March 25, 2024 update

Coming up soon! Our first presentation of the season in our Last Sunday Speaker Series. Stay tuned for a full calendar of exciting Last Sunday talks on wildlife, geology and other natural science topics during the spring and summer months.

As always, Last Sundays are free, but your donations help keep us going, and are always much appreciated.

Climate change, increased human development, and changes in natural food availability all contribute to black bear (skəḿxíst; Ursus americanus) use of human-inhabited areas and can elicit human-black bear conflict. The bears of Washington’s Methow Valley are facing challenges from increased mega fires, a recent surge in development, and climate change affecting their natural food sources.

While human-black bear conflict is common across the mountain west, the Methow Valley is in a position to examine and mitigate these factors before conflict becomes a widespread, persistent problem. Come hear about the work being done to increase black bear awareness and foster coexistence through community science monitoring, outreach efforts, and Home Range Wildlife’s Methow Valley Bear Aware Community Assessment.


February 16, 2024 update

This week, we released our February 2024 E-Newsletter into the wild! If you’re not on our email list and you didn’t receive it, you can check it out here. Don’t forget to subscribe, if you’d like to receive future E-Newsletters.

This month’s newsletter highlights our Homestream Park Stewardship Campaign, and features articles about Virgil “Smoker” Marchand, Little Star Montessori School, the Land Back movement, fish life cycles and the Stewardship Campaign itself.

We’re only $57,345 short of our goal! With your support, we can reach $200,000 by May 1st. Please contribute to the future stewardship of Homestream Park today.


December 29, 2023 update

It’s almost time for our 2024 MVIC book club! This year we’re reading Slash, a book by Indigenous author and knowledge-keeper Jeanette Armstrong. The story in this book takes place in the Okanogan Valley. Here are the details:

Discussion: Wednesday, January 31, 5:30pm-7:30pm, in-person at the Methow Valley Interpretive Center (and on Zoom/phone if requested, but in-person attendance is encouraged). There will be some great discussion, and we’ll have snacks as well!

Register for our book club meetup by filling out this form here. If you feel like January 31st is too soon for our meetup, please leave a comment at the bottom of the form. If we receive feedback that this date is too soon, we’ll move it so that it works better for everyone.

Book: Slash by Jeanette Armstrong

Publisher: Theytus Books

ISBN: 978-1894778459

Slash is Jeannette Armstrong’s first novel. It poignantly traces the struggles, pain and alienation of a young Okanagan man who searches for truth and meaning in his life. Recognized as an important work of literature, Slash is used in high schools, colleges and universities.”

“Jeannette C. Armstrong’s Slash is an important novel, and not simply because it chronicles–in a roundabout way–the political and social struggles of Native North Americans over the last few decades. Its subject no doubt contributed to some of its initial critical and popular success, especially within the ever increasingly politically correct world of academia. Thomas “Slash” Kelasket, the novel’s protagonist and narrator, could care less about that world. It has no real bearing on his experiences and his struggles to make sense of his identity as an Okanagan man, as an “Indian,” in politically charged times. Slash is a flawed man. He talks a good game, but mostly to himself, as he looks back on his life and tells his story from the safety of hindsight. He’s made many mistakes before returning full circle to family and traditional ways after years of wayward wandering. But his return avoids the cliché of a happy ending, requiring Slash to reconcile the realities of his experiences, including life on reserves, racism, drug and alcohol abuse, and the seemingly senseless loss of friends and lovers. Slash needs to become comfortable in his own skin, to decide whether he’s an Indian or a costume, and pass that lesson on to his son. Armstrong has given life to an enduring character in Slash Kelasket, who is much more than simply a mouthpiece for a particular ideology.” –Jonathan Dewar

To purchase:

At the Methow Valley Interpretive Center (open Saturdays from 12pm-3pm)

Amazon 

Birchbark Books

Orca Book Publishers

Learn more about Jeanette Armstrong


December 12, 2023 update

MVIC is open on our winter schedule until March: Saturdays 12pm-3pm

Also, if you’re planning to go to Mistletoe Madness, come by and visit us. We’ll be open!


October 24, 2023 update

The Methow Valley Interpretive Center is proud to host this two-day class on November 18 and 19, 2023: 10am – 4pm. This two-day (12 hour) workshop, will be led by Culture Keepers and master weavers Bernadine Phillips and Brandon Finley. Visit our events page for more information and to register.


October 8th update

It’s Official: The Homestream Park Stewardship Campaign is underway!

Learn more here!


October 1st update

October is Give Methow month, and for each week in October, we are highlighting the important work that MVIC does. During this first week of Give Methow, we are doing a spotlight on education. Read more about our efforts in education, with audiences and students of all ages!

Thank you for giving in the past and for your donation during Give Methow 2023!


September 27th update

We’ve got some exciting events coming up! Sunday, October 8th is the annual Coming Home Celebration at Homestream Park. At this event, we also look forward to sharing with our community some exciting news. Come and celebrate with us we share a meal together and honor the returning of the salmon.

In addition, we invite you to join us for our last “Last Sunday” of the season on what is actually the third Sunday of October. The topic will be Reading the Landscape the Ice Sheet Left Behind, a presentation by Ralph Dawes, PhD on Sunday, October 22nd. See the flyer below for all of the important details, and we hope to see you there!


August 14th update

Check out the latest e-newsletter from MVIC! Read about the Nature Immersion program, calling home salmon at Coyote’s Falls, and the Sx̌ʷnítkʷ (Noisy Waters) salmon ceremony and canoe landing.


July 5th update

We are so excited to announce that some of the work we’ve been supporting with our partners at the Methow Conservancy just got a huge boost. The mətx̌ʷu (Methow People, represented by The Methow Families board) were one of several recipients of a Game Changer grant from the Methow Valley Fund, by the Community Foundation of NCW!

The funds that this grant provides will help the mətx̌ʷu reconnect with their ancestral land and traditions at x̌ʷnámx̌ʷnam (the former Wagner Ranch). This will help to secure opportunities for passing down cultural knowledge, within their ancestral lands.

You can read all of the details in the Community Foundation of NCW press release.

The mətx̌ʷu Families Board and the Game Changer Grant pitch crew.

