Official Newsletter of the Piqua Shawnee 09/1/2011 Inside this issue: Where there s smoke and New Inductees Author Allen Eckert 3 We are Still Here 4 Barbara s History Corner 5 Schedules 6 Driving directions 7 Tribal Officers As defined by the bylaws Gary Hunt, IN, Principal Chief Duane Everhart, NC, Second Chief Kathy Walker, KY, Tribal Mother Secretary Michael Brookman, VA, Treasure 1 Where there s smoke by Gary Hunt Where did the Summer go? Wow, it just flew by! Time sure travels fast when one is busy! I ve been doing a lot of inside construction work on my home. I m way behind schedule (as usual). Well, I guess there s always next year to get caught up. We, the Piqua Shawnee Tribe, are working diligently on many avenues. We have a long way to go; however, we have come a long way. Thanks to many in our tribe, we are acknowledged as a tribe all across this Nation. Thanks to all of you and your efforts. We need to keep in our prayers all of our people that are suffering on many different levels - financial, health, etc. It was warm and we had to dodge a few thunderstorms, but Green Corn was a good time and brought us lots of change. Women s Counsel voted in our new Tribal Mother as Katie Rose-Walker stepped There is so many that could use our prayers! Let s all set aside time each day to ask the Creator bless those in need, no matter what the anxiety may be. Chief Gary Hunt An Abenaki Legend The Great Spirit, in a time not known to us looked about and saw nothing. No colors, no beauty. Time was silent in darkness. There was no sound. Nothing could be seen or felt. The Great Spirit decided to fill this space with light and life. From his great power he commanded the sparks of creation. He ordered Tôlba, the Great Turtle to come from the waters and become the land. The Great Spirit molded the mountains and the valleys on turtle's back. He put white clouds into the blue skies. He was very happy. He said, "Everything is ready now. I will fill this place with the happy movement of life."he thought and thought about what kind of creatures he would make. Where would they live? What would they do? What would their pur- New Tribal Mother /2nd Chief Installed down for personal reasons. The Women voted on Kathy Walker to take up the reins for our women. War Chief Kevin Everhart dedicated his service to her in a symbolic act during ceremony while Katie stood by for the passing of the torch. Principle Chief Gary Hunt brought our new 2nd Chief, Duane Everhart, into the ceremonial circle and gave him his directives to carry out his new duties. Once again, we thank our predecessors for all they have done - Don and Katie.
Where there s smoke by Gary Hunt pose be? He wanted a perfect plan. He thought so hard that he became very tired and fell asleep. His sleep was filled with dreams of his creation. He saw strange things in his dream. He saw animals crawling on four legs, some on two. Some creatures flew with wings, some swam with fins. There were plants of all colors, covering the ground everywhere. Insects Everything is ready now. I will fill this place with the happy movement of life. buzzed around, dogs barked, birds sang, and human beings called to each other. Everything seemed out of place. The Great Spirit thought he was having a bad dream. He thought, nothing could be this imperfect. When the Great Spirit awakened, he saw a beaver nibbling on a branch. He realized the world of his dream became his creation. Everything he dreamed about came true. When he saw the beaver make his home, and a dam to provide a pond for his family to swim in, he then knew everything has its place and purpose in the time to come. It has been told among our people from generation to generation. We must not question our dreams. They are our creation. Gary(Medicine Hawk) Hunt, Principal Chief Principal Chief Meaning of Flag Draped Coffin by Duane Everhart Our people, the American Indian, have served in every battle that the US has been involved in. We ve fought against and for the United States. Our people have contributed percentage wise, more service men and women than any other race or ethnic group. We are a people of Warriors and that is why I ve included this article. Here is how to understand what the flag that laid upon the coffin and is surrendered to many widows, widowers, parents and children. First, do you know that the 21 gun salute stands for the sum of the numbers in the year 1776 (trust me, I tried it)? Have you ever noticed the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the US Flag 13 times? The 4 th fold represents the weak nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peas as well as in time of war for His divine guidance. The 5 th fold is a tribute to our country. The 6 th fold is for where people s hearts lie. It is with their heart that they pledge allegiance to the flag, and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. The 7 th fold is a tribute to its Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that they protect their country and their flag against all her enemies. The 8 th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day. The 9 th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded. The 10 th fold is a tribute to the father, for he too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of their country since they were first born. The 11 th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The 12 th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. The 13 th fold, when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding them of their Nations motto, In God We Trust. After the flag is folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the sailors and marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces, preserving for them the rights, privileges and freedoms they enjoy today. Page 2
