Day Eleven:

We arrived at Coeur  d'Alene Lake and spoke with Bobby White, Jina Bond and Laura Laumatia, they offered us coffee and the whole class got excited, it was like we all saw a pot of gold. Once everyone was done pouring their coffee we sat down in a U  like form and began to listed to Jina's presentation. Jina whom is a Natural Resources Education Specialist has been working in Fisheries for 6 years and Laura has been working for 4 years. Jima talked to us about the history of Coeur d'Alene and how big the tribe is, the tribe has 5 million acre of territory. I learned that in the Battle of Steptoe which was in May of 1858 Steptoe led 150 troops and 50 Nez Prece scouts toward Colville country 500 Coeur d'Alene, Spokane, Palouse, Kalispel, and Yakama warriors surrounded them, Chief Vincent, Andrew Seltice and Peter Wildshoe helped Steptoe retreat in that Battle 10 troops and 9 Indians were killed after that battle was over the white man got livid and wanted to punish the tribes who were involved so they sent the U.S military to do just that. In August of 1858, Col. Wright led a campaign to "pacify" tribes he perused a "scorched earth" policy, the initiation was to slaughter the tribes horses, cattle, burn their barns and stored food. this technique is used to destroy the enemy. I also learned Mulla Road was completed in 1862 and in 1873 Chief Andrew Seltice and former Chief Vincent pursued and agreement with the U.S government. 598,000 acres were reserved for Coeur d'Alene Tribe, with 4 million acres ceded to U.S. the compensation was a mill, a blacksmith shop, a school and farm implements this agreement was not approved by Congress so the Tribe did not receive "Title".
Later in 1906 the Dawes Act came along, Dawes Act granted land allotments to individual Native Americans but there was a catch, the land will be given to you if a Native American changed their ways of living, there are six specific goals of the Act they are:
1) Break up the tribe as a social unit
2) Encourage individual initiative
3) Further the progress of Indian farmers
4) Reduce the cost of Indian administration
5) Secure part of the reservation as Indian land
6) Open unused lands to white settlers

By 1890's, the Coeur d'Alenes were well known as successful farmers, and many owned two homes. Allotment took place in 1909. 104,000  acres were allowed to 638 members and "adopted members" in 1911 the last families living on the lake were evicted Heyburn State Park was established, and money intended for compensation was used by the State to cover the cost of the park. 60 percent of lands lost through conversion to fee status, by 1921 only four Coeur d'Alene famileis were productively farming. Today, Tribe retains about 24 percent of the 345,000 acre reservation. Listening to all that made me livid because these white men were bullies and I do not like bullies.

After the presentation Bobby invited us for Dinner at the long house and let me tell you it was so amazing, I am Hispanic so we do our celebrations a lot different, I really enjoyed my self. When it was time to eat everyone sat down and before we could eat a group of girls from Yakima traveled four hours to show us the butterfly dance, it was so beautiful I was touched by the sound of the drum and the song the young lady was singing after they were done a woman began telling us the story of the sacred foods and roots and the same group of girls that were dancing earlier started putting the foods in order, I didn't know that before we eat we have to drink water and also when you're done you end it with water. This was my first time trying deer meat and it was so delicious I loved it. I was so happy to be a part of something so special I like how no one stared at me because if my ethnicity, the woman who was giving a speech said "everyone here is my brother and sister, the creator brought each and every one of you here for a reason" I took that to heart and I actually thought about it because it was true, I did not expect all this love from people I've never met, we have different beliefs yet they treated me as one, my respect and love for Native culture grew even bigger that day. it was a good day.

After the dinner we went back to the room where we first met with Jina and Laura except this time we met with Audra Vincent and Mitchell Clark, they both work in the Language Department, they work with members of the Coeur d'Alene tribe. the Coeur d'Alene language is becoming extinct only two elders from the tribe are fluent in the language so it's pretty say that their identity is fading away, Audra and Mitchell are there to prevent that and keep it going, Coeur d'Alene also tribe also got rid if Columbus day and turned it into Water Potato day which is chełchtu's'ya'pqi'n'm sqigwts ha'chsetq'it in their language.