Heart of the Bitterroot, Voices of Salish and Pend d‘Oreille Women
Published: June 30, 2008
Salish Women. Strong women. Beautiful women. We were not afraid of bears or mountain lions. Our ancestors died and became roots that reached the sun and became the faces of deer.
Along with meadowlark song and subtle flute, so begins a wonderful new storytelling CD, Heart of the Bitterroot, Voices of Salish and Pend d‘Oreille Women.
This unique project, produced by award-winning educator Julie Cajune, weaves together the stories of four remarkable Salish women, in language written by Jennifer Greene and spoken by Joanne Bigcrane.
The first tells the story of Kwilqs or Red Dress – a woman warrior, who, legend says, never married, but instead was a wily and courageous fighter, who also cared for the sick and wounded.
“People may not remember the look of my face,
but I want you women to bravely accept your
own strength and never fear being smart and beautiful.”
In “The Story of Pretty Flower,” we learn of a lovely young Salish/Pend d’Oreille girl, who was stolen by a Piegan warrior on the eve of her marriage. She pleaded with her captor to return her, so she could fulfill her role as wife to her soon-to-be husband, and learn to care for his family and his people. “I told him that in him I saw a man who didn’t want to hurt, who saw me as a daughter missed at home.” He returned her to her father’s camp. “I know compassion lives and stories heal,” she says. “I see myself as proof.”
“Bitterroot Woman” tells of a time of famine, when everywhere an old woman’s tears fell, a bitterroot plant began to grow and provide nourishment for her people. “My legs, my heart, my hair, my hands, my songs became food in the mouths of my grandchildren’s children.”
“Sinshe’s Lullaby” is the story of a Salish woman who traveled to St. Louis to bring back her sons, who were with the Black Robes there.
“My love for my boys is fierce and strong,
and I will always come for them …
I was a mother bear looking for her cubs.
I would always rescue them.
Both my boys had my hands and my voice
Searching for them, and being strong for us.”
While it is not known what happened to Sinshe, her sons did return to their homeland.
Woven among these stories are traditional songs sung by Bev Swaney, Vi Trahan, Clara Charlo and the Nkwusm Singers and original compositions performed by Gary Stroutsos on flutes and ceramic wind whistles, David Lanz on piano and keyboards, Swil Kanim on violin, and Gary Lanz, assorted percussion.
This reverent recording shares never-before-told stories, that will refresh and engage listeners of all ages. It celebrates an unbroken thread that binds grandmothers to granddaughters, underscores the importance of courage and family, and delivers a potent message: Prayers matter. Believing is everything. Doing good matters. The world is our homeland …
Salish women are still here just as we have always been. Our ancestors beat in the green veins of our wrists and the green stems of purple flowers that bend under dancing feet …
Our voices, our stories, our hearts, our great-great-grandmothers survived droughts, famine, attacks, disease, colonization, broken treaties, relocation, and we are still here. Our lives mean something. Our stories matter.
The project was funded by Npustin, a nonprofit organization based in Arlee and dedicated to preserving indigenous arts and language. It sells for $20, and is available at the Salish Kootenai College Bookstore and the People’s Center in Pablo and at Hangin’ Art Gallery in Arlee. Call Npustin at 726-5550 or email for details.
– Kristi Niemeyer
