Day 10

Our friends, the Spokane Tribe

Day 10

It was going to be our last night camping at the Spokane Tribe’s campgrounds. Our first event of the day was a presentation by Twa-le who again is the manager of the tribe’s air quality and has an local talk show on Tuesdays talking about Native American events and historic events. Her presentation focused on the Midnite Mine facts that were not present in the Dawn Mining Company’s tour or presentation. We talked about health and statistics that were ignored including cancer rates, asbestos deaths, and water contamination. Twa-le has also helped the community with repairing houses that could have poor air conditions that lead to asthma or lung cancer. Also we talked about the Midnite Mine’s historic background and legal battle to bring Dawn Mining Company and several reservation pollution stories. It’s really sad that no one would give a damn and leave their mess behind while fighting lawsuits to drag out restoration.
 

            Our second event was fish shocking which helps the local fish and wildlife department determine what fish are in a creek. Several folks from the fish hatchery helped including Casey and Paul who work at the hatchery, Brittany, Jordan, and James who are interns that help the fish hatcheries. We all put on our weightiers and got into the creek with our nets while one person shocked the fish. I manage to collect one big boy into the bucket while Chrissy managed to nab 7+ fish without shocking the fish. Don’t worry, the fish just enter a knocked out phase. 
 

            Third event we met the Elk ranch crew which is just outside Wellpinit and has several properties that include farmland and forest. Their main goal is to restore elk population and tag them to follow their migration patterns. They also worked on tagging a wolf pack but the Alpha female was kill which could mean the pack has split up. On the farm, corn and sugar beets are grown to feed the elk population but several deer, wild horse, and moose come into the area to feast on the crops. 
 

            Next we had a swim in the Spokane River next to the Two Rivers Casino. We had fun swimming and doing cannonballs into the water. Afterwards we drew several images that were landscapes or structures. I drew a pretty awesome pine cone and will give it to Chrissy from White Swan. George Hill later returned with his art pieces and critiqued our pieces. He loved my shading that created a flow for the eye to observe. Warren also joined and asked us to join him for an Native tradition and he began to cry 
 

“I know I haven’t been able to spend more time with you but could you spare 30 minutes” Warren asked. I didn’t know what to expect but I was all in.

            We were invited to Warren’s short house which was much like a Hobbit home from the Lord of the Rings. We entered and a circle of chairs were pulled out. We sat down and Warren described that this was much like his ancestors’ short house that was used for ceremonies that we going to do. He asked us what we were thankful for and that anything said would stay in the short house. I felt a presence of tradition and emotions that I never felt before. You just had to be there to experience but I’ll describe it best I can. Everyone said their thankfulness from the bottom of their hearts, the trials they endured, the challenges they faced, and the future they want.

Myself, I am grateful for my mom and stepdad for pushing me to pursue my education, to push me in the right direction even when I didn’t want to. I am thankful for my girlfriend Sheila who has pushed me as I pushed her to do her best. I’m thankful for her love and passion that I never gotten from others. I’m thankful for my brothers whom showed me that life is rough and that my actions affect my future. We are from a broken house much like everyone that was in the short house. We are thankful for our friends that we met on the trip. I am thankful to have a professor to help me set my future education goals and to bring me on this journey to meet and encourage others to stay in school and pursue a career. I’m thankful to know more of the Native Americans’ culture, heritage, traditions, trials, persecution, and restoration. Warren ended with a prayer and cleansing our spirits with smoke to ward off evil. Afterwards I felt like a monkey was off my back, I was able to breathe. It was unlike any emotional experience I had gone through.