June 29th update

It’s the perfect time to harvest siyaʔ, also known as Serviceberry or Saskatoon berry! The time to harvest won’t last long, so we are putting out a request for siyaʔ from our community. They can be dropped off at the Methow Valley Interpretive Center fresh, dried or frozen. They will be gifted to our Native friends, or will be made into pemmican in the Traditional Foods program. Our current hours are: 4th Friday of the month 1-7, all other Fridays 1-4, Saturdays 10-4 and Sundays noon-4. We will also be open during the 4th of July Arts Fest this coming week.

Thank you all!


June 26th update

Are you an aspiring writer or poet? For our next “Last Sunday”, coming up on July 9th, we’re doing something a bit different. Instead of hosting a speaker, we’re hosting a workshop! “What the River Says’ will be a writing workshop with local author and poet, Subhaga Crystal Bacon.

Former Poet Laureate, Kathleen Flenniken said of Subhaga’s poems:

“These are elegant meditations on two rivers and their watersheds . . . informed by and appreciative of William Stafford’s river poems, and trustworthy in their own intimate knowledge of these waters, hidden landscapes and histories. The speaker is attentive, listening, egoless, giving voice to water, calling living things by their names. ”

This workshop is free, but a $15 donation to MVIC is suggested, and we ask that you pre-register. Participation will be limited to 20.


June 7, 2023 update

Happening this Sunday, June 11th! We’re excited to welcome our second “Last Sunday” speaker for the summer, Lynx Vilden! If you haven’t heard of Lynx before, she is known by many as the founder of Living Wild school, but now she is an author as well. She’ll be sharing stories from her book, Return – A Journey Back to Living Wild, including some stories that take place right here in our lovely valley! See below for all of the details. We hope you see you on Sunday!

Also, please note that the day prior to her MVIC presentation, she’ll be signing copies of her book at Trail’s End Bookstore in Winthrop from 2pm-4pm, where copies of her book will also be available for purchase.


June 6, 2023 update

Hi friends, we’re pleased to announced that our annual hard-copy newsletters have gone out in the mail! While you can check out our electronic version of the May/June 2023 newsletter here on our website, only supporters of the Methow Valley Interpretive Center get to experience the joy of reading a full-color, paper newsletter every year! Remember how exciting it used to be to get things (that weren’t bills) in the mail? Become a supporter of MVIC and next year, you’ll get your very own copy to read at your leisure, without having to look at a screen.


May 29, 2023 update

We’ve kicked off our “First Sunday” speaker series for the summer, and we’ve got a full calendar of events ahead! Check out the schedule below, and go to our events page for all of the specific details. Also, remember to subscribe to our emails to stay current with what’s ahead at MVIC.


March 16, 2023 update

We’re very excited to announce that we will be hosting Wenatchi/Methow Tribal Elder Randy Lewis for an evening of storytelling, and a showing of the film, The Winter’s Tale!

If you’ll recall back to early 2020, we were supposed to have this event just as the pandemic was starting. Sadly, we had to cancel then, but we’re so grateful for the opportunity to bring this to our community now!

Here are the details:

What: An evening of storytelling and a showing of The Winter’s Tale. For more information on this film, read more on the Icicle Creek Center for the Arts page. Also, check out the trailer below. This event is a fundraiser for the Methow Valley Interpretive Center, with a $15 suggested donation at the door, but we welcome amounts larger than the suggested donation.

When: Thursday, April 20th. Doors will open at 6:30pm, and the film will start at 7:00pm

Where: The Winthrop Barn Auditorium, 51 State Rte 20, Winthrop, WA 98862

The Winter’s Tale Official Trailer from Icicle Creek Center for the Arts on Vimeo.

A very special thank you to Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, for so graciously giving us the permission to show this film. Visit their site:

And thank you to our event sponsors:

and Circle M Massage

We couldn’t do this without you!


February 22, 2023 update

We’re excited to help spread the word about a screening for Older Then The Crown, a film about the Sinixt battle for their ancestral homelands. This screening and discussion panel will be on Thursday, March 9th. Check it out, at the Omak Theater (the red one). It’s free – though they are asking for non-perishable, unexpired food bank donations.

This is being put on by the Associated Students of WVC at Omak Red Road Association. For more details about the film, you can visit the Older Than The Crown website, or the Facebook event for this film screening.

February 21, 2023 update

Our latest newsletter just hit inboxes! You can read it here.

November 14, 2022 update

Check out our new November 2022 newsletter here!

October 31, 2022 update

Hello Everyone!

A couple of mornings ago, I played ice hockey at the Winthrop Rink for the first time this year. Amazingly, the Winthrop Rink opened in October, far earlier than it ever has (way to go Steve and crew!!), and we gathered together on a 28 degree morning to skate, pass, shoot and move our bodies in ways that we had not in quite some time. I grew up playing hockey, starting when I was four years old in upstate New York, and have had it in my blood ever since. I love the sport! As an adult, I have mostly lived in places where there wasn’t an ice rink and so this sport has not been a part of my life in many years. I am deeply grateful to the many people who took a parking lot rink to the amazing place that it is today. 

As we near the end of Give Methow, I feel incredibly thankful to live in a place with so many nonprofit organizations doing so much good work and expressing the care they have for this place each in their own unique way. And I’m thankful to the many different groups of committed citizens that it took to start these organizations. These are people who came together in commitment and care and who changed our community forever. This Valley of ours proves the veracity of Margaret Mead’s quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.”

The Methow Valley Interpretive Center arose out of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people coming together to truly listen to one another. A small group of committed citizens (Carolyn and Glenn Schmekel and others) have worked tirelessly since to ensure that these “two rivers” continue weaving in and out of each other, fostering understanding and awareness of the native culture and the natural history of this place.  

For the Methow Valley Interpretive Center and all the other nonprofit organizations to continue to positively impact our communities, we need committed citizens like YOU! Serving on Boards, volunteering as advisors, participating in volunteer programs, and donating during Give Methow and other fundraisers. 

We continue our commitments in humility and gratitude. We cannot thank you enough for all the ways that you support us!!

Warmly,

David LaFever, Executive Director

We leave you, on this last day of Give Methow, with a few words from Board Treasurer Janice Kasala on why she loves MVIC:

“Long ago a book came out, titled “Remember, Be Here Now”. Some of you may remember it. I don’t really remember the content, but the importance of being present where you are has stayed with me.

