| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010 6:12 pm |
ADVERTISEMENT |
|||||||||
 |
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
Local News 
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Honoring tradition, Tulalip hunter shares meat from first kill SEATTLE — Bagging his first deer was a rite of passage for 13-year-old Josh Hamilton. After bringing home the three-point buck, Josh had another tradition to honor.On Tuesday morning, the young Tulalip tribal member climbed warily out of his grandfather's truck in the middle of Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. A shy Totem Middle School eighth-grader, Josh was greeted on the sidewalk by staff and clients of the Chief Seattle Club, a nonprofit organization that provides support to about 200 low-income and homeless urban American Indians and Alaska Natives. Josh was there to give away his butchered deer to help feed the people who frequent the club's day shelter. He helped unload coolers of venison from the truck and carried the meat to the club's kitchen. “Our tradition is that when a boy gets his first deer, he must give it away to those who would appreciate the help,” Josh's mother Andrea Hamilton said as she watched her son. “Josh knows his grandpa brings fish to the Chief Seattle Club, so he wanted to give his deer to our people here on the streets.” Tall for his age, Josh accepted hugs, handshakes and high-fives from men who called him “brother.” The Rev. Patrick Twohy, a Catholic priest who ministered for many years on the Tulalip and Swinomish reservations, asked the people gathered to accept Josh's gift to form a circle in the lobby of the club. Josh, who lives with his family in Tulalip, has known “Father Pat” since he was a little boy and was happy to see the priest, who now splits his time between Chief Seattle Club and Tacoma's Mount Tahoma Indian Center. Following another tradition, Chief Seattle's executive director Jenine Grey, a young Tlingit woman, pinned a blanket around Josh as one of the elderly men in the circle sang and kept a beat on his deer-skin drum. “We are humbled and honored by your gift,” Grey said. “It will nourish the bodies and spirits of people who don't often have the chance to eat traditional foods. In this urban world where we live, a gift like this will bring tears to their eyes.” Josh's grandfather, longtime Marysville School Board director Don Hatch, said he hoped the deer meat and the fresh fish and smoked salmon he brought along would be received as medicine by people at the club. He also praised the Tulalip Tribes and his friends and relatives who helped prepare the food for delivery to Chief Seattle Club. “And thank you for taking our gift,” Hatch told the group. “I hope this is a day Josh will remember forever.” The brief ceremony concluded with prayer and a round of thank-yous in several native languages. Josh raised his hands in thanks and smiled. “It's good to be able to help out our Indian family in Seattle, people who don't have a place to stay,” Josh said. “And it's an honor to get the blanket from the elders here.” At 6 feet tall and more than 200 pounds, Josh has a tribal name, KweKwaWeChud, that doesn't seem to fit. It means “Little Elk.” After one of the men at the shelter gave Josh a red-and-black dreamcatcher to hang in his bedroom, the boy said his dream is to be a professional baseball, basketball or football player. For now, though, Josh is a hunter. Steve Hamilton had taken his son Josh hunting many times. Hamilton, a Muckleshoot, hunts early in the season to stock up for the large meals following funerals and special ceremonies on the Tulalip Reservation. “You have to give to get,” he told Josh. Hamilton taught Josh that animals sacrifice their lives to feed the people, and that every bit of the animal must have a purpose. A craftsman, he uses the hooves for ceremonial regalia and the hides for drums. “The deer lives on as long as the drum beats,” Hamilton said. In the high hills east of Arlington last Friday, Josh asked for his dad's permission to shoot his first deer while out during the tribal hunting season. The kill was quick, with a shot right to the heart. “I was excited and very happy for the gift,” Josh said. Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com. |
- A revolutionary 747
- Fire breaks out at Everett car dealer
- Everett rethinks boutique wineries
- A tidy lawn could be law in Lynnwood
- Snohomish County's bargain housing won't last
- Boeing's 747-8 takes off after weather delay
- Plan for I-5 closures this week
- A new bowling alley for Monroe?
- Lake Stevens man homeless after fire
- I-5 bridge joint may give you a jolt, but it isn't damaged
- Vote on school levies by Tuesday
(11) - A tidy lawn could be law in Lynnwood (10)
- Lynnwood sets height limit on grass: 8 inches (5)
- Everett police officers cleared in 2008 shooting death (5)
- 1949 travel aid shows how few places blacks were welcome in Washington (4)
- I-5 bridge joint may give you a jolt, but it isn't damaged (4)
- Everett rethinks boutique wineries (4)
- County archive software paid for but waiting for set-up (3)
- State Senate votes to toss I-960's tax-raising hurdle (3)
- Three politicians who want Gregoire's job in 2012 (3)
|
 
|
|
|
|
| TODAY'S TOP JOBS |
| View All Top Jobs |
| Top Cars |
|
| Top Homes |
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
|
|Contact Us
|Advertiser Services
|Home Delivery
|Newsstand Locations
|Classifieds
|Feedback
|About the Company
|Work@the Herald
|Site Map |
|
COMMENTS
Log in or register to post a new comment.
To read other terms and conditions, click here
The importance of strong connections to one's family and culture cannot be overstated when it comes to developing the emotional and social assets of our young people. These connections will serve Josh well as he grows into adulthood. Congratulations, Josh!
Chanelle Carlin | Oct 20, 2009 9:41 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
Post reply
Its nice to see stories like this in the paper. I wish there were more of them! Hopefully this boy can rub off on some of the other youth in our community! :)
Beth K | Oct 16, 2009 9:31 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
Post reply
What is needed in all cultures is for the elders to pass on the historical traditions down from generation to generation so we do not loose their rich heritages.
Verna Smith | Oct 16, 2009 1:26 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
Post reply
This a a great tradition that teaches more than family values to the tribe's young. Respect for the tribe (community) and a willingness to give what is yours to those who have less is a life lesson every young person should learn. He is fortunate to have his elders teach him this tradition. Undoubtedly, he will teach his son or daughter the same life lesson when the time comes. He will remember this day all his life.
Bob King | Oct 16, 2009 1:21 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
Post reply
Josh you are the man! This story shows you are wise beyond your years, and it sounds like the great family you have around you is the reason why. I have a wonderful family myself, so I can relate. I'm very proud to have grown up on Tulalip, and stories like this are exactly the reason. Congrats and THANK YOU.
By the way, there's already one Josh Hamilton in Major League Baseball, why not have another? Good Luck!
Justin Harleman | Oct 16, 2009 12:22 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
Post reply
Thank you Josh for sharing your gift with others. Your generosity and selflessness is an inspiration. You and your gift are much needed in this world.
Keep it up!
Kevin Schroeter | Oct 16, 2009 12:13 pm | 0 replies | Request removal
Post reply
We need more kids like Josh in the World.
Penoke is a helluva Grampa!
Johhnny Rotten | Oct 16, 2009 9:38 am | 0 replies | Request removal
Post reply
Congratulations on your first hunting prize, Josh. And thank you for sharing with the many people who needed the nourishment it provided. You are an extraordinary young man!
david Carlos | Oct 16, 2009 9:23 am | 0 replies | Request removal
Post reply
Way to go Josh!! You make us all proud!!
Much luck on your future hunts!!
Native Pride | Oct 16, 2009 8:09 am | 0 replies | Request removal
Post reply
Congratulations and blessings on you, Josh. Thank you, Gale, for this beautiful article.
Thomas Bolling | Oct 16, 2009 6:18 am | 0 replies | Request removal
Post reply