Inlander 11/17/2022

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EDITOR’S NOTE

When the temperature is just right, the mists of the Spokane Falls rise above the Monroe Street Bridge like a powerful fog. I can see it from my office window. I can’t see the falls them selves, but their powerful presence becomes known as the frigid airborne waters envelop the stately structure, engulfing it like smoke from a raging fire.

I think about the falls a lot. How their central position made this city, yet how the city did its best for decades to forsake them with concrete. I think it’s a story similar to the Salish language, and Interior Salish culture. A culture and people that have called the Inland Northwest home for untold generations have always been here, but for too long were buried in history books in favor of the city’s so-called fathers.

This week’s cover story — hec yoyotwílšm nqélixʷcnm, or the Salish Resurgence — seeks to do what our wintry air does occasionally for the Spokane Falls. By letting the people most intimately aware of a still living language, its teachers and speakers, talk about what Salish means to them, we hope our readers will get a better sense of a language that’s been spoken in the Inland Northwest since time immemorial. To hear something that was here long before the city, that was ignored and derided for too long. To better appreciate something that never went away. That’s why we’re proud to turn the cover completely over to the Salish language this week.

This cover story and illustration owes everything to the people who made it happen — Marsha Wynecoop, LaRae Wiley, Emma Noyes, Barry Moses, Caj Matheson and JR Bluff. Hear what they have to say beginning on page 16.

— NICHOLAS DESHAIS

JOE BONAMASSA LIVE IN CONCERT

Friday, December 2

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH + BRANTLEY GILBERT

Tuesday, December 13 Spokane Arena

THE ILLUSIONISTS MAGIC OF THE HOLIDAYS

Monday, December 26

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CAN YOU SPEAK MORE THAN ONE LANGUAGE?

FAITH BISHOP-PURKEY

No, I really wish I did. I know little bits of other languages.

What is one language you wish you could be fluent in and why?

I would do Swahili because I work with World Relief, and right now I’m working with a family who speaks primarily Swahili, so it would be really cool to be able to interact with them.

EMIGEH WALLACE

No, I don’t.

What is one language you wish you could be fluent in and why?

I think I probably want to be fluent in sign language. I think it’d be really cool because I’m really interested in working with the Deaf culture.

SAGE LEVORA

I do not.

What is one language you wish you could be fluent in and why?

I would speak Spanish because several mem bers of my family are bilingual and Spanish.

Todd Goodner (x231)

CIRCULATION

Frank

KELSEY BITTON

Yes. I started doing Duolingo French in middle school, but I really started to learn French at (Spokane Falls Community College) under Elodie Goodman.

What’s your favorite word in French?

I have many favorite words. I really like which means star, because it’s really pretty sounding.

RICKY WRIGHT

I do not speak more than one language.

Which language would you like to speak?

I would very much like to speak French because I have a girlfriend (Kelsey, above) who speaks French, and she would love to live in France someday.

INTERVIEWS BY SAMANTHA HOLM 11/12/22, KITTY CANTINA

Uppercased and Erased

Even the computer codes that autocorrect our words enforce a subtle racism

BY CMARIE FUHRMAN

It started with an introduction to a poem by my friend, Ruby. I was trying to write the word “English” without capitalizing the “e.”

I would type the word in all small letters, tap the spacebar, the e would go from small to large. The noun had control. After three tries, I gave up. I tried to think of another way to write what I wanted to say without using the word. To go around the rules. But the point I needed to make was the point that autocorrect wouldn’t allow. That the language we share forces us into accepting norms of a broader American culture,

which is why it is so important to keep Native languages awake.

And american auto corrected to American. I was able to change it back, but not without consequence. A red line appeared beneath the word. And as I continued, adding notes about how

lines appeared. I right-clicked. The program insisted that instead of Osage, I meant dosage. I tried opening an online doc; that software suggested I add the word to my personal dictionary. It reminded me, as I hovered over the word english, that this word was always capitalized.

I think of a documentary I watched called Our Spirits Don’t Speak English: Indian Boarding School and an interview in particular that begins, “My name is Andrew Windyboy. I’m a Chippewa Cree. I did two boarding schools, one in Wahpeton Indian School in Wahpeton, North Dakota, and the other one is Flandreau Indian School in Flandreau, South Dakota… They took me to the boarding school where I wasn’t allowed to talk my Native tongue or practice my Native ways. Numerous times they put on this big old white, big huge white cone. They put it on there, it said ‘dunce.’ I didn’t know what it meant. I didn’t know eng lish. They put it on me, made me wear it all over. Kids laughed at me. [They] took me away from all of that and punished me for talking… It was my first language. I didn’t know any other language. And when I would talk, it came out, Cree would come out. Whenever I talked I would get hit. I got hit so much I lost my tongue, lost my native tongue…They beat me every day. Beat me badly.

“I hope someday somebody will hear me...”

The software suggests, instead of Cree I mean Creed, Creek, Creep, Crete or even Crew. It suggests that I might even mean “free.” The red line appears under Windyboy and suggests I mean windy boy. Another program says there is no reference for this word. Yet another, without my permission, changes Andrew’s last name to Windsor. A subtle reminder of the assimilation era when given names were not ac ceptable, when english names were the rule.

I turn to another project. A conference meant to discuss tra ditional homelands, about acknowledgment of the Native people removed from that land. I am asking my friend, a Nimiipuu scientist to join me. I write, Dear Sapóoq’is Wíit’… not only does it take five extra keystrokes, but when I am done, I am corrected to Dear Susan. I chose to compose the note in the most popular, most used word processing software. It suggests that instead of Nimiipuu I mean “Miniplug, Maipu, or Minipig” all nonwords. Nimiipuutimt, Nez Perce language has been spoken here for more than 10,000 years, yet Microsoft (which always autocorrects a capital M) says there is “no reference,” and yet I type luddites and it autocorrects… to Luddites.

A note at the bottom of the document says my writing is accessible, that it’s “good to go.” Yet those red lines, that tell me something is incorrect, and the blue dotted lines, that suggest I’m not communicating clearly, are pointing toward something else. And the other times when something I write is, without my permission, changed. When my words are ostensibly taken away. Erased. Perhaps those attempts toward correction are not as egregious as fists or dunce caps, but violence lives in their subtlety. constant correction toward colonialism. So I search for the ways to turn it off, to stop the suggestions that tell me I am wrong; is there a way to stop being corrected to whiteness? n

CMarie Fuhrman is the author of Camped Beneath the Dam: Poems and co-editor of Native Voices: Indigenous Poetry, Craft, and Conversations. She has published or forthcom ing poetry and nonfiction in multiple journals and several anthologies. CMarie is a regular columnist for the Inlander, Translations Editor for Broadsided Press and Director of the Elk River Writers Workshop. She is Director of Poetry at Western Colorado University, where she also teaches Na ture Writing. CMarie is 2021-23 Idaho Writer in Residence.

¿SE HABLA INGLÉS?

For those with limited English proficiency, the court system can be even more confusing, but Spokane County is working to improve access — in Spanish, Russian and more

BY SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL

Navigating the Spokane County Courthouse is confusing enough without a language barrier.

Yet, until recently, there were very few resources to help people who speak limited to no English steer through the already complicated court system.

For instance, people who ask for certified interpreters for their court hearings have to seek help from someone who only speaks English — ironically facing a language barrier to access the language resources that do exist.

The good news is, with the urging and help of advocacy groups, the county may soon have resources available in multiple languages, including Spanish and Russian, as well as Marshallese and Arabic.

One group pushing for change, Mujeres in Action, works with victims of domestic violence and sexual assault within the Latinx community (the organization prefers this gender-neutral term). Advocates with the organization successfully worked with the court admin istrator to put up a sign that says “I speak…” followed by language names, written in both English and other languages. By pointing at the correct language, people can get in touch with the proper interpreter.

While the sign is helpful, interpreters are only avail able for court hearings or attorney meetings, not for routine court activities such as filling out forms. More is needed to make the court system accessible to those who have a limited understanding of English, says Ana Trusty, director of communications for Mujeres in Action (MiA).

“Not only does that courthouse look like a maze, but figuring out who can do what is another issue in itself,” Trusty says. “It’s really hard to navigate for

somebody that speaks English, much more so for some body that doesn’t.”

MiA advocates tell their participants about the pros and cons of officially seeking things such as a civil protec tion order (sometimes known as a restraining order) or a parenting custody plan.

Local police are not supposed to ask about immigra tion status, and the courthouse is supposed to serve as a safe space where immigration enforcement is not allowed, Trusty says. But still, that extra layer of fear may be there for victims, along with more complex emotions: If an abuser is found guilty of certain crimes, and they’re undocumented, they may be deported.

“We work with a lot of Latinx community members who don’t speak English and are undocumented, and they’re fearful of the court system,” says Trusty. “Even if they’re undocumented there are rights that the United States offers them. As we navigate the court system with participants, we realize there are a lot of barriers and gaps, and even when we helped one person, that wasn’t helping the broader community.”

Rather than work with victims one by one to translate forms, for instance, MiA has started working with other nonprofits and Spokane County Clerk Tim Fitzgerald to address some of the need by translating the directions for filling out civil protection orders into the five most common languages outside of English in this area.

Fitzgerald says he’s enthusiastic about improving that access, and his office already has those directions trans lated into Spanish and Russian.

“What we’ve been working on is trying to get the instructions on these six types of civil protection orders written in different languages so people can read that and fill out their legal documents before they go down to the court,” Fitzgerald says. “The next thing we’re trying to do is get the actual orders themselves translated into Spanish and Russian. That way they can see the order, they can read the order, and when they get the English version they’ll have a better understanding.”

