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First quarterly of 2012 starts with new members

By Lailani Upham

(L to R) The new CSKT Tribal Council members swear-in during the winter quarterly meeting Friday, January 6. Lloyd Irvine, CSKT Pablo District Representative; Ron Trahan, CSKT St. Ignatius District Representative; Leonard Gray, CSKT Hot Springs District Representative; and CSKT Arlee District Representative James V. “Bing” Matt.

PABLO — The turn out was standing room only for the first quarterly meeting for 2012 last Friday, January 6. Folks packed in and witnessed as four new council members were sworn in, and to the 89-years-young “traditional scholar” Felicite “Jim” Sapiye Pierre McDonald was honored.

It was an 80 percent turnover this election with four out of the five incumbents being voted out of office last month. The only re-elected representative was Terry Pitts from the Dixon District.

As reported in an article last week, the two closest races were in the St. Ignatius (10 vote difference) and Dixon (33 vote difference) districts. The most decisive races were in the Hot Springs (170 vote difference) and Arlee (171 vote difference) districts. In the Pablo District the vote difference was 86.

However, representatives from the Pablo and St. Ignatius Districts are returning council members, Lloyd Irvine and Ron Trahan.

CSKT Vice Chair Joe Durglo was voted in as the new Chair with a motion by CSKT Elmo Representative Reuben Mathias, and a second by CSKT Ronan Representative Carole Lankford.

Representative Carole Lankford was bestowed the position as Vice Chair person by a nomination from Terry Pitts, Dixon Representative and a second by Elmo Representative Reuben Mathias.

Steve Lozar, Polson Representative nominated Representative Mathias as Secretary with a second by the veteran Arlee District Representative Jimmy Malatare.

The Treasurer title was set upon new but former council member St. Ignatius District Representative Ron Trahan. The nomination was motioned by Malatare and seconded by Pitts.

Following an honor song by Yamncut singers, Trahan thanked all who supported him. He stated he would do his darn best to represent the people. Trahan said the honor song was not only for them (Council members), but for all those in attendance. “Let’s work together,” he expressed.

Pablo Representative Lloyd Irvine expressed it was a good feeling to see a full house and said he saw his newly elected position as an honored position, one that will carry on and represent the 7,000 people, “especially the elders,” he stated.

Pitts stated the Kerr Dam management and water issues are important issues to move forward with this year. He voiced that it is important to begin each meeting with prayer and reflecting on the leaders of the past to direct and guide. Pitts encouraged that all the membership be involved and to move forward together.

Yamncut drum group sing a song in honor of Felicite McDonald while a full house of standing room only crowd of community members observe and listen with the highly esteemed elder. (Lailani Upham photo)

Newly elected CSKT Hot Springs Representative Leonard Gray stated a few words of gratitude, saying he was a fortunate man and will “take the job very seriously.”

CSKT Arlee District Representative “Bing” Matt stated he had good mentors to help him along in the past campaign and thanked his supporters. “There are a lot of issues to take care of.” Matt stated more prayer would be vital for the right decisions to be made in the future and “to do right for everybody.”

Carole Lankford, Ronan Representative expressed gratitude and acknowledgement to the outgoing council members Ernest “Bud” Moran and Charlie Morigeau for their service and for being present.

Jimmy Malatare, Arlee District Representative thanked and recognized the outgoing council members and stated he was an honored to have worked with them and learned much from each.

Reuben Mathias, Elmo Representative stated with the Kerr Dam management that education and elder care should take precedence, “If we don’t provide education up to Master degrees and Doctorate degrees we are going to be behind.”

Steve Lozar, Polson Representative said it was a year of gains and losses. He stated looking out at the crowd seeing elders and children present offered a sense of healing and reflection for the future of the tribes. He also recognized attributes of the outgoing council members.

The grand moment of the quarterly gathering was reverencing McDonald for her 30 years of service as Senior Translator and Cultural Advisor for the Salish-Pend d’Oreille Culture Committee.

McDonald was described as a “traditional scholar,” in other words she was one who didn’t teach it, she was it. She carries with her bottomless first-hand knowledge of the language and traditional way of life, yet she never assumes to know it all.

“I shared an office with her and witnessed her doing her work as a traditional scholar day in and day out. She always would say she didn’t know much, then she’d end up telling you a lot,” said Tom Smith, of the Salish-Pend d’Oreille Culture Committee.

“Jim has humility,” Smith stated. When McDonald started on the culture committee she had recorded tapes of elders that shared the oral history and songs. “From day one she would put on her head phones and listen. A real scholar – looks at the knowledge and masters it. She would listen to those tapes over and over, 100 times or more.”

McDonald’s tape recording were be made up of several elders before her such as: Eneas “Tom Puss” Pierre, Pete Beaverhead, Louise McDonald, Agnes Vanderburg, Louise Vanderburg, Mose Chouteh, Mitch Smallsalmon, Pete Woodcock, Agnes Incashola, Little Mary Finley, and many others.

Miss Felicite McDonald smiles with her grandson, Pete White, as Salish Pend d’Oreille Director, Tony Incashola shares stories of McDonald’s life and work. (Lailani Upham photo)

“She is one of the last real people that hold onto those values, the traditional values whether she realizes it or not,” stated Tony Incashola Salish-Pend d’Oreille Culture Committee Director. Incashola shared stories as a kid when he would “run around” with Felicite’s sons, and when they got in trouble so did he.

As Incashola reminisced from years back, he spoke out on how folks have lost some values and traditions along the years. “Today we honor this lady. It wasn’t a job to her, it was what she enjoyed,” he said.

Salish-Pend d’Oreille elder Pat Pierre has known McDonald for 75 years. They both grew up with the language he said. He stated his grandmother was strict with the language and words had to be spoken correctly and not cut off to “slang.” When it comes to words Pierre might have hitches with, he says he can turn to McDonald.

Pierre shared a recent ordeal he and McDonald worked on in a language trip up referencing a word for “sewing,” it developed into a “new” word. “I came to her to ask her a word for “sewing”, we worked it and came up with an answer,” Pierre said. Pierre spoke the word – it carried the sound of how it may sound to make “big stitches,” he said. McDonald nodded at the answer he told the crowd.

“I never heard Felicite talk of enemies,” Pierre added. He stated alcohol and drugs are the enemy, people should never be the enemy. “We live together and should visit one another, we don’t do that anymore. People just keep walking. If you know a person you should shake their hand and not look around but give them your attention. I see people looking over here and over there when you talk to them, and that is totally disrespectful. Let them know you care. Shake their hands and let them know you care – that’s what Jim does.”

Felicite, also known as “Jim” by her close relations, is offered a Pendleton blanket by Incashola for years of perpetuating Salish culture and language to generation after generation on the Flathead Reservation. (Lailani Upham photo)

Arlee High School student Vance Home Gun took the tail end of the comments for the McDonald, “All of you in here care about the language – but she (McDonald) cares a little bit more.” Home Gun who is one of the youngest fluent speakers says McDonald was a huge influence and hope for him to keep on keeping on when he at many times felt like giving up. Reality is the language is struggling to survive and revive, “Sometimes I’d feel this is too hard, what’s the use?” However, Home Gun would go see her and the wisdom and inspiration McDonald would render would give the young lad one more step of courage to carry on. “She’s my backbone, so are all the elders and my parents.”

At the conclusion of the morning’s recognitions and events, a luncheon was served up by Desert Horse. After the feast the community offered words of encouragement and some were heated over on-going issues.