 | Female and Male Dolls,
ca. 1800s |
Our families are of tremendous importance to us and we are rich because of them. It is through them that we nurture our children and support our grandparents. It is through them that our children bring us such joy and our grandparents pass along such wisdom. Our families are large, as it seems that everywhere we go in Indian country we have relatives - aunties and uncles, grandmas and grandpas. We even call our cousins - brothers and sisters. The relatives from both our mother’s side of the family and our father’s side of the family are equally important to us and help make up a person’s family. This is why we are so rich, "rich in family."
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Rose Moran talks about the traditional values and teachings she is passing along to Mish and all her grandchildren. The name, "mish," is a Warm Springs word meaning, "what!" (Interviewed by Rodney Frey, June 2003) |
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Roy Spino talks about one of the most important values he is stressing to his son Mish, and the need to listen to the elders. (Interviewed by Rodney Frey, June 2003) |
In our desire to care for and nurture our children, when a child is yet small, many families will have a name-giving ceremony for him or her. This is a very special and private name, a name that the child will come to cherish and depend upon for guidance all his or her life. It is the name most often used when we pray to the Creator. At the name-giving, gifts will be shared with the family and there will be a great feast to honor the occasion. We also give nicknames to our children, to publically show our affection and love for them. In the example of Theron Spino, his parents saw a very inquisitive look in his young face and named him “mish,” a Warm Springs word for “what?” His brother, Robert, received the name, “bear,” for some of his early antics, while Theron’s sister, Victoria Rose, was given her nickname,“dogat,” a Yakama word for “why?”
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Rob Moran talks about what is special about his grandson, "the Mish Man," and the traditional values and teachings he is passing along to him. (Interviewed by Rodney Frey, June 2003) |
The Naming Ceremony is not just for children, as an Indian name could be given to a person at any stage in his or her life, even as an adult. And there are some adults who have not received an Indian name.
In our families, both the men and the women are equally important. Both contribute their love and hard work to assisting the others within it. We teach our daughters early in life their roles as nurturers, the ones who will be responsible in caring for and bringing up the children, of gathering the berries and digging the roots, of preparing the salmon and venison that is brought in by their husbands and fathers, and of the meals that sustain the health of everyone. We teach our sons early in their lives their roles as providers, as the fishermen and hunters, and as the protectors of the family and of our way of life. Today, we still emphasize these roles, though we dig the roots and fish the salmon while taking time to also go to school and hold down our 9-to-5 jobs. Our moms and dads, our grandmas and grandpas, all have an equal say in how we run our families and make choices affecting the future generations.
As our villages in the past, so our communities of today, such as Warm Springs, Simnasho and Seekseequa, provide additional support for our tribal members. In them we have our schools and healthcare facilities, our places of employment, our tribal government and all the services it provides, and our longhouses and places of gathering for the family. With the mountains so close to the west and Deschutes River just a few minutes to the east, we have places to relax and enjoy the great beauty of our country.
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"Mish" talks about playing baseball and his first home run. Mish's father, Roy Spino, also discusses Mish's involvement in baseball. Mish was on the Jefferson County All Stars, in which 6 of the 12 players were Indian in 2003. (Interviewed by Rodney Frey, June 2003) |
Within our families and communities, those who earn the respect of others by their good example become our leaders and decision-makers. As in the past, so too today our leaders rule by persuasion and consensus, and not by threat of force. In the past, our village headmen (sometimes called chiefs), and our salmon and root leaders all gained their authority because they exemplified the qualities most admired in their particular roles – not only expertise and knowledge in the tasks at hand, but also honesty, compassion for others, and generosity.
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"Mish" talks about the Xwiyách (Sweat) and the importance of the prayers for the family. Mish's father, Roy Spino, and grandfather, Rob Moran, also discuss Mish's involvement in the Sweat Ceremony. (Interviewed by Rodney Frey, June 2003) |
Continue your visit with Mish in other video clips, as he tells you about hunting and fishing, and getting his first deer and his first salmon, and as he talks about powwow dancing and horse riding.
© Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs 2003
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