The term, "Siamese twins" was popularized back in the day of P.T. Barnum, when Chang and Eng, Chinese brothers who were born in Siam (now Thailand) toured with his show. Conjoined twins are caused by an anomaly in utero, in which incomplete fission of the developing egg occurs, or in which separation is completed but the stem cells locate and bind to one another. Quite rare, though with a higher incidence in southwest Asia and parts of Africa, the occurrence has never been reported among American Indians - until now.
In Oklahoma City, a pair of conjoined girls were delivered by c-section to a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe. Now a month old, they are slated to be separated when they grow strong enough to withstand the procedure.
In news closer to home of interest to natives: The massive horseshoe-shaped Celilo Falls just east of the Columbia River dam at The Dalles was long rumored to have been blown to smithereens by the government prior to completion of the dam project. As many tribes had fished at the site for generations, the falls held great significance for them. Now, evidence provided by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers demonstrates that the falls are intact under the reservoir; should the day arrive when The Dalles dam is decommissioned, Celilo Falls may live again.