Being here, really soaking it all in is what I love about the Methow valley Interpretive Center. That’s a big cumbersome name, isn’t it? But there’s really no better way to say it. The “Center” as I like to call it, is here to provide greater knowledge and appreciation of all this Valley has to share – the plants, berries, mushrooms, flowers & trees, geological history & content, those who share this place with us, 4-legged, winged, swimmers & slitherers! And of course the folks who lived here first: the Methow People. What a gift it is to learn from those who have been here since time immemorial. How to have a deeper relationship to this place, and even with each other.

Here at the “Center”, we have a new front porch with a covered walkway, and will be open this winter. Look for educational opportunities in our November newsletter. I hope you’ll join us in this learning, growing and sharing!”


October 24, 2022 update

Dear Friends,

A moment ago I was sitting in the sunshine gazing across our pasture to aspens quaking in the distance. From both afar and up close, aspens dazzle and delight with the way they interact with light and wind, reflecting and refracting, shimmering and shining in autumn afternoon light. I’m not sure it gets any better than aspens dancing in a breeze in late October in the Methow Valley!

The low angle of the sun’s path across the sky makes me ponder photosynthesis and how so many animals can survive here during the five or six months when the powerhouse of life on our planet (plants turning atmosphere, light and water into sugar (carbohydrates)) is not chugging away. How do we all survive without plants and photosynthesis?

The key is storing all that plant power in various forms (deer, bear, cow, rabbit or that delicious meal at your favorite local restaurant) or else taking off and being somewhere closer to the equator where photosynthesis occurs all year long. It is amazing that so much life can live off stored photosynthetic energy during a time when this alchemical process isn’t even happening!

Nonprofit organizations, like the Methow Valley Interpretive Center, also need “plant power” to keep us going and Give Methow is a great time to help us store it up for the months ahead. Thank you to all who have donated already and to those who will. Your support keeps us offering great natural history programs and engaging in the all-important work of tending relationships with Methow and other locally Indigenous peoples.

With gratitude and delight!

David LaFever, Executive Director

On our second-to-the-last Funday Monday of the month, we bring you words from Board Member Jennifer Molesworth:

“The Methow Valley has been my home for 30 years. It is where I raised my daughter and met my husband. It is where I walk, grow food, create art, and gather with friends and community. This place is where I live and where I am alive. The first and lasting feeling of this place for me is that of a vibrant community surrounded by vibrant and robust ecosystems that sustain us all. We have to take care of this place that takes care of us.

I was asked to join the MVIC board because of my knowledge of our rivers and the fish that live here, and because of the connections I had made during a 30 year career working to protect and restore fish habitat and waters of the Methow watershed. I joined the board to support the MVIC to help 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.”


October 19, 2022 update

Hey Methow Valley (and supporters across the globe), we have a challenge for you!

As of today, Give Methow has raised $273,195. While this is phenomenal, the Community Foundation of North Central Washington just announced that if we get to a total of $350,000, an additional $50,000 will be added to Give To All. This would mean an additional $1,200 per organization. Just imagine what each organization could do with an additional $1,200!

That means in the 12 remaining days of giving, we need to collectively raise $76,805.

Please click the Give Now button below to donate, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all of your support. We got this!


October 17, 2022 update

Some organizations use donations from Give Methow for specific projects, but because we’re such a small operation, your contribution helps us run every aspect of the Interpretive Center, from hosting speakers for our Last Sunday Talks (and keeping these events free for all), to maintaining the exhibits and signage at our physical Interpretive Center, and so much more.


If you’ve already given, thank you for being part of the future of the Methow Valley Interpretive Center. Your continued support means the world to small organizations like ours! You can donate to MVIC, or “Give To All” at www.givemethow.org.

This week, we are happy to share some words from Sarah, our newest MVIC Board Member!


“Aanin, Methow Community.


Noodinekwe minwaa Sarah indiginikaaz, Gawaabegiganikag minwaa nindoonjiibaa, Maaingan nindoodem. My Ojibwa name is Wind Woman and my English name is Sarah Jayne. I am Wolf Clan. My father is from the Anishinaabe White Earth Minnesota Chippewa Tribe. My mother is of mixed European descent.


My reason for serving on the Methow Interpretive Center Board is to give back to the Methow People in gratitude for being able to reside here. I see that the Methow People have an important voice and that this culture, relationship, and story that is hundreds of generations old here is vital to the well being of this land we now share. I see a circle of caring people who have made a strong effort to recognize and honor the Methow People, and wish to contribute to this good work in hopes that someday all Indigenous Peoples will have a leading voice at all tables within all communities across Turtle Island.”


October 10, 2022 update

Happy Summer…er, I mean Autumn, Everyone! What strange, dry and warm weather we have been having. Is anyone else both enjoying and unnerved by it? Last weekend was Homestream Park’s Coming Home Celebration and what a beautiful gathering of people it was. The salmon was expertly cooked by elder Randy Lewis and his crew of cooks, prayers were given by flute, drum and voice, and gratitude expressed by Mark Miller, Phil Davis and others. The weather was perfect and the company was excellent. 

One of the highlights for me was teaching others how to make twine from dogbane, a native plant, and how to braid sweetgrass. Sweetgrass, which only grows in one location up the Chewuch River (and at the Methow Valley Interpretive Center’s native garden), is best braided with a partner. One person holds the tension at one end while another braids the three clusters of seven together. Two people, a plant and a tradition all in close relationship for the time it takes to make a braid. I have been taught that whatever thoughts or feelings I have while working, I will put into the very thing that I am making. In this case, it was a braid of sweetgrass, so my partner and I focused on our intentions for this watershed and these salmon. “May the People one day walk across their backs again,” “May the river always run pure and clean,” and “May we be kind and compassionate with one another” were just a few intentions that we expressed aloud while braiding sweetgrass together. Once a braid is complete, it is usually dried and then given away or used in ceremony. The intentions we weave into it go on into the world. 

In a way, a fundraising campaign like Give Methow is the same. We come together to offer up the gift of donation and more – our intentions for our community. By supporting the Interpretive Center, for example, we are sharing the intention of “fostering awareness and understanding of native culture and natural history.” By giving to an organization like Room One,  we are setting the intention to support the health and well-being of all people in the Methow Valley. And there is the option to Give To All , with the powerful intention of supporting one another to ensure the vibrancy, resiliency, accessibility and beauty of this amazing place! 

