Naamí Tmnanáxt - Out Story

Upbringings

We’d sweat to cleanse ourselves, we’d plead through ceremonies for plentiful seasons to come, elders prayed in their languages, singers earned their songs, supporters brought bundles to share, children were disciplined by whip women and whip men, the foods were followed, the animals shared and showed, and our eyes, ears, heart, mind, and spirits had to be open to learn.

Our many elders have since passed on. Their children and students that remain involved share with youth and community members the teachings bestowed upon them. Some of the teachings have since passed on with the elders whom held those understandings in their heart, leaving generations with less to follow and more to seek.

Tribal Encouragement

In 2009, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs acquired a 36’ canoe and the community began coordinating the grassroots efforts soon after. Established as the ‘Nchi Wanapum Canoe Family, an alcohol and drug free Family Program of the Columbia River where students and teachers of culture, youth and elders come together in one full circle. 

Each summer, the group ventured with thousands of Northwest Tribal community members on a journey to a Tribal Community on the Pacific Ocean by way of canoe, taking near 2 – 3 weeks for Columbia River Tribes. The Canoe Journey helps young people to revitalize cultural practices and become educated amidst a circle of sobriety and prevention. The Canoe Journey was started in 1989 with 5 canoes and has since grown to over 100 Tribal Canoes annually. Along the way we share our culture and knowledge with host nations and communities and have our largest giveaway at our final destination.

We have attended 10 canoe journeys and 1 to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota. We have reached over 500+ participants, performing old dances, songs, and stories of the Mid-Columbia River region in partnership with villages, communities, and families.

In teaching the old songs, dances, and stories, we were missing a major component, the understanding of our languages and dialects. Elders kindly pressed the issue to learn and understand the meanings and significations of what we do and why we do. The answers prospered in our language. Members and participants began seeking out our languages.

We began taking classes with local cultural language programs consisting of some amazing elders, teachers, and programs. Supported by elders, programs, and linguists, we were soon off, acquiring and attaining proficiency in our dialects. But we were on a race against time. Elders and speakers exist throughout the Pacific Northwest and the opportunity to pursue relationships with such people and wisdom keepers required us to think further outside of the box to reach them.

Founding

In 2019, after Paddling to Lummi Indian Nation, we established The Columbia River Institute for Indigenous Development (CRÍID) Foundation, a 501© 3 Non-Profit Organization. Our primary focus is on preserving, sharing, and advancing Columbia River Customs and Language through community collaboration and engagement. We document language, train teachers, produce curriculum, teach students, administer games, support health, and strengthen spirit. Our other intensions were to help the Columbia River Tribes host for the first time ever a Canoe Journey in the year 2023. Due to Covid-19, we have since allowed for tribes and nations to host in the year 2023 who had already planned to host in the year 2020 and 2021, which have since been re-scheduled due to Covid-19.

Today

While no longer planning to help host Canoe Journeys 2023, we continue to focus on the Ichishkín language, arts, spirit and health. As we grow, soon we will include traditional games and tribal sports.

Having built the largest Ichishkín Language Database, we continue to reach elders and speakers of the Ichishkín Language. We hold conversations each week in the language to remain fresh and tentative to students and teachers acquiring language and knowledge.

We consult cultural youth programs and circles to welcome new and experienced youth and teachers to share and grow together.

We provide support for language arts programs throughout the region.

We help organizations acknowledge their original peoples and nations of their surrounding communities.

We share language, history and culture with audiences kindergarten to professional.

We partner with educators in raising the bar to excel in their instruction and curriculum.

We seek partners invested in Ichishkín Language, history, customs, and arts.

We nurture new and established relationships with elders throughout the Columbia River Plateau to acknowledge their lives, their experiences, and their wisdom to be passed on to the next generations through our programming.

We remain together in how we revitalize our language, culture, customs and creativity, seeking every student, teacher, and advocate to get involved.

We connect nations to communities and vice-versa.

We provide a sense of place, identity, and community throughout our region to respect our environments and the generations that interact with it.

We believe in sharing to encourage generations.