History in the Making: A Tamkaliks Film Project
Made in partnership by Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland and Verge by Lewonne Teasley
The Wallowa Valley has been home to the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) since time immemorial. Its time of peace and prosperity has been overshadowed by the brief, but highly impactful events of 1877. The Nez Perce War forced an untimely departure from a place that holds immense value to its rightful stewards. Although most descendants of the Wallowa Band of Nez Perce don’t live in their ancestral homeland, the Tamkaliks Celebration and Friendship Feast offers a chance for those displaced to come home and celebrate in the company of friends and family.
History in the Making: A Tamkaliks Film Project is a short documentary project about the Tamkaliks Celebration and what it represents for the Nez Perce and Wallowa communities. It features interviews with key originators of the event and shines a light on the contributions of Earl “Taz” Conner, a descendant of Old Chief Joseph and curator of the idea for the powwow. The film captures “The Return”: from the first powwow in 1990, climaxing with the 2022 Tamkaliks Celebration when the people came together after three long years separated by a pandemic, and continuing with what this story means for the future of our communities. The Tamkaliks Celebration serves as an example of how healing from a difficult shared history can grow into a hopeful future. Through this film we hope that our story will inspire other communities to work collaboratively, as we have and will continue to do, to heal rifts caused by historical injustices. We’ll know our film was a success if it serves as a testament to the importance of relationships and the advancement of healing through mutual respect and celebration of both our commonalities and our differences.
Another element to this project is the development of a digital archive that contains hundreds of slides and photographs we’ve collected from powwows over the years, as well as historical and organizational documents. All these materials represent a piece of the Nez Perce story in Wallowa. Some of these will be used for the film and all of them will be made available to the public through an online archive on our website. There are a number of materials already posted online and many more to come: wallowanezpercearhive.org.
On the set of the Tamkaliks Film Project
Our Team
Lewonne Teasley - Director/Producer/Writer
Weston Fahey - Director of Photography
Nathan Chiaravalle - Editor
Mathew Bermudez - Audio Engineer
Victor Jones - Audio Engineer
Sara Averbeck - Project Manager
About Verge by Lewonne Teasley
Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland has partnered up with Verge by Lewonne Teasley, a Nez Perce production company. Lewonne has worked on many different projects ranging from commercials and documentaries, to wedding films and music videos. He has over six years of video production experience and has been blessed to reach millions of viewers with the content he has created. In a personal statement about why he wanted to produce this film Lewonne stated “I was raised by many elders within the Nez Perce Tribe and have learned the importance of our land and the historical value it holds. I believe that this documentary will aid in that overall discussion and give perspective to the strong Native American voices that still exist today…My ultimate goal for this project is to help my people see the place where we originate in a new light; especially for those who have never visited our true ancestral homeland. I believe this endeavor has been blessed by the creator and will provide an even greater opportunity for the Tamkaliks Celebration and Friendship Potluck to grow and prosper”.
Check out Verge by Lewonne Teasley on Instagram, Facebook, and onthevergesince1855.com
Qeci’yew’yew
Thank you to all you have made this project possible:
State Library of Oregon through the American Rescue Plan Act, The Collins Foundation, Eastern Oregon Visitors Association with support from Travel Oregon, Wild Carrot Herbals, and individual donors
Those who have generously shared their stories, memories, and knowledge for the creation of this film: Tessie Williams, Fred Hill, Bobbie Conner, Steve Axtel, Soy Redthunder, Nancy Crenshaw, Mary Hawkins, Verl Lewis, Brian Conner, Jason Crenshaw, Carla Timentwa, Bill Timentwa, Deborrah Reth, Jo Hallam, Cece Whitewolf, and Joe McCormack
Lewonne Teasley, Weston Fahey, Nathan Chiaravalle, Mathew Bermudez, and Victor Jones for their dedication, creativity, and vision for this project
Jenner Hanni and Marlee Goska for their contributions of time and expertise to develop the Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland digital archive