Author All W. Eckert passes over (reproduced from Springfield News and Sun, 7/9/11) He was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize seven times. By Jacqui Boyle Author Allan W. Eckert, famous for writing the stories That became the outdoor drams Blue Jacket and Tecumsh, died Thursday (7/4/11) morning. The Jesse Stuart Foundation, which worked with Mr. Eckert on half of his books, confirmed that Mr. Eckert died in his sleep at his home in Corona, Calif. The former Ohioan was 80. After serving four years in the United States Air Force, Mr. Eckert attended the University of Dayton and Ohio State University. Allan W. Eckert, 80 passes away Mr. Eckert, author of 40 published books, was nominated on seven separate occasions for the Pulitzer Prize in literature. He was the recipient in 1985 of an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from Bowling Green University. Wright State University presented him with a second honorary degree, also in Humane Letters, in 1998. He was a life member and former trustee of the Dayton Museum of Natural History. During his career, Mr. Eckert also published more than 150 articles, essays and short stories, as well as screenplays for several movies. His works have been translated into 13 foreign languages. At the time of his death, he was working on his latest book, The Infinite Dream, part of his The Winning America series. It should be released at the end of the summer. Mr. Eckert also authored another book titled The Ultimate Treasure, which was slated to be released in 2012. At this time, officials at the Jesse Stuart Foundation said the new date of release has not been determined. Mr. Eckert is survived by his wife, Joan. He lived in Bellefontaine for several years. "Free" By Calvin & Nancy Hooten There are those who seek a path they were not meant to walk, There are those who want to hear things of which it is not meant to talk, There are those who want to learn things they are not meant to know, There are those who want to see things that we cannot show. Too many are so busy Trying to be what they are not, That they never learn and enjoy the heritage they have got. They dress up in "regalia", They put feathers in their hair, They put teepees in their backyards, and have "Indian" jewelry to wear. But they just don't understand, they don't seem to comprehend, That it is none of those things that make you an "Indian". For what you are is what the Creator meant you to be, And until you learn that truth you never can be free. Free to live the life that you were meant to live, Free to experience the joy that walking your path can give. So stop trying to be something else and then you will be free, To enjoy this thing called life by being what you were meant to be. Page 3
We Are Still Here By Janet Clinger In 2000 Ruth Morgan and I brainstormed with Barbara Lehmann regarding the creation of an exhibit highlighting the Piqua Shawnee Tribe s efforts to preserve and revitalize critical aspects of the culture. As many of you know, we have been privileged to attend ceremonies and gatherings where we ve taken the opportunity to interview and photograph various members of the Tribe. We are in process of creating a traveling exhibit comprised of large wall panels that incorporate photographs Our belief is this: every step you take, every word you speak, every and text excerpts from motion you make, is going to affect the individual interviews. By carefully se- the next seven generations of people, and it also affects the past seven lecting quotes from generations. In our present state we each participant s interviews to accompany everything that we do, say, act, have to be very, very careful of their photograph, we because seven generations from now will feature current and one word that you speak to somebody, historical concerns of inadvertently, might affect a half a the Piqua regarding million people. events and issues that Gary Hunt, Principal Chief, Piqua continue to shape the Shawnee Tribe future of the Tribe, as well as current efforts to keep the unique Piqua Shawnee culture vital, and in what ways that process is linked to the concept of reconciliation, both among various Native communities as well as with the larger society. We conceived this project as a way of informing the larger society who live within the traditional landscape of the Shawnee that WE ARE STILL HERE! Unfortunately, many non-native people still believe that the Indians were either forced west to reservation lands or were killed off when the white invasion took place. We want to dispel these myths by circulating this exhibit throughout Shawnee country. Ruth and I are working on other projects and have had limited time to spend with the Piqua Shawnee, but we hope to complete this project in the near future. In addition to the exhibit, we plan to offer a desktop published book containing photographs and the individual interviews at cost for Tribal members and the general public. We realize that we are unable to interview and photograph every member of the Tribe as the project would become too cumbersome and expensive to produce. With Barbara s help we chose people who are contributing in a substantial way to the wellbeing and continuity of cultural life. Two somewhat unexpected benefits emerged for us during this process: first, we both have learned so much about the depth and beauty of the Native way of being in the world, and finally we did not expect this project to be so much fun! It continues to be a joy for us to work with you. Now that we are honorary members of the Piqua Shawnee Tribe we pledge to all of you to do our very best to create an exhibit that you can be proud of. Ultimately WE ARE STILL HERE belongs to all of you. Just a note regarding funding: we don t have any for this project at this point. In order to mount the exhibit we will need to acquire