Welcome to 12th Karuk Tribal Reunion

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by Judy Bushy, Happy Camp. CA
It was a busy weekend in Happy Camp with the Krauk Tribal Reunion as well as the Klamath River Watershed Art & Music Festival.

It wasn’t required that one be Karuk to attend the reunion, only to vote in the election that was taking place at the same time. The thing I noticed most was how considerate they were to all. They served breakfast for those who got there early, without charge. They were offering everyone bottled water and asking them to be sure not to become dehydrated. Since temperatures had been in the triple digits the week before, Saturday didn’t seem all that hot. The consideration that they expressed was what one appreciated! They were also inviting all to the dinner at three o’clock. A welcoming attitude pervaded the day at the Reunion .

Susan Gehr had a large Karuk Dictionary that she was making available to those who wanted to play a little game. Eager youngsters enjoyed the game and even wanted to play again without the reward of another dictionary once they had earned one. It looks like a fascinating book and it is good to see all the enthusiasm from youngsters learning to speak Karuk. There was basketry going on both in the People’s Museum (where the language game was taking place also) and on the grass elsewhere. I noticed the addition of many photographs to the museum displays and hope to go back and look at them further another time. The Gift Shop in the People’s Museum was also a very busy place and had hats and t-shirts as well as their usual assortment of interesting wares for the event. They have such a good collection of books available and handmade note cards and so many things.

Dion Wood kindly invited me into the room where youngsters were decorating neat tote bags with stencils and markers. I didn’t get any art done due to taking photos of the beautiful children who were doing better art work than I could, but they offered a tote bag to carry all the literature, pens and color books that I’d collected. My kids always humored my having more coloring books than they did, but we always shared or copied a page they liked. Having child care business over twenty years, with CareAlot Child & Family Resources 1989-1991 made that more practical. Right behind that building you could hear gleeful sounds of children and on a hot day there was a long line at the waterslide. In fact, some bigger “kids” carried down little ones, and didn’t mind the splash in the cool water in the pool at the bottom at all!!! Then they could bounce in the bounce house until they were dry and slide down the water slide again!!! Great idea for a hot day.

The “techie’s” from the Tribe were cooking up hamburgers and cheeseburgers that looked delicious despite the jokes about keyboarding on the beautiful grill. The Happy Camp Community Computer Center had a booth as well. They have a lot of college classes available right in town here to help community members get an education! Eddie Davenport had a booth on the financial helps that are available to buy or remodel a home or to help a business. One area just for Tribal members were kits for emergency preparedness that were prepared for the elders and other members in case of flood, fire or catastrophe, but everyone was welcome to information on how to prepare for such an event. Here in Happy Camp we are accustomed to a week without electricity around New Years although we haven’t had one like the 1964 flood lately. This year the fires have so far been eighteen miles west of us but last year we were faced with the possibility of evacuation from wildfire. Being seventy five miles—long and winding road miles—from a hospital in the winter makes us more aware of needs to be prepared for handing some difficulties on our own before we are able to get to outside help.

The Health Tent had displays and information on all sorts of health issues and handouts of all sorts of helpful information. There was a beautiful horse painting being raffled off and opportunities for the youngsters to do their own art of horses. The Red Cross people were there with first aid information. You could learn your blood pressure or information on diabetes or other ailments. There was information on alcohol and other drugs. It seemed like there was information on any area of life that you wanted to become more aware of and healthy from dental to safety.

There were crafts and homemade jewelry and articles available for purchase of course. There was a raffle for everyone who came and registered as well as a raffle for a beautiful blue scooter, which received a lot of interest. Horseshoes, volleyball, and all sorts of games were available. Later on in the day there was music planned and after the Reunion many went over to enjoy performances of musicians at the Watershed Festival.

Chamber of Commerce, Karuk Tribe

Little Log Chapel in the Hills 1928

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by Leon L. Loofbourow
We have all read of the original John Wesley runing three times around the Charter House school quadrangle each morning to build up his weak body. But haven you heard of one John Wesley who won the 462 mile marathon race from San Francisco’s City Hall to Grants Pass Oregon?
In 1927 the Redwood Empire Association, as its advertising featujre, planned an Indian Marathon Race over the Redwood Highway. Of eleven entrants, two boys from our work on the Klamath River won first and second places! John Wesley Southare received first award for completing the race in less than a week–as I remember it, in six days, twentythree hours and sixteen minutes.
This particular John Wesley story begins a century ago when the California gold rush, kuje tge Jubgdin if Geavebm gathered all kinds. He sought his fortun e far down the Klamath River. I have never heard how much “dust” he acquired. But he married an Indian woman and when the placers played out, unline many of the miners, he stayed by his family on the Klamath. Their oldest son was named Lee in loyalty to the great Christian captain of the Confederacy, Robert E. Lee.
I was guest one night in the Lee Southard home. (We were to try our luck for bear next day.) At family prayers my host brought out his Bible and old Moody and Sankey song books. I thought I would try out the family knowledge of the Scriptures, so suggested that we repeat together instead of reading. All went well with the group through Psalm 23. Some of the circle were uncertain on Psalm 1. But Mr. Southard and I kept going until I thougth it wise to call our Bible marathon a tie, and we prayed. But it made me realize that ‘Forty -Niner John Wesley did not leave his faith in Louisiana–he had “taught it diligently” to his son.
The Lee Southards named their first born, John Wesley, for his grandfather. In the Redwood Empire Marathon the newspapers thought they must have “heap big Injun” names for the runners, so a waiting world was informed that MAD BULL won the race. But Mad Bull was only the way the papers featured John Wesley Southard, son of School District Trustee–Church School Superintendent Lee Southard, grandson of ‘Forty-Niner John Wesley Southard.
Months later I heard that a younger brother of John’s had died and wrote to the family. I quote from Lee Southard’s answer:
“We have one consolation, that those who die without the law shall be judged without the law, and Gorham was a good boy and never harmed anyhone. But he never had chance of a religious training further than his mother and I had taught him. Should you ever get back up this way I wish you to preach his funeral.
The next summer the log church in Happy Camp was built, its nearest meetinghouse neighbor being 75 miles away. The first service in it was the memorial for this boy who “never had the chance of a religious training further than what his mother and I taught him.”

