THREE SISTERS

SYLVIA (76), NETTIE (91), AND MATILDA (87) WERE THREE CLOSE SISTERS WHO LIVED IN HOUSES SIDE BY SIDE. THEY ARE QUIET BUT USE THEIR TRADITIONS BY WHICH THEY WERE RAISED. MATILDA IS IN A WHEELCHAIR AND TEACHES CHILDREN THE CEREMONIAL SONGS AND CHANTS IN HER ANCIENT LANGUAGE. SYLVIA TRAVELS TO SPEAK ABOUT THEIR CULTURE AND ATTEND MEETINGS WITH ELDERS FROM OTHER TRIBES. THEY ARE ALL WARM SPRING INDIANS FROM A LAND ABOUT 100 MILES SOUTH OF PORTLAND.

THEY USED TO LIVE IN A SMALL HOUSE THEIR FATHER BUILT THEY RAISED ALL TYPES OF VEGETABLES IN THEIR GARDEN - WHEAT, RYE, CORN, CARROTS, POTATOES, MELONS, AND SQUASH. SOMETIMES THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A SUMMER AND THEIR GARDENS DON'T DO WELL.

THE LADIES PLAYED STICK GAMES AND HAD SOME REAL FUNNY SONGS AND WORDS IN THEM. THEIR FATHER WAS A CHIEF, AND HEADS OF THE RESERVATION OF THREE TRIBES. NOW THEY HAVE THREE CHIEFS. THEIR LONG HOUSE OR COMMUNITY HOUSE HAD A FIRE OR TWO BURNING FOR WARMTH. DURING INDIAN NEW YEAR, DECEMBER 21, ALL THE PEOPLE WOULD SLEEP THERE AND CELEBRATE THROUGH CHRISTMAS TO NEW YEARS. THEY HAD WORSHIPPING DURING THE EVENING. WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE GIRLS THEY WOULD HAVE DANCES AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GET IN THE WAY OF THE ADULTS.. THE DANCERS DIDN'T WEAR FANCY THINGS. THE WOMEN WORE DRESSES AND THE MEN WORE REGALIA. THEY USE A DRUM AND THE ELDER WOMEN SANG TO THE DRUM. DURING WINTER MONTHS, I DON'T REMEMBER TOO MANY STORIES. THEIR MOM WOULD BRING OUT SOME GOOD THINGS TO EAT.

THEY COLLECTED MANY SIMNASHO BERRIES IN THE MEADOWS. YOU COULD ONLY EAT A FEW OR THEY'D MAKE YOU ILL. THEIR MOM WOULD GRIND THEM ALL DAY UNTIL SEEDS WERE POUNDED. SHE'D MAKE LITTLE PATTIES AND DRY THEM IN THE SUN. THEY USE THE SAME PROCEDURE WITH BLACKBERRIES AND SERVICE BERRIES. IN WINTER THESE BERRIES WERE MIXED UP WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROOTS.

CAMAS WAS ALSO POPULAR AND WAS BARBECUED AND THEN PUT IN JARS. THEIR MOM WOULD DIG A ROUND PIT AND BUILD A FIRE FIRST TO GET IT REAL WARM. THEN SHE WOULD PUT HOT ROCKS INTO THE PIT. SH COVERED THE CAMAS WITH LEAVES, COVERED IT UP WITH A STICK IN THE MIDDLE AND POURED WATER ON IT. IT TOOK THREE DAYS TO COOK THEM.

TODAY THEY HAVE CEREMONIES LIKE THE ROOT FEAST AND WATER CEREMONIES. THEY ARE THANKFUL FOR THE EARTH THAT GIVES THEM PLANTS AND TREES.

THEIR SONGS DO NOT HAVE TEACHINGS ABOUT REINCARNATION BUT THEY TEACH ABOUT WHAT'S COMING AND HOW TO LIVE. ON A SPECIAL SIDE OF MOUNT HOOD IS A PLACE WHERE THEY TOOK THE CHILDREN FOR 5 DAYS. A SPIRIT ANIMAL WOULD LIVE AND BECOME PART OF THAT CHILD AND LIVE WITH THEM THROUGHOUT ALL THEIR LIFE.

