Page 3 - April 2009

3 Honoring our Elders: Helen Sanders “...is committed to help protect all tribes involved in trust land issues.” Helen Sanders was born in December 1927 to Daisy Ford and George Sanders. Her grandparents, on her mother’s side, were Josephine “Quisah” and Sidney Ford Jr; on her father’s side were Lucy Quapaw and Jim Sanders. She had nine siblings; Lenora, Jim, Sid, Andy, Will, Pearl, Ruby, Helen, and an infant who died at birth. Helen was married three times to Roy Secena, Alston “Bud” Mitchell and Gerald Kirshling. While married to Roy Secena, the couple had one daughter, Susan Secena- Sanders. Helen has three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Helen loves spending time with her great-grandchildren. She is Helen was born and raised in her family’s value of her baskets and made a good trade. of termination of reservation land. The pictured here with the 15 month home on Howanut Road next to Black Helen remembers the big Sunday dinners allottee’s also worked to secure a better price old twins (L) Morgan and (R) River where she presently lives. Like the her mom prepared. She would invite Uncle for their forest products. The Association Tristan Hanna enjoying Easter rest of the families at that time, they had Ben Sanders’ family over, including Oliver fled a law suit against the Department together. horses, cows, chickens and a large vegetable “Ferpo” and Grover. The sisters, Lillian and of the Interior (BIA) for mismanagement garden. She considered herself a tom boy Violet, didn’t come over very often, because of the forest resources on the Quinault being successful in life. She also advises, and preferred working outdoors helping her they were busy at home. After dinner, the Reservation. A major decision by the US “Don’t forget where you come from. father mend fences or cut wood. Her sister boys would sit and play cribbage. Supreme Court spelled out clearly the trust Always remember your Native side.” Pearl did the house chores. On Sunday mornings their family responsibility of the government to the Helen’s name was on the Quinault tribal Her dad fshed on the Black River by attended church at the Oakville Methodist allottees. enrollment for a number of years. She said, the house, and farther down the Chehalis Church. After the services they went to the Helen remains committed to protecting “The reason that I didn’t change to Chehalis River. She remembers sitting in the front of little tribal center and attended church there allottee’s trust land. Her mission is to earlier was I was working to see if we could Try Controlling the Size of Your Food Portions. the dugout canoe while he used a long pole too. The parents and the children together educate allottees on BIA policies and get representation for all the tribes which would play games outside. They liked to to guide them to his fshing grounds, “the the Quinault Reservation was created. This procedures and inform them of how other It Could Be Your Key to Weight Loss old channel,” on the Chehalis River. The play Antie-I-Over with the other children. It tribes are effectively working with the BIA. includes the Chehalis member that had fsh helped supplement their income. Some was fun for all. allotments on the Quinault Reservation, as Helen enjoys working in her garden and of it was smoked and canned and eaten for While in school Helen played basketball taking care of her yard. She doesn’t go well as other tribes instead of only those months. and baseball with Pauline Klatush and fshing like she used to but says, “There is on the Quinault rolls.” She says making Her father worked for the Shaffer Bernice Secena. Due to the Depression, the nothing like hooking that big Chinook.” She the decision to become a Chehalis tribal Brothers Logging Company. He used an old school didn’t travel to play other schools. still goes ocean fshing out of West Port. member a year and half ago was an easy misery whip (two handled saw) falling and Two close-by teams were picked, and Helen is a dedicated mother, grandmother one. She continued, “Having lived on the bucking timber. The company logged on the everyone enjoyed the games. and great-grandmother. She is known for Chehalis Reservation most of my life, I hills south of the reservation. Her father got Helen lost several of her brothers and encouraging the family’s youngsters to came back to where I should have been all up early in the morning, milked the cows, a sister to tuberculosis. Back then, many pursue higher education, telling them that along.” then left the milk for a Darigold milk truck people died from TB. Her sister Pearl died getting an education is a major part of to pick up as he caught the “crummy” in from it while at business school in Tacoma front of the house to go to work. in her early twenties. Her brother Andy It was the Great Depression, so Helen’s was attending WSU and died at age 21. brothers Jim and Sid went to work for the Her uncle Ben Sanders had TB, and her CC Camps. These were forestry jobs that mother took care of him. This might have were given to teenagers and young men been what exposed and infected a lot of her to help them learn trades and earn money. family. Because the older brothers were away After graduating from Oakville High working, Helen grew up with Andy, Will, School, Helen continued helping her mother Pearl, and Ruby. Her brothers and sister around the home. She remembered her Pearl graduated from Oakville High School. brother Will long ago mentioning that, Ruby wasn’t able to graduate, because she “Things aren’t right,” in the reservation ended up in Tacoma’s Cushman Hospital logging industry. This memory fueled with TB. She was able to survive the Helen’s desire to help out and make a disease