Our Sibling Assignment for this week is Fog, as posed to us by Raymond Pert.
IEG's poetry post is here, and RP's post will be here.
Last week, for a brief moment, I was transported to a foggy land of enchantment.
PKR and I were driving home from Coeur d'Alene along Interstate 90, and as we passed the Rose Lake junction, we could tell there was a full moon.
We kept catching glimpses of it as the road turned.
Then, as the road straightened out and we entered the Cataldo Slough area, our world transformed.
We were transported into a land of dense areas of fog near the ground, but clear sky above with the full moon casting a silvery glow on the fog below.
As the fog permeated our car, the damp, organic, moistness of the fog invaded my nostrils. It was almost like being in the fog at the ocean, but the smell was full of more earthy smells, like the slough had condensed and invaded the car for a brief moment.
For those unfamiliar with the term, a slough is like a bog or a swamp. It is a marshy, reedy pool of backwater full of grassy plants and covers either side of Interstate 90 from just past the Rose Lake junction to the sighting of the Cataldo Mission.
And the Old Mission also was a character in this enchanted world we entered. Perched high on her hill, a beacon of light for travelers heading into the Silver Valley from the west, her grassy slope was covered with a thick cloud of silvery white as we drove by.
Once past the mission, the moon left us, and we were enveloped in an ordinary fog once again, and continued on our way past Cataldo, and Kingston, Pinehurst and Smelterville, until we reached out destination of Kellogg and home.
But that brief moment of silvery enchantment there on the Cataldo flats will never leave me.
Showing posts with label Cataldo Mission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cataldo Mission. Show all posts
2/21/07
The Coming of the Black Robes
The coming of the Jesuit priests to the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe would prove to be one of the most providential encounters in the tribe's history. Their encounter would change the tribe's view of their world, and their culture. Some of the changes were good, some were not so good. But it ultimately helped them prepare for what would be their destiny of moving to reservation land and farming to make a living.
The following is taken from a December 2005 issue of "The Prospector", the newsletter of the Idaho State Historical Society's Junior Historian Program. The following article was written by Glenn Newkirk.
Before the European settlers arrived in America many different types of religious beliefs already existed among the Native Americans. Many of the tribes still practice their traditional religions today. But in some cases, the arrival of the Europeans and their religious beliefs changed the way Native Americans practiced religion. This is the story of the arrival of Jesuit missionaries in the northern Idaho area and how this changed the lives not just of the Native Americans but also of the Jesuits. When two groups of strangers start to live, work, eat and pray together they sometimes create a common culture between the two.
The Jesuits were founded as an order of the Roman Catholic Church in 1534. They thought that education was one of the most important goals in life and built many schools. They became excellent teachers and had little trouble “roughing it” in the wilderness of America because they lived modest lives, without a lot of material goods. The Jesuits were known for dressing in simple, ankle length dark robes. This is where their nickname, the black robes, comes from.
The Jesuits came to Northern Idaho in a rather indirect way. Around 1820, a group of Iroquois Indians who were working for the Hudson’s Bay Fur Company visited western Montana. Several of the Iroquois stayed after they had finished their work and began living among the Salish Indians. As the men settled in, they started to share their ancestors and history. The Iroquois Nation has roots in the eastern part of America and so some of the Iroquois already had met the “black robes”. The Salish and the neighboring Nez Perce, fascinated by the stories, started planning to have some of the “black robes” come and live among them.
It took about ten years, but in 1841, Father Pierre Jean Desmet and several other Jesuits arrived in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana. They built a small settlement called St. Mary’s and encouraged the Salish people to settle nearby and take up farming. Soon other Indian tribes in the area, including the Coeur d’Alene, heard of the arrival of the “black robes” and came to see for themselves what all the excitement was about.
