Page 3 - March 2011

Interview of Neighbors Reveals Memories of Chehalis Reservation 3 People, Part 3 Submitted by Elaine McCloud, Heritage Coordinator These writings come from the book his house on a trail from the Black to the clams. Basket designs belonged to a family, time, quitting time, and an emergency. “Glimpses of Gate” by Judith Upton. Chehalis River. Often they would be coming and a distinguishing mark was made on the Pickers were paid a dollar a box until 1905. They were compiled from interviews with home from Mud Bay, where they had gone bottom. The Chehalis had shawl and button There were other hop felds in the surrounding neighbors of the Chehalis to visit and dig clams. Near the Rutledge blankets to tell stories, but didn’t use masks general area, and Andrew Newton recalled Tribe. The information is taken from farm, the Black River was so shallow the or totem poles. the Brewer girls, his cousins, going out excerpts from the book with the person Indians would have to drag their canoes Some of the traditional Indian customs with him and his mother to pick at the who was interviewed and provided the upstream to deeper water, and sometimes were still followed when the frst white Blechschmidts’. They drove back and forth borrowed Rutledge’s horses to help pull it. information is in parenthesis. This happened so frequently that the ruts in pioneers came into the Black River valley. with a pony to where there were eight to Mrs. Heck was one of the last to have a The book can be purchased from the the land became a permanent fxture on the fattened head, caused by binding a baby’s ten acres of hops planted between the bend author for $25, which includes tax. The farm. head with gradually increasing pressure that of Garrett Creek. Mae Parsons’ Granddad, address is Judith Upton, 8333 Camano The women kicked loose the “wappato” caused the forehead to slope back. Some Charlie Parsons, worked for Blechschmidt. Loop NE, Lacey, WA 98516, (Indian potatoes), which grew in sluggish said it was practical, so that they could carry Hops were picked in the fall. As Don places in the river, and gathered them when heavier loads. Some said it was social, a Burlingame described it, “Indians made Before the “Bostons” (settlers) came, the they foated up. Along with the children, visual difference between the free and the a circuit from Puyallup through Tenino, “Siwash” (Indians) lived along the banks of they would dig up “lakamas” (camas, like a slaves. into Oakville by horse. They would drop the Black and Chehalis Rivers, which they hyacinth) bulbs on the prairie with a stick as Hops were among the major crops in, stay a day or two, move off ten miles fshed for salmon and eels. They hunted soon as the blue fowers opened. Those with for the early settlers. In the area by the down the road and stop again. Indians birds and small game by the sloughs, elk on white fowers were poisonous. Blackberries, Chehalis Indian Reservation, Mr. Germ and were excellent hop pickers. Whites saw it the mound prairies and deer in the forests of salal (an evergreen shrub) berries, and the George Pearson had hop felds and drying as a party time and a way for the family fr, spruce and cedar. “kinnikinnik” (bear berry) were important kilns. Pearson and George Sanders farmed to make money. Hard money was hard The rivers were the frst passageways staples, which would be eaten fresh or dried together. to come by for a stump rancher. Picking through the heavily timbered valley. Even and stored for the winter. George Pearson had homesteaded about would last a couple of weeks. They were the physical appearance of the Chehalis They would gather, clean, and dry the same time as the Robert Ames family, the best hops in the world. Blight wiped men may have been affected by their use of material, including cattails and cedar bark, who were “particular” friends, traded work, dugout canoes on the rivers, which caused for baskets. Some baskets were woven so and “went down just to be there.” The Ames them out. It helped to spray them with their arms and shoulders to be muscular and tightly they were waterproof, and used for and Brewer girls would sometimes throw up whale oil, but it took a lot of whales. Stock their legs to be bowed. cooking pots as well as for storing food and a little shack and camp for days at the hops from 120 years ago is still growing by When A. R. Smith came to the area, he clothing. A basket woven loosely so the feld. There was a bread wagon that came Wildwood (and along the Chehalis River). saw Indians portaging their canoes east of water would drain out was used to gather in once a day, and a bell would signal lunch It’s hardy.” Training Program Helps Tribal Members G.E.D. Information at Centralia College Advance Within the Organization By Racheal Mendez, Higher Education Coordinator choice of college. If you have not done this Centralia College has GED classes starting Monday’s from 4:30 to 6:30 although already I would start now, many colleges By John Setterstrom, General Manager Lucky Eagle Casino sign-ups will end Monday, May 2, 2011. will have fall registration open as early as For Chehalis Tribal members the class is April or May. FREE. Monday’s are pretest and registration Chehalis Tribal Scholarship deadline will I am pleased to announce the following Project Coordinator and Slot Technician. day. Tuesday’s are results from pretest and be Monday June 20, 2011. This means you organization advancements within the Lucky Joseph’s expertise is optimizing setup for class. If the pretest shows that will need your: acceptance letter from your Eagle Casino: the casino games offered for play and you are ready for the GED test you are college, registration of classes, free FAFSA maximizing gaming revenues, through then signed up for a date and time to take paper work, proof of Chehalis tribal member Rodney Youckton has been promoted customer service excellence, staff the test. Centralia College also offers GED enrollment, copy of High School Diploma from Director of Business Operations development and creating an exciting casino correspondence and online there is very or GED Completion, college transcripts if to Assistant General Manager: environment. Under Joseph’s guidance limited space for these offers. The GED test any. These