Elderberry Flutes

Last Thursday, a group of twelve students gathered at the Adult Education Center on Monroe to make elderberry flutes in a special workshop funded by the IEL Equity Committee. The elderberry project was part of an equity mini-grant that was intended to promote diversity awareness at the IEL by:  

1. Offering students a greater understanding of local tribal history and cultural practices.
2. Drawing a tangible connection between the cultural history of this region and the local ecosystem.
3. Demonstrating to students that math, science, and cultural awareness have inter-connected and real-world applications.
4. Providing students with a tangible end-product (the elderberry flute), thereby increasing the sense of connection to diverse cultures and practices.
5. Increasing diverse perspectives within the curriculum.
6. Improving the student climate at the IEL by creating a sense of cooperation and shared purpose.     

The mini-grant provided funding for Tim Corcoran, co-founder of Twin Eagles Wilderness School, to offer technical instruction for the flute making workshop. He gave the students detailed knowledge regarding the practical skills of the project, along with his personal support for the individual learning process. As students encountered challenges, Tim demontrated a natural ability to balance instruction with encouragement.

Two IEL instructors also participated in the workshop and added a variety of learning perspectives to the project. Carole Parks spoke to the students regarding the science of sound, while Barry Moses spoke about the history of flute making within the Salish speaking tribes of Eastern Washington.

The flute making project had a positive impact on academic achievement.

Several of our GED students got a practical, hands-on lesson regarding measurment and the division of fractions as they learned about the proper placement of the flute holes. They also practiced skills related to geometry as they learned to fashion the wood in the correct angle to produce sound.

In addition to learning about tribal cultures in Washington State, many students made a deeper connection to their own cultures.

One participant recently finished ESL and enrolled in the reading program. She was born in Vietnam, and as she worked on this project, she spoke about the parallels between Native American flutes and the bamboo flutes of her birthplace. Another participant is enrolled with a tribe in the eastern portion of North America. She spoke of deepening her connection to her ancestral roots and of wanting to teach her own children how to make elderberry flutes.

This student gave permission to post his picture online.

As he completed his flute, he made an inscription in the Tagalog language: "Memories to the future." 

This project increased cultural awareness and also created a greater sense of community at the IEL. Some expressions of community were small. For example, I saw one student smile for the first time since he enrolled several quarters ago. Others got to experience that magical moment when a dead stick of wood suddenly produced music.

As the workshop ended, one student said, "Thank you SO much for doing this. I have never done something like this, not even during grade school."

As a follow-up exercise, some of the students wrote essays regarding their experience at the workshop. One student wrote: "At the end of the project, I found myself wanting to create more native and cultural projects. It was a very good experience for me to see how other cultures worked through problems and overcame making a flute with a lot less supplies than I had. It amazes me..."

Chopaka

Last Wednesday, I made arrangements for a colleague to cover my classroom while I drove north to Canada to visit the "language house" on the Chopaka Indian Reserve in southern British Columbia. My friend Shelly invited me some time ago to experience their language revitalization program, but I never made the trip until last week. My family is starting a similar language program on the Spokane Reservation, so now seemed like the perfect time to learn from their work and to compare.

The landscape near Chopaka is breathtaking. The dry, sage-covered hills of the eastern plateau are suddenly met by the soaring, snow-capped mountain peaks of the Cascade range.  

The entrance to the Chopaka Indian Reserve is less than five miles from the border where a one-lane bridge crosses the river from the highway.

A rattlesnake greeted me on Chopaka Road. When I stopped the car, we exchanged looks for a few moments. Then the snake rattled a few times and slithered into the grass. Beautiful!

When I arrived, I found the language students in the garden.

Samtic'e is one of the local elders. She made me feel right at home when she shook my hand and greeted me in her language, "way', way'." Without missing a beat she pointed to a row of tomato plants and said, "You can put those ones in the ground right there." I smiled and went right to work. I love that Samtic'e has that old way about her where she can put me work as my elders once did.

The language house at Chopaka is a dynamic program that uses immersion as one of its primary teaching methods. The students make a commitment to speak only Salish for most of each instructional day. Immersion accelerates learning more than any other method I know.

