Richard D. Scheuerman – författare

Born to T'siyiak, a champion horse racer and Com-mus-ni, the daughter of Chief Wiyáwiikt, Kamiakin helped relatives tend his family's rapidly expanding herds. He wintered in tule mat lodges in the Kittitas and Ahtanum valleys, shared in spring root gathering, went salmon fishing in the summer, and participated in fall hunting and berry picking. The young Indian also learned ancestral traditions. Alone as an adolescent on the treacherous, icy heights of Mount Rainier, he dreamt of the Buffalo's power and completed his quest for a spirit guide. Muscular and sinewy, he became a skilled horse racer and competitor in feats of agility. He married and established his home on Ahtanum Creek, where he raised potatoes, squash, pumpkins, and corn in large, irrigated gardens.As Kamiakin matured, he became more prominent among the Yakamas; leaders of both Sahaptin and Salish tribes often sought his counsel. Through personal aptitude as well as family bonds, he emerged as one of the region's most influential chiefs. He cautiously welcomed White newcomers and sought to learn beneficial aspects of their culture. His dignified manner and attire impressed both soldiers and missionaries.In the 1850s, the arrival of unprecedented numbers of White immigrants incited a cataclysmic upheaval that would threaten the very existence of the Plateau's native people. On May 29, 1855, the Walla Walla Council commenced with a brief meeting attended by some 5,000 Indians, including Chief Kamiakin. Two weeks later, with great reluctance, he signed the Yakima Treaty of 1855. He also resolved to fight against the destruction of his people and desecrations upon the land. Finding Chief Kamiakin is his story.

For generations, the original Snake River-Palouse people lived a free, open life on the Columbia Plateau, moving on horseback from the Snake River to Badger Mountain to Oregon's Blue Mountains. They interacted and intermarried within a vast region, and their stories are rich in content, interpretation, and nuance. Denied a place on their ancestral lands, most relocated to Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs, Yakama, and Colville reservations, where maintaining their cultural identity became increasingly difficult. Still, elders continued to pass down oral histories, insisting youngsters listen with rapt attention.Beginning in the 1970s, Naxiyamtáma elders--in particular Mary Jim, Andrew George, Gordon Fisher, and Emily Peone--shared their stories with a research team. They hoped to teach American Indian history in a traditional manner and refute incorrect versions. Multiple themes emerged--a pervasive spirituality tied to the Creator and environment; a covenant relationship and sacred trust to protect and preserve their traditional lands; storytelling as a revered art form that reveals life lessons; and finally, belief in cyclical time and blood memory.Tied to Plateau people's leadership families, the featured elders had lived in the traditional way--gathering, hunting, and fishing, participating in the ancient Wáshani religion, and honoring the Creator through First Food ceremonies. In their retelling, the authors endeavored to capture their original voices and stay true to Snake River-Palouse oral traditions. Creation stories include "Why Coyote Made the Palouse Hills," and "The Origin of Palouse Falls." Although narratives by other groups are similar to Mary Jim's "How Coyote Learned to Fish," and Gordon Fisher's "How Beaver Brought Fire to the People," their versions offer a distinct Naxiyamtáma perspective. The authors also describe their method and approach--one that will serve as a model for conducting Native American cultural research.

Originally released in 1986 as Renegade Tribe, this award-winning title sensitively retells the compelling saga of western expansion and Indian-white conflict from a Native American perspective. The Snake River-Palouse resisted immigrant encroachment and fought a losing battle to retain their way of life. The Whitman Massacre, as well as a refusal to enter into U.S. government treaties, left them with a hostile reputation among the newcomers. With settlers increasingly demanding their removal and no reservation of their own, these Inland Northwest Indians faced extermination by the end of the nineteenth century. Examining written and oral evidence left by both indigenous and white cultures, this book presents the Snake River-Palouse as important actors in events and demonstrates how their initiative and decisions influenced the course of history. This revised edition offers a new introduction by the authors and a new foreword by Chief Tilcoax's descendent Wilson Wewah.