Meet our Guests: Richard Graymountain

Richard Graymountain

San Juan Southern Paiute Tribal Councilmember and medicine man

Navajo Mountain, AZ / Navajo Nation

9/26/21

Sitting next to a crackling fire beneath Navajo Mountain, medicine man Richard Graymountain describes the frictions associated with Diné (Navajo) and San Juan Southern Paiute tribal membership in the age of ever-expanding modernity. He observes that young Diné people who have grown up with indoor spaces and the luxuries they provide—electricity, heating and cooling—do not realize the importance of becoming familiar and comfortable on their ancestral land.  

Graymountain is a vestige of declining customs, believing in the importance of traditional cultural values. Passing those on has become more and more difficult with the imposition of Western society, and a pandemic that prevents people from gathering in their typical tight-knit fashion. However, with a spot on the San Juan Southern Paiute tribal council, Graymountain is able to have some influence over the direction and values of the tribe. One impactful and direct way he’s achieved this recovery is by emphasizing the cultural importance of oral tradition. Historically, all accumulated knowledge was passed down in this manner. During his time on the tribal council, Graymountain has endeavored to pass on the Navajo and Paiute languages. Most notably, he has revived forgotten songs by teaching them to children. Through ceremonies, storytelling, and song, Richard Graymountain helps to breathe life into the Navajo and Paiute languages, igniting new generations.

By Ruthie Colburn

Meet our Guests: Angel Sobotta

Angel Sobotta

Nez Perce Language Program Coordinator and Storyteller

Wallowa, OR

8/26/21

Wearing traditional beaded moccasins, a ribbon skirt, and an intricate necklace, Angel Sobotta welcomes us with a Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) greeting. She greets Semester in the West in the dance arbor at the Nez Perce Wallowa Homelands, a site reclaimed for the celebration and recognition of the first people of the region after they were forced out by the US Federal Government 100 years ago.

Angel is dedicated to reclaiming Nimiipuu tradition through language. “You must rename it to claim it” she says. In her culture, names are a source of guidance—something to live up to. Angel’s Nimiipuu name means “the red glowing part of the sunset.” Both of her names remind her of beauty and grace and have helped to guide her through troubling times. She believes that bringing Nimiipuu language back into the lives of her people can do the same. She refers to the revival of language as a medicine to heal her peoples’ spirits, provide understanding of their culture, and connect to their ancestors.       

Angel shares the story of the sáplis- a symbol sacred to the Nimiipuu derived from the rotation of Hiyumtaxto around Luk’upsmey (the Big Dipper and the North Star, respectively) that creates a map of the sky. Based on the location of Hiyumtaxto, the Nimiipuu know when to harvest and hunt and when to migrate each season. This sacred symbol has been appropriated by other entities—the Nazi Swastika has the same basic shape—and through the telling of the origin of Hiyumtaxto and the sáplis, Angel works to reclaim the symbol and its meaning.

To conclude the morning, Angel led the group in a traditional friendship dance, stepping clockwise to the beat of a drum. Circling around the center of the dance arbor, Angel smiled and shook hands with each student she passed.

By Katie Wallace

Photo credit: Phil Brick