The immersion portion of my visit presented some interesting challenges. I read once that the Okanogan language is about 50% similar to the Spokane language, which means that we understood one another about half the time. Some of their words are identical, but others are completely different.

After working in the garden, we continued working in the language lessons. On the day that I visited, we read traditional stories in the language and then asked one another pre-scripted questions about the text. Even though our languages are somewhat different, I learned a lot.

Mastering the Salish language requires many years of hard work, and yet my friends at the language house are among the few making it happen. Someday they will be the elders and all the people will look to them for answers regarding history, language, and cultural knowledge.

The language house is surrounded by flocks of blue jays who have taken up residence nearby. They squawked constantly during my visit to Chopaka. 

After the Salish lesson, we had the chance to visit some cultural sites on the reserve. On the drive, rain and gale force winds slammed the valley. The harsh weather combined with the steep mountains created a spectacular backdrop for the end of our day.

Kettle Falls

For over 9000 years, Kettle Falls were essential to the livelihood and spirituality of many nearby tribes. All of that changed during the 1930s when the federal government constructed Grand Coulee Dam and created Lake Roosevelt. The flood waters completely submerged the falls and destroyed the salmon runs. We no longer depend upon the falls for our survival, but many of us still remember the spiritual significance of that place.

This year the water was reduced to one of the lowest points since the construction of the dam, exposing the island in the heart of the river. The waterfall itself was still not visible, but the water moved more quickly than normal, though not quite as powerfully and freely as it once did.

This historical image shows the falls before Grand Coulee Dam. Compare this picture to the exposed rock formations above. You can click on the historical image to enlarge it.

Hayes Island is exposed in this photograph. Soil erosion from Lake Roosevelt is visible on the shoreline in the foreground.

A lone serviceberry tree overlooks what remains of Kettle Falls. The plain on the upper left of this picture was once the site of Fort Colville before it was also flooded beneath the waters of Lake Roosevelt.

Flowers look over the Columbia River.

When I heard about the lowering of the river, I felt compelled to see the island and the surrounding rapids. Years ago my father camped on the island. Ever since that time, I have been drawn to return. Maybe someday I will also have the opportunity to camp on the same spot as my elders.

Boxes

The other night I came home from work to find my family sitting around the table as they constructed boxes from playing cards. Without using glue or any adhesive whatsoever, they simply folded the cards in such a way that they stayed connected. It looked like so much fun that I sat down to join them.

Rhonda is working the souvenir table at CYT's upcoming production of Alice, so these card boxes will be sold during the show.

Elderberry

Last week, I gathered elderberry branches in preparation for a flute making workshop at the IEL. Some of the participants wanted to see the actual plant, so I decided to post these photographs.

A close-up of the elderberry leaves.

Most elder trees have an abundance of light-weight branches, many of which tend to die. For the flute making workshop, I tried to find branches that have died, but that still have their bark.

A view of the whole elder tree.

The branches have a very soft, pithy core that makes them ideal for making flutes.

A few of the branches that I collected.

Prom

Dakota was invited to prom by his friend Dimana. He reminds me of myself; as a sophomore in high school, I was also invited to the senior prom. Of course, Dakota has a better sense of style. When I went to my first prom, I wore a white tuxedo with a pink bow tie and a pink cummerbund (What can I say? It was 1985. Sorry, I won't be posting any pictures of my white tux). For his prom, Dakota bought a black suit that he can use indefinitely, along with a sensible but attractive tie. He looked every bit a gentleman.

...except for the shoes. They decided to wear Converse shoes along with their formal clothes.

Dakota made the corsage.

The prom was a double date with Dimana's sister Teodora and her friend.

McKenna

Lately it seems like Dakota and Whitney have been doing all the shows, recitals, and special events. They appear in all my blog posts, while it might begin to seem that McKenna has been forgotten. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. McKenna went with me to see the damage at Drumheller Springs.

Recital

Dakota and Whitney participated in a vocal recital with Marsha Schlangen's class. Beautiful singing!

