Sunday, July 30, 2006

Ancestral Lands


Flowers on Monumental Mountain.
Copyright © 2006 Barry G. Moses.



The Pend Oreille River near Usk, Washington.
Copyright © 2006 Barry G. Moses.


Yesterday my family picked huckleberries on Monumental Mountain, north of the Kalispel Indian Reservation. We met up with our extended family and picked together. The berried seemed a little more scarce than other years, but we still managed to get enough for our needs. We had a wonderful time together as a family.

We got to talking and realized our family has gone to that site every year since before anyone can remember. For all we know, our ancestors picked berries on that mountain for 10,000 years or more. It's a wonderful feeling to have a small part in that kind of tradition.

My recent ancestors were Kalispel. I feel such a close feeling to the land in that area, the mountains, the rivers; I love the way I feel when I go there.

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