SPANISH, RUSSIAN, MARSHALLESE AND ARABIC

Part of what’s driving the push for language access in the courts is a change to protective orders that the Legislature made. Starting this July, a simplified form has enabled victims to seek one of six different civil pro tection orders (domestic violence, extreme risk, sexual assault, stalking, anti-harassment or vulnerable adult) by filling out a single document. In the past, both victim and court time would often be wasted if someone chose the wrong form for the type of order they needed. The new form is meant to avoid sending someone back to fill out the right paperwork.

Along with simplifying the protection order process, lawmakers mandated that the Administrative Office of the Courts, which works with courts at all levels across Washington state, translate the brochures and direc tions for protection orders into the five most common languages outside of English.

However, those languages needed statewide vary from what’s most helpful in Spokane.

With urging from local advocates, Spokane’s court system is working to improve language access.

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“¿SE HABLA INGLÉS?,” CONTINUED...

The Administrative Office of the Courts is working to translate those directions by a Dec. 30 deadline into Korean, Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese, says office spokes woman Lorrie Thompson by email.

But according to a records request that MiA made to Spokane County’s courts, the languages that were most commonly re quested for interpretation services over the last three years were Spanish and Russian, closely followed by Marshallese and Arabic. It’s hard to say what the fifth most common language would be as a few other languages were com monly requested, including Chuukese, Thai and Tigrinya.

“I’ve got two already done [in Spanish and Russian], and we’re kind of looking at what we think are our other non-English populations, which could be Ukrainian, Mar shallese and Arabic,” Fitzgerald says. “We’re putting this out there trying to figure out how best to get the top five that we need, or, if we see a trend where a specific community is coming in a lot, we’ll try to make instructions for that language.”

Fitzgerald says he hopes to work with MiA and similar organizations as they translate the most common forms and directions for those communities, and then send those documents to the Administrative Office of the Courts to ensure they meet legal requirements.

One of the difficulties for Spokane is that our courts have decided to use their own forms for many processes, rather than a standard form that might be used statewide. For example, in trying to simplify the single protection

order form to fewer pages, the county now requires its own translation, Fitzgerald says.

BENEFITING AN ENTIRE POPULATION

Saw Gary, program manager for Thrive International, a nonprofit working with refugees from Ukraine and other places, was a court interpreter for about 10 years, helping translate Thai, Karen, Burmese and other Asian languages.

He says he regularly saw clients get confused as they tried to find the right courtrooms or offices within the courthouse, often getting sent back to the same place they’d been before.

One way to help could be hiring a court coordinator,

Gary says, whose sole job would be to direct people to the forms and offices they need and help them navigate the complicated system.

“Hiring a cultural navigator here through the courts in Spokane would be helpful,” Gary says.

Interpreters, like victim advocates, cannot help clients fill out their legal forms because they are not allowed to offer legal advice, Gary says.

However, MiA’s advocates have been able to help with a workaround by translating the actual form questions into Spanish when needed.

Then, advocates like Citlalli Briseño (who is now the program supervisor for MiA’s vari ous services) can help clients use Microsoft Word to dictate their answers and copy them into the correct court forms. The software is able to convert Spanish voice dictation to text, and then once the victim reads over their words to ensure they are accurate, the software can translate it into English, as all forms need to be submitted to the court in English.

“We’re hoping we can bring these things to light and help ease those barriers for participants. Because we’re sure that it’s not just in the Latino community,” Briseño says. “The whole immigrant community is growing in Spokane, there’s Russian, Marshallese, Ukrainian, a bunch of different people coming in, so this would benefit a huge population.”

One of the most important elements to ensuring language access involves making sure that places like hospitals and the courts aren’t having children or an

Thrive’s Sajida Nelson and Saw Gary both used to work as interpreters in Spokane. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

abuser do the translation for someone, as the details can get lost in translation, sometimes intentionally, Briseño says.

“It’s very disappointing to see, as an advocate, the hesitancy there is and the lack of accessibility there is for these resources,” Briseño says. “They deserve to have a certified interpreter.”

While advocacy agencies push for even more forms to be translated into other languages and ultimately would like to see the courts accept forms filled out in other languages, Spokane’s office is taking other positive steps.

In addition to translation, Fitzgerald says he’s working to se cure a private room where advocacy agencies like MiA, Lutheran Community Services and the YWCA could sit with people to fill out their forms in private kiosks.

Right now, his team ensures that protection orders are im mediately filed electronically with police so those are available to officers the moment someone steps outside the courthouse. Victims receive certified copies of their orders before they leave, but they are asked to wait on benches in the hallway while the team completes that work, Fitzgerald says.

“We’re not doing a very good job with trauma-informed petitions for survivors of violence,” Fitzgerald says. “They fill out these orders, they have to go to court, which can be intimidating, then they come back upstairs, and I would like to put them in a quiet area.”

Fitzgerald submitted a funding request to the county for new laptops and a table and chairs through the COVID-related Ameri can Rescue Plan process, but he says he was told the request for a few thousand dollars was actually too small. Now, he’ll wait to go through an official budget request to try to create that private area.

“Space in the courthouse is at a premium, but we’re trying to figure this out,” Fitzgerald says. “We’re going to make this happen, I just can’t give you a timeline. We understand the challenge.” n samanthaw@inlander.com

Moderates Do (Moderately) Well

How far-right candidates fared in Spokane Valley and Idaho

BY DANIEL WALTERS

Spokane Valley Republican and once-and-future state Rep. Leonard Christian is something of an expert at losing.

He lost the race for county auditor in 2010, the race for state House in 2014, the race for county assessor in 2018, and another race for state House in 2020.

“One of my best financial supporters says, ‘You’ve got to pay off sometime. This is a stranded investment going nowhere,’” says a chuckling Christian, who was appointed to the state House in 2014 before losing in the ensuing election.

And just because his opponent this year, fellow Republican and incumbent Rob Chase, was a QAnondabbling conspiracy theorist, it didn’t necessarily mean Christian had a great shot at winning.

If anything, Chase was a lot gentler than the man he took over for: the equally conspiratorial Matt Shea. Until Shea decided not to run in 2020, he’d repeatedly shrugged off attempts to unseat him, including from members of his own party. Reams of critical reporting — about the gun Shea pulled during a road rage incident and his never-fully-explained “Biblical Basis for War” document that seemed to endorse killing males who didn’t yield to theocratic rule — only seemed to make him more beloved in his district.

And yet this year, the comparatively moderate Chris tian defeated Chase in Shea’s district, 50 percent to 47.6 percent.

Maybe it was because Christian’s persistence finally paid off. Maybe his name wormed its way into voters’

brains. Maybe it was the recent redistricting (though the Legislative District 4 didn’t get any less Republican, we don’t know whether the kind of Republican in the district changed).

Or maybe it’s that Shea wielded conspiracy theories like a weapon — using them to whip up crowds and in spire an intensely loyal podcast following — while Chase seemed more content to wander down conspiratorial rabbit holes without any particular destination in mind. Voters like confidence, after all.

Or maybe voters have finally rebelled against extremists.

“I think you saw that nationwide,” Christian says of moderates triumphing at the polls. “A lot of the Trumpbacked candidates didn’t fare well.”

And yet, just across the state border, Idaho showed that the far right is alive and well. While incumbent Idaho Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, waltzed easily to vic tory, the battle for second place was neck and neck, with Democrat Stephen Heidt edging out independent Ammon Bundy by only three percentage points. (Little received three times as many votes as Heidt.)

Who’s Bundy, you ask? Well, remember how Shea got investigated for “domestic terrorism” because of his involvement with an armed standoff at an Oregon national wildlife refuge? Well, Bundy actually led that standoff.

In fact, in more than three-quarters of Idaho’s coun ties, including most of North Idaho, Bundy actually beat the Democrats. It’s hard to tell how much of that is about

the weakness of Democrats in Idaho, how much is about conservative backlash against Little, and how much is about Bundy’s own strength.

What’s more, Bundy’s fundraising haul of over $640,000 is 22 times what Heidt raised. One slickly pro duced ad featured Bundy in a U-Haul truck promising to pay the moving costs for liberals who vowed to leave the state if he won.

“No one is saying you have to leave,” Bundy said, turning to the camera to give a wink — complete with an audible “ding!” sound effect. “But if you‘re going to stay here, then you have to work like the rest of us.”

Devin Burghart, director of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, found the ad telling.

“Toward the end of his campaign, where he was talk ing about liberals and poor people from the state, he was widely cheered by a lot of folks,” Burghart says. “That says a lot about both the state of politics of Idaho and the direction folks like Ammon Bundy want to take it.”

He says one legacy of Bundy’s campaign this year is how he introduced parts of the far right to each other. The same thing happened in the 1980s and ’90s in Idaho, he says, with permanent results.

“These disparate types of far-right activists together under one umbrella began to work with one another, sharing ideas and building a larger movement that wasn’t dependent on any one organization or individual,” Burghart says. “That changed the landscape out here for a number of years.” n

Brad Little (left) easily won the Idaho’s governor race, but it was a tight race for second place between Stephen Heidt (center) and far-right cowboy Ammon Bundy.

