Family Friday--Visiting with Father Tom

Rev. Thomas E. Connolly, S.J. visits with Z2 and her History Day project group at Gonzaga University today.


Today I drove Z2 and four of her friends to Gonzaga University. They had made an appointment with Father Thomas Connolly, the priest at the Sacred Heart Mission in Desmet, Idaho. He was gracious enough to talk to them about their topic.

This year's main theme for National History is Conflict and Compromise. Z2's group is producing a documentary on how moving to the reservation changed the lives of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. They are going to tell the story from the perspective of two Indian girls, and talk about how life was before the reservation and after, and one of the changes was attending the Indian Boarding School in DeSmet.

Connolly has been a priest with the Coeur d'Alene tribe for 30 years, and you can tell he loves his job. It was enjoyable listening to him tell about how things were for the tribe. He explained to the girls how, after the tribe moved to the reservation, they realized their children would need to learn English to live in the "white man's world". He explained how a group of tribal members travelled to Walla Walla, Washington to talk to the Sister of Providence to come and teach the girls in school, because, at that time, only the boys were being taught by priests and seminarians.

He explained how, in reality, the Indians were invaded and their land taken away. And, since these people now occupied their land, they would have to learn how to communicate and work the way the white man did, or they would not be able to survive.

Life became much more regimented for the children once they went to the boarding school. Since there were a large group of them at the school, they had a routine and chores, and learned domestic chores such as sewing and cooking and laundry in a different way than they were used to knowing at their homes.

One of the biggest changes was not being with their family. That was very hard on, not only the children, but the parents and grandparents as well. But they knew their children needed to be schooled.

We travel again on Monday to Desmet to visit the mission there, and meet the parish secretary who has information on the schools. I look forward to hearing what she has to share about this topic as well. What a wonderful learning experience for these girls, and me, too.

Circling Raven's Vision

Artwork by Brooklyn Baptiste, Nez Perce

Most 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."

The First Inhabitants of the Silver Valley

Often the "discovery" of the Silver Valley is attributed to fur traders, or John Mullan, or Andrew Pritchard, or Noah Kellogg, along with other white men who passed through this area. But they were not the first to enjoy the beautiful mountain, rivers and meadows of the area in North Idaho. No, like most of the United States, it was the Native Americans who first inhabited this land. And it is with the Schitsu'umsh that the history of the Silver Valley and her stories begin.

To find out more about the Schitsu'umsh, or the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, and they are more now commonly known, to to their official website at http://www.cdatribe-nsn.gov/default.shtml

On this website you can find out the past, present and future of the tribe. Right now my interests are in the past. Here is an excerpt from the website:

Because there was always a commitment to the future, so will there always be a commitment to the past. The modern Coeur d' Alene Tribe is the sum of uncounted centuries and of untold generations. In the tribe's own ancient language, it is called Schitsu'umsh, meaning "Those who are found here," or "The discovered people." In this remains a land abundant in beauty and resources, a legacy of leadership, and a lineage that continues from time immemorial. The Coeur d' Alene's are who they always were and who they will always be.

Below is a map of the original Aboriginal Territory that spanned more than 5 million acres of todays Washington, Oregon and Montana. As you can see, the Silver Valley is right in the middle.

There is a book titled "Red Thunder" by David Matheson that is a fictional account of the Schitsu'umsh. It is a good story, and gives a good perspective on the tribal life before encounters with the white man. I enjoyed looking at the maps and figuring out where places were they he wrote about when the tribe was in the land that is now the Silver Valley. If I remember correctly, they had had summer camp in what is now Kingston. And what is now I-90 was simliar to the trail they used to travel to what is now Montana to hunt buffalo.

I often like to let my imagination wander, and think about what it must have been like when the Schitsu'umsh roamed the hills, creeks, meadows and rivers of this valley. When I am around Coeur d'Alene Lake I often like to "listen" to the Schitsu'umsh rowing their canoes across the lake and singing their songs. How beautiful the lake must have been in those days.