FROM PAGE ONE
TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021
THE OBSERVER — A5
BLESSING
Continued from Page A1
on to the rushed agreement
precipitated by pressure
from settlers and the dis-
covery of gold near Pierce.
But in the government’s
eyes, the treaty was valid
and Nez Perce from places
like the Wallowas, the
Salmon River, White Bird
and the Palouse were forced
to relocate.
Later that summer, fric-
tion over the treaty and the
forced exile led to war. A
faction of the tribe engaged
with the Army in a series of
battles that stretched nearly
1,200 miles across Idaho
and Montana. Chief Joseph
eventually surrendered
in the Bear Paw Moun-
tains. He and many of his
people were never allowed
to return to the Wallowa
Valley.
Despite the offi cial exile,
other Nez Perce people have
been coming to the valley
for more than a century to
practice their religion, visit
gravesites, hunt, fi sh, dig
roots and pick berries. For
decades they have partic-
ipated in the Chief Joseph
Days Rodeo, which is being
held this week. The pur-
chase of Am’sáaxpa gives
them a place to stay, to be
more than visitors in their
own homeland.
“We are resilient people.
We were forced out of here,
but now look, we’ve come
back,” said Ellenwood, also
a member of the tribe’s
executive committee. “We
never really left, but now
it’s in black and white. It’s
ours.”
A few hours earlier,
SKOOLIE
Continued from Page A1
‘The most epic
honeymoon’
The couple had origi-
nally planned for a spring
wedding — but that was
before COVID-19. Plan
after plan faltered, and they
canceled the ceremony
three times before they
fi nally eloped in Colorado.
“We just want to get
freaking married,” Brittany
said.
As the pandemic raged
across the world, the couple
said their vows on the side
of a mountain on Sept.
3, 2020. The only guests
were an offi ciant, their
cat, Frankie, and a family
friend serving as their
photographer.
“From there, we were
like, ‘We’re married now,
so let’s go have the most
epic honeymoon,’” Brittany
said.
Traveling and working
in the same space means
extended periods of time
spent together for the new-
lyweds. They also had
their cat to keep them com-
pany, until tragedy struck
in Dallas and Frankie, Brit-
tany’s 12-year-old com-
panion, had to be put
down due to health issues.
Although not used to trav-
eling, Frankie had quickly
grown accustomed to life
on the road.
“He would put his claws
into the couch and then
not move. He got used to it
pretty fast, though,” Ethan
said.
Initial skittishness
quickly subsided and
Frankie proved to be an
ideal travel companion,
and a popular model for
the couples’ Instagram
account, which they use to
document and share their
adventures.
“Every time we got to
a new place, he would be
right next to the door,” Brit-
tany said.
“He loved to look out all
the windows,” Ethan added.
Around the bus some
remnants and memories
of Frankie linger. Insulin
injections used to treat his
diabetes remain tucked
away in a medicine bag.
On the kitchen counter is a
painted portrait of Frankie
in a suit mimicking the
style of a Renaissance
painting.
“The house feels a little
cold now without him,”
said Brittany. “He was
August Frank/Lewiston Tribune
People listen to speakers before the Nez Perce Tribe Land Blessing in
Joseph on Thursday, July 29, 2021.
August Frank/Lewiston Tribune
Nakia Williamson leads horseback riders down West Wallowa Avenue in Joseph on Thursday, July 29,
2021, on their way to a blessing ceremony.
August Frank/Lewiston Tribune
Allen Pinkham speaks at the Nez Perce Tribe Land Blessing in Joseph
on Thursday, July 29, 2021.
tribal leaders on horse-
back headed a procession
of riders and walkers from
Joseph High School west
along Wallowa Avenue,
following the tribe’s tradi-
sharing this journey with
us, and now he’s gone. I’m
glad he got to do this part
of the journey with us.”
Choosing the road less
traveled
The bulk of the over-
night stays for the couple,
due to their self-suffi cient
nature, happen far away
from RV parks. Nearly
unlimited time and the
ability to work from eff ec-
tively anywhere has led to
a series of right turns off
the interstate on their way
to see the next landmark.
Their preferred sites are
normally public lands, or
using one of the many apps
available to nomads for
fi nding an overnight place
to rest their rig and heads.
“We will stay in an RV
park every once in a while.
First we look for BLM,
then we go to HarvestHost
before looking for camp-
grounds and RV Parks.
RV parks are usually a last
resort,” Ethan said.
He also noted that
many RV parks and camp-
grounds frown upon skoo-
lies — often attributed to
their bohemian-like aes-
thetic and correlation
with less-scrupulous park
visitors.
The couple gave advice
for people starting their
own bus adventure.
“Do it,” Ethan Benge
said.
“Do your research,”
Brittany Benge interrupted.
