GEORGIA TRULL - YOROK

GEORGIANA AND JOHNARE YUROKS WHO LIVE IN HOOPA, 19 MILES FROM THE BRIDGE OVER THE KLAMATH RIVER. THIS LAND IS STEEP AND THICKLY FORESTED WITH OAKS, PINES, FIRS, MAPLE AND MADRONE TREES. THEIR HOUSE OVER LOOKS THE RIVER AND THEIR LIVING ROOM HAS PHOTOS OF ALL SORTS. OF CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. SHE IS 77 YEARS OLD BUT SEEMS YOUNGER AND SHE IS PEACEFUL. SHE EASILY LAUGHS AT HER HUSBAND'S JOKES AND STORIES.

THEY ARE FROM THE SHREGON VILLAGE, 1/2 MILE FROM HERE. IT USED TO BE THE BIG VILLAGE. WHEN ASHE WAS YOUNG THERE WERE NO ROADS, OR CARS, AND WHAT WE WERE ISOLATED. WE WOULD RIDE A HORSE TO THE STORE FOR GROCERIES. IN SO MANY WAYS IT WAS A BETTER LIFE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ALCOHOL AND NO DRUGS.. THEY WEREN'T LONELY BECAUSE THEY WENT DOWN TO THE VALLEY TO BE WITH THEIR PEOPLE. THEIR ENTERTAINMENT WAS TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE'S STORIES. THEN AS VILLAGE LIFE BEGAN TO FALL APART, THERE WAS MORE DRINKING.

WE YUROK HAVE NEVER BEEN ORGANIZED, YET WE'VE SURVIVED AS INDEPENDENT . THEY HAVE WORKED HARD AND NEVER HAD GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE. THEIR YOUNG PEOPLE KNOW THAT IF THEY WANT ANYTHING THEY HAVE TO WORK HARD FOR IT. GEORGIA KNOWS HER LANGUAGE AND TEACHES IT TO YOUNG PEOPLE. SHE JUST RETIRED. SHE TAUGHT PART TIME AT SCHOOL FOR 20 YEARS. SHE TAUGHT KINDERGARDEN AND FORTH GRADERS. THEIR PARENTS HAVE NOT LEARNED THE LANGUAGE - THAT'S SAD. SHE SAID IF YOU KNOW YOUR LANGUAGE THEN YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE - IT'S THE BASIS OF OUR CULTURE. THERE ARE ONLY TWO YUROKS WHO KNOW THEIR LANGUAGE. AND ONLY 11 FOLKS IN THE EUREKA AND KLAMATH AREA THAT ARE FLUENT IN THEIR LANGUAGE.

DURING THE BRUSH DANCE THE SONGS DON'T SOUND ALL THE SAME AS WHEN THE OTHERS USED TO SING THEM. THE CHILDREN SHE HAS TAUGHT DON'T GET THE ACCENT. THE BOAT DANCE IS PART OF OUR CEREMONIES EVERY TWO YEARS.

MANY INDIANS SAY WE CAN'T LEARN OUR LANGUAGE - IT'S SO HARD. THEY GO UP TO CHIMNEY ROCK TO PRAY AS DO THE TOLOWA AND KAROK. THEY SPEAK ALL DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. HER GRANDCHILDREN WILL HAVE TO LEARN TWO DIFFERENT CULTURES. ONLY THE MEN SWEAT. HER GRANDMA HAD ARTHRITIS AND HER MOM PUT ROCKS IN A BIG WASH TUB AND POURED HOT WATER IN IT AND SHE SET HER MOM ON A CHAIR OVER THE TUB. THEN SHE WRAPPED HER IN A BLANKET FOR HER TO SWEAT. EVERYONE DID THEIR OWN PRAYERS SECRETLY. WHEN SHE GREW UP EVERY TYPE OF REGALIA FOR THE CEREMONIES WAS MADE BY HAND. NOW THEY USE ELECTRIC DRILLS FOR MAKING BEADS.

AT THE VILLAGE EVERYONE GOT PART OF A DEER AND NOTHING WAS WASTED. THEY FISHED UNTIL EVERYBODY HAD WHAT THEY NEEDED FOR WINTER. THEY WOULD USE A NET SO OTHERS COULD FISH AS WELL. THEY NEVER SOLD THE FISH. HER MOM FEEDS EVERYONE AND GAVE THEM A PLACE TO STAY. TODAY PARENTS DON'T SPEND TIME WITH THEIR CHILDREN. THEY DON'T WANT TO TEACH THEM OR TAKE THEM OUT. (?)

HERBS WERE HER MEDICINES AND THEY WORKED. HER DOCTOR SAID SHE'S THE HEALTHIEST PERSON FOR HER AGE THAT HE HAS SEEN. THEY USED TO LIVE AND GATHER PLANTS FROM THE FOREST AND NOT HAVE GARDENS.
AFTER HER MOM'S GENERATION THEY STARTED PLANTING GARDENS. THE YOUNG GENERATION SAYS EVERYTHING HAS TO BE ORGANIC. SOME FOLKS STILL GATHER MOST OF THEIR FOOD - ACORNS AND OTHER PLANTS.

SANDY JOHNSON