Minam
Once, "Eh-mee-ni-mah..." was a peaceful place
.. several tribes gathered for early roots,
..... steelhead, whitefish, bighorn sheep or wapiti.
The old rockshelter was welcoming
... the campsites handy to wood and water.
Drovers, homesteaders and land speculators
. found the hidden valley following indian trails.
Tu-eka-kas posted his boundaries,
...traded friendship for peace . . .
.....and was rewarded with "the thieving treaty."
Wagon roads, toll bridges, railroad and log mill,
. a town and a fish hatchery to restore salmon runs,
.... then a highway later... and most folks
...... actually speed up to miss the historic vestiges.
Only a few fishermen wander here, now.
The rivers still flow by this place, sometimes high
. often-times as low as the legends, history and memories.
A canyon full of echos and dreams, illusions and delusions,
. it is still a quiet place to gather a few berries,
..... dig a little couse... watch the eagles or a bear.
R.Anderson, Wallowa
Corral Creek
A trail connects the lower Imnaha canyon
. to the upland prairie and forest.
The old people used to winter deep
. and crowd spring to the prairie
... for roots, game and an expansive view.
There is a pre-history and a history
. almost forgotten in this place
.... but... the scarred old pines remember.
The people... laughed, played
. and gathered sweet cambium here.
Once, a raiding party of Tukuaduka came
. looking for plunder, horses, women
..... and left their bones deep in Ni-mee-poo land.
Though congress has noted such events
. most people have forgotten.
The setting here provokes visions
. of exotic terranes, rich resources for life
... and depths of time in a widening space.
I... come here to dream, watch for falcons
. and listen for ancient echos.
R.Anderson Wallowa