“Do it, and do your
research,” he corrected.
“Everybody will say,
‘Do it now while you don’t
have kids,’ but I think that’s
a load of crap. We know
so many people — in fact,
it’s more common to see
families who travel on a
bus,” Brittany said. “If we
have kids, I want them to
see this — they’ll love it,
they’ll love traveling in the
bus.”
The long road stretches
out before them — their
next destination is Seattle
and then Costa Rica.
And, ultimately, returning
to Florida. But after 18
months of traveling, they’re
not sure they want to go
back to the way things
were.
“I don’t think we will
ever go back to that struc-
ture again. I think we will
always have a need of
some mode of travel,” Brit-
tany said. “Even if we got
a brick and mortar home
someday, we will still have
the bus.”
tional Imnaha Route to the
property. Some wore tra-
ditional dress while others
stuck with modern outfi ts.
Among the crowd were
elders, toddlers and every
age between.
“I think it’s really cool
seeing all of us come
together and being able to
walk on our homelands
and take back our culture,”
said Gabby Lewis, 23, of
Spokane, Washington.
The short, 1-mile ride
and walk was a symbolic
nod to the heartbreaking
trip Joseph and his people
made as they left the
scenic valley framed by
towering peaks.
“There was a point
where our elders turned
back and thought they
would never come back to
this place, and many never
did,” said Nakia Wil-
liamson, director of the
tribe’s cultural resource
program. “As our people
left on horses, we wanted
to return on horseback.”
It was also a day for
healing. Some of the dif-
ferences and rifts —
brought on by those who
signed onto the 1863
Treaty and those who
didn’t, those who practice
traditional religion and
those who follow Chris-
tianity — have persisted.
The nontreaty Nez Perce
were sent to Oklahoma
and later to the Colville
Reservation in north-
eastern Washington.
“Our people are buried
in diff erent areas, but this is
where they are from,” said
Jewie Davis, a Nez Perce
man who lives at Nespelem
on the Colville Reservation.
“Those of us descended
from Nespelem and those
from Lapwai and those
from Pendleton — there
needs to come a time and a
day when there is healing
between all of us.”
Shannon Wheeler, vice
chairman and a descendant
of Chief Joseph’s sister, said
the Place of the Boulders
belongs to everyone.
“We are all the same
people. We are no dif-
ferent,” he said. “We can
point to the things that sep-
arated our people. That is
behind us.
“We are all equal to
the land. That is what this
place is for. That is what
this blessing is for.”
It’s also a chance to
strengthen relationships
with the land that Wil-
liamson said are central to
the Nez Perce. The land
is more than just crops it
can grow or animals it can
support.
“The land and us is the
same,” he said. “What you
call resources is a part of
our life, and so when we
advocate for these resources
we not only advocate for
our life but all of humanity,
all of you and for us to
continue this life that has
been carried on for thou-
sands of years, thousands of
generations.”
Thank you Dr. Stephen Bump for giving us 30 years
of your dedication and
kindness while providing
excellent medical care
to our community.
We will miss you.
From your GRH family—
we wish you all the best that
a happy retirement brings!
It is richly deserved.
Stephen Bump, MD—Internal Medicine
ROGERS ASPHALT
Wednesday, August 4th
8:00 am-
10:00 am-
1:00 pm-
5:00 pm-
4:00 pm-
8:00 pm-
10:00 pm-
Fair Opens
Exhibit Booths Open
Open Class Sheep & Meat Goat Show
Open Class Beef & Dairy Cattle Show
Brady Goss Large Stage
Brady Goss Large Stage
Fair Closes
Thursday, August 5th
8:00 am-
10:00 am-
2:00 pm-
5:00 pm-
6:00 pm-
6:30 pm-
8:00 pm-
10:00 pm-
Fair Opens
Exhibit Booths Open
Denny Langford Small Stage
Tammy the Hypnotist Large Stage
Becki’s Studio of Dance
Mutton Busting & Stick Horse Race at
Mavericks Arena
Tammy the Hypnotist Large Stage
Fair Closes
Friday, August 6th
8:00 am-
9:00 am-
10:00 am-
2:00 pm-
3:00 pm-
4:00 pm-
6:00 pm-
8:00 pm-
10:00 pm-
Fair Opens
Open Class Dairy Goats
Exhibit Booths Open
Glitter Funk Large Stage
Pee-Wee Show
Fair Parade Line Up
Fair Parade Downtown
Too Slim & The Taildraggers Large Stage
Fair Closes
Saturday, August 7th
8:00 am-
10:00 am-
4:00 pm-
8:00 pm-
10:00 pm-
Fair Opens
Exhibit Booths Open
Wasteland Kings Large Stage
Wasteland Kings Large Stage
Fair Closes