Confluence

The confluence of the Spokane and the Little Spokane Rivers was the site of a major Spokane village, and later the site of Spokane House - a fur trading outpost of the Hudson's Bay Company. Nowadays, I always see fishermen on the point between the two rivers. 

As I drove home from Suncrest today, I had some extra time to see the rivers. I parked my car at the trail head and hiked to the confluence. A group of Nepali immigrants was fishing at the point. 

The trail between the parking lot and the point is almost like a separate mini-ecosystem. The plants are green and lush. As an aside, some folks haven't seen my beard. It's kind of an experiment. 

The dried stalks of cattails 

stand among the new growth. 

Does anyone know the name 

of these little blue flowers? 

According to Wikipedia, the yellow iris is considered an aquatic invasive species in many jurisdictions. They tend to push out other species and become nearly impossible to eradicate. However, they are quite beautiful, and they reportedly remove heavy metals from the water. That might not be so bad in the Spokane River. 

Red osier dogwood flowers. 

The yellow iris formed a barrier 

between the water and the shore, 

followed by a secondary layer of buttercups. 

Buttercups. 

Cow parsnip.

Peace Is...

Dakota sang Meditation: Peace Is at the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist in Spokane. This was his last solo performance in the Mead High School Choir. His solo was followed by The Dove. He will graduate within a couple weeks. His performance was emotional and beautiful. 

Japanese Garden

McKenna and I had some daddy-daughter time 

this evening at the Japanese Garden near Manito Park. 

These are beautiful, cherished moments.

A red Japanese maple overlooks the fish pond. 

Red maple leaves. 

Detail of pagoda. 

Pagoda...

Dogwood flowers in water. 

My daughter rarely allows me to take pictures. 

Dogwood is one of my favorite flowers. 

An abundance of dogwood flowers.

Don't know this flower. 

New Wardance Hall

A new wardance arbor is going up in Wellpinit, so last Saturday, I stopped to see the progress for myself. It's kind of a minor historic event, especially since I remember the last two or three buildings before this one. Of course, most of us will remember the old red barn that hosted our wardances for many years, but I also remember an old white building with dancers painted on the side. Does anyone else remember that building? Does anyone have pictures of that old building? 

If I remember correctly, the old white building was converted into a modern dance hall for a few years. Eventually, it was demolished, and the space was cleared for vendors. 

Door of Heaven

The afternoon sun cast a vibrant glow upon the face of St. Aloysius Church and highlighted the inscription above the entrance: Domvs Dei et Porta Coeli - House of God and Door of Heaven. This caused me to reflect on all the temples, doorways, and dwelling places of the Divine that have ever been constructed by human hands. So many people throughout the ages have sought access to the Divine through a transcendent teaching, ritual, or experience. 

The ritual spaces of human societies are important, but I also remember the doorways of beauty that exist in nature. They also reflect the presence of the Divine.

Flower and Song

Both spirit-filled and transitory, Nahuatl poetry addresses the beauty of flowers. As one website said:

"Poetry in the Aztec world was known as 'flower and song,' the Nahuatl metaphors for art and symbolism. It was the highest art form, and it often celebrated the transient nature of life on earth. The theme of cut flowers was regularly used to symbolize the temporary fragility and beauty of existence."

Each year, the flowers of the Plateau Salish perish with the summer heat, yet their presence represents an endless cycle of life. The flowers wither, but the roots remain. Unfailing, they return again and again, after ten thousand generations or more. Like the Nahuatl, we also sing to the flowers to honor the relationship between us.

Below are some examples of Nahuatl poetry.

Here are the many flowers, 

the beauteous flowers, 

rained down within the house of spring, 

within its painted house, 

and I with them shall make thee glad.

A Flower Song

I was glorified, I was enriched, 

by the flower-sweet song 

as by the smoke of the poyomatl, 

my soul was contented, 

I trembled in spirit, 

I inhaled the sweetness, 

my soul was intoxicated, 

I inhaled the fragrance of delicious flowers 

in the place of riches, 

my soul was drunken with the flowers.

An Otomi Song of the Mexicans

Truly as I walk along, I hear the rocks

 as it were replying to the sweet songs of the flower...

Song at the Beginning

The delicious realms of flowers count their dynasties by short periods; those which in the morning revel proudly in beauty and strength, by evening weep for the sad destruction of their thrones, and for the mishaps which drive them to loss, to poverty, to death and to the grave. All things of earth have an end, and in the midst of the most joyous lives, the breath falters, they fall, they sink into the ground.

http://www.carnaval.com/dead/aztec_poetry.htm

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12219/12219-h/12219-h.htm

The Way to the River

Many Americans view the struggle for civil rights through the lens of a "black-white binary," or the over-simplified belief that the "history of race and rights in this country is a story told only in terms of black and white, as though the rest of us aren't part of the plot" (Nakagawa, 2013). Mainstream culture has begun to recognize civil rights heroes like Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks. This is encouraging; however, binary thinking has obscured the contribution of other leaders like Gordon Hirabayashi, who defied the internment order of Japanese citizens during World War II, and Billy Frank Jr., a Nisqually activist who fought to defend tribal fishing rights in Washington State during the 1960s. 

This short video highlights the courage and activism of Billy Frank, who passed away only yesterday. He was a visionary and a cultural leader who will be missed. I encourage you to take ten minutes to watch this video. 

Walking

Walking is therapy for the soul. It relieves stress 

and gives me a connection with nature.  

Oregon grape flowers with new leaves.

New leaves growing on the Oregon grape. 

Does anyone remember the name of this flower?

Or this one? 

Near the Little Spokane River.

Sunset near the Little Spokane River.

The soft colors of spring. 

...and more.

Just before sunset. 

Expo '74

Th Sunday edition of the Spokesman-Review featured a photograph of my grandfather Gibson Eli from Expo '74. The caption read: 

TRIBAL WEDDING CEREMONY

Spokane Tribe members held a mock wedding ceremony at the Native American Earth exhibit. The medicine man was Gibson Ely, left rear. The bride, center, was Carol Sterns and the groom was Mike Sayler. The ceremony drew capacity crowds.

Click on the photograph to see a larger version of the image. 

Spokane Falls

A short video of Spokane Falls showing the power and strength of the water. The falls were called sƛxetkʷ in the Spokane language - in reference to the 'fast water.' 

sƛxetkʷ

sƛxetkʷ is a traditional name of Spokane Falls - the place of fast water. 

The power of the water is evident now within the falls.

Drumheller

Drumheller is one of my favorite stopping places. 

The camas is in full bloom this week, 

along with many other flowers. 

Lomatium triternatum. 

Phlox. 

Arrowleaf Balsamroot. 

Bitterroot.

Stinging Nettle

Some friends and I collected stinging nettles this weekend. 

Despite their reputation for inflicting pain, 

they have strong medicinal properties. 

You can also use their fibers to make twine. 

The Spokane word for nettles is: c'c'axiʔłp.

The root word is c'ax, meaning to fry in oil.

Is this a reference to the feeling on the skin

after being "fried" by the nettle?

The new growth is sprouting among 

the dried stalks of last year. 

The dried stalks provide fiber for making twine. 

Osprey Dinner

Last Friday, an osprey perched on a fence post near the highway and had a fish dinner. The osprey didn't move, even when I stopped the car and went back to get a closer look. I didn't have my zoom lens, but I still got a decent picture.