Spring 2012 Official Newsletter of the Piqua Shawnee 04/1/12 Spring 2012 Where there’s smoke by Gary Hunt Inside this issue: Spring has sprung. Winter the lake started out in their is in the past. "The Underwater canoes, coming around the Where there’s smoke and 1 edge of the lake. Two wom- Ramblings As Spring has arrived it is Panther" en who were going started Barbara’s History Corner 3 time we look upon our tribe There once was a big lake out late, after everyone as a new beginning, much where Indians lived all else had gone. The two women were sisters-in-law Letter to the LCORC 4 like Spring. It is time to around it. In the middle of renew acquaintances, the lake, there was a big and one of them was rather Helping Tornado Victims 5 friendships and traditions. island of mud, which made foolish. She was steering and Prayer Many things have tran- it impossible just to paddle the canoe and headed straight across the lake to Schedules 6 spired over the course of straight across. So if some- Newsletter dates this last year that enables one in one village wanted the island of mud. The oth- er warned her not to do it, Driving directions 7 our tribe to begin anew. to go to the one on the op- We, as a tribe, need to posite side, they would but it didn't do any good. bring back the old. To have to paddle all around The first girl carried a little begin anew the old tradi- the edge of the lake. They cedar paddle with her but tions of our ancestors. It is stayed away did not use it for time for our tribe to be- from the paddling. She car- come alive with fervor of island of ried it everywhere renewing the old customs mud be- with her. As they got and traditions of our an- cause a bad to the middle of the cient ones. It is time to have manido. lake, they started to fun, once again, as peoples cross the island of One day, Tribal Officers of this continent. We now mud, and in the cen- are at a point of regenera- one of the ter of the mud they tion. With the help of our villages was saw a hole of clear As defined by young ones, our tribe can, holding a water. The water was once again, live again ! dance, and swirling around like the people a whirlpool, the bylaws Have a great Spring from the other side of Gary Hunt, IN, Gary Hunt (continued on page 2) Principal Chief Principal Chief Duane Everhart, NC, Second Ramblings from the Second Chief— Duane Everhart Chief Traditional vs. Political: I thought it would be nice to talk a little about Kathy Walker, KY, tradition versus the political realm we also Spring brings a re-birth, flowers and trees must live in. Tribal Mother bloom anew. We do our spring cleaning and planting to prepare for the up-coming year. Today, a tribe is more than a gathering of Secretary So, I thought this would be a good time to do traditional people, it’s a business and a politi- some tiding up myself. Over the years I have cal partner. Yes, we may not like that idea, Michael Brookman, been aware that some of us loose sight of who but we are a political entity. As a recognized we are and where we’ve come from. I know tribe in Alabama, we must interact with Ala- VA, Treasure each of us has our own views of our Tribe, so bama State leaders, other Native Alabama tribes (continued on page 2) Where there’s smoke by Gary Hunt and as they Ramblings continued: started to cross that bit tribes, as well as tribes throughout the may not think like this when we are to- gether for one of our celebrations, but of open wa- country. Our membership in the Nation- we are truly looked on in this way. And ter, a panther al Congress of American Indians allows us to be apart of national legislation to such, we must carry ourselves as pro- came out and help all Native people. Therefor it is im- fessionals, cause we never know who is twitched his portant to refresh to each of us our roles watching. But what about the other posi- tail across the in our own Tribe. tions in the Tribe? boat and As mentioned earlier, we keep some tried to turn it Unlike other groups, we hold on to deep Shawnee traditions. Because there traditions alive for the good of our peo- over. The girl were so few to take up the reigns in the ple. Our Tribal Mother, the Ceremonial picked up past, some positions in our Tribe may Keeper, the War Chief, the Fire Keeper, her little ce- have been blurred by people having all of these are vital positions for us to dar paddle and hit the panther's tail more than one position. We have chosen maintain traditions but are not part of with it. As she hit it, she said, to continue using the term Chief. Some the political aspect of the Tribe. Our "Thunder is striking you." The pad- tribes have done away with that term, Tribal Mother is the leader and spokes- dle cut off the panther's tail where but not us. However, it’s important to person for the women of the Tribe, re- she had hit it, and the end dropped understand that the role of Principle and sponsible for meals, organizing activi- ties, and women’s ceremonies. The Cer- into the boat. It was a solid piece of Second Chief serve as your official Trib- al political representatives at all levels. It emonial Keeper is of course responsible copper about two inches thick. The is these positions that allows the Tribe to for all the Tribal Ceremonies. War panther ran away through the mud, enter into agreements and contracts, etc. Chief, leader of the men/warriors and and they laughed hard. One girl More importantly though is the Council. his main responsibility is for the protec- said, "I guess I scared him. He won't tion of the Tribe. Our Fire Keeper is re- bother us again." Our Council is made up of two sponsible for the Sacred Fire, he has in representatives from each Clan. A his possession coals that come from the When they got representative government is a across, the girl original Sacred Fire and maintains the very old tradition of our people, fire at all ceremonies. gave the piece of As she hit it, long before the Colonists came to copper to her this country. The idea that each fam- It is all of these positions working to- father. The cop- she said, ily would have a strong voice at gether that makes us the Piqua Shaw- per tail of the Council gatherings lives on. How- nee. We have a lot to be proud of and a underwater pan- "Thunder is ever, today we are spread a little bright future ahead. Let’s all work to- ther had magical further apart. The position of Clan gether and make our Tribe a better place for our next 7 generations. powers. Every- representative is the most important position in the Tribe. We need striking Duane Everhart, 2nd Chief one wanted a strong leadership to continue mov- little piece of the you." . ing forward. Every man and woman tail to carry for who holds a seat on Council needs luck in hunting to understand this and take it seri- and fishing and ous. A commitment to attend Coun- people would cil meetings is so very important. give her father a blanket for a tiny You serve as the voice of your Clan, the piece of that copper. Her family got voices together guide the Principle rich from the tail of the underwater Chief to be able to accomplish the goals of the Tribe. If you currently hold one of panther. these positions and no longer feel you Pesalo can commit to such a responsibility it would be no disgrace to step down. If Chief Gary Hunt you’re a Clan member and don’t have an active Clan rep, step up and make some changes - let your voice be heard. To put this into today’s political lan- guage, the Principle Chief would be the President, Second Chief the Vice Presi- dent, and Council the Congress. We Page 2 Spring 2012 Barbara’s History Corner: The Shawnee in Pennsylvania (Archives, I. 325,327). In 1732 the Shawnee on the Ohio sent a message to Governor Gordon, written by James (Part 2 of 2) Printed from: The History of Shaw- nee in Pennsylvania. Continued from the Winter Le Tort and Peter Chartier, in which they explained the Newsletter. reasons which influenced them to move to the Ohio. The Iroquois had said, “you Shawanese Look back toward Ohioh, The place from whence you Came, and Return thitherward, for now wee Shall Take pitty on the English In 1731 Shikellamy gave the Provincial Authorities to and Lett them have all this Land.” Other reasons were understand that friendship with the Six Nations could no given, amoung which was the fact that several slaves longer be expected to last, unless this traffic rum with had run away from the south, seeking refuge among the Delaware and Shawnee was better regulated (Col. them, and they were afraid that the English would blame Rec.