The Chaotic Council

Plus, money for shelters; and Woodward slams council building moratorium

As the Inlander reported last week, the city has experienced a flood of exits this year — well, so has the Spokane City Council. “I would say most of them got jobs that paid more and they were more interested in doing,” says Council President Breean Beggs. For example, the council’s at torney, Brian McClatchey — husband of former state Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown — left in July to practice tribal law in California. The council’s housing and homelessness initiatives manager, Melissa Morrison, left for a job at Better Health Together in January, while her replacement, Meagan Vincello, went to the Empire Health Foundation in August. That same month, the council’s transportation policy analyst, Shauna Harshman, went to the Spokane Low-Income Housing Consortium. This year, Scotty Nicol went from his job in the mayor’s office to becoming City Council member Karen Stratton’s legislative aide, resigning to run — unsuccessfully — for the state Legislature. “No one is immune to the challenges of staffing and employ ment right now,” says the mayor’s spokesman, Brian Coddington. But Council member Michael Cathcart offers a more bleak assessment of the top floor of City Hall, which houses the mayor’s office and the City Council. “It is a very toxic work environment,” he says. (DANIEL WALTERS)

GIMME SHELTER

This week, City Council President Breean Beggs introduced a resolution pri oritizing funding for existing homeless shelters in Spokane before spending money on new ones. The resolution follows last week’s unexpected news that Hope House, a downtown women’s homeless shelter, would close in January without additional city funding. Beggs says that the resolution isn’t just about Hope House — it’s intended to protect all existing shelters. “It’s basically saying, ‘Don’t fund the Trent shelter by taking money from existing shelters,’” Beggs says. He’s referring to the recently opened Trent Resource and Assistance Center, which the city hopes will spearhead its efforts to close the Camp Hope homeless encampment. The city hopes to expand the Trent shelter to make room for the campers, but that comes with a price. Beggs worries that by focusing on the Trent shelter, the city will overlook shelters like Hope House that also need money. Beggs says the resolution will prob ably come to a vote next week, pending ongoing budget talks with the city administration. (NATE SANFORD)

SEE YA LATAH

It’s one thing to declare a “housing emergency” to highlight Spokane’s deep lack of housing as Mayor Nadine Woodward did in July. It’s another to stand on your pro-housing principles when a loud chorus of neighbors is against development. After all, there were plenty of reasons neighbors gave for supporting the City Council’s six-month emergency moratorium on some types of development in the Latah and Grandview-Thorpe neighborhoods on the city’s western flank. Beyond just the general arguments against sprawl, the city had failed to build the necessary roads over decades to support the nearby U.S. 195 highway. The council had supported a “pause,” to give time to develop a new fee structure to ensure future construction paid for the necessary infrastructure. But at a council meeting last week, Woodward announced she does not support the West Hills development moratorium, arguing that “it sets us back in adding housing units in our region,” puts at risk grant funds to pay for transportation improvements and creates confu sion in the development community. Nevertheless, she said, city staff was going to try to quickly prepare plans so “builders can break ground and walls can go up again” when the moratorium ends in March. (DANIEL WALTERS) n

The top floor of Spokane City Hall: a “toxic” place? YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

Giving a Damn

BY TED S. McGREGOR JR.

Iwill always remember when Robert Herold came to see me in the spring of 1994, our newspaper still within its first six months of infancy. You want to write a column… for us? Bob was a pretty big deal, with a regular gig on Spokane Public Radio. Of course we wanted him on the team.

On Saturday, Nov. 12, Bob passed away. He is survived by his wife, Barre McNeil and five children. Spokane will miss him, and I’ll miss him, too, especially all the times he stopped by to toss around ideas — some of which even made it into the paper. Start ing when we needed it most, the Inlander became essential reading with his help. Over nearly three decades, he kept on churning out ideas and dreams about how Spokane should grow up. Later in life, he was happy with the journey.

“I underestimated Spokane,” Bob wrote in 2017, “we’ve come a long way together. …you can’t help but view the past two decades as anything less than a local renaissance.”

Bob was born on Oct. 1, 1938, in Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital to a Navy family, and when Bob was a boy the Herolds moved close to wherever the ships were moored — La Jolla, California; Annapolis, Maryland; Arlington, Virginia. He graduated from Brigham Young University, then later earned both his master’s and Ph.D. at George Washington University. After working for the Navy and even a stint at the Washington Post, he moved here to teach at Eastern Washington University in 1969. He later taught at Gonzaga University, where he could watch his beloved Zags women’s basketball team.

Bob’s Inlander columns meandered across vast historical landscapes, from Gettysburg to the Gulf of Tonkin, stopping off to reacquaint you with American giants like Edward R. Murrow and Abigail Adams. He decried the scourge of bus benches (“crass public giveaways” and “visual atrocities”) and even K-12 testing.

The political life of the city was always central to his writings, from the strong mayor system he so strongly supported to the

Inlander’s preeminent columnist Robert Herold died last week at 84

“Why

do we want this

anyway? Do we

Celebrate

In May 1997, Bob sounded the alarm on the idea to build a new bridge over the Spokane River Falls. It took until 2000, but his work, along with the Friends of the Falls, ultimately killed the plan.

Lincoln Street Bridge he so despised. (Yes, they wanted to pave over the Spokane Falls at one point; Bob’s powerful pen helped to slay this uniquely dumb idea.) He shared insights on national issues as well, from Tom Foley to 9/11 to the Supreme Court to Donald Trump. In 2017, we collected more than 90 of his columns in book form; you can find Robert’s Rules: Selected Inlander Columns 1994-2017 at Auntie’s Bookstore.

Bob’s life and career were a master class in giving a damn. A curmudgeon, perhaps, but always teaching. He challenged us to think with care about who we are, where we live and what we can be. We were all his students. n

REMEMBERING BOB

MARILEE ROLOFF

Spokane County Human Rights Task Force board member, former student

On taking Herold’s political science class in 1972 at EWU: “Nobody in that class will ever forget it. He was the best teacher I ever had. He would push you. He wasn’t going to just take platitudes. He was inquisitive about every thing. He sought people’s opinions. He was just eager to learn, always.”

DOUG SIDDOWAY

Spokane attorney

“My friend Bob Herold was a disciplined and rigorous political philosopher and commentator. While he had many partisan detractors — we used to joke about posting armed guards at his door — almost everything he wrote was grounded in history and his experience as a Cold War naval weapons analyst. It’s a shame he will no longer be with us to enjoy the fruits his passionate arguments against extremism and authoritarianism helped cultivate.”

TIM HEROLD

Son

“He’s like the last of a dying breed of true public intellectuals in a city this size. That’s what people saw in public: very gregarious. He deeply loved people — I think that’s ultimately what ingratiated him to so many people. The love that he showed to me, my mom, his students.

“When I was a kid, he would turn the city council meeting on every single week. It was basically a waiting game to see how long it would take for somebody at that meeting to say something that pissed him off enough to go get in the car and drive down there. And I just got used to being like, ‘Well, he’s out the door.’ He was just a huge believer in the ability of govern ment to actually play a positive role.”

— COMPILED BY NATE SANFORD

SOLD OUT

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WILLIAMS & REE "THE INDIAN AND THE WHITE GUY"

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Winter Blessing

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20 TH 2 PM | FREE EVENT | LOCATED UPSTAIRS

Join us for an afternoon of traditional storytelling and dance exhibition. Complete with complimentary fry bread and huckleberry jam.

All ages welcome.

NOVEMBER 17, 2022 INLANDER 15

bridge

really want to double traffic flow through — notice I say ‘through,’ not ‘to’ — downtown? …if the issue is not revisited, they will build it, the cars will come, and downtown will never be the same.”

es yoyotwílšm n̓qelixʷcnm

(The Salish Resurgence)

The snʔunʔuňéxʷtn (A Place of Truths Plaza) overlooking the Spokane Falls was created by Smoker Marchand, a Colville Tribes member, and Jeff Ferguson, a Spokane Tribal member. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

ABOUT THE COVER ARTIST

EMMA NOYES (Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation) is an illustrator, mu ralist, author, and Salish learner living in Spokane. Her book, Baby Speaks Salish, was inspired by parenting with a focus on cultural continuity and Salish language acquisition. As a Sinixt artist much of her creative efforts are focused on visual representation of teachings and lifeways. Check out her latest mural on the Capitol Theatre in Sinixt territory in Nelson, BC.

Salish is the language of the Inland Northwest.

For thousands of years, since time immemorial, the language has been spoken by the various people of the Columbia Plateau — the Spokane, Kalis pel, Colville, Coeur d’Alene and Moses/Columbian people.

The story of our region’s tribes and Native people is too often told with shame and tragedy. Colonization and dehumanizing policies on behalf of people who came here from places far away. Attempted destruction of culture and language.

But there’s something happening that’s cause for celebration among all of us in the Inland Northwest. The language never died, despite efforts to extinguish it and the culture indigenous to this region. The continued resilience of Salish culture, and the hard work of many people, is returning the language to its central place, not just among Native people but in the Inland Northwest as a whole. We see it more and more. That’s because we are l es qʷomšúlexʷ, as you’d hear from speakers of Kalispel Salish. We are hec kʷumšúlexʷ, like you’d hear from those who speak Spokane Salish. We are čkʷum̓xúlaʔxʷ, as you’d hear in Colville Salish. We are Inlanders, people of the interior land.

In this issue, you’ll hear from five people who are part of the Salish resur gence. They all grew up hearing the language, and now they’re hearing it as it heads into the future. Listen to what they have to say.

— NICHOLAS DESHAIS, editor

LARAE WILEY

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SALISH SCHOOL OF SPOKANE

Salish, it’s really personal because it’s the language of my family. It’s a con nection. It’s a way to fill up my heart and gain strength. One of the great joys of my life is speaking Salish with my family, my grandkids and my kids.

I did an independent study one summer with Pauline Flett. I went out there and met with her, and I heard the language for the first time. It was strange. It hit me like a ton of bricks. It took the wind out of me, just to hear the language. For me, the language sounds like the land. The clicks, the rustling sounds — it was so beautiful. Some of the clicking sounds like when you’re next to the river. With the runoff, you can hear the rocks moving, clicking together. There’s this word ʔaʔísc̓k. That’s the word for squirrel. The sound at the end sounds just like a squirrel. The word for magpie, ʕan̓n̓ . It just sounds like the magpies out there. There are many words like that. I grew up out in the country and really connected to the land, and the language brings me there.

