The Roar of the Falls: My Journey with Kaya

Kaya leads me to a little stream that branches off from the river, the water clear enough to see smooth stones on the bottom, sunlight glinting off the shallow current. I kneel beside her and clean the dirt from my hands, the cold water numbing my fingers. Mimicking Kaya, I scoop water onto my face, but when I brush against the scrapes on my forehead, I cry out. Kaya grabs a handful of grass and presses it to my forehead, cool and damp against the sting. She explains I’ll need medicine. But first, we’ll wash my dress.

She’s helping me scrape dirt off my dress when she notices my bracelet. She says it’s like her hair ties. When I look, she has two round shells with holes in the middle, just like my bracelet.

She adds that my bracelet will make a good trade tonight at the festivities. Kaya explains the festivities will have feasting and drumming and dancing.

I remember the Wallowa pow-wow I went to with my parents last summer, the smell of fry bread and the sound of drums still vivid in my mind. They had elaborate feathered headdresses and metal cones that jingled as they moved. One of the tribes was the Nez Perce, the same as Kaya’s tribe! They wore shells in their hair, just like Kaya does now. Thinking back on it, everything here feels a little more real. I’m not sure what to expect to see at the festivities tonight, but curiosity makes me hurry to keep up with Kaya, who has already started back up the path.