Indian Relay Races Encouraged

Fair season is just around the corner, and so is the Pendleton Roundup: Sept. 11 - 14. Around here, that annual event within easy driving distance needs little introduction, but it's worth re- membering how the first Roundup more than 100 years ago was billed:

"A frontier exhibition of picturesque pastimes, Indian and military spectacles, cow- boy racing and bronco bust- ing for the championship of the Northwest."

Why? Well, we here in the Touchet Valley may want to zero in on one aspect of the Roundup known back then as "Indian spectacles," since there's still talk of bringing one of those to our area.

I'm referring to Indian relay races, one of several Native American events during the Roundup, that also includes the grand tribal village, American Indian beauty contests, the Happy Canyon Peagant and the pow wow dance competition.

Earlier this year, when Waitsburg Celebration or- ganizers were preparing for the centennial of the Days of Real Sport, an event reaching almost as far back into time as the Roundup itself, they reached out to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

A letter from Mayor Walt Gobel invited them to par- ticipate in the Celebration's parade, and two high-level tribal representatives did. Organizers also explored the possibility of hosting Indian Relay races at the fairgrounds as one of the weekend's attractions.

Around the same time, members of the equine community in Dayton approached the tribes with the idea of holding such races in Dayton.

The races didn't come together, but that doesn't mean the idea of getting them here has to die. Dayton race advocates Leann Literal and George Barton are still gung ho about the possible prospect, and so is Waits- burg City Councilman K.C. Kuykendall, who heads the Fairgrounds Advisory Com- mittee that wants to promote more and better use of the facility as an equine destina- tion.

In my opinion, Indian relay racing is exactly the kind of event that can bring the crowds and economic impact to replace those from the days our towns had pari- mutual horse races. And it won't necessarily cause a conflict should those traditional races return to the bush tracks someday.

In many ways, it makes sense. As tribal race coor- dinator Katherine Minthorn Good Luck told me during an interview earlier this year, the time Waitsburg holds its celebration days and Dayton its Dayton Days in late May is the time when tribal racers get warmed up for the Indian Relay season that takes them on a circuit across the Northwest and as far east as the Midwest well into September.

The racers would prefer to stay in the same area to race for two or three consecutive weekends and they would attract their own following of family, friends and fans who would come to watch them compete against teams from all over the region.

The key for our com- munities is to raise the purse money - about $15,000 for a weekend of multiple races - and to work together, perhaps even working with organizers in Walla Walla on a three-stop mini circuit before the racers are off to races elsewhere.

This fall is the best time to start planning for next year, lay the ground work for rela- tions with the tribal teams and pave the way to string the venues together back to back.

To be inspired by what the races could like here, I recommend heading down to Pendleton to watch them there next month or at least watch some of the You- Tube videos or go to www.king5.com/travel/Pendleton- Round-Up-Indian-relay-races It's a breath-taking sight to behold.