I want people to become passionate about learning the lan guage. I’m hoping folks really grab on to it and take it home with them and speak it with their families. That’s how we bring the lan guage back. For me, so many things were taken from our people. Part of everyone’s identity is language, religion and culture. So much was taken from our language, with our elders put into boarding schools, just a lot of destructive practices. Bringing the language back is healing. It’s a piece of the puzzle so our people can heal. It’s restoration. When you’re missing a piece of you, you try and fill it with other things. For a lot of people that’s drugs and alcohol, addiction. I want to fill people with language.

My hope is that we see people speaking Salish in their homes. And reconnect to the time before people were cut off from their language. I want to hear our language in the grocery store, when we’re out shopping, and in our schools. Kids are so funny. When it really hits them is when we take our older students out into the community and they get to share the language with the larger community, to share who they are and be part of the community. That’s when you really see them connect the dots.

For 10,000 years or more people were speaking Salish. There was a 200-year gap. When you look ahead, it will seem like a short amount of time, and we were able to overcome it. We will bring our language back.

n

Five local tribal members talk about what the language means to them, their hopes in teaching it to a new generation, and the future of Salish

From the Outside

A Kalispel headman and a native of Wales met more than 200 years ago. What they wrote down shows the power of language and the continuing resilience of Salish culture.

BY JACK NISBET

It was November of 1800 when North West Company fur agent David Thompson first heard about some potential trading partners west of the Continental Divide. While visiting a Pikani Blackfeet winter camp on the upper Bow River, just south of modern Calgary, Alberta, a headman there expressed Blackfeet concerns that the white men would supply arms to Kootenai and “Flat Head” people. When Thompson declared his intention to investigate the Rocky Mountains anyway, the head man “warned us in a friendly manner to beware of the Flat Heads, who were constantly hovering about there to steal horses or to dispatch any small weak party they might chance to fall in with.”

Those fears sound confusing to Americans schooled on the notion that it was the Blackfeet who terrorized the Rockies, stealing horses and intimidat ing outsiders. But Thompson had known Pikani leaders for more than a decade and understood some things about tribal interactions. His company repre sented British political power, and he needed to meet other powerful players to serve as partners in the beaver hide trade and to guide him on his intended journey down the Columbia River to the Pacific.

It is not clear exactly where that Pikani Blackfeet headman (or his translator) came up with the term “Flathead,” and several years passed before Thomp son began to assemble the puzzle of names, bands, families, and territories on the west side of the Rock ies. In spring 1807, he and a small party of voyageurs and their families crossed the mountains to establish

a trade house at the Columbia River’s source lakes in what is now southeastern British Columbia. Intended primarily for trade with the Kootenai people, this Kootanae House attracted visitors from across the region. Before long the term “Ear Pendant Indians” — Thompson’s English translation of people his French-Canadian voyageurs called Pend Oreille — began to appear in his daybook.

Thompson’s understanding expanded after he arrived at what we now call Lake Pend Oreille in the fall of 1809. Guided to a fall gathering of area tribes near the modern town of Hope, Idaho, Thompson oversaw the construction of a post that he named Kullyspel House after the people whose home terri tory he had entered. Before winter set in, he traveled downstream to another encampment at Cusick, Washington, to meet key Kalispel elders.

Several of these elders and their families kept winter camps upstream in what is now northwestern Montana. Following their lead, Thompson had his crew construct a second post that he named Saleesh House near modern Thompson Falls. This Saleesh House served as the trader’s base of operations over the winters of 1809-10. In the spring of 1810, he dispatched scout Jaco Finlay to construct Spokane House to complete his circle of trade among Salishspeaking people. After canoeing to the Pacific, Thompson returned to Saleesh House over the winter of 1811-12 and followed guides east as far as Missoula and north to Flathead Lake.

...continued on page 22

CAJ MATHESON

DIRECTOR, COEUR D’ALENE TRIBE NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT

The Coeur d’Alene language retains the vast majority of information related to our identity. It often describes the heart of the Coeur d’Alene people better than Eng lish and other languages. It describes the way we have viewed the natural world for thousands of years, our view of relationships with one another, and the values that make us distinct from all other people.

I’m sure I don’t remember the first time I heard it being spoken. My earliest recollection of it ex pressly being taught to me was in third grade at the Coeur d’Alene Tribal School. At the time we had many fluent speakers so I don’t remember anything extra special about it. In fact, I mostly remember all of us kids laughing when being taught words and phrases that had funny meanings in English, includ ing swear words. Our teacher was an elder who is now passed on, Vinnie Felsman. She was a petite elder, and I can remember her laughing at her abil ity to be able to make us giggle (she never taught us swear words, that came from others).

I want, first and foremost, that the people of the Coeur d’Alene Nation prosper. I want them to feel confident in the identity given to them by our Creator and to ultimately have peace and the best chance toward success, however they define it. I also want them to carry on the values and knowledge embedded in our language to the next generations so we can always know how best to manage the earth here where we were placed.

The future is uncertain. Of course each of the interior Salish languages is in a different place. But, the future is uncertain. Like so much of the world around us we are in changing times, and it is becoming more and more difficult for people to carry this critical information forward. However, we will not stop doing all we can to carry the language forward and provide all the opportunity for our people to succeed. n

The Indian Meadows encampment (between present day Newport, Washington, and Priest River, Idaho) is where Salish people met David Thompson in 1809. It continued as a well-known fall tribal gathering place until it was inundated by the Albeni Falls Dam in 1955. DR. CARRIE LEIBERG/NORTHWEST MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CULTURE.

MARSHA WYNECOOP

LANGUAGE PROGRAM MANAGER, SPOKANE TRIBE OF INDIANS

We’re not only bringing back the language, we’re bringing back the cultural knowledge that comes with the language. It’s healing after the boarding school era to reclaim who we are and the deep cultural knowledge that we once had. That healing can only come through the revitalization of language and the teaching of the culture. One of the words is nekʷulmn. The essence of who we are. The language and culture gives us a sense of selfworth and defines us.

The language and the culture were severed back in the boarding school era. We weren’t allowed to speak our language or practice our traditional ways then. In order to reverse the harm done, we opened the nčéʔʔspʔus — Back to the Heart immersion school — about six years ago. Here the students learn the language and culture of our tribe once again. We have several young people who have gone through the school who have transferred and gone on to the local public school. We found that the students lag a little bit at first and then excel in school.

It started for me when I was about 7 years old. I was at my grandmother Mary Samuels Whalawitsa’s place. Another grandmother, Daisy Moses, came down to visit her,

and they were both speaking in the language. That was the first time I heard it spoke fluently. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I ever heard. I was mesmerized by it. I knew as a kid that’s what I wanted to know, but I didn’t know exactly how it would play out in my life. I have worked with many wonderfully dedicated people to help revitalize the language and culture throughout my 24 years as the lan guage program manager. Like my grandmothers, the ones who continued to practice the language and cultural ways were very intelligent people and kind people.

I had four of my own grandchildren who attended the Back to the Heart language school. One day, I was in the kitchen, cooking, and they were all visiting at the table and all of sudden I heard them speaking the language together. It was very powerful, and remembering that moment can make me tear up.

We’re trying to revive and revitalize the language and culture within the Spokane Tribal community. The students will have reclaimed who they were meant to be and their self-identity. My vision, we’d have a university here where people can get a Ph.D. in the language. That’s the hope. Thanks to Pauline Flett, a Spokane Tribal Elder, we have an archive room full of her handwritten language docu ments she transcribed from audio recordings on reel-to-reel tapes of elders done in the late 1960s and early ’70s. If the language is going to be saved, it’s going to be saved through all of her hard work and dedication. n

Spokane tribal elder PAULINE FLETT (19262020) was a Spokane Salish language pres ervationist and scholar who many credit with ensuring that the language did not go extinct. She wrote the first Salish-English dictionary and taught at Eastern Washington University, where she earned an honorary master’s degree in 1992. Her notes are kept at the Smithsonian Institution, among other places.

Between 1869 and the 1960s, hundreds of thousands of Native American children were involuntarily removed from their families and homes, and placed in BOARDING SCHOOLS operated by the federal government and churches. These schools denigrated Native culture and forced children to give up their language and religion. Investigations of the schools continue to reveal cases of physical, sexual and mental abuse.

JR BLUFF

DIRECTOR OF LANGUAGE, KALISPEL TRIBE OF INDIANS

For me, being a Kalispel tribal member, the language is the iden tity. Identity and a familiarity of the land. Our language is our connec tion to culture, to who we are, to where we come from. It is what we need to be successful in this world.

Language has so many connec tions to the world. Language is the connection to the past world, the physical world, the spiritual world. All of that. It opens doors to things that maybe you didn’t know you didn’t have.

Words are strong. My grandmother, Annie Bluff, she used to speak. She’d come over and talk to my dad, and when she didn’t want us to know what they were talking about, she’d talk in the language. My dad, he spoke. All my uncles spoke. It was there. At funerals, it was spoken by uncles. And that was it. Nowhere else. Now we’re in schools. Now we’re at work. I know grandma would be happy.

My parents raised me good. They were very traditional, cultural based. I knew my elders. I grew up with them. They saw me fail and succeed. They told me about the language. In today’s world, our language is a big missing piece that could easily be forgotten. That’s my job, bringing it out in front. I want everyone to talk. I want our stories, our solu tions, in this language. It was good enough for our ancestors. I want to pass that on to my people. As a tribal people, we like to give, we like to help. We want to give with purpose. Help with heart. We truly want to pray with you. Language pulls us all together. Language comes not so much from the head, but from the heart. By speaking it, you’re empowered

to have that strength, that heart. It builds big-hearted people.

