Fry Bread Mix and Human Remains

Yesterday was quite the amazing day!

Rhonda, Louis, and I did "Mitakuye Oyasin" radio program, which was fun. I played a lot of fight songs and it is good having Rhonda on. We discussed pretty much all the stuff we've been discussing on this blog as well.

On the way out to the TV show, Rhonda and I stopped off at the Grocery Outlet on Division in Gresham and found "Sioux Fry Bread Mix" from Lisa Little Chief Specialty Foods. We thought it was just another racist exploitation at first, but then I remembered hearing something about this. We got to MCTV and looked it up on the internet, and sure enough, it is legit.

This man, standing between David Liberty and I, is Harvi Hood. This picture was taken a few minutes after the show was over. Harvi has an ancestor, a great great grand uncle named Curly Haired Jack. He was Modoc and fought with Captain Jack, but didn't make it to the Lava Beds for the final battle. Captain Jack, for those of you who don't know, was the leader of the Modoc during the Modoc war. The Modoc's were friendly, then the U.S. decided to finish the job, and the Modoc fought back. This fight lead to the Lava Beds in Southern Oregon, where the Modoc held off the U.S. military for 8 months. Their water was cut off and that was what lead them to surrender. How man masses of Modocs were fighting back to hold off the U.S. government for so long? 11 warriors. 11! Amazing!

Anyway, Harvi had a rough life, now around 60. He and his wife eventually became hairdressers and they own a shop here in downtown Portland at 1625 SW Morrison.

But wait, the story doesn't end there and now I have to hurry my ass as I was called in early to work to do the Eugene route. F***!

Three years ago, Harvi got a letter from the Smithsonian Institute. Basically it said: Hi, we have one of your ancestors. His name is Curly Haired Jack. His head is missing. We'd like to return his remains to you.

Harvi and his brother Julian recently went to DC to pick up the remains of Curly Haired Jack. They have yet to rebury the body as much discussion is going on as to how exactly that should be done.

The only other story that I know of that compares to this, yet not, is one a friend of mine told me. He had a 22 year old son show up at his door step that he never knew he had.

Well, best get my ass a movin'!

PS Rhonda and I went back to the Grocer Outlet to buy a bunch more of that fry bread mix. On the way out, we ran into Jim and Kelli, the producers of "Native Nations." They were heading in to buy some and worried we bought them out, laughing all the way. We didn't, which made them happy.

Kelli had told us a story that she was doing video for the ANPO encampment for some 8 nonths near Mt. Hood. She was getting teased by the folks that she never learned to cook fry bread. Now's her chance!