The Roar of the Falls: My Journey with Kaya

I wipe most of the dirt from my arms, and follow Kaya down the riverbank. I dust off the dirt from my dress. As we near the camps, I see horses pulling heavy travois (Kaya tells me that word) and shelters with poles lashed together. They’re as tall as houses! The shelters are lined with rows of fish that have been cleaned and neatly cut. The smell is overpowering. But Kaya is grinning. She is proud of all the salmon that have given themselves to the camp this year. I watch the women artfully cut the fish and scrape off the scales. Everyone is working so hard, and nobody is slacking off. Kaya says everybody helps out. The men and boys work hard fishing, and the women and girls prepare the fish they catch. The fresh fish is gift after a winter of dried foods. The fish will be one of the things they eat 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. 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. I’m not sure what to expect to see at the festivities tonight, but curiosity makes me hurry to keep up Kaya, who has already started back up the path.