Page 2 - June 2010

Youth Receives Presidential Award Event Demonstrates the Dangers and 2 for her Commitment to Academics Effects Drug Abuse has on Families By Cassandra Pope, Proud Mom I want to share with my tribe, how proud areas and maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA. I am of my daughter, Desirray Klatush. Cassandra sends this message to her Not only is she beautiful, but also smart, daughter, Desirray, “Mom loves you baby caring, respectful, funny and a talented girl, and is so proud of you. You make your tribal youth. Desirray is an enrolled whole family proud of your accomplishment Chehalis Tribal member. She’s a sixth in receiving this award. Thank you for grade student attending Washington Middle letting me share my daughters achievement school in Centralia. Recently she received with everyone.” the Presidential Award for Academic Awesome job Desirray, and keep the Excellence. This award is given to students great work! who demonstrate academic excellence in all Tribal Officer Johnny Gonzales awards four youth with certificates for heroism. These youth responded quickly and selflessly in helping a friend who needed emergency care. Pictured (L-R) are Johnny Gonzales, Micheal Boyd, Junior Jack and Shane Youckton. Not pictured is Gordon Klatush. By Fred Shortman, Editor Ninety-fve community members matter whether you’re young, old, male attended the Prescription Drug Awareness or female. Meth users age dramatically Community Event dinner on May 19 and from the outside in, while heroin users listened to speakers who shared some of age dramatically from the inside out. Most their experiences involving prescription drug users don’t understand they can never drugs. The goal of the dinner was to let achieve the same high they got from their the community know of the dangers of frst use. He stated that prescription drug prescription drug use. We live in an era abuse will soon surpass meth use. where taking a pill to cure some of the pain Four youth were recognized during the and sickness a person may have is common. dinner and received an award for heroism. Desirray Klatush is pictured with her mom, Cassandra Pope, after receiving Some of these drugs are very dangerous Junior Jack, and Michael Boyd carried her President Award. She was honored for her commitment to academics, and addictive. Our youth may already be little Gary Ortivez home during a medical keeping her grades above 3.5 throughout the school year. experimenting with prescription medicine. emergency and Gordon Klatush and Shane This can lead to a dangerous, as well as life Youckton called 9-1-1 to help their friend. Youth Receives Recognition for his threatening activity from an overdose of a Thank you from the Community for your mixture of available pills. heroism. Outstanding Play in Sports Chehalis tribal Elder Curtis DuPuis Elder Elaine McCloud spoke on suicide thanked everyone for attending this very and the lasting effects it has on family, informative meeting. He talked about friends and the community. She presented a By Fred Shortman, Editor tobacco and reminded us that smoking slide show illustrating the effects of suicide and chewing is a personal choice for each on others. Shawn Youckton is an eighth grade student This is an historical moment as Shawn is the individual, so we have to weigh the options. Dave Wilson, master carver, talked attending Oakville Middle School and has frst eighth grader in the school’s history to There are questions a person has to answer about alternative choices to using alcohol enjoyed playing baseball his whole life. As be voted All League. when choosing to smoke. Does smoking and prescription pills, such as carving. He an eighth grader he played for the Oakville Shawn was also honored by receiving the have anything to do with things we do to be thanked everyone for sharing their stories, high school baseball team, and committed Joshua Gillie Award for inspirational athletic a good person? What beneft does it have? and stated that singing their song also helps himself to getting good grades to maintain achievements at the eighth grade graduation. What effects does smoking have on our them heal. He also encouraged those who eligibility for baseball. At the baseball awards banquet he received health in the later stages of life? spoke to continue to share their story and He achieved eligibility and much more, the MVP award with Tucker Johnson. What is the beneft or value of smoking send out their message, turning tragedy into receiving an award for playing the game he You’re an inspiration to everyone and keep anyway? Historically we didn’t smoke something positive. Using nursery rhymes loves. At age 13 up the good work! because life on the reservation meant we and a legend, he continued, “It’s hard living Shawn was recognized for his outstanding His father, Marvin Youckton, were poor. We used what little money we in two worlds! One is just as important as baseball playing. said, “I’m really proud had to eat. We had to fsh, plant gardens the other. It’s hard to practice our culture, League of him. He’s taken and hunt to eat. It was 1951 before the while we are trying to survive in this world.” coaches honored his game to the reservation had electricity. There are always alternative things to him by voting next level and his Now weigh the fnancial impact smoking do to stay away from drug and alcohol by Shawn to dedication and talent has on your family. If a pack of cigarettes keeping busy. Carving has kept him on the the All League is proof of that.” cost $8 per pack and you smoke a pack path which he started when he was 12. It Baseball Team. a week, that’s $32 a month and $384.00 might be basketball, baseball, weaving or a year. Does that really ft in a budget or anything you enjoy doing. He concluded, does it take food away from your children? “Just fnd your niche and help one another to Consider the health risks that follow it. If fnd theirs. Praise one another to give each you smoke and you quit today your life will other strength. The window of opportunity improve each month you don’t smoke. might not happen again.” Jamie and Ryan Smith received a Gail Hurst led an exercise on, How well standing ovation for sharing their personal do you know your children? with winners experience in their battle with prescription receiving gas cards. Many youth helped her drug addiction. They shared how in the distribute a survey to hear voices from the pursuit of staying high on drugs they community, youth and elders on what they’d destroyed their life. They told how it like to see. Great job Kiahra and all the affected their family until ICW stepped youth helpers! in and not only saved their lives, but their Lorrie Bonnifer said, “Thank you for the children’s as well. . collaborated effort from the Clinic, Chehalis Johnny Gonzales, Chehalis Tribal Law Tribal Police, and IASAP Grant through Enforcement Offcer, shared his powerful SPIPA. The speakers deserve a Huge Thank story of witnessing how drugs destroy You for singing their songs by telling their Pictured are Marvin Youckton and his son, Shawn, at the Oakville High families. While working in Centralia he stories about tobacco, domestic violence, School Awards Banquet after Shawn received his Co-MVP Award, that he dealt with a lot of calls that were the direct alcohol and drug abuse that directly affected shared with fellow team mate Tucker Johnson. result of the use of drugs. He shared that their lives. meth doesn’t discriminate! It doesn’t Chehalis Business Committee Tribal David Burnett, Chairman Don Secena, Vice Chairman Newsletter Jessie Goddard, Treasurer Cheryle Starr, Secretary 420 Howanut Road Dan Gleason, Sr., 5th Council Member Oakville, WA 98568 (360) 709-1726 (office) Chehalis Tribal Newsletter Staff: (360) 273-5914 (fax) Fred Shortman, Communications Coordinator. Go to this direct link newsletter@chehalistribe.org for online newsletters copies: www. Articles and opinions expressed in this chehalistribe.org/news-events/index.html publication are not necessarily the opinions of this publication or the Chehalis Tribal Business Committee. The Chehalis Tribal Newsletter encourages tribal members to submit letters, articles, photographs, and drawings to be considered for publication. These are subject to editing. Contributing writers, artists, and photographers include Chehalis tribal community members and staff. Chehalis Youth attended the Standing Tall Youth Conference at the Great The Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Wolf Lodge in May. Pictured (L-R) are Corrie Medina, Chance Rush, Monica Submission deadline: 6th of each month Reservation... Lopez, Cody Revay, Brian Castillo Printed: Each month “People of the Sands”