People say learning language is hard. I don’t get that. Noth ing’s hard if you want to do it. Some people look at the moun tain and say, “Nah, that’s too far, I’m good down here.” That’s not how I’m put together. I’ve never been really great at stuff, so I have to work hard at it. I study for three hours, not two hours. I have to be all in or else I’m not doing it. Give yourself some credit. You can do it. That’s the intrinsic strength.

In the future, I hope that we do not have to be teach ing language, we’re just speaking language. Simple as that. Whether we’re out picking Camas, or we’re helping each other, or we’re laughing together, crying together, we’re doing it in the language. That’s what I see. Not teaching language. It’s just there.

For us Kalispel people, we really feel we’re backed in a corner. We have books. We have curriculum. We have four or five speakers. That’s just today. In the future, what I see, they’re speaking the language, they’re teaching the kids the language. They’re living, talking, laughing, praying in the language. It’s not something they have to study. It’s just alive. If we’re living it, not learning it, it’s growing itself. It’s selfsustaining. That’s the power of language. A good example is we pray. Fifteen years ago Francis (Culloyah, a Kalispel tribal elder) says, “OK, JR you’re going to pray.” I didn’t know how to do that, but I just slammed it and a week later I had it. And we prayed. Now I have 50, 60, 70 kids that can pray in the language. It’s nothing to them. And now they know what to do before we eat. What to do when we pick that first berry. We pray. We’re really trying to shift this tide. The language is sleeping, it’s wanting to be awakened. In a thousand years when we look back, it’ll be a little blip. That’s what I think. n

“FROM THE OUTSIDE,” CONTINUED...

THE LANGUAGE

Thompson, who grew up speaking Welsh Gaelic, understood that language would play a key role in the success of his business venture. He had learned English at school in London, then Cree as a teenaged apprentice on Hudson Bay. He picked up a version of French from mixed-blood North West Company voyageurs and smat terings of Iroquois from expert canoe paddlers who ac companied him on all his journeys. After Kootenai people introduced Thompson to the Salish bands who lived both upstream and downstream from Lake Pend Oreille, the trader soon realized that closely related dialects of Salish language stretched from today’s Flathead Lake west all the way to the Columbia and south into the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene Country.

Thompson tried to make sense of all this by writing down a word list in his journal. Many early white visitors, including Lewis and Clark, made similar lists as they at tempted to figure out how to do business as they met new tribes within the kaleidoscope of language and cultures in western North America. Thompson’s original attempt in cluded 80 Salish terms, with most of them focused on daily needs such as food, trade goods, and weather. He used spaces and underlines in attempts to capture Salish sounds and inflections not present in English; in this effort he was surely aided by similar qualities in his native Welsh.

Over the winter of 1809-10 at Saleesh House, Thomp son had more time to devote to his passion for language. On a clean page of the same notebook that contained that first short list, he wrote down the heading Sa leesh & Kullyspel Vocabulary 1810. In left-hand columns on succeed ing pages he neatly inscribed almost one thousand English words from A to Z. These English words plumbed Thompson’s state of mind during his time in Salish country, far beyond any territory yet secured by Ameri can or British power. On the “A” list alone he asked for equivalents to “abandonment,” “abusive,” “absent,” “I am afraid,” “affront,” “aground,” “ancient,” and “astray,” as well as questions about aunties, abilities, and aurora borea lis. The Salish column remained blank for all of these.

The only person named in Thompson’s vocabulary was a Kalispel headman identified as “Cartier.” Fur company voyageurs loved to bestow nicknames accord ing to appearance and actions, and this one could relate to the well-known New World explorer Jacques Cartier. Thompson rendered Cartier’s name in the Salish column as “Chin a la mal lé,” a name that also appeared several times in his daily journal. Although no connection to any Salish-speaking individual or family has ever been estab lished for Chen a la mal lé, linguists assume that he is the man responsible for most of the four hundred or so Sal ish words that Thompson did enter into his vocabulary.

As the list developed, Thompson began to ask for phrases and sentences that would help him navigate his new surroundings: “Has he seen it?” “When will you return?” “Where is my horse?” Other speakers occa sionally joined the process, so that new words stretched across the page to the right: a Kootenai word for “snow;” fragments that seem to derive from Spokane or Okano gan dialects; logical answers to his original questions such

as “Do you want us to know?”

Modern Salish linguist Steve Egesdal has noted that Thompson’s ear was sharp enough to capture renderings of Salish words that remain comprehensible today to both modern tribal speakers and academic linguists.

The many blank spaces also revealed inevitable confusion and misunderstanding as Thompson attempted to delve deeper into the Salish culture. During the two winters he spent at Saleesh House, he had time to sit with elders and try to converse with them about their views on natural history, human nature, ecology, death, and spiritu

ality. The fur agent remained a doggedly curious man but admitted that his surface grasp of the language prevented him from gaining any deep insight into their beliefs.

Kalispel Language Program Director JR Bluff has a response to Thompson’s experience. “I can see how the new people were curious of our ways, our traditions, but since it was too hard to find out, their curiosity prob ably went by the wayside,” he says. “People always seem to want the quick answers, but not too sure they would

want to truly understand our ways.”

“I can see how the new people were curious of our ways, our traditions, but since it was too hard to find out, their curiosity probably went by the wayside.”

The lands where Salish people first encountered Welsh fur agent and mapmaker David Thompson. JACK McMASTER ILLUSTRATION/COURTESY SASQUATCH

BARRY MOSES

CO-FOUNDER, SPOKANE LANGUAGE HOUSE

When I was still a boy, my father and I used to go to the Longhouse in Well pinit for holiday dinners or perhaps fu nerals. I remember our old people used to speak the language to each other. At that time, I didn’t understand them. I only felt their words in my heart.

I also dreamed that our dead rela tives would talk to me in Indian. I still didn’t understand, so I pledged myself to learn.

As I learned our language, I had several paths. I started and enrolled in a university course with Pauline Flett. I also went with my grandmother Norma Mc Crea and my uncle Pat Moses to traditional ceremonies. I also worked at the Kalispel Tribe for three years with JR Bluff, Johnny Arlee and Stan Bluff. I was fortunate to have many elders in the language.

From the language I found out how we are tied to our ances tors, also how we are closely related to the land, the water, the animals and everything that’s alive. We belong with everyone and everything. We care for the land, and the land cares for us.

The language is truly our heart.

Recently, we established Spokane Language House. We hope to gain more than just a few words; rather, we intend to immerse our students in the Spokane language. In that way, our ways will never end, and we will remember our heart forever.

One time I heard my uncle say, “When we speak our lan guage, our old people will look at us from above and cry tears of happiness. They’ll say, ‘There are still Indians on the land.’”

IN

SPOKANE SALISH

łuʔ púti čn ttwit, l qe in lʔew ʔišé qe xʷuy łuʔ č ʔusšnéłxʷ łuʔ n sčecuwé x̣ʷl sčluxʷtn łuʔ n scpútʔe sx̣lx̣alt u x̣ʷa x̣ʷl hec čštims łuʔ tmtmney. hec nłkʷkʷmistn łuʔ in p̓ip̓x̣ʷút išéʔ hec nqéʔelixʷcnm łuʔ hec qʷlqʷlstwéʔexʷ. łuʔ pišéʔ u tac nsúxʷneʔstn. čmiš ʔenwén łuʔ scʔawʔáws łuʔ n i spuʔús.

nexʷ čqey̓smn łuʔ qe stm̓mélis łuʔ ƛe čuw u qʷu nqéʔelixʷcnmis. púti ta či snsúxʷneʔ. kʷen̓t čn čtkʷepncút hiqs yoʔnúnm.

łuʔ yoʔnún łuʔ qe nqʷlqʷeltn, tʔe kʷinš łuʔ i sxʷuytn. čn čtax̣ʷlé u čn q̓iʔncút l kʷtiʔsnm̓em̓éyeʔtn łuʔ l pauline flett. nexʷ čšnten łuʔ in qéneʔ norma mccrea u łuʔ i smʔeł pat moses łuʔ l snláq̓istn u sntrqmintn. nexʷ čn kʷulm łuʔ č qlispé stúlixʷs x̣ʷl čaʔłlspéntč łuʔ l jr bluff, johnny arlee, u stan bluff. čn lemmscút u čxʷeʔxʷʔít łuʔ in p̓ip̓x̣ʷút u qe nqélixʷcnm.

tl nqʷlqʷeltn u mipnún lšeʔ u qec ʕacpéw̓s łuʔ l qe šʔitncútn, nexʷ lšeʔ u qec čsx̣mew̓s łuʔ l stúlixʷ, łuʔ l sewłkʷ, łuʔ l xʷixʷey̓úł, u łuʔ l hecyáʕ łuʔ hec xʷlxʷilt. qec nkʷłnšey̓nwéxʷ łuʔ l hecyáʕ. qec čštstem łuʔ stúlixʷ u t stúlixʷ u qec čštłuls.

