn't exercise that word. But the wolf used to wander in that area too. He is no longer there. Bloggers will tell you oh he's in Montana and Alaska. Yeah but he's

not in Baker country no more John. I hope I don't make you try cry. But we had he he went up to North Fork North powder. He slim is no longer there. That's a steelhead because of the three dams on the snake. No sir. Used to go up in myname. They're no longer there. They're gone they're indicators they're not there they're not there. We've got to look at the big picture. The taxpayer justly so is complaining strongly about the condors in California. Condors in California it cost them a million dollars apiece to get them back established in California vats to get it back. Woulda lived in harmony with them to begin with. We wouldn't had it Bill. We wouldn't had it. Then Californians they're telling us you know you're taking my livelihood when you're take that water for the salmon.

Hey you already took ours. You know payback I think is kind of neat. How does it feel. Yeah. How does it feel. How does it feel. There's a neat place in New Mexico Arizona. A few years ago I seen it on television. The church was completely destroyed demolished the pews were busted up the altar was all broke up all the windows that were pretty in color like out there all busted up. What in seeing people would do this. The townspeople were furious justly so than the town whose tribe came in and they said. We did it. We'll buy your pews and put them back we'll put your glass back we'll fix your altar back like it was. But how does it feel. They had a sacred place called Blue Lake. They're going to have a timber sale there. And Indian says no don't have a timber sale there. That is a sacred place. But the Forest Service and the townspeople says well you're taking my livelihood you know blah blah blah

that Samal wanted you know the dollar. But anyway that's what I need to tell you is how does it feel to have your sacred place destroyed. He and. Four years ago. We got to Umatilla river restocked was salmon. And that was a real joyous occasion for us on the Umatilla as well as Indian country. We weren't the only happy ones but there was other people we got to re stablished 70 years no salmon. No food. And the first one I thought about was my mother. Her name is E. Watson. I'm sorry I thought of my mother. The reason why she says penicillin is a new medicine. The old Indian medicines are gone and they're no good. Like the Kali like the Umatilla river the salmon is never there you'll never see another salmon in that river again. They've been wiped out. Well those two teachings were wrong.

We got the salmon back in the Umatilla. We've got to get them back into other places. We've got to do that co-operatively our voice from the Indian community has been going on to live in harmony all the treaties every treaty that you ever hear if you have a documented saying informing you that this here is what the Indian said to man which I would know it's a ticklish. In that language. The treaty language to me is a religious document it is a religious speech. To me the treaty is a religious thing together unusual unaccustomed places that's neat that we found the. Fine Print. We wrote the fine print. You know that snuck up on the European minded people. They didn't know that Indian food was a religion. The Lakotas they taught us a lesson too.

They were victims of their sacred food. Buffalo being almost wiped from the face of the earth we'll long to Colombia fight fiercely Hardley. For that sacred food which is the salmon. No sir. It has an Indian name called NOSSO. Within that Indian name it becomes a motivation factor for Indian people. We have to have our religious food no different than yours. We look at water different to Buffy Sainte-Marie said it well she says when the non-Indian celebrate stay drink beer champagne or wine. But when the Indian celebrates they drink water. Water and the air is in everything. If it is not there it doesn't exist. That's what the savage or the heathen has learned. I can't get over how they have done

to Indian people calling us savages. Calmness heathens. Every morning. I am to clean my body with water. Water is sacred. My my teacher's name was Clarence Burke. One Sunday afternoon when there weren't many people in our long house he spoke. And he told us he was shaky to. Invest purser Kai-Uwe said means water is a medicine. And then he went on to elaborate without water. Nothing is nothing without clean water. Nothing is nothing. If you get sick water then it gives sickness to you. So the Indian people say that we are part of the water of the waters part of us. The water is the one that goes into the sky cleans the sky hits the ground cleans the ground goes into the ground cleans out brings minerals from the out of it and it is part of us. What you do to the food you do to the Indian what you do to the water you do to the Indian what you do to the air you do to the Indian.

I think probably 20 minutes always flies by. You can usually talk five minutes five hours or five days. I appreciate you're your errors. Usually I have an opening statement by saying into a teacher could teach them we could teach me and we could teach me. I am dear earth and the earth is me and what is done to the earth. Is done to the Indian. I don't care if you spray it with herbicides pesticides or oil I don't know if that's what you do to me. And I know you're not going to go back to Europe to Germany Sweden France you're not going back you're going to stay here. Leave this land clean for your children yet unborn. Seven generations in the future 14 and 21 generations don't think yourself one generation think like the Indian people have been taught groomed. I attended an institute called

Oregon Planning Institute and they said we are talking long range they usually deal with zoning issues. We are talking long range 20 years you know when I put my head day in Haiti. No no no no. It took us two centuries to destroy this land. It's going to take longer than that to fix it back up. So I'm asking you I'm saying that you are the land. We are the land. What is done to the earth is dirt done to ourselves. So I would hope that you become my allies. I would hope that you become my allies. You do your own thing in your own time in your own way whether it's a vote. Or an outward speech toward somebody that's talking negative towards the land. Tell me to go back to the cleaners. Thank you. Say Louis dick of the confederated Traum said the Umatilla after the so-called discovery of the Columbia River.

