Town comes together to celebrate Earth Day
Karen Peterson
Azaria Courville, 8, and Destiny Courville, 8, work together to put plants in the ground on Earth Day.
Karen Peterson
Pat Pierre and Stipn Smallsalmon sing an honor song.
Karen Peterson
A Bitterroot bloom
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
Karen Peterson
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ARLEE – It was a busy day in the town on Friday’s Earth Day as several groups collaborated to plant trees, clean up and tell stories.
“Today is a special day to clean up the world,” Tribal elder Stipn Smallsalmon said before kicking off the celebration with an honor song accompanied by tribal elder Pat Pierre.
Students from the Nkwusm language school attended the event. The pre-school students were led by teacher Jesse Nenemay. He said that it was important to recognize Earth Day, but for him, he said as a Native American, every day is earth day.
“Our people always lived in harmony with the earth,” he said. “We are conscious that the earth provides air, water, and food. We respect all living things every day, not just on Earth Day.”
The group walked to a plot of land next to the Arlee Community Center on Pow Wow Road with shovels and plants in hand including pine trees, apple trees, arrow leaf, wild onion and Bitterroot. Volunteer Arleen Adams pointed out that the Bitterroot plant was blooming.
“When you see a bloom say your prayers,” she said to the kids of her Native American culture. “Bitterroot came to us from our tears.”
Hiram Brown, 9, put a lot of muscle into digging a small hole for one of the plants.
“There is a lot of rocks here,” he said wiping the sweat off his forehead. “This is good, though. It’s for the earth.”
CSKT Circle of Trust Youth Council volunteers helped with events during the day. Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal groups sponsored events with materials and grants. The Bison Range donated materials. The Arlee Community Development Corporation donated resources. The Arlee School District’s Eagles youth group helped out along with Club Unity and other groups.
Tribal Council Member Shelly Fyant was busy raking dried leaves and limbs into a burn pile during the day. She was helping to get the area ready for the “Healing the Jocko Valley” food sovereignty project to develop a community garden in the area.
Arlee CDC Treasurer Phaedrus Swab said this year’s Earth Day event is “laying the groundwork” for years to come. He hopes to include an art project next year that utilizes trash as a resource to create art.
“We are starting something here that will build momentum each year,” he said adding that many groups in the area collaborate to make the event happen with the same goal, which is to make the place where you live the best place it can be.
