Karuk Tribal Newsletter, Spring 2004 Page 1 Quarterly Newsletter www.karuk.us Spring 2004 Edition P.O. Box 1016 • 64236 Second Avenue • Happy Camp, CA 96039 • (530) 493-5305 • (800) 505-2785 (800-50Karuk) Athithúfvuunupma Brush Dance Chewich, ti yura com ni araam sip tih Long, long ago, the People would get together and conduct a healing ceremony for an unhealthy child on an as needed basis. That ceremony is now widely recognized as a "Brush Dance". In prehistoric times the Brush Dance was held in a makeshift dance pit that was usually the unhealthy child's family living house with the sides and roof removed. Dance photos on this page courtesy of Chewich In modern times, the People have constructed Brush Dance pits with the healing medicine, prayers and rituals, continuing to give the People healthy bodies, minds and souls. Pa Karuk Tapaas Arara are happy to announce the opening of a Brush Dance Above, pictured from left to right: pit on the Tribally owned Ish Kayish Vera Arwood, Cecilia Arwood, Ranch near Athithúfvuunupma (Happy and Alvis Johnson. Camp). We would like to thank Fred The Athithúfvuunupma Dance Pit Burcell and his crew, Alvis Johnson, and will be dedicated to the Karuk Tribal Council for helping to make this healing place Vera Arwood and Alvis Johnson. a reality. The dance pit will be dedicated to Alvis Johnson and the late Vera Davis Arwood, respected Tribal Elders who have remained active in traditional ways of life, while helping the Tribal administration forge a path for our children. We would like to take this opportunity to invite you and your family to come and participate in the first healing ceremony to be held in Athithúfvuunupma in a long, long time. The Athithúfvuunupma Brush Dance Ceremony will be held July 8 to July 12, 2004. We hope to see you there. Suva Nik. Karuk Ceremonial Dates for 2004 June 17 - June 20: Panamniik Brush Dance July 8 - July 11: Athithúfvuunupma Brush Dance August 11 - August 17: Inam Pikyavish July 17: Inam Salmon Ceremony (Inamvaan) August 28: Ti Bar War Dance July 22 - July 25: Katimiin Brush Dance August 31 - September 6: Tishawniik Pikyavish July 30 - August 9: Amekyaraam Jump Dance September 10 - September 15: Katimiin Pikyavish Page 2 Karuk Tribal Newsletter, Spring 2004 Arch Super, Tapas yaas araara (Chairman) Faat nikuupiti (what I’m doing) Ayukii, koovura pa Karuk araaras (Hello all of the Karuk People) We are implementing the Karuk language. We speak, listen and learn the Karuk language now at our Council and health board meetings. I feel it is very important for the leadership of our Tribe to encourage and demonstrate the restoration of our Native tongue. Our language director currently has class sessions in the Council Chambers every Tuesday for those interested in speaking Karuk. The average attendance is three to seven members, which is very Arch Super, encouraging. I also speak a lot of language with staff, and Karuk Contents: Karuk Tribal Chairman hope one day that we will be a Karuk speaking Tribe. 4 Tribal Council Secretary on We recently met with Karuk Community Development Corporation (KCDC) Staff to analyze and direct the structure and function of that part of our entity. We hope that Karuk Website Update within the near future, the KCDC will be back in good operating status. Frank G. Wood We have had meetings with the providers of our Tribal health clinics from Yreka, 5 Karuk Language News Happy Camp and Orleans. Our goal is for our health departments to be highly efficient, Karuk People’s Center productive and to provide top quality services to our Tribal Membership. Our providers 6 Building for Tomorrow are reporting good results and we hope our Membership feels the same. The Tribe Maintenance Update over-hired about a year ago and we had to eliminate positions in the health department, but our health operations are currently working on staying within their budgets. 7 Pharmacy Update New Pharmacy Services I attended a Native American Housing and Self Determination Act (NAHASDA) negotiations conference with the Karuk Tribe Housing Authority (KTHA) in Las 8 Staffing Update Vegas. These negotiations were for housing issues to be addressed in Washington DC. 9 Karuk Tribal Court The process was a consensus forum. It was interesting to note that all Housing Authorities Tribal Grants had to agree on one issue or the issue was not addressed in DC. In early February, the 10 Fiscal Audit Tribal Council, along with the KTHA Committee, met at Seven Feathers Casino in Contract Compliance Update Canyonville to review and approve the one and five year housing plans for the KTHA. KTHA had some very good plans and the director and staff put together some good 11-12 Notes from the Secretary information to process. Later in February, I attended the NAHASDA Conference in 13 Creator Put Fire on the Washington DC with KTHA. It was very interesting being involved with the process of Mountain taking our housing issues to the table and meeting our state representatives. The conference is annual and I look forward being a part of our Tribal government that deals 14 Fisheries Scholarship with Washington DC on behalf of our Tribe. 