Confluence Library

Canoe culture has been integral to the Columbia River system’s Indigenous people since time immemorial. And Tribal canoes are still on the water today. In this episode of the Confluence Podcast, we hear from skippers from canoe families along the Columbia River.

On today’s episode, you’re going to hear something most people never get a chance to hear—extended excerpts of stories in a traditional Native language of the Northwest, specifically the Nimiipuu, or Nez Perce people. We’ll listen to Harry Slickpoo Jr. who is a traditional storyteller and member of the Nez Perce Tribe.

In this episode, we talk with Patsy Whitefoot. She’s an elder from the Yakama Nation, a well-known leader in education circles, an activist, and a Confluence board member. She talks about the Columbia River system, her experience with it, and the importance of reciprocity.

In 2021, the Vancouver Land Bridge underwent refurbishment, which were celebrated in this recorded ceremony. At the ceremony, Confluence also dedicated a tree planted in honor of our Founding Director Jane Jacobsen, who passed away in 2020.

Find a collection of resources on the Vancouver Land Bridge here.

This field guide was created as part of Confluence’s education programs connecting students with the history, culture, and ecology at the Story Circles at Sacajawea State Park in Pasco, WA. It is designed to guide you though what you see, hear, and feel there, and prompt thinking about changes in the landscape.

In November 2022, Confluence launched a new publication. Voices of the River journal features articles, stories, poetry and artwork by Native American writers and artists from Northwest Tribes. Confluence and its supporters celebrated the release of the inaugural issue of the journal during a launch party and panel discussion on November 18, 2022 at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland, which is shared here in podcast format.

This guide is designed to guide you though the Confluence Story Circles.

“During the winter, I listened to my father telling me Native legends to put me to sleep. He told the legends over and over again. I was covered up with many quilts made by long hands by Mom, Aunty, and Grandma. There would be the crackling of the fire in the wood stove while the winter wind blew outside. I was safe and secure”…Read this article by Ed Edmo on Storytelling.

The Voices of the River Journal is an extension of the work Confluence does in public gatherings, education programs in schools, and our Digital Library that features interviews, documentary shorts, photo galleries, and research papers on these subject managers exclusively from an Indigenous perspective. Read volume 1 here.