News — Oral History

1909 Yakama Songs: Louis Mann as recorded by Edward S. Curtis

1909 Yakama Songs: Louis Mann as recorded by Edward S. Curtis

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

Who started the Yakama War?

Who started the Yakama War?

They say history is told by the survivors. There are tribal survivors of the Yakama War. I am one of the thousands of tribal members that live. This history has been told in the Ichiskiin language and in oral history. I’ve been reading a lot about the Yakama War. There is a lack of voice from Yakamas readily available. Think of the power of Yakama survivors telling this story. We’ll go through the following: The sources Defining “start war” Who started the war? When first approaching this topic some might think, “But why should I believe you?” Others may think,”Why...


Átaw: Dark & Light

Emily Washines

Tags Eclipse, Ichiskiin, Oral History, Poem, Sahaptin, Yakama Language

Átaw: Dark & Light

Have the changes in astrology brought questions or reflection for you? I will share oral history prompts and a poem for reflection There is a lot to be said on this topic. I like to see the different discussions and questions from different tribes. From other Natives, I've seen a popular question: What does the eclipse mean for our tribe? As far as one of the teachings for the Yakama tribe, the short answer is: It’s a reminder. Tribes have different beliefs. Even within tribes, depending on circumstance or if there is a specific state such as pregnancy or mourning,...