In 1842 Jesuit missionary Father Nicholas Point entered what is now Idaho and began living among the Coeur d’Alene and in 1843, the first Jesuit settlement in Idaho was built. The humble mission stood on the point where the St. Joe River and Lake Coeur d’Alene met. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a poor location. During the spring thaw the mission often flooded and swarms of mosquitoes were a common nuisance. Still, Father Point went about his work diligently. He encouraged the Indians to take up farming and taught them the rituals and beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church. His hard work paid off. Within a couple of years, over one hundred Coeur d’Alene became Christians. This does not mean that they necessarily gave up their religious beliefs or way of life, although that may have happened in some cases. More likely, the Coeur d’Alene adopted only some of the Jesuit’s beliefs, mixing them with their own cultural traditions.
Eventually, the decision was made to relocate the mission and the rest of the community to higher ground along the Coeur d’Alene River just west of the present day town of Cataldo. This new location turned out to be much better than expected. Not only was the mission safe from spring flooding, but it turned out to be a crossroads of sorts for many travelers who stopped to rest, eat and share stories with the community. The Mission moved once again in 1877 to its current location on the south end of Lake Coeur d’Alene, but the Cataldo Mission is still standing. Although neither the tribe nor the Jesuits live there today, the building has been preserved and is open for daily visitors.
Life at the mission was an interesting mix of cultures. The Coeur d’Alene people lived by hunting and gathering their food from the wild. The tribe had no written language, but instead used a system of oral storytelling to pass information from generation to generation. And, of course, the Coeur d’Alene people had their own religious beliefs that included plants, animals, and land around them. The Jesuits, on the other hand, believed that farming skills were essential to civilization. Their schools emphasized the art of reading and writing. And the Christian religion they practiced came from much different traditional beliefs developed across the ocean in Europe. The story of the Jesuit missions in Idaho isn’t just about historic buildings. It is a tale of two different groups of people living together in the harsh wilderness of early Idaho.
2/18/07
Circling Raven's Vision
Artwork by Brooklyn Baptiste, Nez PerceMost people in North Idaho are familiar with the name "Circling Raven" because it is the name of the golf course at the Coeur d'Alene Casino in Worley. But I'm not sure when this Schitsu'umsh chief had a vision hundreds of years ago that the casino and golf course were a part of what he saw.
This is one of my favorite stories about the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. I think because it has such a connection to the Cataldo Mission. In the book, "Beneath These Mountains", by Russell A. Bankson and Lester S. Harrison, the first chapter retells Chief Twisted Earth telling his son Tecomtee of his father Chief Circling Raven's prophesy.
"It was prophesied to me by your grandfather, Chief Circling Raven (unfortunately, the authors had the name wrong. They refer to him as Circulating Raven, but we now know different.) many years ago, even when I was very young like you, my son, that these strange people with the white skins, would come. In the time of my father, and his father before him, and his father before him, it was prophesied that these people would come from far away across the great waters, where the rising of the sun begins.
It was prophesied even in my time by the great and venerable Chief Circling Raven, my father, who was gifted of the Gods to know and understand the future. He saw that these white skinned ones would come first in small numbers and then in ever increasing numbers, and that there would be a time when they would seek to take our native lands from us by trickery or by violence. They would come carrying long sticks filled with the thunder of their Gods, against which no arrow nor spear could stand.
It was told to me that we must not pit our puny strength against their mighty power, lest we would be destroyed, every one, to the last man, woman and child. It was taught that when they come, we should meet them with offers of peace.
I have not told you this before because of the tenderness of your years. But now you stand on the threshold of manhood, and there will come that time when I, too, will be old and my spirit will depart from my body to join those of our ancestors.
The prophet, Circling Raven, wisely ruled our people for an hundred years from the time that is called 1660 to 1760, when at the age of 150 years his spirit departed. Then I, at the age of twelve years, was called upon to rule our people with the council of our sub-chiefs. This I have done now for 45 years.
I would now also tell you of other revelations and prophesies which were given to me by my venerable father, all of which are relieved and reverenced by our people.
He saw in his visions the birth many centuries ago of a great Savior of all the peoples of the earth. And he visioned the cruel death of this Savior at the hand of those who would not believe.
He saw the coming of emissaries of our Savior, and they were dressed in black robes, bringing the true words of hope for all peoples. They will come and they will teach us the ways of friendship with those who follow, so that there will be understanding among us.