Cultural Damage at Drumheller Springs

A view of Drumheller Springs in 1936.
Photo credit: Northwest Room, Spokane Public Library

Good intentions may do as much harm as
malevolence if they lack understanding.
~Albert Camus

A local environmental organization and a high school science class recently collaborated to plant trees at Drumheller Springs. At first glance, their project would seem positive, perhaps even noble. While our generation is witnessing unimaginable ecological destruction, many sit back and do nothing. The world needs tree planters – we need educators, community members, children, and everyone else to care enough to take action. Without a doubt, those who participated in the tree planting at Drumheller Springs held worthy intentions.

And yet even positive intentions may do great harm if they lack understanding. The newly planted trees have disrupted indigenous plants and threatened 10,000 years of cultural history. I understand this is a bold statement to make, but perhaps some background information will illustrate my feelings.

Ecology and Culture

The land surrounding Drumheller Springs has tremendous historical value to the Spokane Tribe. One source suggests that the original name was stiuwa’tłxʷ - the nesting place of a mythical bird (Ray, 1936). Other sources indicate that the spring “offered virtually the only water on the North Hill” (the Spokesman-Review, 1966), and that a trail passed nearby, like a highway that connected Spokane Falls, Little Falls, and other indigenous communities. A permanent settlement once occupied the site, and during the winter months, the population increased because of its mild climate and close access to resources. In the 1800s, Chief Spokane Garry constructed a school below the spring, among the first to be built within the boundaries of what would become Washington State. Extensive burial grounds were also scattered over much the land above the spring – a land now covered by city streets, shopping centers, and middle-class homes.

Water was by far the most important resource at the spring, but the land also provided an abundance of native foods, especially brown camas (itxʷeʔ, camassia quamash), bitterroots (sp’eƛm, lewisia rediviva), wild onions (sehč, allium geyeri), desert parsley (sp’xʷenč, lomatium macracarpum), and Indian carrots (sƛuk’ʷm, perideridia gairdneri). These plants were among the principal foods of the Spokane people, and at one time, they were quite abundant throughout the region. However, extensive urbanization has no doubt destroyed most indigenous habitats within the city limits. Drumheller Springs is among the last and best preserved urban sites where traditional foods are still found.

A Family Connection

My immediate family also has direct connection to Drumheller Springs.

When I was a young boy, my great aunt Messie Moses Haines told me a story about Drumheller. She remembered that as recently as the 1930s and 40s, she and her parents drove buck board wagons from Wellpinit to Spokane. They drove most of the day, about 45 miles, and then set up tepees above the spring. They would camp and wake up early the following morning to go shopping in downtown Spokane. At that time, the city did not extend above the hill.

As an adult, I had the opportunity to return and witness the bitterroots blooming as literally thousands of pink flowers emerged from the basalt. It was breathtaking. I felt as though the roots were speaking to my heart and saying, “Where have you been? We knew your grandmother, and her grandmother, and all the elders before her. We’ve been waiting for you to visit us again.” Overpowered by the beauty of that place, I stood there and wept.

Responsibility

I feel a sense of stewardship for the land, water, and plants that once sustained my ancestors, and so my heart sank when I heard about people planting ponderosa pine near our traditional foods. Many of the foods require direct sunlight. The arbitrary introduction of trees, even ones indigenous to this area, threatens to destroy one of the last surviving gathering places in the city.

A friend helped communicate my concerns to the organization responsible for planting the trees. Her response surprised me. She said, “I had heard that the site was historically significant to the Tribe, but know nothing about present harvesting of traditional foods, and did not realize that there was any concern with the trees shading native plants.”

I was also able to exchange emails with the science teacher who participated in the tree planting. She responded in part, “The purpose of the project was to restore Spokane's Urban Forest… All of the history you have provided was known and accounted for. The hope is that the ponderosa pine seedlings (those that do survive) would enhance the ecosystem and not degrade it.”

The so-called urban forest never existed at Drumheller Springs, so I’m not sure what they intended to restore. In fact, there is no shortage of ponderosa pine in the Spokane area, but there is a shortage of brown camas, bitterroot, and other traditional foods. I suspect people must look at that site and see an empty field, but perhaps they don’t realize that Drumheller Springs is a cultural and ecological treasure. Adding trees can only further diminish the unique ecological character of that place.

