Spirit Amid the Trees

As a youngster, I was vaguely aware of the political undercurrent that was taking shape in Klamath. I only knew what I did because I would lay awake listening to the conversations of those who came to my folks house for a later dinner and drinks.

Many of the people who came by were Native American and deeply involved in making the community a better place for “their people.”  Some of these people were lawyers, doctors and other Yurok tribal leaders.

It was while eavesdropping on adult conversations, that I first learned the Yurok Tribe has a constitution that begins with the tribes origin. It reads: “Our people have always lived on this sacred and wondrous land along the Pacific Coast and inland on the Klamath River, since the Spirit People, Wo-ge’, made things ready for us and the Creator, Ko-won-no-ekc-on Ne-ka-nup-ceo, placed us here.”

Spirits took the form of trees, including the Redwoods, and the fountain of water took the form of woman. The Yurok people would spread along the Klamath River and their constitution recounts thousands of years of the tribe’s trade, transportation, social aspects, currency, economic system and crafts expertise.

I was always certain I was walking among spirits when I was hiking in the forest.