For an hundred years your grandfather searched through the mountains and the canyons of our land for the Black Robes. And I have since searched diligently. Then one day three ravens possessed of the spirit of your grandfather, the prophet, flew to my teepee and sat upon the ridgepole. And they spoke to me in the tongue of my father, saying to have great patience and strong belief, for it would be from fifty to sixty years before the Black Robes arrived.
I, my son, know in my heart that they will come, but it may be after I have departed from my body. So I charge you that if you then are Chief of our people, you will receive them and believe them as they will bring the true words of faith.
But before the Black Robes, there will come many people with the pale skins. And this I charge you, my son, that when they come, we who possess this land can make peace with these strangers who destroy life with the thunder of the Gods.
You have seen now the first of them to come. And as I was instructed many years ago by my father, Circling Raven, I met them with my wise counsellors when they approached the portals of our domain."
This is one of my favorite stories about the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. I think because it has such a connection to the Cataldo Mission. In the book, "Beneath These Mountains", by Russell A. Bankson and Lester S. Harrison, the first chapter retells Chief Twisted Earth telling his son Tecomtee of his father Chief Circling Raven's prophesy.
"It was prophesied to me by your grandfather, Chief Circling Raven (unfortunately, the authors had the name wrong. They refer to him as Circulating Raven, but we now know different.) many years ago, even when I was very young like you, my son, that these strange people with the white skins, would come. In the time of my father, and his father before him, and his father before him, it was prophesied that these people would come from far away across the great waters, where the rising of the sun begins.
It was prophesied even in my time by the great and venerable Chief Circling Raven, my father, who was gifted of the Gods to know and understand the future. He saw that these white skinned ones would come first in small numbers and then in ever increasing numbers, and that there would be a time when they would seek to take our native lands from us by trickery or by violence. They would come carrying long sticks filled with the thunder of their Gods, against which no arrow nor spear could stand.
It was told to me that we must not pit our puny strength against their mighty power, lest we would be destroyed, every one, to the last man, woman and child. It was taught that when they come, we should meet them with offers of peace.
I have not told you this before because of the tenderness of your years. But now you stand on the threshold of manhood, and there will come that time when I, too, will be old and my spirit will depart from my body to join those of our ancestors.
The prophet, Circling Raven, wisely ruled our people for an hundred years from the time that is called 1660 to 1760, when at the age of 150 years his spirit departed. Then I, at the age of twelve years, was called upon to rule our people with the council of our sub-chiefs. This I have done now for 45 years.
I would now also tell you of other revelations and prophesies which were given to me by my venerable father, all of which are relieved and reverenced by our people.
He saw in his visions the birth many centuries ago of a great Savior of all the peoples of the earth. And he visioned the cruel death of this Savior at the hand of those who would not believe.
He saw the coming of emissaries of our Savior, and they were dressed in black robes, bringing the true words of hope for all peoples. They will come and they will teach us the ways of friendship with those who follow, so that there will be understanding among us.
For an hundred years your grandfather searched through the mountains and the canyons of our land for the Black Robes. And I have since searched diligently. Then one day three ravens possessed of the spirit of your grandfather, the prophet, flew to my teepee and sat upon the ridgepole. And they spoke to me in the tongue of my father, saying to have great patience and strong belief, for it would be from fifty to sixty years before the Black Robes arrived.
I, my son, know in my heart that they will come, but it may be after I have departed from my body. So I charge you that if you then are Chief of our people, you will receive them and believe them as they will bring the true words of faith.
But before the Black Robes, there will come many people with the pale skins. And this I charge you, my son, that when they come, we who possess this land can make peace with these strangers who destroy life with the thunder of the Gods.
You have seen now the first of them to come. And as I was instructed many years ago by my father, Circling Raven, I met them with my wise counsellors when they approached the portals of our domain."
2/4/07
Idaho's Oldest Building
Today I accompanied my husband and two of my daughters to some friend's home for a Super Bowl party. They live up above Canyon School in "the Canyon". On our way to the party, we passed the oldest building in the state of Idaho, The Cataldo Mission. I am fascinated with the history of this building and the people who lived there, worked there, and worshiped there. In the upcoming days, I am going to share some information about the mission, and some of the stories I have read about this fascinating building.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)