Roosevelt Powwow

After Seafair on Saturday, my family and I drove across the state to attend Roosevelt Powwow by the Columbia River. We were invited to go there by our Tribal Councilman Sam Jim Jr, as his family helps put it on every year. Unlike Seattle, which had rained, Roosevelt was dry and hot. Nonetheless, there were of course a lot of Yakamas there, and Miss Warm Springs showed up as well! It was great seeing her and her dad again. (We did hear an announcement for Roosevelt Powwow at Pi-Ume-Sha.) Although it was a smaller Powwow, we had fun with the closer community—shaking hands of course, getting to know the new Miss City of Roses (Delta Park Powwow Queen) and hanging out with some old friends. Of course my mom bought raffle tickets…to no avail. But thankfully there were a few kids walking around selling dried fish, more people were selling popcorn, and we munched a bit while chatting with a family friend and her husband. It was nice just being able to enjoy the weather and watch the river. It is traditional land after all…

Honoring our Graduates with Clear Sky Native Youth Council

I live in Seattle, and for the past 3 years, my family and I have been involved in the Seattle Clear Sky Native Youth Council, a youth tutoring/cultural program for Native students here in Seattle. We do tutoring, provide mentoring for these students, who come from different schools from across Seattle Public School District. I graduated from the Seattle Public School District and it was hard for me culturally because I had just moved from Yakama Reservation and that transition was like jumping into cold water. But, now I’m a student at University of Washington and I want to make sure that I’m giving back to other kids who are struggling through high school in a city where they’re just a number. One of our biggest events is our “Honoring our Graduates” ceremony at the end of the school year where we invite various students to come and be recognized for their achievements through another year of school.

           

Hooray for our youth!!

It was a pleasant shock when Sarah Sense-Wilson, the head parent and good family friend to us, approached me with the request the students had made for the Student Guest Speaker. We held our Graduation at the Indian Heritage High School, a school that has a history of serving Native students—the campus buildings are covered in beautiful paintings and murals that establish a strong Native presence. I was humbled and excited for this opportunity because education is something I’m very passionate about and I know it’s a hard road for our Native students; they have to walk in two worlds and bring the best part of who they are back and forth. But also, I had just been crowned Miss Yakama Nation, so this was one of my first ‘gigs’ so to speak.

Public Speaking

It made me feel very proud and excited to see so many kids come to be recognized. My friend Angelo Baca brought his students from Big Sky High School, and kids from all corners of Seattle from middle school to high school were there. We had a luncheon, and our other speakers included “NDN’s for Justice” Millie Kennedy and her protégé my friend Patricia Allen. Our elder Alice Too said a few words of course, while Robert Fredricksen aka Ravenspeaker, MC’d the event.

As the presenters, we were gifted with a print!

I’m very passionate about teaching our kids that they can use their heritage and culture to make a difference in the world. Knowing who I am as a Yakama is what got me through my identity issues in high school, and I know there’s so much to keep learning and discovering about myself and my people. Native kids struggle with their identity in so many ways, and when we can come together to celebrate what our young ones have done, it’s good medicine that rubs off on us. 

First Powwow as Miss Yakama Nation!!

Every year for the past forty one years, the Delta Park Powwow is held in Portland Oregon. At this year’s Powwow, time was taken to honor the many veterans who have sacrificed for their country and their families. It was my honor to represent the Yakama Nation at this event.

           

Due to a time conflict between this Powwow and the Chief Joseph & Warriors Powwow, I was only able to attend Delta Park for the evening session. Nonetheless, it was truly a wonderful session and an honor to shake hands with the Elders and the Veterans that were recognized. The Powwow Committee was very kind to me and allowed me to change into my regalia in their RV parked right outside the dancing arena. I met with Celeste Whitewolf, who was tabling as a vendor from an organization called, Native People’s Circle of Hope. Their national organization is a coalition of cancer survivors and support group whose mission is to “help the survivor, their family members, and caregivers understand that they are not alone.” She has strong interests in starting a Circle of Hope Chapter with the Yakama Men’s Group and really cares about our people.

Prior to Grand Entry, I registered and was shaking hands with the Committee members at the podium when I was promptly asked to say a few words. Of course I agreed and briefly introduced myself and thanked the Committee and everyone for attending the Powwow. Later I spoke again during the Grand Entry, and this gave me an opportunity to address the Veterans more specifically. I was able to thank them directly and was able to encourage the young ones to pay attention to the stories of their ancestors and the warriors who fought to keep them safe. Later in the evening, I asked Miss Warm Springs to accompany me in shaking the hands of the Elders. We shook hands with nearly all the Elders in the bleachers and were thanked by many for our words spoken during the Grand Entry.

With fellow Royatly!

This was a beautiful event and I really appreciated the unexpected surprise of being able to speak twice because I was able to address the Veterans the second time. I liked being able to speak more personally and from the heart the second time because I really do believe that the sacrifice of not only our past warriors, but our modern day ones deserves some attention and respect. 

Indian Heritage High School '11 Graduation!!

I was asked to be a Guest Speaker at the Indian Heritage High School Graduation. Indian Heritage High School is a school in Seattle Washington where many students struggle with the same issues as our youth do on the Reservation. In urban areas, Native people can be from Tribes all across the country which makes their ability to find their culture particularly unique and troublesome. But for some time now, my family and I have had the wonderful opportunity to network with the teachers Robin Wilson and Principal Cindy Nash to find ways to bring cultural support to these students. We have had tutoring sessions and conducted prayers and sang honor songs and smudging ceremonies.

At this graduation, many of these students were in attendance. There were six graduates (five are pictured) which is a testament to their hard work and perseverance. It was held at Daybreak Star in Seattle Washington, the place of the historic Takeover at Fort Lawton. I addressed parents, graduates, and notable educators from the Seattle Public School District. I acknowledged the land of Duwamish and thanked Indian Heritage High School for having me. In my speech I discussed the importance of pursuing higher education and commended the parents on their support in their children. I spoke about the struggles of our Native students on the Reservation but also about our successes. I spoke about how our children need to find the support they need in the face of adversity. Afterward, my dad gave the opening prayer and we proceeded with the Commencement. 

The best part was hearing all the students thank their families and God for getting them that far in life. These students come from very humble backgrounds and have had to struggle with addiction, poverty, and family issues to get their Diploma. I was very proud and honored to have been able to address them as a representative of the Yakama Nation.