ʔunéxʷ qe spuʔús łuʔ qe nqʷlqʷeltn. t hi sic u qe tkʷepntm łuʔ np̓oq̓inišcnéłxʷtn. qe nmusls ta čmiš qs łłúwet qaqs tixʷscʔawʔáw u pn̓ qe sčc̓ox̣ʷ łuʔ qeqs “ntkʷetkʷm” łuʔ qe suxʷʔac̓x̣łq̓iʔmínm łuʔ l snxʷméneʔ nqʷlqʷeltn. lšeʔ u tap snp̓ƛmus łuʔ qe nkʷulmn. lšeʔ u qeqs nłkʷkʷmistm łuʔ qe spuʔús x̣ʷl pentč. t nkʷuʔ séwneʔmn łuʔ i smʔeł u cúti, “n̓e qe nqélixʷcnm, m̓ qe ʔac̓x̣łlt t qe p̓ip̓x̣ʷút tl nwist. m̓ čawawpús tl snpiyélstn. m̓ cúti: ‘púti ep sqélixʷ łuʔ n stúlixʷ. n

MODERN KALISPEL SALISH GUIDE

BEAVER

sqlew̓ (skul lou)

STURGEON sc̓mtus (sim e toose)

SWAN spqmi (spuk a mé)

WOOD lukʷ (look oo)

YOUNGER SISTER łccʔups (ilth cher oops)

CAMAS ítxweʔ (eet too woy)

THE RIVER

Thompson retired to eastern Canada in 1812 and took up serious cartography. In his landmark “Map of North America from 84º West,” he combined his own survey ing expertise with information from his Salish mentors to present the first accurate European-style map of Salish territory. The “bold sheet of water” that we today call Flathead Lake appears as Saleesh Lake; the river that flows south from its outlet, marked on modern maps as the Flathead River, is the Saleesh River because for him it defined the home territory of Salish-speaking people.

Today the Flathead cedes its name to the Clark Fork at the rivers’ confluence near Paradise, Montana; to the elders Thompson spoke with, it remained the Saleesh River from there to the ear-shaped lake where he met Ka lispel people. Thompson marked this as Kullyspel Lake.

Today we call the river that runs out of Lake Pend Oreille and travels west and north to curl around the 49th parallel and meet the great Columbia the Pend Oreille River. But on Thompson’s map it remained the Saleesh River because it contains the same waters draining off the west slope of the Rocky Mountains and because the same Saleesh people lived and flowed along its length, comfortable in their relationship with the entire drainage for untold generations. Although Thompson never visited Priest Lake, tribal information allowed him to place it unnamed in its exact location. The breadth of his Priest Lake is greater than it looks on a modern map but otherwise the shape looks remarkably accurate, including Kalispel Bay and the separation between the lower and upper lakes.

The assembled sheets of Thompson’s great map mea sured ten feet wide by six feet tall and displayed all the major watercourses between Hudson Bay and the Pacific from the latitude of central Oregon to Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Even so, he managed to include salient geographical details that illuminate the lives of people through language. He marked modern Camas Prairie, Montana, as eet too woy plains, a fair approximation of the Salish word — ítxweʔ — for one of their key cul tural plants. He applied the same designation to similar abundant root grounds surrounding the Kalispel encampment at the mouth of Calispel Creek, directly across the river from the powwow grounds on to day’s Kalispel Reservation. Each May the wet meadows there still bloom blue with this same camas.

Eet too woy represents a single word that one white visitor managed to absorb, and barely hints at the richness of a language that includes a host of other terms for camas — the flowering plants, the dark-skinned tubers, the community harvest, the recipes for baking those roots in an earth oven. But it does show that Thompson recognized a vibrant ongoing culture through their spoken Salish language.

Two centuries have passed between the moment that Thompson accepted gifts of roasted camas and dried salmon from Kalispel elders at the Cusick encampment. The language spoken at that meeting still describes an intimate connection between people and landscape over a much greater swath of time.

“Camas is a strong symbol of our people,” empha sizes JR Bluff. “It represents not just a flower, not just a trade item, but something more that was in us all.”

“It is a gift of nourishment, survival. We were taught how to dig it, prepare it, store it, respect it. Our lives fol lowed these basic steps for generations,” Bluff says. “The entire village knew this and carried out their responsibili ties during the camas season. All of this was around one word, one food, one camp. Very easy to just memorize one word and label it as ‘a food that was traded.’”

Thompson understood that his fur trade posts would bring great changes to the tribes that engaged in business with him, and that language would provide the key to his success. What he might not have fully grasped was the deep power of that language and how it related to the resilience of Salish culture. n

Jack Nisbet is the author of several books and collec tions of essays that explore the human and natural history of the Northwest, including Sources of the River and The Mapmaker’s Eye, two award-winning biographies of cartographer David Thompson.

“Camas is a strong symbol of our people. It represents not just a flower, not just a trade item, but something more that was in us all.”

“Kellispelm Lake from Yellow Bluff Island,” by James Madison Alden. This painting shows Antelope Mountain in the vicinity of Indian Meadows. COURTESY THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES MUSEUM

CELEBRATE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Through Dec. 3; Fri from 4-7 pm, Sat from 10 am-3 pm, Gonzaga University Urban Arts Center

An exhibition curated by Spokane Tribal member Charlene Teters, featuring the work of 17 regional Native artists whose art was inspired by and comments on the concept of Native land acknowledgments. facebook.com/GUUAC

SAVAGES AND PRINCESSES: THE PERSISTENCE OF NATIVE AMERICAN STEREOTYPES

Through March 19, 2023; Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm, Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture

This traveling exhibition features 12 contemporary Native American visual artists who reclaim their identities by re placing stereotypical images in pop culture of Indigenous people. northwestmuseum.org

BRING HER HOME

Thu, Nov. 17 from 4-6 pm, WSU Spokane, Health Education & Research Building, room 432

This documentary examines the justice movement for murdered and missing Indigenous women. Guest speaker Margo Hill leads a discussion after the screening, and refreshments are provided. news.wsu.edu

SWEETHEART DANCERS

Fri, Nov. 18 at 6 pm, Spokane Public Library’s The Hive

A showing of Sweetheart Dancers, a film about a TwoSpirit couple. The film is followed by bingo with prizes from R.I.S.E. Indigenous, the Spectrum Center and more. spectrumcenterspokane.org

TONIA JO HALL, WILLIAMS & REE

Fri, Nov. 18 from 7-10 pm, Coeur d’Alene Casino

Hall is a Native comedian teaching Native American youth about their identities through comedy. Williams and Ree are a musical comedy duo out of the Dakotas. cdacasino.com

NATIVE DANCE EXHIBITION

Sat, Nov. 19 from 2-4 pm, Northern Quest Resort & Casino

A showcase of traditional Native American dance and drumming performances by members of various plateau tribes. northernquest.com

WINTER BLESSING

Sun, Nov. 20 from 2-4 pm, Coeur d’Alene Casino

An afternoon of traditional Native American storytelling and dance, complete with complimentary fry bread and huckleberry jam. cdacasino.com

INDIGENOUS FOODS WORKSHOP

Tue, Nov. 22 from 2-4 pm, WSU Spokane, Health Education & Research Building, room 202

Cook wild rice and meatballs in the kitchen with guidance from the Center for Native American Health. news.wsu.edu

CAMAS: SACRED FOOD OF THE NIMIIPUU

Tue, Nov. 29 at 7 pm, The Kenworthy

This film shares the historical and cultural significance of the camas plant to the Nez Perce people, featuring inter views with members of the Nez Perce Tribe. kenworthy.org — COMPILED BY MADISON PEARSON

City Sidewalks

Kick Off the Season in Style

W

hat’s the first sign that the holiday season has begun? Why, it’s , of course! This year, St. Nick flies into town on Friday, Nov. 18. He’ll park his sleigh, feed his reindeer and then head to the atrium of River Park Square, where his ap pearance will be timed with the tree lighting at 6:35 pm. On either side of that, between 4 and 8 pm, there will be family-friendly activities to take part in. The following day (Saturday, Nov. 19) keeps the yuletide festivities going with the second annual MERRY & MAGICAL HOLIDAY PARADE sponsored by the Davenport Collection. Organized by the Spokane Lilac Festival As sociation, the parade offers everyone the opportunity to come together and celebrate everything that makes the Lilac City and its community special. There will be a seasonal showcase of floats, community groups and marching bands, with the entire event capped off by a cameo from — you guessed it — Santa Claus himself. The parade sets off at 2 pm from the intersection of Spokane Falls Boulevard and Washington Street near the southeast corner of Riverfront Park. 

BetweenShopping Pit Stops

One of the great things about downtown Spokane’s River Park Square is its convenience. While you’re shopping at its incredible variety of retailers, you can always grab a bite to eat or a glass of vino at WHIM WINE BAR . Come to think of it, you can even shop for the wine lovers on your list while you’re there.

“The holidays are a great time to get yourself or someone special enrolled in our Wine Club,” says Whim co-owner Paul Blacketer. “Pur chasing a membership for someone in your family or circle of friends is really the gift that keeps on giving.” Members will get two bottles a month — two reds, two whites or one of each — along with “tech sheets” that tell you about the wine and where it’s made.

“My wife, Kori Henderson, tastes hundreds of wines per month,” Blacketer adds. “These are really awesome wines that you’re not going to find anywhere else. And there’s no commitment. You can do it for a month or a year and cancel at any time.”

Outdoor dining and drinks? In the winter? Well, thanks to the cozy comfort of heated igloos, you can enjoy the open-air atmosphere of the GRAND TERRACE BAR at the Grand Hotel (333 W Spokane Falls Blvd.) while taking a break from shopping. You can nibble on small-bite ap petizers, sip on a cocktail, wine or beer and take in the views of snowcovered trees in Riverfront Park.

If you’re shopping in or near the Wonder Building (835 N. Post St.) and hankering after American or TexMex, rest assured that you can sate both cravings. Inside you’ll find VICTORY BURGER as well as UNO MÁS TACOS , two eateries that are putting a gourmet spin on the most comforting of comfort foods. 