sufficient funding. We are in process of looking, but at present the prospects are a little grim. Nevertheless, we are proceeding as if we have secured the funding in the belief that it will appear at the right time if we continue to do the work. If you have any questions about the project, please feel free to email me at: janetclinger@att.net Book Review By Katie Rose-Walker Kinfolks, Falling off the Family Tree: The search for my Melungeon Ancestors, by Lisa Alther I happened across this book at the Library by accident. Phil and I both read it and enjoyed it. Lisa was born and raised in Tennessee. She attended college in New England. The book has a wonderful comparison of life views, north and south. The book follows Lisa s journey across the south and through many of the myths and legends of how the Scotts and the Irish got to American and then intermarried with the Native Americans. She delves into the Barbados connection from Northern Ireland and the reality of indentured servitude. The book is well foot noted and has lists of many resources. Many of her family names are familiar to our tribal members. There is even a DNA comparison of herself and her relatives in the ending chapters. A great read and resource. Katie Rose-Walker. Page 4
Barbara s History Corner: Peckuwe Along the Mad River, they formed two villages, Pekcuwe Town and Kispoko Town, collectively called Peckuwe (Pickaway or Piqua) Along the Mad River, they formed two villages, Peckuwe Town and Kispoko Town, collectively called Peckuwe (Pickaway or Piqua). Peckuwe consisted of about 50 well built log cabins, each surrounded by corn. The town extended along the river for three miles or more. At the western end of the village was a triangular stockade and blockhouse which had been built by the British, under Captain Bird. Picture from Shawnee Village, Cincinnati Historical Society, Cincinnati, OH Shawnee Indians settled in the area along the Mad River, including a part of what is now George Rogers Clark Park, in 1754, after being driven from Pennsylvania. They were of Algonquian stock and were described as fierce, aggressive, fiery, and proud. In the early 18th century they dominated other Indian tribes in Ohio country. Peckuwe grew in size as Indians from other tribes moved in. At one time there were probably 4,000 Indians living here. It became a base for the British & Indian raids against the colonial settlements. Nearly 800 acres of corn were raised to use as food for their expeditions. Thus the area became one of two targets of Colonel George Rogers Clark s 1780 campaign against the Shawnee in retaliation for their raids on Kentucky towns. After the Battle of Peckuwe, most of the Shawnee moved northward to present day Piqua. Page 5
Fall Bread Schedule 2011 October 7th & 8th Friday Evening Everyone arrive safely Saturday Morning: 9:00 am- 10:00 am - Women s and Warrior s Meeting 10:00 am 11:00am - Elder s Meeting 11:00am - 12:00 - Clan Meetings 12:00 1:00 - Lunch There will be a short Tribal Council meeting following lunch 2:00 pm - Bread dance and ceremony 4:00pm? - Raffle (yes, there will be a raffle!) Check Kathy Walker (Tribal Mother) for meal scheduling A Big Tribal Thank you to John Aldredge Gregory Belt Dr. Ken Tankersley Sunny War Eagle Bob Anderson Sara Wagar & Aimee Collins Cal & Kathy Walker for Port a Jons At Green Corn For Their Donations. Donations are sent to the Native American Ministries Treasurer. Katie Rose-Walker 5500 Twp Rd. 250 Logan, Ohio 43138 740-503-6988 Please keep those donations coming! Tribal Event Schedule Fall Bread - October 8 - New Carlisle, OH Winter Social TBA Winter Council TBA From your Editor: Thanks to all who made this issue possible. Please note that our Winter edition will be going out in January. Please do not wait till late December to send me your articles. Also, if you are able to get this via e-mail or off our website, please let me know. Tribal funds are very limited and if we can reduce the amount of mailings, this will help a lot. Just shoot me an e-mail at brother_otter@yahoo.com if you want me to drop you off my mailing list. And as a reminder, I encourage anyone who has any experience in MicroSoft Publisher to consider taking on this task. Just drop me a line and I ll help you get started as our editor. Duane Everhart Page 6 Newsletter dates Mailing dates Deadline for submissions Jan. 1 Nov. 15 April 1 Feb. 15 July 1 May 15 Oct. 1 Aug. 15 Please send articles to Duane Everhart at brother_otter@yahoo.com
LaQuinta Inn offers break on room rates Cost is $65.00 per room. To book, tell them you want a room with the Piqua Shawnee Tribe Block. The price includes a full breakfast, the option of canceling before 6 p.m. the day of the reservation and a noon checkout time. LaQuinta Inn and Suites North Dayton at Tipp City 19 Weller Drive Tipp City, OH 45371 (937) 667-1574 The motel is located at exit 68, right next to 75. Exit 68 is SR 571 and you will need to go west on this highway. At the second stoplight, turn right on to Weller Dr. Hotel is on the left. See map below. Fall Bread at Smith Park in New Carlisle, OH This year s Fall Bread will be held at the Shelter at Smith Park in New Carlisle, thanks to Clan Chief Jerry Wilson. The park is just 16 minutes from the hotel. Directions from the hotel : From Weller Drive, take a left onto OH/SR-571 (East) and travel about 14 minutes. Turn left onto South Smith St, go about 1/10 of a mile and turn left onto West Washington St.. The park will be on the left. For you GPS types, the street address is: 898 W. Washington St, New Carlisle, OH 45344 I understand that Jerry is preparing some of his world class stuffed turkey breasts! Page 7
O f f i c i a l B u si n e s s o f t h e P i q u a S h a wn e e T r i b e Piqua Shawnee Tribe P.O. Box 501 Tyner, KY 40486 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED