Hand Hitched Horse Hair Head Stall

The artist is the art.  I live my art each and every day.  My Indian name is Warhoop->Co Si.  I can't deny that I love the physical nature of the description.  I would go down fighting for what I believe.  However, the ways I was raised has taught me to be caring.  Force without love is hate.  Force with love and consideration is respect.

"Ken Camel works for his tribe in the area of environmental protection. His heritage runs deep in his love for his career, a love equally shared by his three children. Each of them has their own field of study while also working for the Confederated Salish, Pend D Oreille, and Kootenai Tribes. His motto: "Find a job that you love and you will never work another day in your
life... (author unknown)."
 

Co Si COUP STICKS BASED ON: PEND D OREILLE PEACE COUP STICK A long coup stick was used for striking or touching friends in a meeting ceremony. When a scout came back loping his horse and singing it was known he had seen something. A party of men, old and young, went to meet him. They advanced in a line, singing: and when they met, one touched him on the shoulder with the long coup stick. When touched, he said, "Ye-e" if he had seen people, and "Pu’-U" if he had seen buffalo. If a party was approaching on a friendly visit, even when they were known to be coming and were undoubtedly friendly, a number of mounted warriors went out to meet them. When within sight they advanced toward them in a lien abreast, singing. When within a few hundred yards they broke into a gallop and charged on the visitors as if in war. When within striking distance they all reined up their horses short, and one of the leaders would come forward and tapped the leader of the visitors shoulder with the stick. This is said to have meant he chose him as a friend. Excerpt from "The Salish Group" author as translated from Salish Elders as told to Frane Boas Anthropologist. Co Si SALISH COUP STICK 4 ITEMS I NEED 1) Favorite animal: ____________________. Reference Lisa Ray attachment 2) Favorite color: _______________________. (Red, white, and blue.) 3) Your Age: _____________________ 4) Number of Children: ____________________.
Horse Spirit style stick with horse hair.		"Co Si Coup Stick"   By Ken Camel Horse Spirit style stick with horse hair. Authentic Salish Coup sticks 200 centennial. Personalized and made to your order. Created on demand. Order now as only so many will be made prior to the 2005 Lewis and Clark Centennial.
		Goose Stick with Basic Feathers
		"Family Indian"   By Ken Camel Family is the most important thing.  My chosen native name, Co Si, when translated, means Warhoop.  If I was born in another time, I would have been a protector of the Tribe, the Family, and the Nation.  Learning my place in the modern world has been a challenge.  I now know this is a portion of the maturity of a Warrior.  Hi Yo.
"Big Medicine" By Ken Camel The buffalo Big Medicine represents the best of both worlds.  It is a symbol of hope and understanding between the cultures.  A life sized replica of this spiritual symbol is planned at the newly proposed Salish Point Park in Polson, Montana.		"Chief Eagle Mountain"   By Ken Camel   'Camels spirit runs deep in the high ridges of the Rocky Mountains.  Highways of the spirits that watch over these most beautiful and resourceful lands."
	Ken, today Pend D Oreille Warrior.	"Boxing Brothers" The Camel Brothers were the first and only professional boxing siblings in the history of Montana.

Ken Camel

Biographical Summary

(draft)

Ken Camel 

PO Box 1492

Polson, MT  59860

(406) 883-2888 x7259 wk    

406-883-2935  hm

kenc@cskt.org

 Kenneth Lloyd Camel’s tribal affiliation is the Pend D Oreille tribe; this name is actually a French word meaning “Earring people,” “Ear-Drops,” and “Hanging Ears.” The early traders that came through the area gave the name to them. Because when they first met nearly all wore large shell earrings. The shells were obtained from several sites: the Flathead Lake, and Pend D’Oreille River, and formed an article of export. The tribe was also known as “Upper Pend D Oreille” in contradiction to the “Kalispell” who were sometimes called,” Lower Pend D Oreille.” The name for them was Ssc’lictcen used by the Kalispell and all the other tribes of the group. Ken prefers to be called a Pend D Oreille warrior for which he seeks guidance on his chosen journey. In 2000 he participated in the Jump Dance and requested the name Warhoop, which translates to C’o Si, The strong emphasis, is on the “C” which is like the “Ch” in church.  His name translates easily into Co Si  Nemqmqey or War Hoop Camel. He currently lives in on his “Peoples” reservation more formally referred to as the Confederated Salish, and Kootenai Reservation. We adopted the Salish to include both the Upper & Lower Pend D Oreille tribes.

The reservation for which they traded 20 million acres for 1.2 million acres is located in Northwestern Montana by the shores of Flathead Lake. This has been the home of his band of Plateau & Basin tribes of over 12-15,000 years. There are 34 different tribes or groups in the  Salish speaking group. The early tribes were nomadic and had seasonal camping spots, which form the basis of his stories. Both historically and contemporary perspectives.

