Lodges

Nebagamon Lodge, Las Vegas Area Council

A Short History of Nebagamon Lodge 312

Nebagamon Lodge was first chartered to Boulder Dam Area Council (Las Vegas, NV) as Sinawava Lodge on July 13, 1945. The meaning of the word Sinawava, Coyote in Southern Paiute, led to the Coyote being chosen as the first lodge totem, but the Lodge never produced insignia. After being disbanded in January 1950, Sinawava restarted on June 8th, 1955 under the new and present name Nebagamon. This name came from an Americanized version of the Chippewa word “nebagomain”, which means “Hunting Deer on the Water with Fire”. This refers to the Chippewa method of hunting deer by mesmerizing them with a floating raft with a fire on it. Lodge legend has it that Fire on the Water was chosen as the Totem because the first above-ground nuclear tests were being conducted at this time (mid-50s), and people would go to Lake Mead to watch them. The explosion would reflect off the water, looking like there was a “fire on the water”. The current Nebagamon was again disbanded in 1957 but rechartered again in 1962 and has been going strong since.

Wipala Wiki Lodge, Grand Canyon Council

A Short History of Wipala Wiki Lodge

Wipala Wiki Lodge was chartered in 1950 to Theodore Roosevelt Council out of Phoenix, AZ. During the earlier years, the original totem was a mountain lion. The Lodge was named Wipala Wiki in honor of a very influential member of Council, a Hopi Indian named “Paul” Wipala Wiki who served as ranger at the Heard Scout Pueblo in Phoenix, AZ. Wiki, whose name translates to “Cactus Fruit Gravy” was the hereditary chieftain of the Antelope Clan of the Hopi Tribe. Prior to Wiki’s passing, it was believed that Wipala Wiki Lodge was the only Lodge to have a living namesake. In remembrance of Wiki, the Wipala Wiki Lodge totem was changed to that of the Antelope Kachina after his passing in 1971 at the age of 93. In 1977, Wipala Wiki Lodge absorbed Salado Lodge membership and jurisdiction.  In 1992, the lodge great again when Grand Canyon and Theodore Roosevelt Councils merged and Wipala Wiki Lodge absorbed Chee Dodge.  Then, in 2001, the Yuma portion of Pang/Tiwahe Lodges also joined Wipala Wiki.

Papago Lodge, Catalina Council

A Short History of Papago Lodge 494

Papago Lodge has its roots tied back to 1923 when an honor camper society was formed at their now over 80-year-old summer camp, Camp Lawton. The society, Tribe of the Papago, was formed by Camp Director Harry Ogle. A man named Norman R. Horwitz brought the OA to Catalina Council in 1948 after transplanting from Chicago, IL. Papago Lodge 494 was chartered to Catalina Council on May 29, 1953. The first totem of the Papago Lodge was an “Arrowhead inscribed with a Flying Bird” but it was never used on any insignia. The first totem used on insignia was a rattlesnake entwined in a steer skull. In 1961 this was changed to a new totem of the Hohokam conception of the first Gamble’s Quail. The merging of Cochise Council with Catalina Council on February 15, 1964 caused Papago to absorb the membership of Cochise Council’s Victorio Lodge 177. Papago was once called home by Carroll A. Edson, co-founder of the Order of the Arrow, and Papago produced an Arrowmen, named Jack Stephens, who later became the 1989 National Chief after moving to another Lodge. In 1986, the Lodge officially changed its Indian affiliation from Hopi to Hohokam, which was a tribe that split off from the pre-Aztec Toltec Civilization. Nowadays Papago Ceremonialists will be seen in Toltec style regalia decorated with brightly colored plumage and golden jewelry- much unlike the widely used Plains Indian regalia common in most OA lodges.

Tiwahe Lodge, San Diego-Imperial Council

A Short History of Tiwahe Lodge 45

On November 7, 1992, Ashie Lodge, which was founded in 1949 and served the San Diego County Council, and Pang Lodge, founded in 1958 and serving the Desert Trails Council, merged to form Tiwahe Lodge. The first digit of the Lodge identification numbers for Ashie and Pang were taken to create the number for Tiwahe – #45. The word Tiwahe is Lakota for “family”, and the red-tailed hawk was selected as the totem of the lodge. Tiwahe Lodge was a member of Section W-4S until 2011, when the Western Region sections were realigned and Tiwahe joined Section W6W. Tiwahe Lodge provides service to all three of the SDIC camps – Mataguay Scout Ranch, Camp Fiesta Island, and Camp Balboa, holding Chapter Ordeals at each of these locations every year. In 2015, Tiwahe Lodge hosted its first W6W Conclave at Camp Fiesta Island, and the Section made us feel at home; we welcomed over 500 in attendance for the Order of the Arrow Centennial Conclave–a new Section record!