are only parts of very important Rodney started work with the Lucky the Casino slot revenues have grown cost $75.00 for Chehalis Tribal Members documents needed for the Scholarship Eagle Casino in July 2004 as an Executive signifcantly during his tenure. the test is free if you contact the Higher deadline so please get started right away. in Development participant. He enrolled at As the Casino Manager, Joseph’s Education Coordinator. If you would like more information TESC and earned his Bachelor’s Degree responsibilities will include direct oversight College Information regarding any of these subjects, please in July 2009. Rodney graduated from of Bingo and Slot operations, and other feel free to contact the Higher Education Leadership Thurston County Program in responsibilities as delegated by the Director If you are considering going to college Coordinator Racheal Mendez via email at 2005. He has attended intensive workshops of Casino Operations. His responsibilities this fall you should have already started Rmendez@chehalistribe.org or phone 360- at the University Nevada Reno. Additionally will continue to expand and will ultimately your free FAFSA online and applied to your 709-1698. he has earned certifcates in Security/ include oversight of all aspects of Casino Risk Management, Title 31 and Executive operations. He will be the Senior Executive Development. He completed a 12 week Dale in charge of Casino operations in the Internship Program Promotes Carnegie Program on Human Relations absence of the Director of Operations. and Public Speaking in 2010. In 2010 he Employment to Tribal Members was promoted to Director of Business Kevin Bray has been promoted from Operations. As a part of his community Executive Sous Chef to Assistant By Mike Lusky, General Manager of Grand Mound Great Wolf Lodge outreach Rodney continues to be involved Executive Chef: with several non-proft organizations; Kevin has held a variety of positions Great Wolf Lodge, in an effort to promote has and allows both the candidate and the including being a Board member for The within the Casino since opening in 1995. He the employment of Chehalis Tribal department to see what positions would Community Foundation and serves on two began as a busser and worked his way up to Members, does a variety of programs to potentially be a long-term match. The Chehalis Tribal Committees-Housing and Executive Sous Chef in September of 2007. assist in getting Tribal Members in to the program has been very popular and highly Health. He received a Culinary Certifcate from lodge to see what positions might be the successful. The lodge always looks to As Assistant General Manager, Rodney’s SPSCC in 2007 and served his internship at best opportunities for each candidate. The promote from within and this is a great next phase of advancement will include Spirit Mountain Casino. Kevin graduated Internship program that they put into place opportunity for someone who is interested responsibilities from the offce of the from the Leadership Thurston County a little over a year ago allows interested in growing in the hospitality industry to take General Manager. He will be the Senior Program in 2009. candidates the opportunity to get a good the frst step. Executive in charge, in the absence of the In his new position as Assistant understanding of virtually all the positions We invite tribal members interested in General Manager. Executive Chef, Kevin will begin to assist available at the lodge. From Sales to Front this internship program to contact Lindsey the Executive Chef in overseeing the Desk and HR to Aquatics, this program is Fern, Human Resources at 360-273-7718 or Joseph DuPuis has been promoted “global” aspects of the Food & Beverage designed to give the interested parties a stop by the Human Resources Offce to fll from Video Slot Manager to Casino department. His new responsibilities will unique glimpse of the role each department out an application. Manager: include: cost analysis, labor controls, In 2003, Joseph received his Bachelor implementation and maintenance of of Arts in International Business from Fort standards, development and implementation Featured Tribal Member: Julie Miller Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and of new product offerings, promotions, the is currently working on his MBA at Saint inventory control program (Food-Trak), and My name is Julie Miller, has given me a sense Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington. revenue growth. and I am the lead of belonging to a Joseph began in the Development Please join me in congratulating Rodney, Banquet Supervisor in secondary family each Program in 2004 and now has seven years of Joseph and Kevin as they have each worked the Conference Center day I walk down the gaming experience. His previous positions diligently over the past several years to at the Great Wolf Lodge. hallway and greet at the casino include Slot Manager, Assistant achieve their goals and obtain their new I have brought over 20 other pack members. Bingo Manager, Marketing Analyst, Slot positions. years of Banquet Service Every department experience to the Great in the lodge is very Wolf Lodge when it passionate towards our opened in March of mission of “Creating 2008. Family Traditions, One The ground Currently, I work Family at a Time” for work has side by side with the every guest we greet begun for Banquet Manager in and it all stems from the hotel the organization of Julie Miller the positive interaction expansion. upcoming and current Lead Banquet Supervisor with guests from our Soon the events, scheduling, and Conference Center pack members. Being construction delegation of duties for our Great Wolf Lodge a leader in the Banquet phase will Banquet Pack Members. Department is not only begin to add Conference and Banquet fun and exciting but has another 90 events come in all different sizes and set given me the opportunity to enhance my rooms for styles and I believe that is why I enjoy the career path of one day becoming a Banquet our Eagles challenges of each and every event that Manager. Seeing all the smiling faces on Landing comes to the Great Wolf Lodge. all the children when you walk in the door, Hotel. Being a part of the Great Wolf Lodge makes it all worthwhile.