MV Interpretive Center expands its scope – Methow Valley News

Photo by Joanna BastianThe Methow Valley Interpretive Centers Seasons of the People exhibit shows traditions of the Methow people through dioramas, personal photo archives, artwork and artifacts.

Partnerships are key to telling valleys story

By Joanna Bastian

The Methow Valley Interpretive Center (MVIC) launched the new year with an updated mission statement that expands its scope.

Executive Director David LaFever noted that the initial work of MVIC was limited to the Methow watershed. But in recent years, the MVIC actively worked to expand its outreach beyond the Methow Valley. The organization has developed valued partnerships with Paschal Sherman Indian School and the River Warrior Society to connect with more people.

Hence the MVICs new guidance: Our mission is to foster cultural awareness and understanding of Indigenous peoples and the natural history of the Methow Valley and Upper Columbia region through education, interpretation, creative expression and cross-cultural connections.

One of our core values is honoring relationships, LaFever said. The new mission statement is a reflection of what the MVIC aspires to accomplish in the future.

We are building relationships, and trying to do it right, LaFever said. Tending those relationships is our first priority. Trust and relationship-building help people connect.

For example, Rob Crandall of Methow Natives Plant Nursery noted that MVIC is sponsoring Paschal Sherman Indian Schools (PSIS) Traditional Food Systems program.

In partnership with PSIS and Methow Natives Plant Nursery, MVIC will serve as the fiscal sponsor for this program, which is working to integrate the traditional food systems of the Upper Columbia region into the everyday learning of PSIS students, Crandall said.

The program will create an outdoor classroom garden of native plants. Tribal elders can use this natural setting to share plant knowledge and traditions with students and staff. The Native American Agriculture Fund awarded the project a $50,000 grant.

The majority of grant funds are dedicated to supporting tribal members and elders to implement the program, Crandall said. Colville Confederated Tribes members Faith Zacherle and Cody Saint are community coordinators for the project.

The MVIC was also awarded a Washington Equity Fund grant of $25,000. LaFever said the grant will fund the interpretive centers general operating budget. It is a reflection of us as an organization that we are considered for these types of grants. This competitive consideration and the recognition that our work is equity work is the result of the deep work of the founders, he said.

MVIC fire recovery work continued throughout the winter with the replacement of lost homes with manufactured homes, infrastructure building and repair, and ensuring that elders basic needs continue to be met. Recovery work will continue in the spring with fence repairs, outbuilding construction and planting seeds.

Wealth of exhibits

New exhibits at MVIC are the result of building the relationships LaFever promotes. The story of the original people and the Methow Valley place becomes more revealing through the new exhibits.

The first exhibit, Clouds of the Methow, showcases dramatic cloud formations photographed by Dennis OCallaghan.

The Emergence of the Methow exhibit explains geologic history, tectonic activity and glaciation that transformed the Methow Valley from ocean floor to icy peaks. According to the Methow people, rocks tell the oldest stories and are teachers from the dawn of time. The exhibit was first created in 2019 with contributions from local geologists John Adams, Alan Gillespie and MVIC volunteer Jon Hawley.

The exhibit was expanded in the last year to include the field work of Julian Barksdale who, along with fellow professor Peter Misch and University of Washington students, began early geologic work on the North Cascades in the 1940s. Theirs was a complex undertaking, as the rugged landscape yielded puzzles that grew more complete after the discovery of plate tectonics in the 1970s placed the geology of the Cascades in a global context. Tectonic drift is explained in the Emergence of the Methow exhibit through the work of geologist Ralph Haugerud.

The Ribbon of Life exhibit focuses on the Methow watershed. Aquatic ecologist John Crandall contributed photos and text that tell the story of the Methow River wetlands and aquatic life.

A Living Landscape showcases important Methow Valley plants and animals and some of their cultural uses. Photos are by clinical herbalist and local author Rosalee de la Foret, and naturalist Mary Kiesau. Animal displays were contributed by Paula Mackrow, Jane Gilbertson, Rich Davis, Ray Robertson and Rico Mileski.

Two exhibits describe how the Methow people lived throughout the seasons. The Seasonal Food Cycle follows the movement of star formations that coincided with different harvest times and related preparation tasks. Elaine Timentwa Emerson and Jimmy Timentwa shared their knowledge of gathering traditions for this exhibit. Seasons of the People was created through story and photo contributions from the personal collection of Tillie Timentwa Gorr.

There is depth of knowledge, artistic creativity and skilled craftsmanship that has gone into telling the story of the Methow Valley, said Carolyn Schmekel, founder of the MVIC.

Community efforts

The exhibits grew from a community effort created by the support and dedication of individuals and organizations. Most of the materials were donated and all of the displays were created by talented volunteers. Artful representations were completed by Susan Sprague, Ron Gross, Rich Davis and Elaine Timentwa Emerson. Descriptive text was written by Carolyn Schmekel, Bruce Morrison, George Wooten and Susan Sprague.

Cascade Columbia Fisheries, Methow Salmon Recovery and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation sponsored the Ribbon of Life exhibit. Artifacts were donated by the Shafer Museum and Methow Valley residents. Featured photographs come from the archives of the Okanogan County Historical Society and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

The MVIC is open for private tours. Contact LaFever at (509) 919-0686 or email dhlafever@gmail.com.

A virtual tour of the center and never-before-seen displays can be viewed on the MVIC YouTube Channel. The link is located on the MVIC website home page, http://www.methowvalleyinterpretivecenter.com. The 30-minute narrated virtual tour includes oral histories as told by Methow descendants, Salish terms, and a scientific exploration of the Methow Valley formation and watershed.

Also found on the MVIC homepage are links to Notes from the Center, where LaFever discusses what each time of year brings to the Methow Valley, and what it means to the Methow people.

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MV Interpretive Center expands its scope - Methow Valley News