River Song - by Richard D Scheuerman & Clifford E Trafzer (Paperback)

About the Book

Denied a place on their ancestral lands, the original Snake River-Palouse people were forced to scatter, and maintaining their cultural identity became increasingly difficult. Still, elders passed down oral histories. Beginning in the 1970s, Naxiyamtáma elders 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--spirituality tied to the Creator and environment, a covenant relationship and sacred trust to protect and preserve 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. They had lived in the traditional way, participated in the ancient Wáshani religion, and honored the Creator through First Food ceremonies. River Song endeavors to capture their original voices and remain true to Snake River-Palouse oral traditions.

Book Synopsis

For generations, the original Snake River-Palouse people lived a free, open life on the Columbia Plateau, moving on horseback from the Snake River to Badger Mountain to Oregon's Blue Mountains. They interacted and intermarried within a vast region, and their stories are rich in content, interpretation, and nuance. Denied a place on their ancestral lands, most relocated to Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs, Yakama, and Colville reservations, where maintaining their cultural identity became increasingly difficult. Still, elders continued to pass down oral histories, insisting youngsters listen with rapt attention.

Beginning in the 1970s, 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. 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 finally, belief in cyclical time and blood memory.

Tied to Plateau people's leadership families, the featured elders had lived in the traditional way--gathering, hunting, and fishing, participating in the ancient Wáshani religion, and honoring the Creator through First Food ceremonies. In their retelling, the authors endeavored to capture their original voices and stay true to Snake River-Palouse oral traditions. Creation stories include "Why Coyote Made the Palouse Hills," and "The Origin of Palouse Falls." Although narratives 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," their versions offer a distinct Naxiyamtáma perspective. The authors also describe their method and approach--one that will serve as a model for conducting Native American cultural research.

Review Quotes

"An invaluable treasure of Indigenous insights and experiences not previously publicly shared, River Song is a wonderful entry into what is most cherished within the homes of four Naxiyamta'ma 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