On Wednesday night, a small audience gathered at the Many Nations Longhouse to hear traditional Native American storytelling.
Ed Edmo, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock tribe, lectured on Northwest tribal culture.
Edmo has been performing his interactive storytelling for 31 years to audiences throughout the nation and particularly in his native home of the Pacific Northwest.
Edmo grew up near Celilo Falls, Ore., on the Columbia River. His father was an avid fisherman who felt a close connection to the falls until 1957, when the construction of the Dalles Dam flooded that section of the river and destroyed the falls.
When asked how he felt about the loss of Celilo Falls, Edmo replied, “I was still a young boy, but my heart felt more pain than a boy should feel.”
Edmo, who was only 11 at the time, recalled the emotions his father expressed to him after the falls disappeared.
“He and the others tried to do what they could, but the contractors looked at them and turned their heads. He had lost a part of his soul and his life,” he said.
Edmo discusses the falls in “Echo of Water Against Rocks: Remembering The Last Days of Celilo Falls,” an award-winning documentary about the flooding of Celilo Falls produced by University students in the Environmental Studies Program in April of 2000.
The stories Edmo tells were passed down through the words and teachings of his father, who like many Native Americans received the stories from the older members of his tribe.
“If there is one thing I regret, it would be never learning my native tongue,” Edmo said. “My father was whipped in school whenever he spoke in native languages, he did not want me to endure the same beatings.”
Edmo spoke about how different tribes’ beliefs shape their creation stories, each of which has a unique explanation of life. He used puppets and interacted with the audience in order to reiterate the principles behind the stories.
“Ed is so good at telling stories colorfully and getting the crowd to interact and laugh, especially the kids,” said Terry Church, who works at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History store and has attended several of Edmo’s lectures.
Edmo has been invited to speak in places as far away as India.
“The children saw me on the streets afterward and copied my animal sounds, hissing like snakes and crying like coyotes,” Edmo said.
Edmo, who is also an accomplished poet, has work published and displayed in university libraries throughout Oregon, including at University of Oregon and Oregon State University.
“I still remember when I saw my poetry on MAX Transit in Downtown Portland, which made me laugh.” Edmo said, referring to “Poetry in Motion,” a national program that places poetry cards on public buses and trains.
“I write poetry about anything, because everything has a meaning,” said Edmo after sharing his poem about an American family he observed while having lunch at Dairy Queen.
“His poetry is just so unique and heartfelt while being entertaining at the same time,” said Outdoor Program Assistant Director Suzanne Hanlon. “It’s a great way of getting his message across and educating the young people to spread the word on cultural awareness and acceptance.”
When asked why storytelling and cultural awareness is so vital to societal teachings, Edmo joked, “What else is going to be taught to the children, Mickey Mouse?”
Judi Pruitt, a program coordinator at the Museum of Natural and Cultural History, said Edmo’s sense of humor is part of what makes him a good speaker. “It may take some people by surprise. He is very serious in his teachings, but he also knows how to have fun with the crowd.”
After Edmo’s lecture, attendees had the opportunity to buy one of his poetry books and have it signed. They also had a chance to speak to Edmo and show appreciation for his performance.
“It was better than I expected. Ed is so passionate and informed; he really knows what he is doing,” said audience member Alan Roberts. “I knew a couple of stories, but Ed really opened my mind to new ones that I have never heard.”
Edmo will be offering a $30 tour and hike to view some of Columbia River Gorge’s pictographs and petroglyphs on Nov. 3, including the famous petroglyph “She Who Watches,” depicting a Native American woman. Hanlon highly recommended taking the trip.
“It is jaw-droppingly beautiful; all should take advantage of this opportunity.” she said.