‘Nchí Wánayau (To-the-Big River)

I woke to a phone call from my mom. ‘She probably wants a morning song, I better get up’ I tell myself.

The sun had just rose, she was studying, I had one eye open.

2 cups of coffee later Misty and I are walking the canal overseeing the north central Oregon plains; Culver, Metolius, Madras, and Warm Springs.

‘I need to get to Shikáshai’s today’ I think to myself, ‘her and Bruce’s’.

By the time we’re done with chores and prep, it’s near 12pm, just in time to leave north for a 3 o’clock Zoom meeting for Native Youth Artists. Cell service was required and the trip north is spotty until we get to The Dalles. We had a couple of stops in Warm Springs too so we needed to leave before hand.

At one stop we had received gifts from our Taino friends Rick & Carmen of Puerto Rico, a bowl and a tobacco pipe, harvested and fired in and from their mountain soils. We thanked Caroline for holding the gifts for us as we had roots to dig that day, the season feels like it’s going be short, but who knows.

We left Springs about 1ish. Over the plains, through the canyons, and into the valleys until The Dalles is in sight. We’re cutting it close for two different Zoom calls with our youngest boy to watch over as well. We hit a B line to the closest park in the hills above The Dalles and I’m logged on before I know it to discuss the flow of the upcoming Native Youth Arts Academy. 

We then head straight to dinner reservations with the Chiefs of Celilo and representatives from Lummi who oversee Children of the Setting Sun Productions, Darryl and Josh, looking to safely host a few representatives at the village on the Columbia in the coming months.

After the meeting, we head over to the log we had gotten donated from The Dalles, The Gorge Discovery Center, Fort Dalles, and the PUD. Good energies immediately hit us and we’re all thinking about the future. We depart with smiles.

We finish the day at a baseball field for our 6-year-old who pretends to be a pro and at dark we’re on the road for two hours to call it a day.