Meeting Highlights: Ben Tuttle reported filling all Snack Shack slots for the season. Jane Anne Shimizu was happy for Casino Night progress. AJ Sheridan shared pictures of John S., Tony Shaw, and Tim Carter attending the Teacher of the Year Banquet, and another of AJ Sheridan, Sarah Tomsky, and Susan Cohen attending the Citizens Fire Academy. Great Extractions: Val Ripley was Sarge, and George Steiner toted the pot. Everyone was requested to stand and, if feeling happy, paid a buck. Squealers got a pass, but everyone else at their table paid. Everyone not involved with Casino Night paid another buck. Jerry Forhman won the drawing. Last week’s speaker: Ray Carlson’s presentation focused on a book entitled, “Adventures in the Apache Country” by J. Ross Browne. The book described a trip through southern Arizona in 1863-64. Browne accompanied Charles Poston, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs. Earlier in 1863, Aimee White, the Indian Agent for the Pima Villages, took Antoni Azul, the Pima Chief, and a translator named Franncisco to San Francisco to see a big city. After several months, the residents of the village became concerned about the fact they had not returned. A teamster travelling through the area said he had seen the “white squaws” in San Francisco mocking Azul and parading him around. He said they cut off his ears and hung him by his heels. The Pima decided they would do the same thing to White’s half-brother, Cyrus Lennan, and five other whites in their village. Lennan got a letter from White indicating the party was at Fort Yuma and would reach Oatman Flats by a certain date. Lennan organized a group including Azul’s son to go to the Flats. When they saw Azul alive and happy, the mood changed and a large party began with Azul passing on stories about Iron Horses and large canoes that ran on steam from a giant kettle of boiling water. Ray presented detail about Browne’s life, White’s background and the development of the Pima Village area. The Pima prefer to be called the Akimel O’Odham, which in their language means, “River People”. There was a distinct difference between the violent Apache and the friendly and helpful tribes like the Akimel O’Odham. |