Through Give Methow and all the ways we support MVIC and the other nonprofits of this Valley, we are braiding together some important and powerful intentions. We cannot thank you enough for all that you give and all that you do. Each of you and your intentions matters greatly!


With kindness,

David LaFever, Executive Director

This week, as we move through the month and share the stories of our Board Members on what drew them to the Methow Valley, and to the Interpretive Center, we hear from our very own MVIC Board President, Bruce Morrison:

“This valley has shaped me since I arrived in the early 1970’s, when I was raising my daughters, farming, building trails and homes, carving a career as a sculptor and teaching art to children. I also have been able to help shape the culture we know as the Methow today. There were few cultural institutions back then and I got to be part of founding the Confluence Gallery, organizing the Sunflower Relay, building the Commons Park in Twisp, devoting a decade as a forest activist to restrain logging in roadless areas, revitalizing the Twisp River Grange and serving in the 1990’s as president of the Methow Field Institute, the parent organization of today’s Methow Valley Interpretive Center. 

The Methow Field Institute sought to protect the wild places of this valley through education and research. Now the Interpretive Center carries on that work with an important missing piece: awareness of the cultural history and presence of its Native People. As I explored and came to love this landscape, I was haunted by a sense there was always something vital missing. Feeling that clearly, our founders, Glenn and Carolyn Schmekel invited Native Methow People back to their place for the Reconciliation PowWows. I’m deeply honored to help carry that work forward into the future. Learning the extent of theft, betrayal and loss can be a journey into pain, but the deep kindness of the Methow People themselves warm and lighten my heart. The Interpretive Center was founded with the promise to provide a place where their story is told and that they can call theirs, amid the land that was taken from them. Every time a tribal member returns here, we all become a little more whole.”


October 1, 2022 update

It is now October, a time of changing colors and falling leaves, harvesting fruit and storing veggies, hunting and hiking. October is the Time of the Fall Hunt, known as sk’?ayam, in the native language of this place. It is one of my favorite times of the year both for its beauty and its gentleness. Neither the heat of summer nor the cold of winter and yet it can have an intensity all its own. It is the time of year for harvesting and making sure that we have enough to make it one more winter. 

So it is no mere coincidence that this is the time of the year when Give Methow happens; a month long opportunity to donate to your favorite nonprofits in the Methow Valley. This year there are 39 different organizations participating in Give Methow including us! It is a wonderful way to support organizations in our vibrant community, to ensure our work will continue. In a way, to help organizations “put up food for winter.” Your generosity, just like the generosity of the land, is what ensures that we not only survive, but that we thrive. 

While giving to individual organizations is wonderful, Give Methow also allows you to “Give to All” organizations involved, splitting your donation evenly among participants. Give to All is a wonderful way to say “we are all connected and we are all here to support each other.”

Each week during Give Methow, we will highlight a different Board Member, who are the backbones of this and all organizations. We asked them to share what it is that they love about the Methow Valley and why they are involved in the Methow Valley Interpretive Center.

We hope you enjoy learning a bit more about the people behind the MVIC!

In gratitude for you, for this community and for this place!

David LaFever, Executive Director

Our first Board Member story comes from Isobel Kameros:

“My name is Isobel Kameros and I am a Methow Valley Interpretive Center Board member. Life is full of random encounters that sometimes turn out to be life changing events. I met my husband, Doug, by chance on a mountain trail. We both love the high country and took every opportunity to hike in the North Cascades while still working and living on the West side. Our mutual dream was to retire in the Methow Valley adjacent to the North Cascade mountain range. We both took early retirements and did exactly that. We love the Methow Valley and all it has to offer – a rural setting, tranquility, nature and beauty beyond comparison. I cannot imagine a more perfect place to live.


Once the Methow Valley became home, my goal was to become an active member of the community. I was very interested in finding a group that is making a positive difference in the Methow Valley and also one that I would feel passionate about. Another chance encounter – I took a pine needle basket making class given by Mary Ann Larson that just happened to be at the Methow Valley Interpretive Center. After each class I spent time looking around the Interpretive Center, at the displays of geology, natural history, artifacts, fossils, and the history and culture of the original Methow Native inhabitants and their knowledge and respect for the plants, animals and environment. Shortly afterwards I contacted Carolyn Cilek, the Board Member in charge of docents and I started volunteering with the Interpretive Center. Before too long I was asked to become a Board Member and I happily accepted. I found my niche! I am very happy that I made the choice to join this organization and to have the opportunity to work with people that have similar interests. I hope my participation will help people better understand and appreciate the history of our valley, to preserve it and to promote reconciliation with the original inhabitants.”


September 22, 2022 update

We’ve got a couple of very exciting events coming up in October! In chronological order by date, the first is the Homestream Park Coming Home Celebration, which will be Sunday, October 2nd from 11am-2pm. The Interpretive Center will have a table there with some educational displays and activities.


Next, we’ve got our final “Last Sunday” talk of the season, though this event is not on the last Sunday of the month. In fact, it’s not on a Sunday at all! It’s a two-part event, taking place Friday October 7th and Saturday October 8th.

We invite you to join us for this talk-and-walk event with Helen Lau.

Helen is a botanist for the USFS on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. She manages the rare botanical (plants, lichens, bryophytes and fungi) species, native plant restoration and invasive plant program on the Cle Elum Ranger District. She has been involved with a variety of botanical research and rare species work for the last 20 years. Her undergraduate degree is from The Evergreen State College and has a master’s degree in mycorrhizae ecology from the Biological Sciences department at Central Washington University.

She will be discussing the role of fungi in forest ecosystems, as well as other ways these elusive and important organisms touch our lives every day. This talk will be follow up with a field trip to the forest to witness the variety of fungi found in our local forest systems.

Friday, October 7th, 6pm at the Methow Valley Interpretive Center: Presentation

Saturday, October 8th, 9am-11am: Field Trip. For the field trip, please arrive at the Interpretive Center at 8:30 to carpool to a nearby forest with easy walking access. Bring all-weather gear and a lunch.

This program is free and open to all, but donations are greatly appreciated!