and married after being released. difference for Indian people. In 1968 she Helen’s mother was a huge infuence in became a dedicated member of the Allottee’s her life. She remembers watching her sitting Association. This organization was set up to in her rocking chair while singing Indian protect individuals from poor management songs and making baskets. During the practices of the BIA. Helen was born and raised in this home located near Black River Depression, women would bring clothing Helen recalls feeling frustrated with on Howanut Road. Her dad, George Sanders, and mother, Daisy to their home and trade for baskets. Her BIA land management practices, so she mother would take the clothing apart to took out a large loan to start purchasing Ford-Sanders, are pictured here. make cloths for her children. She knew the land allotments to help reduce the policy Tribal Staff Profles: Water Resources Technician and Diabetes Prevention Director My name is Harry Pickernell. I yet to establish a career. As luck Hello, tribal and community Beach Naval Base. We were am a Chehalis tribal member. I would have it, in 1994, I attended members. My name is Pat married in Aberdeen, moved work in the Water Resources New Mexico State University Odiorne and I am the Director to Dallas, Texas, and had a Division of the Department of and successfully completed a of the SDPI Diabetes Prevention girl. Ray and I yearned to return Natural Resources. survey training program, and was Project. I have been the to the Washington. Some friends I have been married to my hired by the tribe as a surveying Registered Dietitian and the told me about an advertisement lovely wife Stephanie (Bray), technician. Initially, it was a blast; Certifed Diabetes Educator for for the Dietitian Position with for 17 years. We are the proud blazing and traversing trails, the program for the past the Chehalis Tribe. This parents of two awesome Harry Pickernell Sr., and plotting and setting four years. The new Pat Odiorne, RD, CDE was the opportunity I was boys, Ty and Harry, Jr. I am Water Resources corners throughout the Wellness Center is a great Director Diabetes looking for, eagerly applied, the sixth child of seven born Technician whole Chehalis Reservation. place to work. The tribal and was awarded the to Gerald, Sr., and Lorilee Upon completion of the and community members Prevention position. (Youckton). I have three brothers and reservation-wide survey, there was little here are working hard to After 23 years in three sisters. My dad is the son of William work for a surveyor, so I transferred to the educate themselves on diabetes. “Big D” we moved back to the beautiful and Rose Pickernell and was the minister Water Resources Division. I am the eldest of three children and my for the Oakville Shaker Church before his During my 15 years of service to parents are Margaret and William Cornelus. Northwest. Ray, who is a computer passing in 1994. My mom is the daughter of the Chehalis Tribe, the Department has We grew up on a farm in Newport, technician, transferred to a Tacoma Clarence and Jessie Youckton, and currently accomplished many things that I am proud Washington, raising milk cows and cattle, company. Our daughter, Melissa, met resides in Nisqually with my sister. to be part of. The Tribal Laboratory chickens, and a large vegetable garden. At and married a great man, Captain Chris I was born in McCleary, Washington, and is certifed by the EPA to analyze total harvesting time, we would can most of the Lilley, stationed presently at Fort Lewis. lived in Oakville until frst grade. While coliform in drinking water, and accredited produce. Canning and freezing is a hobby I enjoy my position in the prevention in frst grade we moved to Ellensburg so by the WSDOE to analyze fecal coliform of mine. of diabetes. It is a preventable and Dad could pursue a bachelor’s degree and turbidity in surface water. We have Being raised on a farm, I continued manageable disease. My 25 years in at Central Washington University. In developed many great relationships with learning more about food preparation. In diabetes care has taught me a lot, mainly second grade we moved to Taholah, which local agencies, such as EPA, WSDOE, high school, I joined the local 4-H Club, the old adage, “An ounce of prevention sparked my appreciation for nature and its counties and schools. We are currently entering contests at local fairs. is worth a pound of cure.” resources. In eighth grade we moved back sampling 95 sites throughout the Chehalis I attended Washington State University, to Oakville, where I stayed until graduating Basin, thanks to a grant from the WSDOE, received a BS degree in Home Economics When I’m not at work, it’s nice in 1987. While attending Oakville High, to get an abstract view of the quality of and Institution Management, then completed to be at home working in my fower I enjoyed playing and lettering in football the waters in the basin. A project of this my Dietetic Internship in Milwaukee, garden. My favorites are my rose and and baseball. After graduation I moved scale has never been completed, or even Wisconsin. After graduation, I moved to rhododendron gardens. I also enjoy to Tempe, Arizona, for one year before attempted, in the past. Aberdeen, Washington, and worked as cooking, entertaining and playing “Texas returning home for good. My greatest hope is that people will one the Dietary Director for the Grays Harbor 42” (dominoes). Prior to working for the tribe I held day realize the importance of healthy waters Community Hospital. many jobs; banquet set up, grocery stocker, for healthy living. I met my husband, Ray Odiorne, while wood cutter, and dish washer, but I had he was stationed in the Navy at the Pacifc