River Song: Naxiyamtáma (Snake River-Palouse) Oral Traditions from Mary Jim, Andrew George, Gordon Fisher, and Emily Peone - Tapa blanda

Denied a place on their ancestral lands the original Snake River-Palouse people were forced to scatter, but elders still passed down oral histories. Over three decades, Naxiyamtáma elders--in particular Mary Jim, Andrew George, Gordon Fisher, and Emily Peone--told researchers their stories. All four had ties to Plateau people's leadership families and had lived the ancient way--gathering, hunting and fishing. Multiple themes emerged--spirituality tied to the Creator and environment; a sacred covenant to protect traditional lands; storytelling as a revered art form, and belief in cyclical time and blood memory.River Song captures their distinct Naxiyamtáma perspective.

For many generations into the twentieth century Mary Jim, her family, and their ancestors lived a free and open life on the Columbia Plateau. They moved on horseback from the Snake River to Badger Mountain to Oregon's Blue Mountains. They interacted and intermarried within a vast region in the Northwest, and their stories are rich in content, interpretation, and nuance.

Denied a place on their ancestral lands, the original Snake River-Palouse people were forced to scatter. After most relocated to Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs, Yakama, and Colville reservations, maintaining their cultural identity became increasingly difficult. Still, elders continued to pass down oral histories to their descendants, insisting youngsters listen with rapt attention.

Beginning in the 1970s and continuing over three decades, Naxiyamtáma elders--in particular Mary Jim, Andrew George, Gordon Fisher, and Emily Peone--shared their stories with a research team. They hoped to teach American Indian history in a traditional manner and refute incorrect versions. In the process, multiple themes emerged--a pervasive spirituality tied to the Creator and environment, a covenant relationship and sacred trust to protect and preserve their traditional lands, storytelling as a revered art form that reveals life lessons, and belief in cyclical time and blood memory.

The featured elders had ties to Plateau people's leadership families and had lived in the traditional way--gathering, hunting, and fishing. They participated in the ancientWáshani religion and honored the Creator through First Food ceremonies. In their retelling, the authors endeavor to capture their original voices and remain true to Snake River-Palouse oral traditions. They describe their method and approach--one that will serve as a model for conducting Native American cultural research.

Creation stories include “The Creatures of Cloudy Mountain,” “Why Coyote Made the Palouse Hills,” and “The Origin of Palouse Falls.” Although narratives told by other groups are similar to Mary Jim's “How Coyote Learned to Fish,” and Gordon Fisher's “How Beaver Brought Fire to the People,” the versions in River Song offer a distinct Naxiyamtáma perspective.

“An invaluable treasure of Indigenous insights and experiences not previously publically shared, River Song is a wonderful entry into what is most cherished within the homes of four Naxiyamtáma family traditions.”--Rodney Frey, professor of American Indian studies and anthropology at the University of Idaho, and author of Landscape Traveled by Coyote and Crane: The World of the Schitsu'umsh (Coeur d'Alene Indians).