Finally, and certainly not least, we are celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day on Monday, October 10th with a screening of “The Doctrine of Recovery”, a film produced by Leslee Goodman. The screening will be from 6pm-9-pm at the Merc Playhouse in Twisp, and will feature a Native prayer opening, the film, and then a panel discussion. Admission is by donation ($10 suggested), and all net proceeds will benefit local Indigenous-led nonprofits.

We hope to see you there, or at all three of these events!


August 31, 2022 update

Check out the latest Notes from the Center, “Through Young Eyes: Elderberries”. This video was created by a 12-year-old!

Also, we invite you to join us for “Vanishing Ice on Planet Earth”, a presentation by Dr. Bob Carson at 5:00pm on Sunday, September 18th. See below for more details!

Dr. Carson received his Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Washington. He taught at North Carolina State University and the University of Oregon before joining the Whitman College faculty in 1975. His books include Hiking Guide to Washington Geology, Where the Great River Bends, East of Yellowstone, Many Waters, The Blues, and (in press) Adventure. His passions include mountaineering, glaciers, volcanoes, whitewater, and forests.


August 11, 2022 update

Our August 2022 newsletter just dropped! Check it out here. 


July 13, 2022 update

Come to the Interpretive Center on Saturday July 23rd at 6:00pm to hear from the First Nation Lower Similkameen Band. They will talk about the Ashnola Declaration and what an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area looks like.

For more information on the Ashnola Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area, visit: https://bit.ly/3uHmP0D


June 1, 2022 update

Enjoy the May/June 2022 MVIC E-Newsletter here!


April 24, 2022 update

If you missed this past Saturday’s Earth Day Celebration with Methow Recycles, here are the opening prayers and remarks from elders Arnold  Cleveland, Randy Lewis and Mark Miller. Plus a poem read and written by John Doran.


Enjoy the February 2022 MVIC E-Newsletter here!


Weaving traditional sally bags – plateau style! A one or two day workshop this Saturday and Sunday!!

The Methow Valley Interpretive Center is proud to host this in person event. November 20 and 21: 10am – 4pm.

Instructors Julie Edwards, Bernadine Phillips and Brandon Finley are members of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and are descendants of the p’squosa (Wenatchi), Methow, snʕáyckstx (Lakes) and other tribal bands, whose passion is traditional teachings.

Cost: $60 per class or $110 for both classes.

Email David LaFever, Director of Methow Valley Interpretive Center to secure your spot: mvinterpretivecenter@gmail.com, text or call 509-919-0686.

Day 1 – Beginners Class
Saturday November 20, 2021 10am-4pm
Students will learn how to twine the round sally bag.

Day 2 – Advanced Class
Students must have completed Beginners class.
Sunday November 21, 2021: 10am – 4pm
This course will include the design with full turn twist and possible working with three colors.

With a lunch break – bring your own sack lunch.

Instructors:
Julie Edwards
Bernadine Phillips
Brandon Finley
All are members of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and are descendants of the p’squosa (Wenatchi), Methow, snʕáyckstx (Lakes) and other tribal bands whose passion is traditional teachings.

Cost: $60 per class or $110 for both classes

Kit: acrylic yard & hemp cord

Limit: 12 students

Authentic traditional teachings are valuable. Flexible cylindrical baskets, also known as “sally bags”, are a hallmark of American Indian Plateau Tribal weaving. This 6 (12)-hour workshop, will be led by Julie Edwards (Colville), who mentored under master weavers, Craig Phillips, Bernadine Phillips and Joe Fedderson. In this workshop students will learn how to make two small Plateau twined sally bags, using acrylic yarn and hemp.

Instructions will include how to begin and end the basket and add yarn.
*Class supplies included.
Class is limited.

SIGN UP:
Email David LaFever, Director of Methow Valley Interpretive Center to secure your spot: mvinterpretivecenter@gmail.com, text or call 509-919-0686.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GIVE METHOW IS OPEN!
 
Give Methow is an online fundraising campaign supporting 37 nonprofits this year across the Methow Valley from October 1st – 31st.
 
Last year, Give Methow raised over $522,000 that directly benefitted the Methow Valley community. This year, we are hoping your generosity continues, as we know the challenging year it has been. Whether you support food and housing services, trails management, land conservation, youth programs, or other community enhancements – there are many ways you can make a difference in the Methow!
 
How to Donate
 
  • Visit GiveMethow.org from October 1st – 31st to donate to one or more Methow Valley nonprofits.
  • Minimum donation is just $10 and 100% of your donation goes to the nonprofits you support – we cover the credit card fees.
  • Support all Give Methow nonprofits through the Give to All and your donation will be MATCHED up to $30,000 and equally distributed among participants.
  • Donate on a Funday Monday and be entered to win $500+ for the nonprofit(s) of your choice! (Online donations only)
  • All donations are tax-deductible.
 
GIVE METHOW IS OPEN!
 
Give Methow is an online fundraising campaign supporting 37 nonprofits this year across the Methow Valley from October 1st – 31st.
 
Last year, Give Methow raised over $522,000 that directly benefitted the Methow Valley community. This year, we are hoping your generosity continues, as we know the challenging year it has been. Whether you support food and housing services, trails management, land conservation, youth programs, or other community enhancements – there are many ways you can make a difference in the Methow!
 
How to Donate
 
  • Visit GiveMethow.org from October 1st – 31st to donate to one or more Methow Valley nonprofits.
  • Minimum donation is just $10 and 100% of your donation goes to the nonprofits you support – we cover the credit card fees.
  • Support all Give Methow nonprofits through the Give to All and your donation will be MATCHED up to $30,000 and equally distributed among participants.
  • Donate on a Funday Monday and be entered to win $500+ for the nonprofit(s) of your choice! (Online donations only)
  • All donations are tax-deductible.
 
GIVE METHOW IS OPEN!
 
Give Methow is an online fundraising campaign supporting 37 nonprofits this year across the Methow Valley from October 1st – 31st.
 
Last year, Give Methow raised over $522,000 that directly benefitted the Methow Valley community. This year, we are hoping your generosity continues, as we know the challenging year it has been. Whether you support food and housing services, trails management, land conservation, youth programs, or other community enhancements – there are many ways you can make a difference in the Methow!
 
