Last week, I shared some details with you about the Leschi Honor Walk, a tradition established four years ago by the Nisqually Tribe and the City of Lakewood. This past weekend, I had the chance to dive a bit deeper into why this event matters during an interview with Feliks Banel on his radio program/podcast, Cascade of History.
If you aren’t familiar with Feliks, he’s a historian with a true passion for storytelling (you might recognize him as the person who helped break the story about secretive US Army officials and the potential closure of the JBLM Army Museum).
The program was live. I’ll be the first to admit I babbled some on how the walk is a wonderful opportunity to mingle and learn from one another. Feliks steered me toward what was extra important about the whole event.
The annual gathering is an invitation to reflect on Chief Leschi’s entire life and on Native culture, rather than focusing solely on the injustices he suffered at the hands of Gov. Isaac Stevens and his thugs. I made a comparison, saying to Feliks that just as Abraham Lincoln is remembered for a lot more than his assassination – horrible as it was – the Nisqually Tribe wants Leschi to be remembered for all of his life and leadership.
Much more has been written about Leschi’s end than has been written about his leadership in the Tribe, the ways he worked with both the British and Americans, and the accomplishments and cultures of local Tribes.
Feliks noted something that really stuck with me: the Leschi Honor Walk takes the history currently etched into the old stone monument on Steilacoom Boulevard and brings it to life. He said the Leschi Honor Walk is a way for us to collectively keep these stories relevant and accessible, rather than leaving these stories on a 4-ton boulder in a shopping center or as words in a book on a shelf.
The first part of the program is about some of the historic weather we have been having, or not having. The segment about the Leschi Honor Walk can be heard here. You can also hear Cascade of History on popular podcast platforms.
