Wilson Wewa grew up on the Warm Springs Reservation and didn’t give a second thought to the stories of his Northern Paiute elders until he saw the decline of his people’s traditions.
Now, his grandma’s words echo in his head as he drives past her house. She told him, he said: “Never forget the land you come from, the food you ate, who you are.”
Wewa, senior wellness coordinator for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, spoke Thursday as part of the Oregon Historical Society’s free day that highlighted the importance of storytelling to preserve history in Native communities.
People explored historical artifacts like a canoe used by Indigenous people and a 19th-century Chinese cleaver that a Portland grocery store called Duck Loung and Co. sold to Chinese immigrants.
Following Wewa, Ed Edmo, Shoshone-Bannock poet and traditional storyteller, discussed Northwest tribal culture. The historical society then hosted a “tell your family story” activity.
The program’s goal was to bring families together while supporting the work that tribes and the federal Office of Indian Education are doing to teach tribal history curriculum, said Eliza Canty-Jones, the historical society’s director of community engagement.
“It’s important that we support the goal to help more people learn about tribal history and their culture and the fact that Native people are still here and still participating in those cultures,” Canty-Jones said.
Wewa concluded his presentation by discussing the effects of climate change on the land where his ancestors lived in Oregon. Elk and mule deer don’t populate the region like they used to, the roots his family harvested aren’t as plentiful anymore and the snowpack has decreased, he said.
That’s why Wewa shares the various ways Northern Paiute honored natural resources – by not overharvesting for personal gain, for example, he said.
“We took care of the land, never overused it,” he said, “so it could renew.”
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs website offers more information on land conservation by the tribes.
— Lisa Moreno; lmoreno@oregonian.com
