In a 10-minute ceremony prior to Philomath High’s Senior Night softball win Wednesday over Newport, representatives of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians blessed the field.
It’s now officially known as Warrior Field.
Philomath softball coach Kari Jaques put the wheels in motion on the field naming back in December and she wrote a letter in early February to the school superintendent to see if the idea could become a reality.
“I think it’s honorable that you have staff that want to honor the people of the aboriginal land,” Siletz tribal council member Selene Rilatos said afterward. “The Kalapuyas are part of our tribe and we have a lot of bands within the confederation and so when Kari got a hold of me, I said, ‘yeah, I’d be glad to come to a blessing.’”
The Kalapuya traditionally lived throughout the Willamette Valley and were not a single, unified tribe but a confederation of bands who spoke related languages and shared cultural traits. Descendants of the Kalapuya are among those who are members of the Siletz tribe.
“She was the first person that I wanted to reach out to when we talked about doing this,” Jaques said about Rilatos. “She was an awesome asset and is kind of really the reason this got pushed off so I can’t thank her enough.”
Jaques had kind words about the community and the Warrior tradition that remains intact on the Philomath campus.
“When I started to make upgrades to the field, I was also quickly shown how many stand behind us proudly as Warriors by the amount of donations and work that was offered by so many community businesses, groups and individuals,” Jaques said.
Situated on the infield and facing the crowd, the Siletz’s Ron Butler Jr., teacher, and Reggie Butler Jr., tribal council member, participated in ceremonial drumming and singing.
“We always pray for the future and we pray for today — to always give thanks for all that’s provided for us and then to bless the land of our ancestors,” Rilatos said. “It’s nice that we could do this today.”
Jaques incorporated the team’s seniors into the event.
“Our team philosophy is to honor all that walked on the field before us and those who will walk on it after us by our attitude and effort that we give every day,” Jaques told the crowd. “This senior class embodies that better than anyone and I can’t think of a better way to honor the Warriors of the past, present and future than by having them stand up here alongside me.”
Jaques made dentalium necklaces that the seniors presented to the Siletz representatives.
“The necklaces that we gave, dentalium, are really important in coastal tribes and it’s been used for everything from currency, from regalia, royalty, things like that,” Jaques said. “The more necklaces that you have on, it’s an honor — it means more things. … It’s a sign of high standing.”
The necklaces held great importance to Jaques.
“Anytime that you have tribal come out, you want to make sure that you honor them and tell them thank you for coming out,” Jaques said. “It’s an important gesture and so we wanted to make sure that was something that we gave.”
The tribal council at an April 17 meeting gave PHS its blessing to use “Warrior” as part of the field’s name. The Philomath School Board approved the naming of the facility during an April 28 meeting — a process that the administration deemed necessary based on school policy.
Jaques, who herself has native ancestry, has a history with the Siletz.
“My family has been associated over in the Toledo-Siletz area for a really long time,” Jaques said. “My dad played ball with a lot of the guys for a really long time and I’ve grown up around Siletz tribe traditions and I’ve played against her (Rilatos) kids and just have known her forever.”
Rilatos said she’s known Jaques since she was a little girl.
“I was really happy that we had people available that could come here today,” she said. “It was an honor to be here and to help Kari and her team.”
A few other Siletz representatives were also on hand for the pregame ceremony, including longtime Philomath resident Jeff Williams.
A PHS graduate, Williams serves as the tribe’s Whip Man, a position that comes with making sure powwows run smoothly and that decorum and traditions are honored, as well as engaging in the promotion of cultural education and awareness. Williams worked for the local school district and represented the Siletz as the grand marshal of the Frolic’s 2019 parade.
Jaques said a wooden sign that’s being made for the field should be finished soon. She added that she’s not 100% sure exactly where the sign will be installed.