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Spilyay Tymoo, Warm Springs, Oregon
Documentary explores Plateau beadwork
Spirit in Glass: Plateau Na-
tive Beadwork provides a rare
opportunity to experience Pla-
teau culture through the eyes
and hearts of the artists them-
selves.
The film focuses on bead
artists from the War m
Springs, Yakama, Nez Perce
and Umatilla reservations.
Narrator for the film is
Nez Perce storyteller Nakia
Williamson.
The talented individuals
behind the spectacular
beadwork share their history
and motivation, and the key
role that beadwork plays in
binding their culture together.
The program will air on
Public Television stations na-
tionwide with broadcast rights
beginning October 24.
This half-hour documen-
tary is from Mimbres Fever
Productions and Vision
Maker Media.
Beadwork tradition
This is truly an American
story: The very essence of
this art form, and its story of
survival, is a glimpse at the
heartfelt tradition of a
people.
The documentary was
filmed throughout the cultur-
ally rich northwest Plateau
and mid-Columbia River re-
gions with the mission of cel-
ebrating the Plateau People,
while respecting the vital role
that their adaptability has
played in their cultural diver-
sity and maintaining of a tra-
dition.
The beadwork tradition
began to flourish during the
restrictive times of the Res-
er vation Period. Deeply
rooted in the basketry tradi-
tions, skilled artists moved
from geometric basket de-
signs to floral motifs.
“Creativity and individual-
ity is a shared Plateau cultural
value,” says Penny Phillips,
director and producer of the
film.
“It is expressed in the wo-
ven flat bags and other artis-
tic traditions.”
Adventurers, traders, and
settlers began traveling
through the area in the 1840s,
bringing small glass beads in
a variety of colors to trade
for Native goods.
Grandmothers started us-
Warm Springs beadwork
by Shayleen Macy
(above) and Anita Davis
(right).
ing beads as a medium to cre-
ate and offer gifts to family
members and trading part-
ners, reinforcing traditional
values while developing a
new, artistic tradition.
Beadwork became a way
to show identity and to main-
tain culture.
One of the more memo-
rable aspects of beadwork is
the uniqueness of each
beaded piece. Each beadwork
creation holds special mean-
ing for the person who made
it and for the person for
whom it was made.
“In the Indian way, when
you give that special piece, it’s
a way to heal your heart,” said
Rose Scott, Warm Springs
bead artist.
Pictorial beadwork is
unique to the area. Since this
style of beadwork started in
a time of catastrophic up-
heaval, it serves as a meta-
phor for the vibrancy and
survival of the Native cul-
ture. In order to keep their
culture alive, the elders
adapted by beading individual
images and stories. And today,
many artists have made a par-
ticular beadwork creation
their specialty—as a contri-
bution to their generation.
Spirit in Glass: Plateau Na-
tive Beadwork received major
funding from the Corpora-
tion for Public Broadcasting
and Vision Maker Media.
The film is an offering of
the National Educational
Telecommunications Associa-
tion.
This program is suggested
for scheduling for Native
American Heritage Month.
For viewing information in
your area, please visit:
visionmaker media.org/
watch
October 1, 2014
Film showings at academy
Next month the Warm
Springs community will
welcome the people from
the Bend Film Festival.
They will show two Na-
tive-theme movies at the
Warm Springs k-8 Acad-
emy.
On Friday, October 10
they will show the docu-
mentary Return of the River.
This is about the removal
of the dam on the Elwa
River in Washington state.
Now Serving All the Reservation
Warm Springs
Seekseequa
4202
Holliday St.
2321
Ollallie
Lane
Warm
Springs
Alyssa Macy/Spilyay
Geo Quiz
Do you recognize this area of the reservation? Answer in
the next Spilyay Tymoo.
Simnasho
Schoolie Flat
Call 541-
615-0555
The last day to register to vote in November’s
general election is October
14. KWSO and Spilyay are
hosting a voter registration
day on Wednesday, October
1, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
If you are 18 or older by
election day – you can regis-
ter to vote in Oregon.
Flu shots
The Warm Springs
Community Health
nurses are giving flu
shots at the clinic.
They will also be at
the Warm Springs Post
Office this Friday, Oct.
3; and at the Early
Childhood Education
Center in the morning
on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Next Thursday,
Oct. 9, they will be at
Simnasho from 9 a.m.
till noon; and at Kah-
Nee-Ta on Friday, Oct.
10. On Tuesday, Oct.
14, the nurses will be
giving flu shots at the
k-8 academy.
The showing will be at 6
p.m.
On Saturday, October
11 they will show Winter
in the Blood, produced by
Sherman Alexie, from the
book by the Native
American author James
Welch.
The showings will be
free to the public. The
trailer for Return of the
River is on Facebook and
Vimeo.
Call 541-
553-1182