New people began to settle along its banks. The appearance of the river changed with the building of dams railroads and freeways in recent years. Windsurfing has been added to this mix of modern life. One thing windsurfing requires is a place to launch into the Columbia River to then ride the winds of the world famous gorge. Different developments have cropped up along the river banks seeking to capitalize on the popularity of this latest fad. One such developer who bought property with not only windsurfing but a housing subdivision also in mind probably never dreamed of the resistance he would run into over it. The land Henry Spencer bought from Burlington Northern Railroad is at a place called mile point. It is also a fishing site for Native Americans. My name is Mike Palmer and I'm enrolled in Yakima the Ackermann nation and my husband is Douglas Palmer Sr. known as Mad Dog on the reservation and he's in rolled in the Warm Springs confederated tribes. We live

here in Lyle Washington where we live our way of life with close to the Columbia River the sacred modern. And the spring time we were watching the development going on. You know and next to the waters where our scalpels are and we have found it very difficult to get over there because they were digging trenches and putting waterways in pipelines wires electrical wires. And we didn't go over to our scaffold and you know with the seasons being so short for commercial fishing you know we depend on the scaffolds to gather our food for. Our ceremonies. Name giving the memorials funerals whatever way we can you know meet the needs. You know we can't do it all but we try our best in a portion of it you know we have to pay our full in light so we we're just kind of take the babies around and sell it sell

them to the workers of our. Are Indian people that are employed and. We. Came to a partner live where we couldn't get over to those scaffolds and there was a big void there. You know the demands were greater than ever and you know we. With that we make a phone call to the climber Columbia River intertribal Fish Commission. We notified them and they in return notified our tribal council Representative Joanne monotonic from the Akamai nation and she couldn't came forward and she we talked about our beliefs and what we believe in here along the clumsier river and our foods. You know what we hold sacred their medicine to our peoples you know our Indian people. And we discussed occupying a point.

And she was a great support she you know she's the one that brought us food and helped us from the very beginning and you know I'm very grateful to her and her efforts. And now and then and as time passed. We we started having weekend gatherings for support and to continue on to occupancy and on one of those weekends when we came over I believe was the second weekend and the scaffold was missing. Mysteriously disappeared and it was gone and so was our Another scapel. But the other scaffolds in the area weren't bothered and so we notified Columbia River in a tribal Fish Commission again that the scalpels were now missing. And those are federal violations there against our loss for anybody to tamper our you know.

Bother any fishing equipment because they were under federal recognition here. You know in our treaty and then I became concerned at protecting our scaffolds was going to be the issue at this point also because the developer you know maybe he doesn't understand our way of life that you know that this gavel is. Means of religion and religion to carry on our religious ways you know to continue to go there my my mate he fishes and he brings it home and all I do is prepare the food to get the food ready and put it away and put it away. Can it dry it can do and other things that like we have to lie it's a it's a pot of pish that our elders seem to really enjoy. Margaret Palmer is a member of the Yakima Indian Nation the winter treaty

fishing season is underway this week on the Columbia River making a full time living from fishing for native peoples these days seems to be fading away. Many still take the time to fish but often around other work. Philip David is a member of the confederated tribes of Warm Springs. And the way that we go about exercising our culture revolves around our foods. Around our roots our berries. Our salmon. Our wild game. We give very much value to those. We give so much value to it. That we are for the time. To come here. To go to Warm Springs longhouse. Spend a whole weekend the whole day. So that we would be

able to go out and harvest. All foods. To put on our tables. That we take time to give thanks to our Creator. For our food. For our water that flows by us right here. I feel ashamed as I stand here. Because it took me many years of teaching. Even as I have sat and tried to teach me. I failed a lesson for many years. Because I can sit here and I can listen to my elders that we have are very few in number today and I could listen to him talk. Talk you know native language. And I can understand him down here. But you asked me what they're saying and I can tell you. That's how much I listened when I was growing up. This is hard people.

To tell you just exactly what's. Down here. Yeah. It makes you want to cry. I have. In my travels about. On this reservation. I shed tears. For my resource. I shed tears for my people. How many of them. Abuse what we have today. You see I work at the dump from time to time that we have here landfill to those of you that don't understand.

Close my eyes. When I have to cover up. A. Salmon. That are laying in the pit. Cover up my eyes. To game that I have to cover up. That are laying in the pit. Maybe they think that. Eventually they're going to grow down there. But it hurts. But still yet that isn't going to make me give up. Because. Our forefathers have always been environmentalist. Biologist. Economist. Engineers. We don't go to Snow school to get no degree to be any one of these. But most of all. They taught us to

be providers. And that's what I want to be. A provider for my people. I want to exercise. What I've been taught. I want to teach what I've been taught. So that. So we'll have something here. We'll have something about our people. I don't want everything that we have all the knowledge that we have stored on the board are stored in the building down in Warm Springs is going to call a museum. I don't want people to come to this reservation and say this is what these people used to do. This is what these people. Used to catch. These are the kind the roots

they used to dig. These are the kind of game. That they used to provide for their family. I would like for us. Collectively to teach our people to be very respectful. Not to one another as much as we would like to be respectful. For our resources. And our human resources. Philippines it is a member of. The Confederacy. Lives of one spring. The winter treaty fishing season on the Columbia River goes through March 19th. There is no fishing on Sundays the off reservation Fish and Wildlife committee can be reached at 5 5 3 3 2 5 7. For more information about tribal fishing regulations I'm see Ryan reporting for the Warm Springs program.

You've been listening to the Warm Springs program broadcast Women's Day nights at 5:00 and Sunday mornings at state are ninety one point nine FM a public radio station of the confederated tribes of Warm Springs. KW As a rule.