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Storyteller shares his Northwest tribal culture
Ed Edmo, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock tribe, read poetry Wednesday at the Longhouse
by Mychal Gresham |
On Wednesday night, a small audience gathered at the Many Nations Longhouse to hear traditional Native American storytelling.
Ed Edmo, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock tribe, lectured on Northwest tribal culture.
Edmo has been performing his interactive storytelling for 31 years to audiences throughout the nation and particularly in his native home of the Pacific Northwest.
Edmo grew up near Celilo Falls, Ore., on the Columbia River. His father was an avid fisherman who felt a close connection to the falls until 1957, when the construction of the Dalles Dam flooded that section of the river and destroyed the falls.
When asked how he felt about the loss of Celilo Falls, Edmo replied, "I was still a young boy, but my heart felt more pain than a boy should feel."
Edmo, who was only 11 at the time, recalled the emotions his father expressed to him after the falls disappeared.
"He and the others tried to do what they could, but the contractors looked at them and turned their heads. He had lost a part of his soul and his life," he said.
Edmo discusses the falls in "Echo of Water Against Rocks: Remembering The Last Days of Celilo Falls," an award-winning documentary about the flooding of Celilo Falls produced by University students in the Environmental Studies Program in April of 2000.
The stories Edmo tells were passed down through the words and teachings of his father, who like many Native Americans received the stories from the older members of his tribe.
"If there is one thing I regret, it would be never learning my native tongue," Edmo said. "My father was whipped in school whenever he spoke in native languages, he did not want me to endure the same beatings."
Edmo spoke about how different tribes' beliefs shape their creation stories, each of which has a unique explanation of life. He used puppets and interacted with the audience in order to reiterate the principles behind the stories.
"Ed is so good at telling stories colorfully and getting the crowd to interact and laugh, especially the kids," said Terry Church, who works at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History store and has attended several of Edmo's lectures.
Ed Edmo, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock tribe, lectured on Northwest tribal culture.
Edmo has been performing his interactive storytelling for 31 years to audiences throughout the nation and particularly in his native home of the Pacific Northwest.
Edmo grew up near Celilo Falls, Ore., on the Columbia River. His father was an avid fisherman who felt a close connection to the falls until 1957, when the construction of the Dalles Dam flooded that section of the river and destroyed the falls.
When asked how he felt about the loss of Celilo Falls, Edmo replied, "I was still a young boy, but my heart felt more pain than a boy should feel."
Edmo, who was only 11 at the time, recalled the emotions his father expressed to him after the falls disappeared.
"He and the others tried to do what they could, but the contractors looked at them and turned their heads. He had lost a part of his soul and his life," he said.
Edmo discusses the falls in "Echo of Water Against Rocks: Remembering The Last Days of Celilo Falls," an award-winning documentary about the flooding of Celilo Falls produced by University students in the Environmental Studies Program in April of 2000.
The stories Edmo tells were passed down through the words and teachings of his father, who like many Native Americans received the stories from the older members of his tribe.
"If there is one thing I regret, it would be never learning my native tongue," Edmo said. "My father was whipped in school whenever he spoke in native languages, he did not want me to endure the same beatings."
Edmo spoke about how different tribes' beliefs shape their creation stories, each of which has a unique explanation of life. He used puppets and interacted with the audience in order to reiterate the principles behind the stories.
"Ed is so good at telling stories colorfully and getting the crowd to interact and laugh, especially the kids," said Terry Church, who works at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History store and has attended several of Edmo's lectures.
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Teresa
posted 10/26/07 @ 12:11 PM PST
What a great read!
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