How to Donate
 
  • Visit GiveMethow.org from October 1st – 31st to donate to one or more Methow Valley nonprofits.
  • Minimum donation is just $10 and 100% of your donation goes to the nonprofits you support – we cover the credit card fees.
  • Support all Give Methow nonprofits through the Give to All and your donation will be MATCHED up to $30,000 and equally distributed among participants.
  • Donate on a Funday Monday and be entered to win $500+ for the nonprofit(s) of your choice! (Online donations only)
  • All donations are tax-deductible.

Time for Give Methow!

It’s October 1st and that means the launch of Give Methow – a month of giving to support the Methow Valley’s nonprofit organizations.

The nonprofits of the Valley have come together to create this short video introduction to the work we do together to care for this Valley and community.  We hope you’ll be inspired to support the missions you’ve long cared for and perhaps find some new ones!

Thank you for believing in our mission to foster awareness and understanding of Indigenous people, geology and natural history of the Methow Valley and beyond and for recognizing that we are a part of what makes this Methow Valley community the one you love.

Visit www.givemethow.org to learn more!

Thank you for supporting a vibrant, resilient, and caring community!

David LaFever, Executive Director

Saturday, Sept.18, 6:30 pm at the TwispWorks Pavilion, Hwy 20 and Glover Street, Twisp, WA

There will be a gathering to celebrate the history of the Heart of the Methow PowWow and  special outdoor showing of the documentary “Two Rivers” an award winning film that tells the story of how people in the Methow Valley began to foster connections with Methow Tribal descendants and what has followed since that time.

Join us this Sunday: August 29th at 5:00pm for “Last Sunday” presentation with aquatic ecologist John Crandall! John’s talk will be on “Land Use and Ecology of the Lower Methow River.”

Enjoy the MVIC Summer 2021 newsletter and please renew or become a member if you have not done so already!

With deep regret, We will NOT be hosting our much anticipated events with Dr. Bob Carson this Sunday and Monday, July 25th and 26th.

The fire risk and degraded air quality have made it too risky to invite the public to attend the planned events.
 
Bob is very excited about the talk and demo and is eager to reschedule. We are currently looking at dates in October for this. It will probably be a special event, not the Last Sunday.
 
So, thank you all for being flexible, as the current fire situation demands. Stay safe and protected from the smoke.
 

Check out the newest episode of “Notes from the Center” – the Chiliwist Trail.

 

Sunday June 27th at 5:00pm for “Last Sunday” presentation with Arnie Marchand telling Okanogan Stories from his new book “Stim An S Kwist: What is your name”

 

Notes from the Center (Episode 2, Season 2)- McFarland Creek

“High Times in the Methow: Floods, Flows and Flotsam”

Sunday May 30th at 5:00pm – May “Last Sunday” outdoors in the native gardens. Please join us!

The Methow Valley Interpretive Center and the Shafer Historical Museum present:  High Times in the Methow: Floods, Flows and Flotsam

Join the Methow Valley Interpretive Center and Shafer Historical Museum as stories and photos are shared about high-water events that occurred here since the late-1800s, including the epic 1948 flood. Suzanne Perin from the Shafer Museum and David LaFever from the Interpretive Center will lead a journey through stories, historic photos and first-hand accounts, including some still living here to this day.

 

Join us this Sunday at 5pm for our first “Last Sunday” presentation of 2021! 5pm, outdoors in the native gardens with Dan Nanamkin on land acknowledgement.

Notes from the Center (Episode 12)- Time of Buttercups

 

Notes from the Center (Episode 11)- Time of Frost

Notes from the Center (Episode 10)- Time of Blizzard

MVIC’s first ever Virtual Tour!

Come in and explore Emergence of the Methow (geology, glaciers and more), Ribbon of Life, A Living Landscape, Seasons of the People and more!

Notes from the Center (Episode 9) – Time of Winter

Notes from the Center (Episode 8) – Time of Cold Weather

Notes from the Center (Episode 7) – Time of Fall Hunt

October Last Sunday and a special Notes from the Center

Newest Last Sunday Presentation!

Please enjoy our Last Sunday presentation by Archaeologist Rich Davis titled “Our Valley – Its Past and Probable Earliest Occupation.” Listen to my interview with him and find out why the title says “probable” and so much more….

Or settle back and listen as Rich reads the recent article he wrote on this subject.

 

October Fire Relief Update and Give Methow


As rain returns and cold weather descends upon the Methow and Okanogan Valleys, wildfires can seem like glimmers from the distant summer. It is more important than ever that we continue to help those affected by recent wildfires as they ready for winter. Our fire relief work continues and we are overjoyed by the support that we have received so far! This support is allowing us to support Methow and other tribal descendants directly through purchasing building materials, assisting with purchasing heat pumps and water softeners, rebuilding fences, preparing homesites, removing debris and more. This has been done by friends and organizations, including the River Warriors Society, and by the Methow Valley Interpretive Center who have put on work gloves alongside Tribal members. Natives helping Natives, neighbors helping neighbors as yet another sign of a vital and resilient culture and people.

In addition to houses, personal belongings and vehicles, important cultural plants that were gathered last year or the year before burned up in the fires. We have been busy during the month of September gathering materials for elders who are so focused on rebounding from the fires that they cannot get out and gather plant materials themselves. Specifically we have been out gathering tule and cedar roots – the former used to make tule mats for lodge coverings (and other uses) and the later for making coiled cedar root baskets. We alongside a crew of community members and kids have been out learning about these important plants and the true meaning of generosity.

Fire Relief Fund – Update

Photo credit: Colin Mulvany
Dear Friends,

We want to first thank you for your generosity and the quick way that you are helping us help those impacted by recent fires in our area. Through your generosity, we have raised more than $8,000 which is all going to direct fire relief efforts. The Interpretive Center is keeping none of this. Most of it is going towards meeting the day-to-day needs of the Methow and other tribal descendants (as described below), either directly by us or through working with the River Warriors Society, who is doing great on-the-ground work across the Reservation. We cannot thank you enough! 

Witnessing the full extent of the devastation from the Cold Springs wildfire suffered by our friends on the Colville Reservation is heartbreaking. Yet they themselves survived and the indomitable spirit of their people shines through. 

