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| Wallowa Lake |
I have a spirit trilogy that is set among the Nez Perce Indians of NE Oregon.
The Lake Nimiipuu as they called themselves wintered and summered in the
Wallowa Valley where I grew up.
To write this trilogy I had to study and research the Nez
Perce Indians in the 17 and 1800's.
The children of Nez Perce families were taught by their
grandparents. The grandfathers taught the boys how to make weapons, hunt, fish,
track, and fight. Grandmothers taught the girls how to take care of their
families, do the chores, and help their men. The elders passed down the stories
of the trickster coyote and how "The People" came to be. By reading
books of their legends I learned how the legends taught the children basic
truths about life and how to conduct themselves to be good Nez Perce.
Grandmothers also taught the girls about the coming of age
and were by their sides during marriages and the births. When a girl began her
menstrual cycle she would stay in the menstrual lodge for the duration of her
bleeding. It was believed the women carried strong powers during this time and
were susceptible to getting pregnant. They also thought this strong power would
overrule the man's power.
This isolation served a purpose. They held private
discussions about personal problems and conditions of health, exchanged views
on herbal medicine, and composed songs. They cooked their own meals in the
lodge and didn't touch anything outside nor could they attend any ceremonies
during this time.
They used buffalo hides with the fur still on for
menstruation pads or buckskin and milkweed. The pads were put in a hole in the
middle of the dwelling and buried.
After puberty girls were no longer allowed to play with boys
and stayed in a lodge with their grandmothers and aunts and taught the ways of
women until they married.
In book two of the series, Spirit of the Lake,
Dove, a young maiden who becomes pregnant from an attack by a Whiteman, is sent
to live with the old woman to keep her from speaking of the incident and
causing trouble. The story takes place after the treaty of 1863 that took away
the Wallowa Nez Perce's land but wasn't signed by the Wallowa Nez Perce.
Because they could be removed from their land at any time against their will,
the leader's worked hard, sometimes too hard, to keep peace between their
people and the Whitemen moving into the valley.
Blurb
Can a spirit set upon this earth to see to the good of the
Nimiipuu stay true to justice when revenge burns in his heart?
Wewukiye, the lake spirit, saves
a Nimiipuu maiden from drowning and bringing shame to herself and her family. Learning
her people ignored her accusations against a Whiteman who took her body,
leaving her pregnant,Wewukiye vows to help her through the birth and to prove
the Whiteman’s deceit.
Dove slowly heals her heart
and her distrust as Wewukiye, the warrior with hair the color of the sun,
believes in her and helps her restore her faith in her people and herself.
On
their quest for justice, Dove reveals spiritual abilities, ensnaring Wewukiye’s
respect and awe. But will these abilities seal their future or tear them apart?
Buy Links:
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Paty Jager is an award-winning author of 25+ novels and over a dozen novellas and short stories of murder mystery, western historical romance, and action adventure. She has garnered a RomCon Reader’s Choice Award for her Action Adventure and received the EPPIE Award for Best Contemporary Romance. All her work has Western or Native American elements in them along with hints of humor and engaging characters.
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Very interesting history about the Nez Perce Indians, especially how they valued the teachings and influence of the grandparents. Sounds like an intriguing story and a beautiful book cover, Paty, for Spirit of the Lake. Now on my TBR list!
ReplyDeleteHi Cheri, The research I did for this trilogy was very interesting. And the Nez Perce woman I ran things by had interesting reasons why I could and couldn't use some of the things I discovered or the answers to questions I asked her. I hope you enjoy the book! Thanks for commenting.
DeleteFascinating research, and your story looks wonderful. I like how involved the grandparents were... I wish that was part of our current culture, more than it is ... however, being a girl would have sucked for me in that culture.
ReplyDeleteHi Savanna, Thank you! It was a wonderful way for the children to learn what they needed to know to survive and for the elders to be helpful when they weren't strong enough to the work the younger men and women did. Thank you for stopping in and commenting.
DeleteI know you must have enjoyed doing this research for your story. Reading about other cultures can make us revisit how we were raised and wonder if it could have been made better by incorporating some of these practices.
ReplyDeleteI can see how you incorporated a real historical situation into your story and I like that.
I wish you all the best, Paty.
Hi Sarah, Thank you. Research is the best part about writing a historical book. I'm getting ready for a trip to the Nez Perce museum in Lewiston WA to do research for the next book I'm writing. I'm hoping to find some good information I can incorporate into the book.
DeleteI was just doing some research on the Nez Perez this morning in conjunction with the Appaloosa breed. I'd say that great minds meet, but you're stories are so much better than mine. Loved reading this. Thank you for the insight.
ReplyDeleteNan, Yes, I'm not sure how they made the breed, but they are attributed with starting it. Beautiful horses. Thank you for your kind words. You writing amazing books, too.
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