Columbia River: Native Speaking

Spirit of '98 on the Columbia River

Roderick Eime finds that tales of cowboys and the wild west have a lesser-known feminine side.

Half starved and bedraggled, the exhausted Lewis and Clark expedition stumbled out of the Bitterroot Mountains that September 1805 in their quest for the Pacific Ocean. Led by Indian guides, they met the Nez Perce tribe on the lush Weippe Prairie in what is now Idaho.

The Nez Perce, influential traders, expert horse breeders and custodians of vast tracts of land had never seen white men before and, had it been their desire, could have snuffed out the shabby band in an instant. Instead they welcomed them, fed them and gave them horses to continue their journey west. In truth, the Nez Perce pitied these desperate, helpless men, not knowing that aiding them would bring an overwhelming torrent.

Angel Sobotta of the Nez Perce tribe

“When my ancestors first met Lewis and Clark, they called them ‘Pai-yo-it’ “, says Angel Sobotta, a striking Nez Perce woman and prominent member of the tribe, “it means ‘something that smells bad’.”

Angel is aboard ‘Spirit of ‘98’, our classically-styled 100-passenger riverboat, as we journey east along the mighty Columbia River out of leafy Oregon into the wide open plains of Washington State. We learn as much about her pride in her significant ancestors as her little family and young children. Even though she must have given this talk many times, her voice still quivers at the mention of her late grandparents that helped her recover and preserve these endangered traditions.

“My people welcomed and helped these strange men who had rough hair growing out all over. The white men called us Nez Perce or ‘pierced nose’ from the French, but our real name is Nimi’ipuu, ‘the people’.”

The story how these ‘brave’ white European men forged a trail across the unknown land, opening it up for migration is taught to every American kid from kindergarten onwards. One of the lesser known sub-plots is how the native American tribes assisted the naïve, ill-prepared troupe at every step of the way, especially the teenage Shoshone wife of a French fur trapper, known historically as Sacagawaea.

Brought along with her husband, Toussaint Charbonneau, as a guide and interpreter the young girl was already pregnant with her first child.

Lewis recorded in his journal on November 4, 1804: “a French man by Name Chabonah, who speaks the Big Belly language visit us, he wished to hire and informed us his 2 squars were snake Indians, we engage him to go on with us and take one his wives to interpret the Snake language…”

“We can justly affirm to the honor of those people that they are the most hospitable, honist and Sencere (sic) people that we have met with on our Voyage” – William Clark 1806

Those who know the story better recognise that Sacagawaea was much more than just an occasional interpreter. She gathered wild food, sewed, cleaned, cooked and, with her new babe in her arms, demonstrated the peaceful intentions of the party, saving them from numerous potentially bloody conflicts.

“She took the lead when men were afraid and unsure,” says Keith Bear, a Mandan-Hidatsa elder, the tribe who captured, raised and later sold Sacagawaea to Charbonneau.

Revered as a national heroine in parts of the country, she serves as a role model for young women, especially native women who are often economically disadvantaged.

“In our culture, women are taught how to deal with fear and crisis, “says Rose Ann Abrahamson, a proud descendent of Sacagawaea, “the grandmothers show us in a sacred ritual how to deal with all these things.”

Our own humble expedition is led, ironically, by Marcy and Kate, two very capable and knowledgeable women who continually enlighten us with ecological, cultural and historical information at every step of the way.

Cruise West’s “Northwest Passage” itinerary is a 7-night inland expedition that follows the 1805 river route of Lewis and Clark along the Columbia and Snake Rivers of Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Along the way we traverse the eight dams and locks now managing the once wild flow of this great waterway and learn the significance of the rivers and the neighbouring lands to the various tribes who once inhabited the shores. Evocative names such as Umatilla, Cayuse and Walla Walla derive from the once great tribal nations now distilled to a few remaining reservations.

Hilda Alexander, a regal, handsome woman of the Cayuse tribe meets me in the gift shop at the immaculate Tamastslikt Cultural Institute outside the wild west town of Pendleton. In her hand is an intricately woven and beaded basket hat.

“The basket hat, holds deep meaning for most Columbia River people today, “says Hilda admiring the fine coloured beads arranged with such precision that the surface is almost like glass, “they were once heirlooms, but now they’re pretty rare.” I catch a glimpse of the price on the swing ticket, $1350. And valuable too apparently.

As the value of trading goods, artefacts and trinkets paved the way for white settlement of the tribal lands, little value was placed on the preservation of native culture and respect for their rights to ancestral lands.

Angel, whose traditional name is Ta-lalt-lilpt (Sunset) sees my eyes wide as I hang on her every word. She approaches me with a tiny offering of red and white trade beads. “Just like two hundred years ago, I give you this as a symbol of peace and friendship. Okay, it’s an imitation, but my friendship is real.” With that, the hair on my neck bristles and a spooky chill sweeps me despite the crystal clear sincerity in her eyes.

In spite of the litany of injustices, the diseases and many acts of brutality inflicted on the Nez Perce and other tribes, Angel is steadfast in her message.

“We don’t want anybody to come up here and say I’m sorry for what happened, because it’s not your fault. We’re here to pray for healing, peace and understanding. Our responsibility is for what happens in the future.”

Columbia River, USA

Getting There:

V Australia flies daily to LA from Sydney and now three times per week from Brisbane with easy domestic connections through Virgin Blue. Fares from Australia to Portland start from $1299 return. For full conditions and promo fares, see www.vaustralia.com.au

Tour:

Cruise West’s Northwest Passage is seven nights, Portland to Portland. Prices begin at US$2999 per person which covers taxes / port charges / fees / tours and onboard services. www.cruisewest.com

More: www.tamastslikt.org

The author was a guest of Cruise West and V Australia