Seeing the Effects

This morning, my daughter and I visited Drumheller Springs to examine the trees in person. Just as I suspected, most of the trees were planted on locations that will eventually overshadow our traditional foods. But the damage was worse than I feared. In several spots, whole chunks of earth were removed right in the middle of the camas, wild onions, and Indian carrots. Dried camas bulbs littered the ground where someone uprooted the plants to make way for the “improved” urban forest.

Taking Action

I am saddened by these recent events, but I am also committed to responding in a positive, proactive way. I have already requested a meeting with the organization and feel hopeful that they will understand my concerns. Maybe we can agree to remove the trees to a more suitable location.

In the long term, I also intend to address the issue with the city of Spokane. Ultimately they own the land and they gave the final approval to plant the trees. I would like to see the city create some kind of legal ordinance to prevent any further encroachments upon our traditional gathering places. Currently, the land is a city park, but as part of our collective heritage, it should hold a more meaningful designation.

If you feel inclined to support my efforts, please send me a message or leave a comment. Also, please share this post with others who might be interested in this issue. I would like to call upon you again as my efforts move forward.

A newly planted conifer grows right in the middle of a plot of camas that has sustained the Spokane people for thousands of years.

This photograph shows another perspective of a tree that was planted in the middle of the camas. A large piece of earth was removed. Dried camas roots are visible in the removed dirt.

Here is a closer view of one of the dead camas roots.

Another view of the a conifer planted amid the camas. If this tree grows to maturity, it will eventually overshadow the traditional plants and diminish the size of a gathering place that has existed for thousands of years.

Camas and lomatium trinernatum growing side by side.

A monument commemorates Chief Garry's school.

This photograph was also taken in 1936. It shows the "North Hill" looking east from the spring. Ash and Maple Streets now pass through the field that is visible here.
Photo credit: Northwest Room, Spokane Public Library.

Bibliography

Board Gets Plea to Save Landmark. (1966, December 7). The Spokesman-Review , p. 6.

Drumheller Springs-8. (1936, October 4). The Teakle Collection , Neg. SPL 94.687.8 . Spokane, WA.

Drumheller Springs-10. (1936, October 4). The Teakle Collection , Neg. SPL 94.687.7 . Spokane, WA.

Lewis, W. S. The Case of Spokane Garry. Fairfield, Washington: Ye Galleon Press.

Ray, V. F. (1936). Native Villages and Groupings of the Columbia Basin. The Pacific Northwest Quarterly , XXVII, 136.

snc'ʔek'ʷt

hoy qe wičntm łuʔ sp'q'ni n sččmasq't u qe enwenm łuʔ skʷkʷl'il's. hes c'ʔekʷmi hecyaʔ łuʔ snc'ʔekʷt. hi kʷri łuʔ smukʷšn ec'x̣ił t sp'q'ni y'e n stulixʷ. nexʷ qʷamqʷmt łuʔ słaq snc'ʔekʷt. šey' heł xʷlil łuʔ stulixʷ.

Finally we saw the sun in the sky and felt its warmth. All flowers are blooming. The arrow leaf balsam root is yellow like a sun on the land. The serviceberry flowers are also beautiful. Indeed, the world is alive again.

Inlander Photo

This week's Indlander published a photograph of the Swench Skahas drum during the recent Earth Day observance at Riverfront Park. Swench Skahas is a name that means 'Dancing Horses,' and comes from the Spokane Salish: swenš (wardance) and sqax̣eʔ (horse). The drum belongs to my good friend Francis Carson. This is a photograph I will cherish for many years to come, mostly because of the opportunity I had to sing the old Spokane songs with my friends and family.

The photographer was Amy Hunter.

Pictured around the drum, from left to right: Jim Samuels, Shannon Hubert, Francis Carson, Barry Moses, Lanetta Moses, and Pat Moses.

May Day

After what seemed like an endless winter, we finally got a warm, sunny day.

I took the dogs on a walk and encountered this little hawk in someone's yard. As we approached, it flew into this tree and waited for several moments. I was able to take a handful of photographs before it flew away.

Leaving the neighborhood, we walked down the hill toward the Little Spokane River where we saw this bald eagle perched in a tree.

The river flooded beyond its normal bounds and flowed through this meadow.

Signs of green are finally beginning to appear.