The Salish People hunted buffalo, elk, deer, and mountain goats and harvested the bounty of the grains, berries and camas plants. The water was also a provider. They fished for sturgeon and harvested abalone shells to make jewelry and use for trading. They followed yearly migration routes that started in northwestern Montana, into Idaho, part of Washington and up into Canada. Some of the worlds most beautiful and resource rich lands are located here. His learning and formal education has taken him over 14 years to obtain. A background in business administration, forestry, computers, and Native American art provides him with a vast background of untold richness. He was borne and raised at the foothills of the Mission range. His playground was filled with the adventures of his ancestors. To the east are towering mountain ranges that exceed elevations of 10,000 feet, and to the west is the Flathead River, which contain a semi-arid plain.  The aboriginal migration routes of his People mimic the conditions now found on his people reservation. The Rocky Mountains provide the stables that sustained his People for the millennia. The buffalo plains across the Rocky Mountains to the east were frequently visited during the summer and fall, the mountains provided deer and elk. Huckleberries were found in abundance in the high elevations. Match this with the arid lands that exist along the River. His people are considered blessed with a wide variety of landforms, and untold resources. Along the river to the causal observer contains only sagebrush, antelope and formally buffalo. It also holds a hydroelectric dam that was built in the early 1900’s on a sacred site called the Salish Falls. This dam is called Kerr Dam for which we will finally gain managerial control after 100 years of betrayal. The mid-valley was flush with vegetation where camas grows readily. The glacial till provided the perfect growing conditions for many of nature’s staples. Ken is well rooted in his life goals, as he had dreamed of being a teacher of his native language since he was a child. He is currently developing a language-training program that includes common words and passages for the people that want to learn the Salishian language. He uses his own personal experience in learning the language as a guide.

His mother Alice Nenemay-Camel is the spokesperson on the language series. As he has learned,  the early peoples didn’t have a written language, and the early anthropologists and linguistic person that documented it using the English alphabet interpreted it. His wisdom statement,” sure you can learn from books but to truly understand the sounds you must hear it from an Elder.” Which Ken hopes to be considered one day. He considers himself a warrior, if I was borne at another time I would have been considered a warrior…either here or in Africa.”    

Ken has a unique history that tells of his reasons for calling himself a warrior. He is the son of Henry and Alice (Nenemay) Camel. Ken and his family are very proud of their mothers given Salishian name, which is Nenemay. My mother people are members of the Qusic Tribe of Washington, and are located near Spokane Washington. She “is only one-of-five” living full blood Upper Pend D Oreille. His mother met Henry Williams Camel while in Portland Washington when he was in the Navy and she worked in the shipyards as one of the “Rosie the Welders” during the war. The Indian Relocation Act led her there. They were married in Portland, Oregon and returned to Montana to begin what has been considered a storied life on her tribal allotment near Dixon Montana. Alice Nenemays’ father was a horseman. His name was Alex Nenemay who was a very prominent family. Alex was one of the largest horse raisers in the area. One recent major land purchase was named after him. It is called the Nenemay Range Unit.  Also, Henry Camel had experience working on a farm in the rural south. His birth place Monroe North Carolina. After they found the land arid they went to the Tribal council and substituted her original allotment located near Dixon and choose an 80-acre site at the base of the Mission mountains. Ironically it was also the location of several other family groups. It was a sacred vision quest site called mount CaLawken (Beaverhead). They etching out a life as a farmhand and eventually a horse trainer on a ranch. Ken attempt to intertwines stories with legends and personal stories of the warrior.

The Camel family consists of 14 siblings and is well known for being high achievers on and off the athletic field.  Along with his brother Marvin Camel, a former two time world boxing champion and was accepted into the Native American Sports Hall of Fame, Ken was a professional boxer. However, he knew his calling lay outside the boxing ring. He retired at 23 years old and is now in his senior year studies at the Salish and Kootenai College to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree.  Ken’s history of meeting social and physical challenges may not be unique, but after he worked as an aerial smoke jumper for the U.S. Forest Service. It gave him the surreal experience of jumping out of an airplane, he explains it with the passage,” I felt like an eagle…” 

As a developing tribal historian, Ken includes presentations on history in the making. The concept and development of the person into a warrior is his goal. He uses his art talent and physical abilities when describing the Salish Coup Stick meeting ceremony of Lewis and Clark and the Flatheads. He is knowledgeable about the history of the coup stick, he says, “its a curved stick, not a weapon”, which is used for greeting ceremonies.  Ken has vast experience as a civil rights speaker and has spoken during the Martin Luther King Jr. his father Henry instilled a great respect for those that are willing to give everything in the name of the People. He has spoken  several memorial gathering at the University of Montana, and local gatherings.

Ken is developing a program of helping the, local at-risk-youth in understanding there roles in this world. Ken wants to help the young people get prepared for the challenges of the world, just as he was helped. His dream youth is now coming to bear the fruits of his labor. He wants to be a teacher and help children find themselves.  He wants them to learn their heritage, culture, traditions and language. He also wants his audiences to know what it’s like living on a reservation, and the challenges and experiences being of mixed blood. Also as a storyteller, Ken shares legends of his People. Caring to learn them correctly from the true elders. Listen to the wind my friend, that is where the answers are.

In his presentations he uses a story about the creation of the Salishian land:

A giant monster once ruled the land. The “One who Sits on Top” was preparing the land for the humans. So he sent the coyote to prepare the places, also he sent the fox along with him. As he knew the coyote would eventually get himself in some situation where he needed the fox to jump over his “dusty bones.” They came to slay the monster. Once they found the monster, they found it took the form of a big horn ram, so they pondered what they would do. The coyote knew the big horn ram loved to ram into things so he developed a plan in which he tricked the ram into running into a giant ponderosa pine tree where the ram’s horn became imbedded into the tree. The ram died and the land was now ready. The site of this tree became known as the medicine tree, and is now considered a sacred site by this and other plateau and basin tribes.

Sehoy.   

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