Chief Joseph Days Rodeo Names Their 2023 Hall of Fame Inductees
By Garrett Christensen on Monday, July 10th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
JOSEPH – (Information from the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo). For many in Eastern Oregon, rodeo holds a special place in their heart, and for good reason. Some of the oldest and most renowned events in the state are local and regional rodeos. Of course, these rural cultural icons wouldn’t be possible without a dedicated league of staff, volunteers, and participants. The Chief Joseph Days Rodeo is recognizing five such individuals this year for their hall of fame. Bios provided by the Rodeo are below:
Bob Tallman
Bob Tallman is a ProRodeo Hall of Fame rodeo announcer. He is known as “the voice of professional rodeo.” Tallman has announced more than 15,000 rodeo performances in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. He has announced so many rodeos that his voice has become instantly recognizable to rodeo fans. Tallman has announced the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas more than any other announcer. He has announced the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for over 40 years. He is the spokesman for many cowboy-themed products. He refers to his voice as his “priceless gift from God” and tries to use it to touch peoples’ lives. Bob announced the Chief Joseph Days Rodeo a total of 15 times: 1984-1989, 2001-2009.
Carlyle Roundy
Carlyle Roundy, 1912-1994, was an original member of the Joseph Chamber and helped organize Chief Joseph Days in the beginning. He served as President in 1951, and traveled with the “flying chamber” on many of the promotional tours of the Pacific Northwest. He and his wife, Edna (Russell) Roundy, owned Joseph Cash Market, a grocery store and meat market on Main Street for 22 years, until the mid 1970’s. He seemed to always have time to help wherever the Chamber needed him. He served as Queen Chairman, Parade Announcer, Dance Committee Chairman, served on the Indian Pageant Committee and helped sell rodeo tickets. Carlyle was also an impressive contestant in the Beard Growing Contest when that was part of Chief Joseph Days. He helped in building the first Quonset civic center and was still helping when the new Community Center was built. He contributed many hours after work and weekends building and painting the new rodeo grounds stands. Carlyle was honored in 1981 by being selected as the Parade Grand Marshal. He often shared his great wit and wisdom with all his friends and family. He will always be remembered by the 100’s of people who attended the Ground Hog Dinner each year, sampling his and Floyd Kennedy’s tasty homemade sausage.
Dr. Horace Percy “Isluumc” Axtell
Horace Axtell was born in Ferdinand, Idaho, on Nov. 7, 1924 and is descended from both the Chief Joseph and White Bird Bands. His maternal grandmother Pee Weyah Ta Ma Lilpt was born in the Wallowas in 1871. She and sister Taklahtsonmy and their siblings were very young when the War of 1877 began and they along with the Chief Joseph Band fled the Wallowas. These women helped raise Horace.
Horace and his wife Andrea began working with the Chief Joseph Days (CJD) Commemorative Dance & Encampment Committee in the late 1980’s along with Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) descendants from the Nez Perce Tribe in Idaho, and the Umatilla and Colville tribes and many Wallowa area friends. The annual events included showcasing the beautiful culture of the Nimiipuu people in the CJD parade and traditional dancing at the Pow-wow. Horace rode a horse while proudly wearing his warbonnet in the parade for many years. The “Lone Rider”, a young Nimiipuu man, began the parade by making sure the trail is safe for the people. Historically, this was a prestigious position given to a young, strong, able-bodied man with great horsemanship. Horace carefully selected the “Lone Rider” to begin the CJD parade each year. This committee also put together an annual Friendship Feast. These events continue today. In 2006 Horace and Andrea were honored as the CJD Grand Marshalls.
All throughout his life, his ancestors were beside him. He was a World War II Army Veteran and proudly continued his service while honoring Nez Perce ancestors at all of the Nez Perce War of 1877 battlefield and memorial sites in Idaho, Montana, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Canada along with other tribal veterans.
He was a devoted leader of the Walasat spirituality and Nimiipuu Longhouse located in Lapwai, Idaho. It is this “Way of Life” that he lived every day.
He was a traditional hunter, fisher, and gatherer. As a Pow-wow men’s traditional dancer, he traveled throughout the United States and Canada with his family. Horace worked for Potlatch Mill in Lewiston, ID from 1951 to his retirement in 1986. He and Andrea were members of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) council of Elders, Earth Ambassadors Council of Elders, and the Four Worlds Development Project Council of Elders. They mentored native students, and native people in recovery. He taught Nez Perce language at Lewis-Clark State College in the late 1980’s. In 1994 his memoir, A Little Bit of Wisdom: Conversations With a Nez Perce Elder was published. He was proud to be a co-author with the late Margo Aragon. Horace was a recipient of the University of Idaho President’s Medallion, and received honorary doctorate degrees from both the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College. The Washington State Historical Society honored him with a Peace and Friendship Award. The Idaho Humanities Council awarded him an Outstanding Achievement in the Humanities. National recognition of his work making ceremonial hand drums came in 2008 when the National Endowment of the Arts bestowed him a National Heritage Fellowship. In 2016 after his death, he was inducted into the Idaho Hall of Fame and shares that honor with Chief Joseph and Jackson Sundown.
The family of Dr. Horace Percy “Isluumc” Axtell is honored by his induction to the 2023 CJD Hall of Fame. He attended CJD all throughout his life and worked hard to put on events that would bring the Nimiipuu people back to the original homelands of our ancestors to setup tipis and celebrate with family and friends. We are grateful for the friendships and dedication of the volunteers at the Encampment. He is still celebrating with us on the other side, smiling.
Jim Steen
Jim Steen was born and raised in Glenn’s Ferry, Idaho. After graduation he decided to try his hand at rodeoing. In 1964, he joined the PRCA and was selected Rookie of the Year after placing third in the Bull Riding at the National Finals Rodeo in Los Angeles.
Not enjoying the heat in the desert, he decided to move his young family to Joseph, where he had competed at what was his favorite rodeo. He continued to participate in rodeo and along the way he won the All Around at such rodeos as Caldwell, the Cow Palace, Ponoka Stampede in Canada, and Joseph. His record at the Chief Joseph Days include winning Saddle Bronc in 1965 and 1970; the Bull Riding in 1965, 1970, and 1972; the All Around in 1965 and 1974; and the Harley Tucker Award in 1972. As a judge for the PRCA, he worked shows like Denver, San Francisco and Fort Worth.
When he decided to hang up his spurs, he got into the logging business. When the future didn’t look positive for logging, he bought John’s Shell Station. He was on the Board for the Mount Howard Ski Area.
As he had always loved the outdoors, when a float business on the Snake River became available, he purchased it. He also worked in the outfitting business by owning hunting and guiding permits in Hell’s Canyon. He was President of the Eastern Oregon Outfitters Association. Since outfitting was what he loved to do, he stayed with this work until he passed away in 1995.
Roy Daggett
An original signatory of the Articles of Incorporation for the Joseph Chamber of Commerce and Chief Joseph Days, Roy Daggett was instrumental in establishing the location for the rodeo. Roy donated the use of his heavy equipment for building the facility on land he donated to the cause as well as land purchased from others. Roy was heavily involved in other community organizations in addition to the Chamber and Chief Joseph Days, including the Masonic Lodge, the Shriners and Eastern Star, and several churches in Wallowa County. He served on the Wallowa County Budget Committee, the Equalization Board, the Joseph School Board, and the Joseph City Council. He was a “Dad” for Maxine Assembly of Rainbow for Girls and was chosen as “Father of the Year” by the Wallowa County Cowbelles. Roy was a generous man with integrity.
