Marisa Kash Kash of Pendleton and Norene Sampson of Warm Springs have been selected to serve as Happy Canyon princesses for 2012. The two were introduced to the public at a reception Sunday at the Pendleton Convention Center.

“We are very excited with the selection of Marisa and Norene as 2012 Happy Canyon princesses,” Happy Canyon President Chris Cockburn said. “They will be ambassadors representing the Happy Canyon Night Show to the public and I know they will make us as proud.”

Court Director Kelsey Garton agreed with Cockburn.

“I’m looking forward to seeing these two young ladies represent us throughout the year,” he said. “I am so impressed by the caliber of all the applicants, and I know the volunteers that make Happy Canyon work so well will be pleased with Marisa and Norene.”

Marisa Kash Kash, 17, is the daughter of Katherine Minthorn Goodluck of Pendleton. An enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, she is also of Cayuse and Nez Perce lineage. She has appeared in the Happy Canyon Night Show with the travois pullers.

A student at Pendleton High School, she plans to begin her higher education at Blue Mountain Community College. She hopes to transfer to either Eastern Oregon University or Oregon Health  and Science University and become a registered nurse. Among the activities she enjoys are riding and jumping horses, basketball and rodeo.

Norene Sampson, 19, is the daughter of Gerald Sampson and Sandra Greene-Sampson of Warm Springs. She is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Her lineage is Warm Springs, Yakama, Umatilla and Nez Perce.

A student at Central Oregon Community College, she is working towards becoming a registered nurse and later returning to school to become a bakery chef. In addition to her studies, her interests include powwows, bead working and making traditional regalia.

The Happy Canyon princesses represent the pageant throughout the year at parades and other events. They will be officially introduced to the Happy Canyon and Round-Up boards of directors at a dinner in March.

The Happy Canyon Indian Pageant and Wild West Show is held is held Wednesday through Saturday nights of Round-Up week, the second full week of September. It is a historical and humorous reenactment of the history of Eastern Oregon. Happy Canyon also hosts adult entertainment and games of chance following the show and co-sponsors the Round-Up and Happy Canyon Concert and the Pendleton/U.S. Bank PBR Classic. For more information go to www.happycanyon.com.

Category: Features

Rose Festival, Round-Up and Happy Canyon
courts model Spirit of the Peoples

PENDLETON – Every year, Rose Festival princesses from Portland join their sisters to the east as the Happy Canyon princesses and Round-Up court first visit the Rose City and then host the royalty in Pendleton. This year, they visited in true style.

To celebrate its 100^th anniversary, Pendleton Woolen Mills created and wove a pattern called Spirit of the Peoples. In addition to being available as a blanket, the pattern (in different colors) has been used in clothing for the courts as well as for vests for both the Round-Up and Happy Canyon boards of directors.

All the royalty visited the Pendleton mill Tuesday to pose for photographs in their centennial outfits. The young women had already enjoyed a visit to Tamastslikt Cultural Institute and made their stop at Pendleton Woolen Mills prior to an evening of Western-style entertainment.

“It looks sharp, doesn’t it,” Round-Up President Randy Severe said of his “Spirit of the Continue reading…

Category: People & Volunteers