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_ .. ,=,c... ~ ;.... CA. .., A Paper for People who Care about tbe West The land no one wanted Ruby Valley, Nevada, site of the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley that granted whites the right to travel through Shoshone territory The Western Shoshones look homeward ___ -lby Jon Christensen This year, Ruby Valley Treaty Days off among the willows lining an good." was much like a family reunion - not irrigation ditch, a few dozen adults The speeches went on, mostly in the UBY VALLEY, Nev. - Under really a powwow but more an "Indian settled around picnic tables for a meeting gutteral Shoshone tongue punctuated the severe shadow of his going- doing," as one participant called it- put about the treaty and the future of the with English words like "treaty," R to-meeting Stetson, Frank on by Frank Temoke, the 87-year-old Western Shoshone. "federal court," "Ruby Valley" and Temoke's etched face remained great-grandson of Te-Moak, the But even here on this "Washington, D.C." impassive, even as the tribal powwow in first man to put his X mark to the somewhat hallowed ground, an "Say, where'd you say that U.S. - his pasture veered toward chaos. treaty in this same spot so argument that has festered government can be found?" cracked one The Ruby Mountains rise abruptly many years ago. Although among the Western Shoshone burly, boozy old man. "He's a pretty behind Temoke's small reservation Frank Temoke has never held . for years broke out again, hard one to catch." Robert Burton and a ranch, dusted with the red and gold of an official position, many like an irrepressible family couple of buddies had stayed up late autumn willow.and aspen. Each fall, northeastern Nevada quarrel, dividing those who wagering on hand games and sipping Western Shoshone Indians from across Shoshone still consider him hold fast to a dream of prohibited liquor in the willows. Nevada gather here, in the symbolic their "hereditary chief." recovering lost land from "You're drunk," somebody heart of their territory, to mark the Around 250 people those who say it is time to bellowed. anniversary of their treaty of "peace and showed up for the venison and accept the government's offer Frank Temoke stared straight ahead friendship" with the United States. beef barbecue, round dancing of money and get on with their as his anniversary treaty meeting Signed on Oct. I, 1863, between the and hand games that lasted late lives. threatened to-fall apart, like so many "chiefs and principal men and warriors" into the cold, starry night. 10 the "The land is not for sale," meetings before. Burton rose tottering to of Shoshone bands along the Humboldt morning, late risers straggled from the declared Frank Temoke. "I don't care the challenge. "I may not have a big hat, Trail and representatives of the United tents and trailers scattered around the about that money," he said, referring to but I've buckarooed all over this ·States government, the Treaty of Ruby pasture to a big ranch-style breakfast the more than $65 million the Treasury country," he slurred. "Why, I know Valley remains the only accord with the served up by the Temoke women as the holds in trust as a final settlement of every watering hole ...." Western Shoshone to be ratified by sun warmed the wide Ruby Valley. As Western Shoshone land claims. "They He stopped to gather his thoughts. Congress. the ranch mongrels and children romped can keep it. Too much .money 's no CorrU"ued on page 10 2-Htgb (;QUfftry News -December 31,1990 . ~ Dear friends, Mailbag "tree murder." Steve pointed out that if everyone in the North Fork Valley cut We are getting some nice incidental their own tree for Christmas the planting notes, many of them having to do with of 1,000 seedling trees as a result of trees, from readers sending in Paonia's Earth Day celebration would he SUbscription Checks. "Kieran O'Malley more than nullified. and I both work for the USFS (Hiawatha As you might expect, this initiated NFl," writes Julie Fosbender from quite a brouhaha in the office. It was Munising, Michigan. "We enjoy reading pointed out to Steve (the conscience of about what's happening in the West- past Christmases) that a "selective" cut he used to live in Arizona and would cause no lasting harm. Steve New kids on the block Washington, I used to live in Montana countered that already-cut trees from Anyway, thanks for helping to keep the tree farms were a preferable source, if Two new interns, Mike Bencic and FS honest in the West. People working one had to have a tree. But the best Erika Zavaleta, pulled into Paonia in mid- for change on the inside, and factual solution, Steve suggested, was