Because of their brave stance in the face of so much loss, it carried great meaning to join them recently, to help where we could, but mostly to be with them as they crafted ways that their lives and culture would be carried on. Friends, family and Tribal government have been there often, comforting, assessing needs and bringing food, shelter and clothing. The River Warriors Society (an Indigenous-led non-profit) came to offer help with the gritty process of sorting through the ashes and rubble to clean up and recover what was salvageable.

Our Interpretive Center board, members and staff have been part of this giving and receiving from the beginning when the land was still smoldering. We have all been nourished by their gratitude and they by our love and support. We have brought tools, utensils, food and cash. Gifts of dried serviceberries (“siya”), sweetgrass, honey and chokecherries provide both food and medicine. We have gathered important cultural plants such as cedar roots and tules to replace these essential cultural materials lost in the fire. Right after the fire swept through, when help was needed most, members of MVIC helped getting water flowing again to the horses and cattle, buying a coffepot, loaning a campstove, and listening. Now we continue to follow up with specific tasks and needs as these become evident. We will work with others, including the Tribe and River Warriors Society, to rebuild corrals and outbuildings as the cattle come off the range and winter sets in. Once homes and utilities have been replaced, we will work with Methow Natives and others to soften and green the charred landscape with native plants and seeds.

A lot of work has been done and there is still much to do, and we know that we can only do it together. With deep gratitude, we thank you for your contributions, financial and otherwise, that are helping ease the suffering of many and creating connections that will last far into the future.

Thank you so very much!

David LaFever, Executive Director

 

 

Fire Relief Fund and Cultural Preservation

Dear Friends,

Wildfires that were started over the Labor Day weekend on the Colville Reservation burned more than acreage and homes, they consumed precious evidence of the cultural richness of our Methow tribal people.The fire’s destruction also has put Methow elders at risk for their health, livelihood and capacity to pass on their language, traditions and skills.

Yesterday Bruce Morrison and I visited culture keepers and knowledge holders (AKA: elders) from the Methow Tribe. These folks are friends who have supported the Methow Valley Interpretive Center from the beginning and who have kept a continuous connection with their ancestral homeland (the Methow Valley) for at least 8,000 years. Their connection to the lands and waters of this place and to their family’s history is deep beyond understanding.

We stood there yesterday standing on charred land and staring into the ashes and listening to what has been lost. The melted beads of full horse regalia beaded by an ancestor, generations ago made the gray ash sparkle with color in the heat. Family papers and photographs were barely discernible as they blew in the breeze. A fully beaded buckskin jacket made by a family member was scorched beyond recognition, and the cedar root baskets woven a generation ago are now completely gone.

We dug a hole to bury a cat near the piece of farm equipment where she liked to play, burying her so that she faced East (head to the West, feet to the East) and could see the sunrise. This is the traditional Methow way, we were told. As we stood there with the earth smoldering around us, we learned this most important lesson. You take care of each other in both good times and devastating times, and you do it right. In that way both the giver and the receiver are honored. Life must be honored and its about relationship.

During times like these, the Methow Valley has always risen to the occasion. If you would like to offer assistance here are a couple of the ways that you can do that.

  • Donate to the Methow Valley Interpretive Center via paypal, or send a check to our address (PO Box 771, Twisp, WA 98856) and please write a note that it is for Fire Relief. 100% of these donations will go directly to families in need. We will purchase things that are needed (see list below), buy purchase cards, etc for those families that we know are in need. We will continue to work with our Tribal friends to identify what is needed and who needs it.

  •  Donate directly to the following a GoFundMe campaign being run by the River Warriors Society: Cold Springs Canyon & Pearl River Fires Funds. These folks are getting on-the-ground needs met right away with these funds and have a distribution network of volunteers that reaches far and wide.

  • For longer term support and recovery that will be essential, consider also the Community Foundation of North-Central Washington’s (cfncw.org) Fire Recovery Fund.

Here is a partial list of items that have been requested:  Camp stoves, Gas Cards, Single and large propane tanks, Hay feed, 55 gallon water tanks/drums, Any water jugs, Battery operated/solar lanterns, Gift cards from stores to purchase these items, Air filters, Generators..

Thank you in advance for your support and quick response during this tragic time. Please call (509-919-0686) or email if you have any questions.

With heavy hearts,

David LaFever, Executive Director
Bruce Morrison, Board Chair

 

Last Sunday with native film-maker Derrick Lamere on his film “United By Water”

Please give a listen to the Methow Valley Interpretive Center’s “Last Sunday” program for August 2020, where we share an interview that was done with Derrick Lamere in 2018. Derrick is a Native American film-maker from Spokane Washington by way of the Colville Indian Reservation. His films include “Older Than The Crown”, “Makwan Jiimaan (Bear Canoe)”, “The 7th Wave”, and “United By Water,” which was the focus of this interview. “United By Water” follows the story of five tribes (Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Couer D’Alene, Kalispel, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, and Spokane) of the Upper Columbia River as they unite on the water in traditional canoes for the first time since the Grand Coulee Dam flooded their traditional waterways 78 years ago.

 

Time of Chokecherry

The Methow Valley Interpretive Center in Twisp, WA presents “Notes from the Center” (Episode 5): Time of Chokecherry. Join David LaFever as he introduces nselcin (Okanogan language) words for important cultural plants ripening at this time, including chokecherry, huckleberry, foamberry and blue elderberry.

