Ashie Lodge 436

Ashie Lodge was organized in 1949 by two men; Ernest Casados, a District Executive, and George Tatgenhorst, Scoutmaster of Troop #131.

These men desired to form a Lodge that would have a more serious and deeper understanding of the American Indians than other Order of the Arrow Lodges throughout the country.

The first formal elections were held and the Lodge was inducted in April, 1950. A team from the Spe-le-yei Lodge of Verdugo Hills Council, Glendale, under the direction of Mr. Tubby Houston, Assistant Scout Executive and Regional Order of the Arrow Advisor, conducted the ceremony. Mr. Tatgenhorst was the first Charter Member of the Lodge and later was the first member to be awarded the Vigil Honor.

Selecting an Indian Tribe on which to pattern the Lodge costuming and ceremonies was a very difficult task, since none of the Tribes from Southern California had the culture or artifacts that typify other more well known Tribes. Assistance was received from Mr. Malcolm Farmer, Curator of the Museum of Man. He had been a government agent for the Navaho and suggested that the Lodge adopt them as its Tribe, since there was more information and written material about the Navaho than for any other Tribe.

One of the first Navaho Clans was the Ashie, or Salt People (clan). This related to the ocean. The Indians from Los Angeles south to San Diego made sand paintings as did the Navaho.

The Navaho are colorful Indians and in ancient times lived in Southern California. They were a Tribe that fit into the San Diego area in the form of Ashie Lodge.