Siletz High School - Warrior Yearbook (Siletz, OR)

Page 9 text:

Dancers are Archie Ben, Pauline Ricks, Arthur Bell, Herman Bell, Dennis Bostwick, Steven Brown, Shirley Ben, Maxine Rilatos, Bob Rilatos, Paul Youngman, August Simmons, Clark John, Patrick Ben Robert Simmons, and Gaylene Towner Only a few of the young people have learned to perform the tribal dances Thi group, however, still practices, and is one of the most entertaining features for half time at football games NKLAT NAAGAW THE MHISTLE MAN Belief in the power of the Whistle Man has not disappeared from this valley, for many Indian families have great respect for this legendary figure whose eerie whis tle has been heard at night in recent years It is an awful sound, they say, like nothing else ever heard, and when he hears it, one can make a positive identifica tion Come believe that the Whistle Nan has the power to bring either a sudden or lingering death, others think he merely torments his subgects, stealing their catch or disturbing their sleep and scaring their children This power is an evil one, gained by much practice in running, Jumping, and whistling, and is located in a charm, actually a bone from the graveyard, which he must protect with his life, lest the power be lost A favorite practice ground for an aspiring Vhistle Man is a falls in the river about four miles upstream from Siletz According to the belief, one who has this power can stay at home in bed, sending his evil self out to do his bidding This evil self mav remain in the spirit, or may take a physical form, but with this form is mortal A favorite physical being is that of an owl for a such he can perch in a tree, whistling and tormenting his victim The story of the Whistle Tan was confirmed by Grandma Collins, 87 who lives on Government Hill, but her ver ion differs in some particulars NKlat Naaga carri s poison wrapped in gauze under belt, part red and part white, the red for blood and the white for bone,W she said W'hen one hears him, sounds like nothing ever heard and it makes the nose to bleed and the hair to stand straight up W She has not seen him recently, but has heard his whistle Fear of the Whistle Man is one reason for keeping clean, for cleanliness helps to defeat him, the fear of this man was Grandma Collins' explanation for the stear bath which is more cleansing than a swim in the river 'Indians must keep clean like fi h,W she remar TRIP BACK TO ROGUB RIVER Iany of the people from the Rogue River country were homesick and wished to return When she was a- bout 7 years old, Grandma Collins made the trip down the beach with her Grandmother, who packed eel and dried fish in a basket for supplies They walked all the way down the coast, many days, each night sleep- ing behind logs on the beach Vhen they came to a river, they made friends with the people who would take them across in a boat or casket Few of these Indians who had been moved into the Ciletz Valley stayed here all the time, movin? to Devil'c Lake or over into the Villamette and back to Siletz BURIAL CU TOL NThe early Qiletz Indians were buried with a knife in one hand and a Q25 :fold piece in the other, pre- , f ' i pared to fight or buy entrance into the next world, .lg lk' ' says Gregon, -Ed of the Trail, aBhisgoryfbogk whiih ' l was prepared Ore on Ctate oar o ontro GPANDMA COLLENQ WITH CRADLD Grandma ACollinsy agregd to that statement, but ex- BOARD HE 'ADL plained that the money might have been silver or money beads.