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Scouting Campout full of Surprises!

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Scouts camp at Kelly LakeCampers all set to head off to Kelly Lake

Surprise! Upon arriving in the vicinity of Kelly Lake about twenty miles from home, the older boys, Pihneftuuf Elston, Christopher Riehm and Brandon McCarthy went to look around for a good campsite. Scoutmaster Dolly, who drove the gear pick up with the older boys, went down an incline to look out a potential site, slipped and fell.

That left only the three youngest boys, Cody Sindle, John Cook and Ryan Wilson, who just graduated from Webelos with me to assist her. Thanks to Charles Tello, who was camping in the area and helped us out! Then Quinten Peterson came and got the crew organized to get her safely to camp. The older boys returned to help so that was a big help. There was a rattlesnake a couple feet away from the trail that needed to be taken care of too

Our Scoutmaster was soon sitting in camp with her swelling foot elevated on ice until we could get her to the clinic. The boys fell to work setting up tarps and tents and soon a camp was organized. A campfire circle with downed wood collected by John, Ryan and Cody, provided cooking for hot dogs for lunch.  Everyonce in awhile we’d have showers, but about the time we got another tarp up, it would cease. The boys had fun throwing each other in self defense moves taught by Q!

The boys also pitched in and made venison stew for supper. Under Robyn Eadie’s guidance, Alex and Abbye helped cut the potatoes. When Mia helped and cut her finger, Abbye provided band aid care. Neffers browned the venison. Steven Welin cut up the onion, the most unpopular job of the meal.  The most popular part was s’mores around the campfire, with melody of “Does you Chewing Gum Loose Its’ Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight?” and stories, (scary and made up with additions by each camper) around the campfire. 

After a good night sleep, despite the rain and lightning off and on, the boys prepared a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs and pancakes. Brandon cooked up the bacon. All those pancakes disappeared quickly. Boys ate the food they fixed with gusto!

Then it was off to the fishing derby. Surprisingly,  the fish (1500 lbs of fish had been delivered Wednesday before) weren’t biting as well as the day before. Someone caught and released five the day before in a very short time. It is my theory that those released fish went and told the rest of the fish all about the hooks behind the bait!!!

Well, as you know, all the lightening of Friday ended up starting fires in the area, and all around northwest California . The Fire Camp was set up in Gail Zink Park for Siskiyou Fires. The Forest Service will be giving us updates on the fire situation but we have been very grateful that (except for last Sunday) the smoke hasn’t been awfully bad, but it still continues. We are grateful to the Firefighters who have come to battle the wildfires started by lightening!

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Kids Fair Celebrates at Old Town Happy Camp

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 Cliff serves up refreshments     Donna has balloons for the youngstersMadeline

Kids had a great time Saturday. It was time for the annual Kids Fair put on by the Happy Camp Family Resource Center. There are a great many other participants also, all who cooperate with the Happy Camp Family REsource Center with educating our families on health and safety issues and such.

 Cliff Stockton was cooking up hot dogs and serving watermelon too. Kids were going around with interesting looking faces, after painter had dolled them up. The Sheriff department was helping parents with Child Safety Seats for vehicles and comics on being safe for the youngsters. Sue Hillman had puppet stories for First 5 that looked like fun. Dorothy was there for the library telling about the August storytime they’ve planned.

Activities

Good School Year Comes to an End

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u0hsgraduation-3
Judy Bushy
June 10, 2008
By the time you read this school will be out. Finals are keeping most of the high school students busy this week except for the senior class. Seniors are busy decorating and attending to last minute details for the conclusion of their high school education.

It has been a very good school year. Mr. Dyar surprised all the students who thought they’d surprise a new principal who didn’t know them!!! He knows the students, having seen them in their earlier years at the Elementary School. Mr. Dyar also has the respect of the students and they have responded well and had a good year for the most part.

We also had a new District Superintendent. Doug Squellati. While the students don’t see a lot of the District Superintendent (although I heard some Seniors that he interviewed who were very appreciative that he was nice and friendly and wasn’t scary!). The staff appreciated Mr. Squellati’s hard work this year. For the first time in many years Happy Camp teachers and staff feel that someone at the District takes an interest in our school and our students. Although distant geographically, local residents, who are taxpayers, feel equal funding, modernization of facilities and expenditures of all students are important. Mr. Squellati brought fairness and financial expertise that is much needed and appreciated

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