Last week, over Spring Break, a group of shinny players representing R.E.D. traveled over to the Coos Tribe to teach a group of kids how to play shinny (our adopted game of stickball). The invitation from the Coos Tribe came some months ago, after the gifting of a set of shinny sticks to the Coos Title VII Program (Indian Education) at last year's Elder/Youth Conference.
Michael and I took Buddy, Misha and Tasker over to teach this shinny workshop to the Coos Tribe. We were greeted with gracious Indian hospitality and about 50 kids between the ages of 8 and 18 who were extremely eager and ready to learn shinny! After a delicious breakfast at the Tribal Hall and a teaching and sharing of some Longhouse tradition around a fire in the Coos traditional Plank House, we proceeded to the field to teach shinny. How can I describe 50 kids with sticks learning how to play for the first time? I CAN say that after introducing shinny to countless youth groups and people all over Oregon, AND having played the game now for nearly four years, we have seen over and over that kids take to it like fish to water! And after they've played for about 3 minutes, they are HOOKED for life! The game itself is THAT much fun. What we know, as teachers and people who "carry" the game is that reintroducing stickball games to indigenous and inter-tribal youth is MUCH more that simply introducing another sport. It is reintroducing a cultural component to these tribal kids--and to all people.
Over the past four years, we have traveled to various Pow Wows and Gatherings in Oregon, lugging sets of sticks, double-balls and our own passion for shinny with us to share the games and gift the sticks. We usually try to host some sort of pick-up game and introduce it by PLAYING, then making a presentation to the Tribe our group we are visiting. It has been a blessing and an honor to give shinny sticks to over a dozen Native youth groups, Tribes and organizations in the Northwest in the years Red Earth Descendants has been working toward re-introducing Native Games in our region. We intend to keep this tradition going indefinitely.
The Coos Tribe workshop was a huge success, on many levels, and great fun for the kids. We gifted two groups of Coos Tribal kids--the group on the Coos Rez in Coos Bay and a group of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Suislaw kids from Springfield who traveled to the workshop that day. In the northwest Potlatch tradition, we were also gifted with some canoe teachings, handmade paddles and beautiful blankets to each of us in our Closing Ceremony. Our own kids were very touched and learned a lot from this exchange and from the experience of traveling to another Tribe as honored guests. Along with teaching shinny, Buddy, Misha and Tasker also brought their hand drums and sang songs at the Tribal Hall and later at the Coquille Longhouse on the Coquille rez, sharing their gift for song and their love for the Drums.
All in all it was a beautiful exchange of traditions and people. As a mother and advocate for the youth in R.E.D., I was very impressed with our kids' and their ability to share their love and passion for shinny and singing with other youth. That's what this community is all about for me, so what a blessing and prayer fulfilled to see the exchange between our communities in this way.
To those of you in our community who have helped nurture and foster our core values in R.E.D.--as parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles--you have all helped to support this vision and the maturity these kids are developing and now sharing with other youth. Working with kids is a never-ending job and a labor of love. We've
made huge strides and have many more miles to go! Anyone who has helped in the kitchen to feed the kids, made regalia and giveaway items, helped organize fundraising, sat through long meetings hashing our event organization, stood behind the Drum to help hold it up, donated money or gifts to our group, participated in Ceremony, offered a teaching or your time with our extended family, tilled and worked the garden with us, offered your helping hands in COUNTLESS ways to make R.E.D. operate in a good way. . .in the way of elders and youth joining hands and creating a family. . .we extend our heartfelt gratitude. . .beyond any words here.
Pilamaya,
Jaimie
Red Earth Descendants and a grateful mother!