Sean C. Morgan
When Dan and Kim Powers reopened the Mountain House, they wanted to build much more than a convenience store or restaurant.
Last week, they hosted a group of Central Linn and Siletz students for a weeklong exploration of the area and camping out at the Mountain House.
?This has been fun,? David Blalock said. He is a Cascadia resident and volunteer firefighter. He and his wife, Lowene, accompanied the group Monday through Thursday. ?I was excited about getting to do this myself. It?s beautiful. If you?ve never done it, you got to do it. The Indian history is just fascinating the heck out of us.?
The Siletz youth are well connected to their heritage, Tony Blomstrom, a camp counselor, said. Seeing some of the sites ?gives them a chance to feel that.?
?We mix the two cultures just to get cultural appreciation and we take the best of both cultures,? Powers said.
The program exposes them to more than just culture and nature, Powers said. It also exposes the students to a variety of potential careers, from hydrologists to archaeologists.
Most of the students and the adults said they enjoyed the trip to Cougar Rock the most. Several of them climbed the rock. A number of them also talked about the spotted owl that stalked them along the Old Santiam Wagon Road.
?This opens eyes to how things were done for centuries,? Central Linn Dean of Students Scott Reed said. ?I think this helps them learn more traditional practices.?
One student, who grew up in Los Angeles, was camping out for her first time, Reed said. ?These guys have been great about being open to a new experience.?
South Santiam Outdoor Education Center, Inc., operated by Mrs. Powers wrote a grant request to sponsor 30 students in the outdoor school program, called STEP (Study of Traditional Ecological Practices).
The project was written to encourage native and non-native youths to explore and understand the historical significance and importance of Camas Prairie, huckleberries, and Native American traditions and practices, Powers said. The program involves the youths in restoration, protection and improvement of forest and camas lands.
The program is designed to increase awareness of traditional fire methods and natural resource management, increasing opportunities for native youth to learn types of procedures and practices used by their native ancestors and experience old ways to preserve land.
Over the course of the week, 14 Siletz students, all members of the Siletz tribe, and nine Central Linn Students visited Falls Creek Hydroelectric Plant to learn about the latest construction techniques used to create a power facility with little or no impact on the environment.
Following the tour, they returned to the Mountain House for a session on edible plants and to enjoy some Dutch-oven cooking.
Tuesday, they toured Cascadia Caves to see ancient Indian petroglyphs then to Cougar Rock to view the huckleberry restoration project underway there.
Wednesday, they traveled to the Camas Prairie near Triple-T Studs and Moose Creek to learn from Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians cultural experts about restoration and cleanup there. Forest Service personnel also discussed the upcoming planned controlled burn there.
On Thursday, Forest Service archaeologist Tony Farque hiked with the group along seven miles of the Santiam Wagon Road, sharing the history and culture of the Indians who once lived in the area.
Friday, the group spent the day with the South Santiam Watershed Council, which provided hands-on lessons about water quality, habitat and fish.
The Central Linn students will return to the Mountain House this week for the job training and work experience portion of the program. Siletz youth will return in August to participate in the Civilian Conservation Corps celebration hosted by the Forest Service. They will work on improvements at Longbow organizational camp.
Students are required to keep journals of their daily experiences. They earn stipends and high school credit for participating.