Shirley Trahan, Thompson Smith and Loushie Charlo of the Salish-Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee taught Swan Valley and Salmon Prairie Students about the traditional way of life of their tribal people.
Taylor Thompson playing the stick game where the participants have to guess who has the winning stick. The game was a celebration of cultural coexistence with friends and neighbors from the Flathead Indian Reservation. The game focuses on taking turns and showing respect.
SWAN VALLEY - Local kindergarten through eighth grade students recently visited the Swan Valley Museum to meet members of the Salish-Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee (SPCC), and learn about the traditional way of life of tribal people.
Shirley Trahan, SPCC senior advisor and translator, and Thompson Smith, SPCC historian, emphasized the importance of keeping the Salish language alive. Trahan, who speaks fluent Salish, encouraged the students to recite the Salish words for various animal puppets provided by the People's Center. Smith, who has worked with the tribes for many years, jokingly quipped, "I speak Salish with a New York accent."
Because so few tribal members speak their native language, tribal leaders opened the Nkwusm School (Salish Language School) in Arlee, Mont, to create a new generation of Salish speakers. In pre-kindergarten through eighth grade immersion classes math, reading, science and social studies are taught in the Salish language.
Passing on traditions to young people is important to tribal elders. Trahan asked the students, "What does culture mean?"
Trahan smiled approvingly when third grader, Tate McNutt, eagerly replied, "A way of life."
"You're right!" Trahan exclaimed.
In the past, the Salish and Pend d'Oreille people traveled over the Mission Mountains to hunt, fish, and gather berries and roots in the Swan Valley. Trahan explained that tribal people traditionally dug camas root at Holland Prairie near the present-day Gordon Ranch. The Salish translation for Holland Prairie is It Has Camus. Trahan emphasized that they only harvested as much camas as they needed, always leaving enough plants for future use. "Nothing was wasted," she stressed.
Respect is also important in the tribe's culture. "We show respect for all plants and animals." When a deer or other animal is killed, they thank it for providing food.
Bitterroot is another plant that the tribal people traditionally harvest. No one digs the root until the elders say the plant is ready to harvest. The elders choose a young girl to dig the first bitterroot in hopes of keeping the culture alive. Then the leaders call the people together to dig enough roots for a feast to celebrate the year's first food and pray that the food will be plentiful.
Smith explained that many generations ago, the "best spot" for digging bitterroot was near present-day Missoula, where Shopko is now located.
Before heading back to school, the students participated in the traditional Stick Game, a popular game among the Salish and Pend d'Oreille tribes. Trahan sang a song in Salish as two players hide bones in their hands while the opposite team prepared to guess which hand held the winning bone.
By participating in the traditional Indian stick game, the students practiced the age-old traditions of taking turns and showing respect. It was also a celebration of cultural coexistence with friends and neighbors from the Flathead Indian Reservation.
According to Upper Swan Valley Historical Society (USVHS) president Steve Lamar, he will be working with the SPCC on a Native American exhibit to be on display this coming summer at the Swan Valley Museum.
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