News — Elders

You can still hear Louis Mann sing from 110 years ago. He recorded these songs with Edward S. Curtis. Hundreds of wax cylinders from numerous tribes are still around.

We will cover:

• The reaction of a grandson about his grandfather singing
• Support to digitize the songs and preserve them from a fragile state
• Ongoing questions regarding sharing songs
• Passing my history class, I get a flashback

As Natives face a wide range of topics, we look at examples in our past. What is in history to help center these discussions?

Three Yakama elders talk about their grandfather, Louis Mann. In the first part of this series, we focus on fishing rights and a mountain.

In the late 1860s-1920s, tribes were being asked to sign papers they could not read. Louis Mann could read, write and speak English. His letters are substantial. In helping the Yakama people interpret policy presented by the government, he advocated for the treaty rights. 

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women are receiving more awareness, more data collection, more mainstream media coverage and some state and federal elected officials calling for solutions to address this issue.      

There are elders we look to for their good words and lessons. A Yakama elder breaks her silence on a 1850s historical account and her own personal story of facing predatory behavior.

Phyllis LittleBull is 78-years-old.

Native Americans are gaining more voices in resource management. We are getting more invitations to share that knowledge and see our words shared on social media. At the same time, we see terms like decolonize the data and traditional knowledge, which help support this call for more Native American speakers.  As we receive more speaking and writing opportunities, how do we speak with the elders and the teachings they have shared? In this blog, I'll cover how we can carry forward our teachings in this fast-paced information age to elevate Native American knowledge within Resource Management.   The voice of restoration...

Why would elders sing a warrior song for a teenager that was not in the war or military, but had just won a pageant? It is almost 18 years later and I am still fully understanding this experience. The year was 1999. I was 18, and just won a second pageant, Miss National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). This was hosted by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians. Their homelands are also known as Palm Springs, California. I was supported by my tribe, the Yakama Nation to run for a second title. I am honored that I was able to hold...