Idaho Mythweaver project captures history
(Courtesy photo) Richard “Rick” Ellenwood Sr., pictured on the right, was co-director of the Nez Perce Radio Project. He died one month after it was completed. In this photo, circa 1970, he is with Cy Red Elk.
(Courtesy photo) Chet (Mary) Bluff of the Kalispel Tribe looks pleased after preparing and serving a catered salmon and buffalo dinner at Sandpoint Community Hall in October 2018 for 60 guests — major donors to Idaho Mythweaver. Bluff is current board president of the non-profit.
(Courtesy photo) Jane Fritz, co-founder and media director of Idaho Mythweaver, is hoping to complete 30 years of historical documentation with Idaho’s six Indian tribes by early 2020. To complete the transcribing and digitizing of oral stories, the organization is seeking $6,200 from community supporters.
SANDPOINT — Jane Fritz’ work with Idaho’s six Indian tribes began nearly 30 years ago. It is time, she believes, to finish her work of preserving tribal stories and histories — some told directly to her by now deceased tribal elders.
The final phase of the Mythweaver project involves the digitizing of 100 cassette tapes of the original recordings of oral histories and traditional stories. “No other copies exist,” she said, “and the cassettes are very fragile.”
Profound respect for the tribes is evident in Fritz’s voice, articles, and in the talks she has presented over the years as co-founder of Idaho Mythweaver, a non-profit organization based in Sandpoint. She speaks with a reverent enthusiasm for the importance of preserving the archived tapes, which will most likely be the last Mythweaver endeavor.
Fritz, who began interviewing the elders in 1989, says nearly half of the interviews were created with the Nez Perce Tribe, the Nimi’ipuu people, who are headquartered in Lapwai on the Nez Perce Reservation, composed of some 3,500 people on about 770,000 acres.
“We worked with the Nimi’ipuu for 13 years. There are stories about fishing for salmon at Celilo Falls, told by the late Rick Ellenwood, Nez Perce tribal leader and elder, as well as traditional Coyote stories about the creation of the falls, as told by Mari Watters and Allen Slickpoo, both deceased, Fritz said.
The Mythweaver has shared a transcript of one interview with Ellenwood from 1996 in order to convey some of the stories he told; due to provisions of space, there are only excerpts here.
A Story about Bigfoot
Fritz asked Ellenwood about children who observed Bigfoot, (aka Sasquatch) on the reservation. “They were playing … against the housing project … and all of a sudden they heard something in the bushes … and they could really smell this odor … They did see something up there that was huge and ran into the brush.
“Even when I was a little boy, we used to go up to the mountains and my grandfather told me he had seen some up there above Clarkia, and that’s where we used to camp … I was about 12-13 years old then … and I was catching a lot of fish and it was starting to get dark … I just got this eeriest feeling in the world … my whole back just shivered, like when your hair stands up … that was the fastest that I moved down that creek … and they told me what it was when I got back.
“The kids here in Lapwai seen it and, like I said, smelled it. That’s quite a thing, too, because the National Park (Service) lady down at Spalding saw it, and she’s a real reputable person. She said it was something huge, not a bear, but big.”
Animal Guides and Weyekin, Songs, and Spiritual Power
Fritz asked Ellenwood about animal spirit guides and he explained it this way:
“Yes, weyekin is something that you have. It is yours, that is the belief and your spirituality. Indian weyekin, that’s my belief. My weyekin is whatever it is, but I’m not going to tell you, but it’s something that’s mine … my grandfather took me when I was a young man and taught me … to see my vision … he was a great leader.
“Johnny Woods was his name. La-qual-ican, the deer … he’s elusive. Elusive deer out on the plains … he’s pretty hard to capture and shoot. We’re planning to give that name to my son.”
Swan Stories and the Future
Fritz queried Ellenwood about the Swan Dance and he said in the Coyote stories, Coyote would come up on swans, who were real pretty ladies, and he got into comedic situations dressed like maybe a Clark Gable … ” Fritz asked him if it is hard to tell the young people the Swan Stories when there are no swans around anymore. He said, “Having the ability to have horses, having the ability to see swans, to see fish where there is no fish anymore, to pick berries where there are no more berries. To dig roots where there are no more roots because of a condominium being there, or development. Highways, whatever … That’s why I say I would rather see the country stay as it is now with what we have left. Water. Water being very vital in life to everyone. Air, clean air. And people getting along with people … Hopefully in my time, they will slowly start helping our young people in our heritage, in our cultural way. We’re doing it by our powwows, we’re doing it by our drum groups …, ” said Ellenwood.
To be sure, the Idaho Mythweaver has worked to promote the arts and humanities on many projects over the years, including training opportunities for Nez Perce tribal members to create a public radio presence on the reservation. Now, the Nez Perce Tribal Radio Station is a reality in Kamiah — KIYE 88.7 and 105.5 — and it will receive the digital files, along with the Nez Perce National Historical Park Archives, and the tribe’s cultural resource department. Digitized and the respective original tapes will be given to the other five tribes, as well.
“The Nimi’ipuu are working hard to keep their language alive and teaching youth to speak it. Immersion classes are also popular with the Kalispel Tribe. It’s a priority because so much culture is connected to language,” Fritz said.
Idaho Mythweaver worked closely with the Kalispel Tribe to provide immersion education at three area elementary schools in Bonner County in 2014, 2015, and 2016 and it also sponsored a Native Heritage Film Festival at the Panida, and then for three years at the library where tribal members would sometimes come to talk, she said.
Fritz said the final phase will cost $15,990. They have raised $10,715 to date from the following large donors — Idaho Forest Group, Idaho Humanities Council, Waterfront Property Management, and John and Jeri Sahlin, and several individual donors.
“After 30 years of important, life-enhancing and also challenging work, I’m personally ready to pursue a more creative path. In what way I’m not sure yet. I’d love to retire, but can’t. Besides, the tribes are largely doing the things we helped support or to facilitate. It’s time for us to move on, but we may recreate our mission, not sunset. Our board is not sure,” Fritz said.
In order to complete the final work, the Mythweaver must raise $6,200, part of the overall $64,200 cost of the project that began in mid-2017.
To donate, go to Idaho Mythweaver Facebook page or by mail — PO Box 2418, Sandpoint, ID 83864. For more information on the project, call 208-597-6123.
“It is time to complete our mission now,” Fritz said.
Susan Drinkard can be reached at susanadiana@icloud.com.