Just as the dog days of summer catch up with us, with its oppressive heat and sometimes smoky haze, we are offered the gift that, if preserved well, will keep on giving throughout cold dark times ahead. This is the Time of Chokecherry or łəx̌ʷłax̌ʷtan, in Nsəlxcin, also known as the Okanogan or Northern Interior Salish language.  Nsəlxcin, or a dialect of it, is spoken by several local tribes including the mətxʷu (Methow), uknaqín (Okanogan), snʕáyckstx  (Lakes), sx̌ʷyʔiɬp (Colville), nspilm (Nespelem), and sənpʕʷilx (San Poil).A member of the rose family, łəx̌ʷłax̌ʷ (chokecherry) is found across most of Canada, most of the United States, and northern Mexico, and can be found in open forests, grasslands, and dry, rocky sites.łəx̌ʷłax̌ʷ is an important food and medicine for peoples across North American including the metxʷu and other local tribes. Traditional ways to eat and preserve chokecherries are fresh eating, mashed fresh and sundried into thin cakes, sundried separately like raisins, pounded and combined with salmon heads, tails and eggs or boiled and combined with salmon or meat. My favorite way to preserve chokecherries is to make chokecherry jam and I sometimes combine them with elderberries for a delicious and healthy elixir-of-summer anytime of the year. Beware that the seeds and other parts of the plant contain cyanide which should not be consumed in large quantities. Cyanide is thought to be a response to herbivory by deer and other browsers and acts to protect chokecherry.I encourage you to head out, pay attention and see what the Time of Chokecherry is all about. When do they ripen and where? What other plants are fruiting at this time? What animals meet you at your favorite chokecherry spot? Gather some and try different ways of preserving them – sundried cakes, mixed with butter, coconut oil or bacon fat? Boil some and mix them with salmon or meat and see what you think.Remember and honor this time of year as łəx̌ʷłax̌ʷtan, Time of Chokecherry, and allow that knowledge to connect you even deeper with the Methow Valley or wherever you happen to be. Through doing so we are connecting with an ancient practice of giving thanks and honoring this time of year. As we slather chokecherry jelly on a piece of toast on a cold morning this winter, let summer’s heat warm our hearts and minds, and let us be thankful for all that we have.

 

Honorable Harvesting Practices:

  • Know when to harvest.
  • Don’t take the first.
  • Don’t take the last.
  • Give something in return.
  • Ask for permission, give thanks.

*For more depth on honorably harvesting see Rosalee de la Foret’s newest book Wild Remedies (Chapter 4) and Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass (Chapter titled “The Honorable Harvest”).

How to Make Chokecherry Jelly

Jelly is made from fruit juice and sugar and will only achieve a jelly-like structure when it contains sufficient pectin (which can be added or extracted from fruit itself).

Extracting juice from the chokecherries:

*One pound of chokecherries will give close to 2 cups of juice

  • Wash the fruit in cool running water.
  • Place chokecherries in a stainless steel or enamel pot, cover with water and simmer for 20-35 minutes or until soft.
  • Let this cool and strain through cheese cloth or fine meshed strainer OR Smash through a colander

*You can also extract the juice using a steam-juicer (which are amazing to use).

* When extracting juice from chokecherries do not crush the seeds which contain cyanide.

Making the jelly:

Ingredients: 3 ½ cups chokecherry juice, 4 ½ cups of sugar, 1 ¾ ounces of pectin

  • Pour chokecherry juice into a large heavy pot. Add pectin and stir to mix.
  • Place over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
  • Stir in sugar. Bring to a full, rolling boil and boil for 1-2 minutes. Stir constantly.
  • Remove from heat. Stir and skim off foam.
  • Pour or ladle jelly into hot, sterilized half-pint or pint jars to ¼ inch of the top. Wipe rim of jars with a clean cloth. Seal with two-piece canning lids.
  • Process in a boiling water bath for approximately 10 minutes.
  • Cool, undisturbed for up to 24 hours.
  • Store in a cool, dark place and enjoy!

July 2020 “Last Sunday” with Arnold Cleveland

Please give a listen to the Methow Valley Interpretive Center’s “Last Sunday” program for July 2020, where we unearth a gem from our archive of recorded talks. Join Arnold Cleveland as he plays flute and tells his life story from birth on the reservation, to mission schools to migrant work and serving in the military.

Arnold Cleveland, a Wenatchi band descendant and member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, shares stories about growing up as a native on and off the reservation. When Cleveland was an infant, his mother worked the packing sheds with Arnold by her side tucked into a wooden apple box. She would nudge the box down the line as she worked. Cleveland’s childhood included time in the Indian boarding school, St. Mary’s Mission, and traveling with his family on the “fruit tramp circuit”. As an adult, Cleveland straddled the Indian and white worlds serving in the military and becoming a supervisor in the fruit packing sheds.


Given the ever changing world of COVID-19, governmental guidance, and social dynamics, the Methow Valley Interpretive Center will remain closed to the public until conditions allow us to do so safely. We are so incredibly excited to open up and show you what we have been working on but for now we will continue to offer up Virtual Last Sundays, Notes from the Center, and more! Check out our YouTube page to find these videos.
 
Please stay tuned for upcoming Virtual Tours, Garden Tours and other exciting opportunities to learn and stay engaged. We look forward to opening up our doors when we can. Until then…

The Methow Valley Interpretive Center presents “A Methow Native Plant Medley” for the June edition of the “Last Sunday” series. In this medley we bring together five expert botanists and enthusiastic plant lovers to share with you one of their favorite native plants. Please join Rosalee de la Foret, George Wooten, Anaka Mines, Dana Visalli and Rob Crandall on a journey into the mesmerizing and magical world of native plants.

This is a talk Richard Hart gave on 7/2/20 for a Methow At Home Zoom call. Richard shares a detailed history of the Sinixt tribe as well as an explanation of how the Canadian and United States Governments law’s work, and how they haven’t worked in the Tribe’s favor. He also explains the state of the tribe’s current litigation with the Government of British Columbia. Thanks Richard!

 
The Methow Valley Interpretive Center presents “Notes from the Center – Episode 3“:  which focuses on the month of June and the important traditional food miktu (arrowleaf balsamroot seeds). Join educator and ecologist David LaFever as he talks about miktu and a few other nearby plants and introduces some new nselxcin (Okanogan language) words.  

 

The Methow Valley Interpretive Center presents: “Notes from the Center – Episode 2” which focuses on the month of May, bitterroots and the role of wind in our ecosystems. Join educator and ecologist David LaFever as he introduces us to bitterroot, a very important cultural plant, discusses some of the roles of wind in our ecosystems and teaches a few nselxcin (Okanogan language) words related to this time of year.

Please enjoy this Last Sunday program from August 2019 with Methow descendant and Indian rancher Jimmy Timentwa, recorded by Byron Odion. Jimmy is a gifted story-teller and this was his first time ever telling stories in public. Join Jimmy as he journeys through generations and across the Methow Valley and beyond.

April Last Sunday Presentation, a video interview with author and historian Richard Hart. 

We are also introducing the Notes from the Center series with our education coordinator David LaFever. 

 
 


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