Gone Fishin'

On Thursday, March 24, Tillicum Wawa: Voices of the People interviewed Umatilla tribal member Gabe Sheoships from the Streamnet Library, part of the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission, to discuss the library and native fishing along the Chewana (Columbia River) and the issues effecting it today.

"Tillicum Wawa: Voices of the People," is Shusli, Redwillow, and Eugene Johnson. The show airs every Thursday from 6-7pm on KBOO 90.7fm.

Click here for our website and podcast of this show and others.

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Interesting Pics?

Celilo Falls and Red Lodge

On Thursday, March 10, Tillicum Wawa: Voices of the People, will be interviewing Linda Meanus and Trish Jordan.

Linda Meanus is the granddaughter of Chief Tommy Thompson, the Fishing Chief of Celilo village at the time of the flooding by the United States Government on March 10, 1957. We will discuss the anniversary date and the upcoming fishing ceremony, and what this loss has meant to her and the people of Celilo.

Trish Jordan is of Red Lodge Transition Services and which helps service women in transition from prison back into society. We will be talking about the work she does and the services Red Lodge Transiti0n Services offers people as well as The Friends of Red Lodge.

Tune in from 6-7pm on Thursday, March 10, to hear this show live, or hear it eventually podcast on our Tillicum Wawa website.

KCUW

On Thursday, February 24, Tillicum Wawa interviewed Bill Young of KCUW. KCUW is the Umatilla Reservation community radio station, all of 100 watts...currently. Bill produces a program of story telling called "Good Night Rez." We plan on making continued connections with this radio station. To listen to the podcast, click on the here.

Tillicum Wawa, 2-17-11

On Tillicum Wawa: Voices of the People, on Thursday, February 17, we interviewed Carol Sutterlict (st?) about the fires that happened in and around the town of White Swan on the Yakama Indian Reservation on February 12. It started with a chimney fire in one house and quickly spread with a wind storm that average 50 mph and up to 100 mph according to some reports. This fire destroyed 20 homes, but many homes were also damaged by the winds. About the only kind of donations they can't use are clothing. They are really looking for construction materials, paint, cleaning materials, and gas cards for the residents. You can send donations to:

White Swan Methodist Church
80 Curtis St.
White Swan, Washington 98952

We also interviewed Felix about the work he is doing to help with the Inca in Ecuador, of which he is a member. If you wish to help him out in his local organizing of benefits for this work, e-mail him at fdescultchaskis@yahoo.com. It is helpful if you speak Spanish.

Shusli made a updated our audience about John T. Williams, a Native carver shot by Seattle police officer, Ian Birk. Ian has resigned, but there is seemingly no justice in this case. John was told by Ian to drop his knife and within 10 seconds of the officer confronting John, who was walking down the street carving a piece of wood with said knife, the officer fired on him five times, killing him instantly. John Williams was deaf. It is said that the officer, Ian Birk, had numerous contact with John, knew who he was, and knew he was deaf. Sounds like murder to me, but then again, when cops commit murder, they often get away with it.

Hear the podcast here.

End:Civ

On Thursday, February 3, Shusli produced "Tillicum Wawa: Voices of the People" around the new documentary film by Frank Lopez called "End Civ." "End:Civ" will be available for viewing in Portland on February 8 at Smith Memorial Center, PSU, 724 SW Harrison in Portland, room 327, at 3pm. It will also be airing on February 8 at the Hipbone Studios at 7pm, 1847 E Burnside, #104. "End:Civ" is based on the of the book "Endgame" by Derrick Jensen, a book that discusses the global effects of alleged civilization and asks the question, and I paraphrase, "how much are you going to take before you do something?" It features many voices, including indigenous voices such as Waziyata Win, Gord Hill, and Rhonda "Shusli" Baseler, discussing earth based cultures compared to alleged civilization. In Egypt, Yemen, and elsewhere, there are revolutions happening. People are tired of being oppressed for the wealth of the few. In this nation, peoples water is being polluted by hydraulic fracturing by energy corporations so much so that many American folk can set their tap water on fire (see the movie "Gasland"). Hanford Nuclear Reservation, just up the Chewana (Columbia River) leaks radiation that no doubt has health effects. The U.S. is leading two illegal wars in the Middle East and wants to start slaughtering Iranians as well. Industrial pollution has made parts of the U.S. unlivable. And much, much more. How much are we going to take before we do something about it? Indigenous values, as I have read and discussed with many indigenous types, have a way of encompassing all life and all life as having validity. Humans have life, plants and animals have life, water has life, etc., and all of us live in a common world where we benefit each other. Civilization sees the world (humans, plants, water, animals, etc.) as resources to be extracted and the wealth to go to the few (with gas prices going higher and higher, Shell oil is reporting record profits). And there is a catch to it. As much as we (my wife, Shusli, and I) don't like civilization and what it has done to our people, we have to use the tools of civilization for our survival. Don't criticize your fellow human beings for being human, let's all focus on changing the system instead of beating each other up for not being "pure." Read Derrick Jensen's book, "Endgame." See the movie, "End:Civ."

Shusli also played cuts from John Trudell, poet and musician and long time activist, and Aggie Pilgrim, one of the 13 indigenous grandmothers to further the discussion for vast systematic and global change.

At the end of the program Shusli played a memorial piece for Morales Singer. Several weeks ago, for those of you who remember, we had Dr. Dale Walker and Michelle Singer from the One Sky Center. On January 26, Morales Singer, Michelle Singer's brother, was killed by a hit and run driver (the driver subsequently turned himself in). He is survived by 3 children. Our condolences are sent out to Michelle Singer, the Morales children, Cody, Elijah, and Jaliene, the whole singer family, and to all those who loved Morales. If you are going to be in the Salem area on Saturday, February 5, click here for information on how you can participate in a fundraiser to benefit Morales Singer's three children.

Shusli did a great job of producing this show. The content was awesome and informative. A giant THANK YOU to Shusli!

Sacred Sites

On Thursday, January 27, Tillicum Wawa: Voices of the People discussed the issues of the destruction of sacred sites. Currently, Nakota Energy LLC, is planning on oil drilling in the surrounding areas of Bear Butte, the mountain most sacred to many plains tribes, such as the Lakota, Nakota, Dakota, Cheyenne, Arapaho, etc. We can find little to no information on Nakota Energy. Shusli also discussed the grave robbing going on at Yotocket in order that pot hunters can profit off of those slaughtered around 150 years ago. Here are links to articles about the oil drilling near Bear Butte:

Bear Butte Historic Value Pauses Oil Development

Oil Development Plan Poses Threat To Bear Butte

Companies Plan Oil Wells Near SD's Bear Butte

Here is a link to the online petition going out to help bring attention to the desecration of Bear Butte by Nakota Energy, LLC.

Petition

Here is an article on the grave robbers stealing native remains and artifacts to sell underground from the Yontocket massacre site. May this crime come around to these criminals and may they pay for their crimes whether it be through the government and or through the spirit world!

Yontocket

Here is a legal summary about Yontocket.

Legal Summary

Please, one and all, help us to protect all sacred sites from those, mostly heartless corporations, who consider nothing sacred, with the possible exception of money.