THAT CHILD COULD BE A MEDICINE PERSON AND HEAL WITH THAT SPIRIT. TODAY THEY ALL HAVE WHITE DOCTORS. SOME ARE CALLED MAKE BELIEVERS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HEAL ANYONE. BUT NOW THERE'S NO POWER.

THE SONGS GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE ARE THEIR HEALING. SHE DOESN'T THINK IT WILL GO BACK TO THE SAME WAY WE WERE RAISED. SOME CHILDREN GO TO THE LONGHOUSE AND WE TEACH THEM WHAT OUR SONGS ARE ABOUT. THERE ARE SO MANY THAT WANT TO LEAD OUR LIVES LIKE THEIR WHITE FRIENDS. THEY'RE HOPING THAT THE FUTURE LEADERS WILL BRING A CHANGE.

METTIE WAS BORN IN 1902. HER HOUSE WAS MADE OF POLES. THEY LIVED IN THESE HOUSES FOR 12 YEARS, THEN HER FATHER BUILT A WOODEN HOUSE. HER GRANDFATHER HAD FIVE WIVES. HE HAD A BIG OLD HOUSE WHERE THE CHILDREN SOMETIMES SLEPT. SHE WENT TO A BOARDING SCHOOL

SHE REMEMBERS THE HAPPY TIMES WHEN WE WENT TO PICK HOPS.SHE WENT WITH AUNTIE ON HORSEBACK.THEY MADE 25CENTS FOR A BASKET. EVERYONE WOULD MAKE SOME MONEY BY PICKING HOPS, CHERRIES, AND BERRIES. THEY DANCED IN LONG HOUSES FOR ONE WEEK. AT SCHOOL SHE LEARNED TO FOXTROT AND TURKEY TROT. WHEN SHE THEY LOVED TO DANCE. HER FIRST HUSBAND GOT TIRED OF HER AND SHE CRIED AND WAS BY HERSELF FOR SEVEN YEARS. THEN SHE FOUND ANOTHER BETTER HUSBAND. THE PARENTS ORGANIZE THE WEDDINGS AND TRADE BLANKETS AND GIFTS.

HER PARENTS TOLD HER NOT TO POUTS OR GIGGLE TOO MUCH. GET UP EARLY AND COOK BREAKFAST - DON'T BE LAZY AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR MOTHER IN LAW.

HER SISTER TOLD HER STORIES OF THE ANCIENTS WHO LIVED IN ANOTHER VALLEY. THE SOLDIERS DROVE OUT OUR PEOPLE TO THIS RESERVATION.THEY KEPT MAKING OUR RESERVATION SMALLER. HER GRANDFATHER HAD A LONG HOUSE AND THEY USED TO DANCE EVERY SUNDAY AND WORSHIP. THE WASCO PEOPLE WERE BAPTIZED CHRISTIAN OR PRESBYTERIANS.

MATILDA WAS RAISED ON THE WARM SPRING RESERVATION. SHE REMEMBERS A WHIP MAN WHO CAME TO THEIR WEEKLY GATHERINGS. IF THE CHILDREN DID NOT DO AS THEY WERE TOLD, HE WOULD USE A WILLOW STICK AND WHIP ON THEIR LEGS THROUGH OUR CLOTHES. HE WOOULD SAY NOT TO STEAL, LIE, OR DRINK. SHE SAID SHE TRIED TO BE GOOD ALL HER LIFE.

MATILDA'S PARENTS DID NOT WANT HER TO MARRYA WASCO. AT 19 SHE WAS A BIG WOMAN AND SHE WENT WITH HER SISTER TO WARM SPRINGS TO CASH HER FATHER'S CHECK. SHE MINDED HER PARENT'S SHE HAS MANY GREAT GRANDCHILDREN AND SHE SAYS IT'S OK TO GO TO WHITE PEOPLE'S CHURCH. BUT SHE ALSO WANTS THE CHILDREN TO GO TO THEIR TRADITIONAL SERVICES IN LONGHOUSE CEREMONIES.


SANDY JOHNSON