By Puyallup Tribal News Staff
A Puyallup Tribal Member 55 years of age and older is recognized as the Honored Elder at the monthly Elders Luncheon at the House of Respect.
Lois Sapuay and her younger sister, Joni Paul, were selected as Honored Elders for the month of May. They were blanketed by Councilwoman Monica Miller and Vice Chairwoman Sylvia Miller. Elder Wellness Center Executive Director Vernetta Miller gifted them cedar hats, as well.
Each Honored Elder is recorded, describing their life experiences. The following is Lois’s and Joni’s story in their own words.
Lois Sapuay
“My name is Lois Jane Sapuay and I was born in Wapato, Washington. This is my sister Joni Lynn Paul. … We are a very close-knit family. We were raised by our parents who raised 11 children, and at one time all 11 of us children were going to school from preschool to two of us being seniors in high school.
“I can’t imagine them having to buy 11 lunches, had it not been for the Title I, and Johnson-O’Malley Programs for the school that we went to. We graduated from Wapato High School over in the Yakima Valley. Our paternal grandparents were both Puyallup. Our mother was half Yakama and half Filipino. My grandfather was from the Philippines.
“Today is a special day for us. Today is May 23, this was our sister’s birthday and we lost her four years ago. We feel very honored to be nominated as Elder of the Month, both of us. We are very humble about that and we love this Tribe. We love our people and we love coming over here. We come over here every chance we get. We try really hard to fit in and be part of the community. Vernetta, the Elders Director, was one of the first ones to drag us girls out on the floor to get the dance started and we don’t mind because our mother was a great dancer.
“My sisters and I are very close. There was seven of us girls. I have three sisters left, four counting myself. We have lost three of our siblings for things beyond our control, but we’ve stuck together. Our parents have been gone since we were young. Our parents brought us up in a really good way.
“Education was very important. They strived for their kids to go to school. They worked very hard to keep us in school, keep us fed and kept us clothed. We always learned to rely on each other because that was one of their teachings to always be there for your siblings, because they said, ‘We are not always going to be here.’ That is what our parents taught us. As a result of that, we are very close. … We’re like a wolfpack. We’ve got to hang out together.
“We have people that we are related to on both sides of the mountains east of the Cascades and west of the Cascades. We are divided, but this is our family roots right here. This is where our grandparents came from, Puyallup. We wouldn’t have it any other way. We just love the Tribe. We love the community. I can’t even find the words to describe how I feel about belonging here. I just feel really right at home when I come here. I have one son that I raised and he is here today.”
Joni Paul
“I have four kids. My daughter is here. She moved to Tacoma with three of our grandkids. She raised them here. They go to the Puyallup school, Chief Leschi. They are doing really good. I hear they are drumming, singing and dancing, as well as the other classes they are in. They are doing really great. I’m happy for that.”
Lois Sapuay
“I would like to tell the youth, I encourage you to stay in school and get your education. Education is very important in the direction that you may want to go because this world is getting way too far advanced. As an Indian people, we don’t want to get left behind. We have struggled to try to get where we are. As long as our kids are still going to school and getting an education, we have a better chance in the future not only for us now, but for your kids in the future. Education is one thing that I would really recommend.
“Also, I’m one of those that really believe in taking care of your Elders. I always tell my family to be kind and be nice to who you are talking to because you don’t know if they are going to be there tomorrow because we are not promised tomorrow. I raised my son to be, ‘If you see an Elder that needs help, you step forward and help them out.’ That Elder is not going to forget. They are going to remember. It is a valuable thing to know. I hope that he keeps that within him. I certainly have tried to keep myself focused on that and always being respectful to other people. Like I said, education and being respectful to your Elders are two of the virtues that I live by.
“I was a nurse for 28 years. I worked over in the Yakima Valley. I graduated from the nursing school in Ponca City, Oklahoma, in 1976 and I had worked all the way up until 2006. I’m retired now. My sister and I, we do huckleberry picking, and we used to do root digging, not so much anymore because we are just getting up there in age. We’ve always really tried to stay busy and focused on what we were doing culturally. We can fish, we make jam and we put preservatives up. That is a trade that is kind of lost. People don’t do that anymore but we learned it, so we do it. It’s been good because when we see family, they know we have fish, they know we have jam, and, boy, are they glad to see us because we are willing to share that with them.”
Joni Paul
“I was a cook at the Cultural Center for 10 years. I was just a prep cook until everybody left and I became the head cook. It was nice. I enjoyed myself there. I worked for 10 years and then I went to work for the Yakamart (convenience store) for about six months and then I started babysitting again, my grandkids.”