UNO M ÁS

On-Trend Boutiques

When you need something new to wear for a holiday party, or if you’re looking for a gift that will delight a fashion-conscious recipient, your first port of call should be the boutiques in downtown Spokane. You’ll find a wide range of styles and philosophies — all within just a couple blocks of one another.

For example, ROSES AND THREAD BOUTIQUE (1407 W. First Ave.) is geared toward the everyday woman, empha sizing casualwear that looks like it’s straight out of a glossy magazine. Think a comfy but chic teddy bucket hat or a pair of high-waisted denim jeans.

COMING NEXT WEEK

Check out the latest in Downtown Spokane in next week’s edition of CITY SIDEWALKS inside the Inlander. Find out about Small Business Saturday, and what’s new downtown, from restaurants to unique retail shops.

Customers who want en vogue clothing and accessories without the high-end price tag should make a point of stopping in at PINK FERN (1107 W. First Ave.). The boutique is having a storewide 15 percent off sale on Black Friday as well as on Small Business Saturday, which makes their selection of seasonal sweaters, knit shackets, flannel tops, snuggly pajamas and activewear even more affordable.

“We’re a great place to shop at the holidays because we have on-trend pieces at an ac cessible price point,” says Pink Fern owner Roisheen Leinen. “We’ve always had gift certifi cates available, but we’re now offering proper gift cards, which are a little more convenient. They’re great if you’re not quite sure what to get your giftee.”

Just around the corner is SIMPLE WILDFLOWER BOUTIQUE (112 S. Monroe St.), where you’ll find an exciting curated assortment of dresses, crop tops, cardigans, jumpsuits, blaz ers and much more. Want to find a necklace, anklet or bracelet that you won’t risk losing on account of a fragile clasp? Check out Simple Wildflower’s collection of permanent, customfit gold and silver jewelry. 

A Helping Hand

Looking for the perfect store to buy a special gift? In search of a restaurant with a very particular menu? Not sure where to park? Or maybe you’ve locked your keys in your car? All those are situations where the DOWNTOWN SPOKANE AMBASSADORS come to the rescue. When you find yourself in need of practical advice or a helping hand, just cast a glance around for the folks in easyto-spot black-and-blue uniforms. This roving crew of friendly Samaritans is a fixture of the downtown streets seven days a week, and their goal is to provide that extra bit of hospitality that makes downtown Spokane such a pleasant experience — especially during the holidays. No matter what your question is, as long as the answer has something to do with getting the most out of downtown shopping, dining or recreation, they can happily point you in the right direction. 

PINK FERN

WOMEN ON A MISSION

New leaders at the Woman’s Club of Spokane are securing a future for the historic venue and reinvigorating interest in the 117-year-old nonprofit

BY CHEY SCOTT

Just months ago, the future of the historic Woman’s Club of Spokane was uncertain. Precarious, even.

The nonprofit on Spokane’s lower South Hill found itself, like so many local organizations, struggling to regain momentum lost during COVID and to generate enough revenue to pay bills. This was compounded by a host of other recent issues: allegations of embezzlement, flood damage, and upset neighbors after a homeless shelter moved in.

A completely new slate of board members had re cently taken over leadership of the club in June and were still figuring out just how dire its financial situation really was. Their greatest fear was that the 117-year-old serviceoriented organization would be forced to sell the historic brick building it’s called home at the corner of Ninth Avenue and Walnut Street for more than a century.

“I’d say our big issues were, No. 1, financial — just making money. We were pretty broke,” says Suzy Kuh ner, board president of the Woman’s Club. “And then having a stable board, and membership was very low. We had about 16 [members] in April. We had some pretty big issues that we had to deal with, like taxes with the IRS that hadn’t been filed.”

“But with all of those issues, we’ve made a lot of progress,” she adds.

Today, the Woman’s Club’s six-person board of direc

tors feels much more secure in its longtime home, thanks in large part to two successful fundraisers, a vintage fashion exhibit and clothing sale in May, and a local craft beer fest in August. Money raised from both, plus other donations, was used to pay down part of a $50,000 line of credit against the building, taken out before the pandemic as an emergency fund. That debt is the main reason the club has been at risk of a forced sale.

Kuhner, who is a resident of the Cliff-Cannon neigh borhood where the club’s located, directed her attention to the Woman’s Club in spring 2021, when the organiza tion was in the midst of a rather contentious dispute. One of the club’s then board members had mistakenly handed over the building’s keys — despite no formal agreement having been made — to local nonprofit Jewels Helping Hands, which planned to rent the facility as a temporary homeless shelter.

The ordeal made headlines when neighbors com plained of problems connected with the building’s use as a temporary shelter, and because Jewels Helping Hands refused to vacate the property when asked by the club’s board.

Separately, Kuhner says, there’s evidence that just be fore the COVID pandemic, an individual involved with the club was embezzling money. The Woman’s Club’s current board is still unsure of exactly how much money

may have been stolen because the club’s accounting was so poorly documented at the time. The person is no longer associated with the club, and no criminal charges were filed.

Yet another cause of the nonprofit’s recent financial stress was its loss of rental income from private events like weddings and classes, all paused during the pandem ic, but the storm of bad fortune didn’t end there. Most of its reserve funds, about $20,000, were depleted after the building’s basement flooded, requiring costly asbestos abatement during cleanup, in addition to that $50,000 borrowed against the property.

Despite all of these recent tribulations, the Wom an’s Club’s current leaders are optimistic. While their to-do list is long, they’re propelled by recent success in fundraising and member recruitment. Its roster is now up to nearly 50 members.

The vintage fashion sale and exhibit during Mother’s Day weekend, made possible in partnership with a local couple who were liquidating their personal collection, raised about $3,500, while also spreading word that the Woman’s Club was bouncing back.

“That was huge for us,” says Mary Reidy, the club’s recording secretary. “People are excited to come in and

The Woman’s Club of Spokane is heading in a new direction. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

“WOMEN ON A MISSION,” CONTINUED...

talk about their memories, and it was just such a positive thing. We met people who went to kindergarten here in the 1940s and ’50s, had weddings, and people who’ve gone to dance classes here. And people wanted to contribute.”

“In fact, one of our board members came after the vintage fashion sale,” Reidy adds.

That member is Emily Grizzell, now the club’s membership secretary. Since joining in May, she’s already started a new book club.

“I just walked in and talked to Josette [Crawford, the club’s vice president] for like five minutes, and she was so energetic about the club and the possibilities,” Grizzell says. “And I was like yeah, this place needs and deserves our love.”

Crawford also recalls sharing the idea that with new leadership comes an opportunity to rethink the club’s focus.

“Coming out of COVID, we can really decide what the Woman’s Club is going to be,” adds Kuhner, the club’s president. “It doesn’t have to be what it was 10 years ago, 100 years ago — it can really be something that’s meaningful to women now.”

GET INVOLVED!

U.S. are long-standing civic hubs for education, leadership and philan thropy, and even political reform, such as during the women’s suffrage movement.

As part of its mission, the Woman’s Club currently offers use of its space free-ofcharge to various community groups, including local refugee women need ing a gathering space to socialize and learn new skills for success in their adopted home.

Become a member and learn about opportunities with the Woman’s Club of Spokane at TheWomansClubOfSpokane.org

The Woman’s Club of Spokane was founded in 1905 and is a member of the nationwide General Federation of Women’s Clubs. One of the city’s earliest philanthropic groups, the club started Spokane’s first day care, charging working women 5 cents a day for child care, and later housed its first kindergarten. Women’s clubs like it around the

“Pingala Dhital, who’s with Refu gee Connections Spokane and had been a member, had this idea perco lating to start a group for Afghani women because they’re so socially isolated here,” Reidy says. “And because of their social mores and culture, she had a hard time finding a place where the husbands felt it was safe and where the women felt safe, but the Woman’s Club is perfect. This is a really important way for them to start making connections.”

Other groups that regularly use the building include the Spokane Folklore Society, which hosts its biweekly contra dance in the main ballroom, along with Woodside Swing dance group. The venue is available to rent for $100 to $200 an hour depending on how much space is reserved. Popular uses are weddings, parties and meet ings. The board hopes to start offering more casual, social events soon, and their next big public fundraiser, a Valentine’s swing dance, is set for Feb. 11.

Membership, which is open to any gender, in the Woman’s Club is $50 a year. Members are asked to vol unteer 2.5 hours at the club every three months, whether by helping organize and host events, or other projects like gardening to keep the club grounds beautiful. Interested members can apply online, and anyone can donate to help keep the club going.

The Woman’s Club “has an impact on the lower South Hill, and if we lost this building or it became a law office or just sat empty, I mean, what would be the implications of that?” Kuhner asks.

“So we refuse,” Crawford, the vice president, inter jects. “And as tired as we are, we are moving forward with faith and with determination, and knowing it’s going to work.” n

Woman’s Club board members (from left): Suzy Kuhner, Mary Reidy and Emily Grizzell. ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

Susan Steadman’s debilitating back pain didn’t happen overnight. It came on slowly, over the course of several years. As a registered nurse practitioner with over two decades experience as an ER nurse, Susan could read her X-rays and knew a mechanical problem in her spine was causing the pain.

“I saw my spine and thought ‘what the heck happened here?’” says the Spokane resident. “I’d taken care of my back my whole life.”

Susan, 61, tried to alleviate the constant pain in her lower back and leg by exhaust ing a wide range of noninvasive methods: ice, heat, physical therapy, anti-inflam matory medications and even platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, a process that uses injections of one’s own platelets to speed the healing of injuries.

Some of the measures helped for a short time, but the shooting pain always returned. “I tried everything but voodoo,” she says.

Time to Consider Surgery?

