Indigenous People - History and Present
The Conservancy is dedicated to acknowledging the indigenous histories and peoples of this region.
Soap Lake was a gathering spot for many tribes. Here are indigenous elders sharing their stories.
From Dry Falls Visitor Center Display, 2022
Oral culture finds its way to print in epic Wenatchi Indian tale
WENATCHEE — Randy Lewis has a story to tell, as old as the Wenatchee River valley.
iFiber article regarding this video By Jefferson Robbins, Dec 6, 2018, Updated Dec 6, 2018
More information on this PDF from the Wenatchee Valley Museum
David Govedare and Keith Powell, artists (photo S. Moriyasu)
A monumental, 1-1/3 life-size bronze, steel and basalt rock sundial sculpture of a human figure with raised arm serving as a gnomon. The sculpture, "Calling the Healing Waters," depicts a young Native American couple as Father Sky and Mother Earth, sacred essence of rain and minerals connecting and bringing healing. Reflecting ethnic and historical themes, the winged warrior protects and comforts the maiden holding a catch basin for the healing waters. The sculpture was commissioned to honor the healing properties of the waters of Soap Lake.
The feathered arm of the sculpture falls short of the latitude angle by ten degrees. NASS member Roger Bailey performed a shadow plane analysis based on the actual arm angle of 37° to optimize the design as a sundial. The tip of the feathered arm now serves as the point-in-space gnomon of a horizontal sundial. With the sculpture already cast in bronze and in-place, Roger worked with the project manager to optimally place DST hour markers and hour lines to show the best-possible shadow times mid-morning to late afternoon during the summer months. The optimization effectively shifted the center of the 46-foot hour circle south about six feet. Time is read on the hour lines by the shadow of the feathers at the tip of the curved arm of the figure.
Colville Tribal elder, Barbara Aripa, Healing Waters Statue dedication (Soap Lake 2010)
The lake and land was valued as an important site for the all the peoples, coming there frequently to swim in the water for cleansing and healing after the long winter. To feel the medicine in their hearts and minds and bodies, to sing songs that would cleanse, to camp, for powwows, to play stick games, and to reunite with each other.
Marlene Spencer Simla is the Great-Great-Great-granddaughter of a Yakama tribal chief If today, the language of his ancestors is disappearing, this Elder is trying to save the culture of her tribe by telling native legends. Listen to this woman we've had the honor to meet and interview. Discover the History of natives through a prism you don't often see. The history of the United States is not limited to "Pioneers" and settlers, to the founding fathers or to the gold rush. What Marlene tells us is a historical testimony. Let's listen to her and hear her message of peace.
For more information, these links will take you to the tribal websites:
(the websites will open in a new tab)