I was elated when Kelly Wurth asked me to review her book, combing for Native American authenticity. I’d met her during my first Women Writing the West conference three years ago in Kansas City, Missouri and knew she and I would become fast friends and fellow writing supporters. She is a class act and sweet…
June is my favorite month. Cool air, sunshine, rain, heat, wind, thunder and lightning, flowers, all mixed into one glorious streak of days. It can be busy with graduations and for our family, birthdays and anniversaries. But this year, with goals, jobs and chores that include riding down a colt, polishing a manuscript, creating three…
Have you ever thought your book, essay or short story was complete, just the way it should be? I have. Until an expert laid her eyes on it. My current young adult novel places my female character, a young Okanogan Native American jockey, on the ledge of the World Famous Suicide Race hill in Omak,…
From the onset of my work-in-progress, I have wanted to find a teen artist to portray my protagonist’s art project in the book I’m currently writing. The art project weaves history and the old ways into modern culture and attitudes. He or she needed to be Native American and preferably of the Colville Tribes….
Why are we fascinated with the lifestyle of American Indians? Has Hollywood so glamorized them that we as humans don’t want to lose the thrill of the west? Or are we still drawn in by how the west was tamed in a Louis L’Amour novel? The real question is; however, how do American Indians…
Saturday, March 12, from 11:00 to 1:00 Paty Jager and I will be at …And Books, Too! and present how we have incorporated American Indian life into fiction. I will share about two Native American ladies who have either taught or inspired me and how they influenced my writing. One was my mentor. The other I’ve never…
As you recall from my last post, in 1930, Inchelium and all towns north of Coulee Dam had to be moved to higher ground. Lake Roosevelt, the backwaters from Grand Coulee Dam to Kettle Falls, would rapidly flood several towns along the Columbia River. Men cut trees, moved buildings, and grieved a life soon to…
My writing journey began in the late 1900s after taking a Longridge Writer’s online class for non-fiction. Native history swirled in my heart even before I settled on the reservation with my husband knowing I had some type of Indian in me, little as it is. And after interviewing several elders, I wrote Swallowed…
Strong women have always influenced the history of the west. They had to in order to survive. Mourning Dove, an Arrow Lakes enrolled woman of the Colville Confederated Tribes, was no exception. She was a trailblazer. Christine Quintasket, her given name, was the first female American Indian novelist, and the first woman elected to tribal…
Legends are American Indians greatest teaching tool of life skills elders have for the younger generations. Most include Coyote, a trickster, and his lessons of foolishness. These stories train youth and give them wisdom into the world of right and wrong and common sense. This is an excerpt from Delbert’s Weir: the legend of how…
Welcome author and friend Paty Jager! I had the pleasure of meeting Paty four years ago in Clarkston, WA at a book signing and we’ve stayed in touch ever since. We have a common thread in our writing which includes Native Americans. She is specific to Nez Perce both from Idaho and Washington; I am…
I hate flying! But I pray, cowgirl-up and do it anyhow. Not long ago, I found myself sitting in the Spokane International Airport typing away on my laptop, working on my new book, keeping my attention on all things grounded. Like not flying. I was happy with what I’d been writing thus far when the…
As part of our 2015 Women Writing the West Conference in Redmond, Oregon, conference co-chairs Jane Kirkpatrick and Shanna Hatfield offered members the opportunity to tour the High Desert Museum, which is located near Bend. The museum opened in 1982. It was founded by Donald M. Kerr, a native of Portland, and brings regional wildlife, culture, art and natural…
Crawfish Races Coyote – Small Lake in the Area Arrow Lakes Legend Told by Martin Louie Colville Confederated Tribal Member and Elder Coyote was teasing Crawfish because he was so slow and because he walked sideways. Crawfish argued he was not slow, but indeed very fast. Coyote laughed, gave him a long look,…
For the first time in 25 years, our youngest son is moving away. Marshall recently graduated from Eastern Washington University with a middle school teaching degree in science. He’d sent numerous job applications to schools in the Spokane, WA area, which is close to us, but came up empty. He recently applied for a job…
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