by Rich Wandschneider | Apr 12, 2026 | Colville Reservation, Colville tribes, Indian religion, Indian Relocation, Indian removal, Indian survival, Indian Territory, Josephy Library, Nespelem, Nex Perce history, Nez Perce War, Treaty of 1855, walwa’ma
When we arrived at the Head Start building that is now used by the walwa ma Nez Perce for Longhouse services, an elder I have known for over thirty years came to say hello and remind me again that the distance from Joseph to Nespelem is the same as that from Nespelem...
by Rich Wandschneider | Jul 4, 2025 | 4th of July, Albert Andrews, Code of Indian Offenses, Colville Reservation, Indian assimilation, Indian boarding schools, Indian Offenses, Nespelem, Nex Perce history, Nez Perce, Nez Perce Homeland, Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland, Nez Perce War, Nezpercians
Years ago, Albert Red Star Andrews of the Joseph Band of Nez Perce on the Colville Reseravtion in north central Washington, told me about a unique Fourth of July event on his reservation. It was called Pasapalloynin, meaning “to make them rejoice, to make them happy!”...
by Rich Wandschneider | Apr 26, 2025 | Chief Joseph, Colville Reservation, Colville tribes, First Foods, Indian religion, Nex Perce history, Nez Perce, Nez Perce Homeland, Nez Perce treaty, Nez Perce Tribe, Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland, Nez Perce War
Last weekend four of us from Wallowa County made the long highway drive to Nespelem, Washington for the annual Nez Perce root feast. After a service of drumming, singing and testimony, we sat for a huge feast of “first foods.” Wild foods from water and salmon through...
by Rich Wandschneider | Aug 9, 2021 | 1855 treaty, 1863 treaty, Chief Joseph, Chief Joseph Cemetery, Colville Reservation, Lapwai, Nez Perce, Nez Perce War, umatilla reservation
The recent Nez Perce reacquisition of 148 acres near the town of Joseph was a big event. Scores of walkers and riders with their horses gathered at the school on the hill on one side of Joseph, and made the journey through town and onto the airport road to the place...
by Rich Wandschneider | Mar 17, 2021 | Colville Reservation, Indian reservations, The Dying Grass
In my understanding of how things work in Indian country, names of elders who have recently passed are often not said aloud for some time–or only carefully. But I think in this case it is important to use a name, because Mary Schlick was known to many in...
by Rich Wandschneider | Jul 30, 2019 | Chief Joseph, Colville Reservation, Doug Hyde, Joseph Oregon, Josephy Center, Nez Perce
‘etweyé·wise—Return On Saturday, June 22, 2019, we dedicated a new sculpture at the Josephy Center on Main Street in Joseph, Oregon. Two years of preparation and the artisanship of Doug Hyde gave us a work he calls ‘etweyé·wise—which is an old word meaning “I...
