Program 303

Joseph's Band at Lapwai, Idaho, 1877. Courtesy Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture/ Eastern Washington State Historical Society, L94-7.105 http://www.historycoop.org/journals/ohq/105.3/spence.html

The Nez Perce (Nimiipuu)

with Arlie Neskahi

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Arlie Neskahi:
Welcome to Wisdom of the Elders. I’m Arlie Neskahi.

Three boys played in the late September sun. Their families were gathering camas roots and preparing foods for the winter in the nearby village. This was the homeland of the Nimiipuu, “the real people.” Read more »

Horace Axtell. Photo by Stan Hoggatt. Courtesy of Western Treasures. http://www.nezperce.com/npphoto4.html

Horace Axtell

with Brian Bull

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Arlie Neskahi:
Becoming a tribal elder is more than just “getting old.” There’s a lifetime of lessons, which call for much reflection and soul-searching. There’s also a commitment to preserving tradition and passing it on to younger generations, to keep the heartbeat of a nation alive. Horace Axtell is a Nez Perce elder who’s seen wars, racism, and his share of personal loss. But he’s also experienced reconciliation, friendship, and forgiveness. In today’s Elder Wisdom, Brian Bull shows how Axtell’s gift to find the silver lining behind any cloud has helped his people thrive and celebrate their heritage: Read more »

Don Addison. Photo by Larry Johnson.

Nimiipuu

with Don Addison

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Arlie Neskahi:
Welcome back to Wisdom of the Elders.

Don Addison:
Halito! I’m Don Addision and this is Speaking Native.

Nimiipuu is a member of the Sahaptian language family. Located in Idaho and eastern parts of Washington and Oregon. The relationship between Nimiipuu and its cousins like Yakama and Umatilla was noticed by Lewis and Clark who recorded the languages in 1805. Read more »

Cedars, W. Fk. Eagle Creek, Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Idaho, Photo by John Latta.

Cedar

with Judy Bluehorse Skelton

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Arlie Neskahi:
Along the Nez Perce trail in Idaho, an ancient grove of cedars still stands. Judy Bluehorse Skelton, who is Nez Perce and Cherokee, invites us on a walk, where we will come to know cedar intimately. Read more »

A Legacy from Sam Morris from Northwest Interpretive Association.

Sam Morris

with Nico Wind

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Arlie Neskahi:
You’re listening to a unique recording made on a wax cylinder recorder sometime between 1909 and 1912. This cylinder was made, not by an east coast collector or anthropologist, but by a Nez Perce Indian named Sam Morris, or Horse Blanket, A far-thinking man, who in photographs seems equally as comfortable in his buckskins as in a suit and tie. Read more »

Nez Perce woman in the Palouse area of Washington prepares the camas harvest. Courtesy of William Gordon Casselman. http://www.billcasselman.com/canadian_garden_words/cgw_two.htm

Valerie Albert and Karen Zachary

with Rose High Bear

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Arlie Neskahi:
Since columbus, epidemic disease has devastated Native American communities. Today, many of those diseases have disappeared. One, however, is just now approaching epidemic proportions. It is type II diabetes. One in seven native people over 19 have it. And there is no cure. But, with proper care, increased exercise and changes in diet, diabetes can be controlled. In today’s health and healing, Rose High Bear explores some of the ways the Nez Perce people are fighting back. Read more »

Kevin Peters, Nez Perce artist and ranger at Big Hole from 1989 to 1991. Courtesy National Park Service Big Hole NB, n.d.

Kevin Peters

with Bruce Crespin

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Arlie Neskahi:
The flute makes a music of life for many indigenous peoples and tribal cultures. Traditionally, among the Nimiipuu, flutes carried songs and much more. the flute was instrumental in native courtship. a married man’s flute was decorated to display his marital status, while available men held unadorned flutes for all to see. today in artists circle, bruce crespin tells the story of how Nimiipuu flutist, artist, and museum specialist, Kevin Peters discovered the flute of his ancestors. Read more »

Allen Pinkham, Sr.

Alan Pinkham

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Alan Pinkham:
There along the Clearwater River, down on the middle section of the Snake River, and over on the Salmon River, and also the Grand Ronde River, there’s a lot of landmarks. There are either stones or land features or rock formations. They have stories attached to them. Read more »