15 Department of Natural Resources We have very informative monthly Management Team meetings with the directors and coordinators of Tribal operations. These meetings allow all departments to work 16 Head Start Report together by communicating with each other their current projects. Head Start Recruitment Newsletter Article Submission The Council has participated in Tribal Planning work days. These sessions are to study the operations of our Tribal government. There are many plans brought forth 17 Senior Center News by the Council and the Membership. Periodically, we need to take the time, along with Military News our other scheduled meetings, just to focus on what we envision the Tribe to be in the 18 Quality Management & future, and plan accordingly. Soon, we hope to have a one to five year plan ready to be Compliance presented to the Membership. Honoring Nursing Staff We have been working with the Education, TERO, and SWEEP programs to be 19 Patient Drug Assistance more informed about their services and operations. Our goal is for these programs to be The Nurse’s Corner highly beneficial to the Membership, and for them to be more accessible and well 20 Dental Department Activities distributed throughout the Tribe. Yootva: Joe Snapp I have attended Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff meetings also. 21 Yootva: Dr. Carlson DNR is a complex department and is a very busy entity of our Tribe. There are several Education Department business and operational projects in the works, and I look forward to learning more Karuk Tribal Newsletter, Spring 2004 Page 3 Newsletter Distribution about them and working with the department to ensure services, to and for, the Karuk Tribe. By: The Karuk Tribal Council We have been meeting with our Trust Reform Starting with the next edition of the Consortium. This consortium deals with the lands newsletter, we will only be sending one newsletter management of our Tribe. Land management is handled to each household, rather than to each individual through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) but we are striving person. Should you wish to continue receiving to manage our own lands. We already do most of the work, individual copies for each person in your and would like the government to issue those monies to us. household, please contact Dolores Voyles at (800) Lands management is a big issue in our Tribe and it is only 505-2785, extension 2028. logical that we govern our lands ourselves. Our Self Governance department is working hard to meet this goal. ceremonial grounds regarding work that they do in and around We have also attended meetings with the California our sacred areas. So far, they are sensitive to those issues. Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA). This is a consortium of many California Tribes. Their agenda is to I attended a conference of the Indian Health Services defeat the California State’s proposition to allow slot (IHS) for Tribal leaders. It was very interesting. The main machines to be put in California’s race tracks and card rooms. topic was diabetes and obesity, and how it is evident within They also want to defeat California’s proposal requiring our people. Attending all these meetings and conferences is gaming Tribes to pay the state 25% of their gaming revenue. getting me more connected with the issues and helping me This is very unfair to the Natives of this land. become more familiar with the business of the Tribe and other governments and agencies we deal with. We have had meetings with our Karuk Tribal Court. Our Director has put in a lot of hard work and the Tribal Overall, the step into Chairmanship has been extremely Court has come a long way. We are working on a few interesting. The correspondence and amount of work that ordinances that have to be in line as our court continues to comes across my desk is phenomenal. The meetings, develop, but it is looking very good and promising. I believe conferences and trainings are many. Our staff, directors, and our Membership will be very impressed with the Tribal Court. Tribal Council seem to be working very well together. We are elected officials, elected by our Tribal Membership and We have met with the US Forest Service. We wish to we are here to work for our Tribe. I do believe that we try ensure government to government relations. It is very very hard to always keep our Tribal Membership’s interests important that the USFS comply with Tribal rights to at hand.