for December. One of the first things they IDGH COUNTRY NEWS reponing on the outside, will make the everyone to buy a live tree (for a mere and fellow intern John Homing did was to (ISSN/!)191/5657) Is pUblished FS truly a multiple-use agency." $65) and plant a Christmas forest, lay in an enormous Woodpile for their biweekly, except fur one Issue during Mary L. Cookman writes from which he was doing. The debate historic and charming butllllher frigid July and one Issue during January, by Azalea, Ore.: "Thank you for your continued over lunch at Sunnyside, our little houses up at "Intern Acres," a brisk the High Country Foundation, 124 special issue! I've sat here at my kitchen local health food bistro, where Lisa walk (two miles) uphill from town. Grand Avenue, Paonia, CO 81428. table trying to pour out my 'floodwaters' second-class postage paid at Paonia, asked Steve what his firewood was Erika is a sophoolcre studying Colorado. of agreement and apprehension about made of. Steve said he burned only anthropology at Stanford University, where POSTMASTER: send address changes our small pieces of ancient, untouched down timber, which then brought the she and a friend recently revived the to HIGH COUNTRYNEWS,Box 1090, forest left. I ran into a 'logjam' trying to final rejoinder from Sunnyside's baker: outdoor program and fomded Outpost, the Paonia, CO 81428. keep it to a few words." Mary sent three ''Then you are robbing the soil of its campus outdoor and wilderness magazine. Subscriptions are $24 per year for copies of the issue to her grandchildren. needed nutrients!" Erika, who was born and raised in New individuals and public libraries, $34 "Dear Sirs and Ms and The world of Steve Hinchman left work early that York City, got to know the WesJ.through per year fur institutions. Singlecopies Sterling News Coverage," is the salutation day, saying he needed a "mental health" bicycle racing. After backpacking and $1 plus postage and handliog. Special of a note from Robb Brady of Idaho Falls. break. Don't we all! Issues $3 each. writing last summer in Alaska, she decided "Just want to say how serviceable your to take some time out and come to HCN - newspaper is to editorial writers for any Poetry notes ''to spend winter in the mountains and to newspaper anywhere. Comprehensive, Ieam moo: about the issues affecting the penetrating, accurate, and stimulating. We haven't received much poetry places and people I care about" Pardon an old bromide: keep up the good lately, unless you want to count a When not working for the Pad< work." rhymed couplet sent in by Jeff Davis of Service (most recently at Guadalupe North Little Rock, Ark.: Mountains National Park in Texas), Mike See you in Arizona ALGAE enjoys time off to expore new places and M..,.janett I'm situations. Last winter he bicycled in New DeputyE_ If you live in Arizona, you will get Slime. ' Zealand, and in Australia assisted an Undo BodpJupl an invitation to attend our usual potluck Our editor of real poetry, Chip Earthwateh group collecting insects from Aa.-odll_ h61U1HIr dinner following the HCN board of Rawlins, lives in Pinedale, Wyo. He sent the rainforest canopy in Lamington directors meeting Jan. 26. Both events the following message to introduce the National Pad< near Brisbane. Mike's fi!st will be held at the B umble Bee Ranch poems that appear on Pages 8 and 9: ' contact with conservation. in the West was north of Phoenix. The dinner starts "The poems in this issue begin a as avolimteer.On,the,CoIoradQMoon_ earlier, at 5:30 p.m., to give people a series of wbrk by lind about the • TraiL·9oo ofhis·stiI1UJ!l11etgo;jls"besays, chance to see the country before sunset. continent's native people. We'll be is io lind, and eat, the perfect pizza. Well- From Phoenix, head north on 1-17 to the publishing further poems in the vein, wishers around the office have suggested, Bumble Bee exit. No. 248. (The exit is along with our usualland-oriented just in case he doesn't find it in Paonia, that C.LRa_ 15 miles south of Cordes Junction.) The PooIry- poetry features, over the next year. The he learn to MAKE the perfect pizza and let exit ramp curves under the interstate. poems are distinguished (and selected) the rest of us meet the goal 100. Dlone SyInln Proceed Pro # ,,, IGfwpWa five miles to the Bumble Bee by their honest-heartedness, by their Ranch entrance, on the right. All refusal to pose and mystify. The writers Your winter break? subscribers are welcome, of course. range from justly famed to brilliantly Please call the office in Paonia if you obscure, full-blood to Anglo; the single When Ed Marston was writing this need more information.

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