In 2019, Susan decided it was time to explore back surgery. With her medical background and health care connections, she had heard of Dr. Nathaniel Whitney, a neurosurgeon with Providence Neuro science Institute, who has expertise in treating scoliosis patients.

“They said he works on the most difficult scoliosis cases in the region, and I said, ‘Okay, I’m ready to talk to him.’”

After reviewing the images of Susan’s back and listening to her describe her pain and frustration, it was clear to Dr. Whitney that back surgery was her best option.

Without hesitation, Susan agreed. Her meeting with Dr. Whitney and his staff gave her confidence that the surgery was the right thing to do.

navigate around the spine with less risk of injury to tissue or nerves.

“We’re really at the leading edge of the tools we can use for surgery, and help speed recovery,” he says.

Robotic-assisted Fusion

Susan’s condition required freeing up the nerves at the two lowest levels of her spine and a spinal fusion.

Dr. Whitney performed the four-hour surgery on Susan at Providence Sacred Heart Medical Center, where he was aided by a robotic arm, a remarkably complex navigation device to help with accuracy.

I tried everything but voodoo!

“I was seeking a solution and I looked at it as an opportunity,” Susan says. “Dr. Whitney’s quiet assuredness and the fact he and his nurse practitioner had reviewed my case together ahead of my visit really impressed me. And during my appoint ment he sat and faced me, made eye contact and listened to me.”

For most people, surgery for back pain is the best option when other noninvasive methods have failed, and pain is disabling.

Dr. Whitney explained that imaging has become more exact with higher resolu tion, which improves a surgeon’s ability to

Susan left the hospital within two days after surgery. Rehabilitation started immediately and she was fully committed. She started a rigorous physical therapy program with input from Dr. Whitney’s team. The attention to her care beyond surgery made an impression. “It showed a collaborative continuity of care,” she says. “I liked the way the whole staff worked. The schedulers, the people at the desk, the nurses; everyone knew their role. I got the sense they were all there for me.”

Susan encourages anyone experiencing unrelenting back pain to be persistent in finding answers. “Get good diagnostics and a referral for at least one consulta tion,” she says. “Don’t give up.”

ADVERTISER STATEMENT: From heart conditions diagnosed in-utero to heart transplants or cardiac rehabilitation, doctors at Spokane Heart Institute and Providence Sacred Children’s Hospital treat a full range of cardiovascular disease. For more information visit providence.org/spokaneheart

JULIAN STRAWTHER

LENDING A HELPING PAW

BY SAMANTHA HOLM

It’s 10 pm.

I still have at least another hour of homework left, and that’s if I manage to remain productive in my sleepy stupor. Thoughts of failure and a rapidly dropping grade point average fill my mind. A sicken ing, heavy feeling permeates my chest, and my heart begins to pound. I’m paralyzed in my desk chair as I wait for the onset of an anxiety attack.

Chirp.

Thump.

My cat Bowie hops onto my desk and skulks toward me and my open laptop. As if to commence writing America’s next greatest literary masterpiece, he tentatively places one white paw on a cluster of keys, then another and another. He sits and effectively blocks my screen. I reach out and scratch him behind his ear. He closes his eyes and the motor starts.

I pat my thigh, to which Bowie responds by de scending from my desk and into my lap. He curls into a ball and continues to purr. I stroke his back, under his chin and his neck. In just five minutes, the clamor in my head and the drumming of my heart have signifi cantly lowered.

Bowie lives with me in my dorm room at Whit worth University to help me regulate my anxiety, but he’s not a service animal. He’s an emotional support animal (ESA) who has been approved by my university.

As an ESA, Bowie does not have the same abilities as a service animal, which are outlined by the Ameri cans With Disabilities Act (ADA). For example, trained service animals are allowed in places where animals are otherwise prohibited, such as grocery stores and hospi tals, while ESAs are not. That’s because service animals are specially trained to help their owners, while ESAs provide comfort through their mere presence.

That being said, recent research demonstrates that pets, regardless of training, can assist their owners. A study by the National Library of Medicine found that

cats are sensitive to and can differentiate human emo tional cues, though to a lesser degree than dogs. An other study from the American Educational Research Association found that cortisol levels were significantly reduced in individuals who interacted with animals for just 10 minutes.

Considering these proven emotional benefits, it begs the question: Are all pets ESAs? The short answer is no.

Though anyone can benefit from owning a pet, it should not be conflated with an ESA. ESAs are allowed in university residence halls and (most) apartment buildings under the Fair Housing Act when an indi vidual has a clear need for one.

To legitimize a pet for emotional support, a letter from a licensed health care professional must be ob tained. In my case, this was my therapist. Once you’ve received the letter, take it to the appropriate housing services for next steps, which will be different for every institution. At Whitworth, I contacted the univer sity’s Emotional Support Services and did an intake interview with the program’s director. She agreed that I had a need for an ESA, and in a matter of two weeks, Bowie was permitted to move into my room.

Other universities in the Inland Northwest follow a similar process. At Gonzaga University, ESA docu mentation must be filed with its Disability Resources, Education and Access Management office at least two weeks before housing selection. Eastern Washington University permits ESAs, which must be verified in advance by Disability Support Services. Approval is only valid for one academic year and must be renewed annually. For any student, getting permission for an ESA comes down to learning the systems in place at their university or housing facility.

The process for me was tedious, but having Bowie curl up in my lap to distract me from mountains of homework makes it all worthwhile. n

THE BUZZ BIN

DOCTOR…WHO?!

The British, time-traveling television show DOCTOR WHO was the nerdy show to watch in 2013. Anyone with a Tumblr could easily recount the days when the show was all the hype. After Matt Smith’s stint as the two-hearted Time Lord came to an end in 2013, the hype dissipated and not many fans kept up with the show’s newly cast Doctor. The sleeping fandom was awakened last month when Jodie Whittaker’s portrayal of the Doctor unexpectedly regenerated (a process of “molecular readjustment,” by which Time Lords renew themselves, causing complete physical change) into David Tennant, who previously played the 10th doctor from 2005-10. Tennant, a fan-favorite Doctor, will be portraying the Doctor once again, something that’s never happened before in the 50-plus year history of the show. He’ll partake in three special episodes before, presumably, regenerating into Ncuti Gatwa’s fifteenth Doctor. (MADISON PEARSON)

HO-HO-HOLIDAYS ARE HERE

Evidence of the impending holiday season is mounting with décor designed to get you in the mood showing up in various area busi nesses. Like busy elves, the folks at the COEUR D’ALENE RESORT have been working since October to get the halls decked inside and out. Under the expert eye of designer Jennifer Grace, resort staff have been sorting, staging and installing more than 10,000 pounds of new holiday décor (some of which we got a sneak peek at recently). Next time you’re at the resort, look for animated trees at the front entrance, a bejeweled Santa chair by the employee lounge, 9-foot-tall nutcrackers at Beverly’s, swanky new igloos outside Whispers and more. And as it has done since 1986, the resort flips the switch to illuminate the hotel’s exterior the day after Thanksgiving, on Friday, Nov. 25. (CARRIE SCOZZARO)

THIS WEEK’S PLAYLIST

Noteworthy new music arriving in stores and online Nov. 18:

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, ATUM

Fight off your autumnal melan choly (and your infinite sadness), as Billy Corgan and Co. release the first act of the band’s new 33-song rock opera with subsequent entries arriving in January and April.

WEYES BLOOD, AND IN THE DARKNESS, HEARTS AGLOW The soft rock singer-songwriter seeks understanding in a world of isolated tech chaos on her latest album.

NICKELBACK, GET ROLLIN’ This is how I remind you of what Nick elback really is (a dumb but very popular rock band from Canada, which is releasing its 10th studio LP). (SETH SOMMERFELD)

How the stress of campus life is eased with a university-approved emotional support animal

Meet Bowie, the best dorm room buddy.

Middle

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

The need to categorize might be funda mental to human thought and speech, but it can also be paradoxical, both help ful and a hindrance. Labels can provide context, directing us toward understanding complex things, like faith and politics. However, language that circumvents complex thought in favor of single words or phrases — pithy sayings and sound bites, for example — can be limiting and potentially divisive.

Rather than choosing “sides” on the issues that are important to her, artist Stacy Isenbarger combines found and formed objects to create artworks that put the onus on viewers to suss out possible meaning. Or meanings.

“I love words that have multiple meanings,” says Isenbarger, whose new exhibit at Eastern Washington University, on display through Jan. 19, is titled “SPLIT” — a word that can be an adjective, noun or verb.

The associate professor of art at the Univer sity of Idaho College of Art & Architecture reads a lot of poetry, she says.

“And I think that how poets structure their words inspires the way I want to structure my artmaking,” she says. “I hope that when people are looking at my work, they’re kind of labeling what they think [each thing is], and then getting a little lost in their own interpretation of it.”

A foundational work in the show is an assem blage of objects called “Head Off & Split,” which Isenbarger originally conceived of as an explora tion of spirituality. One metal cage-like structure encases a thick old tree branch, out of which “grows” a tree root-like form Isenbarger envel oped in luxurious brown velvet. The roots climb toward and hang from another metal cage form.

The natural elements would reflect a rever ence for nature, versus the more formal struc tures offered by organized religion represented in the metal pieces, Isenbarger explains.

But something happened in 2021 that nudged the artist in a new direction, prompting her to wrap a portion of the tree root in a narrow sliver of the American flag: A mob stormed the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., where Congress was gathered to formally transfer presidential power from Donald Trump to President Joe Biden.

“And then Jan. 6 happened and by Jan. 15, that piece was finished because I just couldn’t do anything but change that piece to be about that experience,” Isenbarger explains.

Other pieces from “SPLIT” address politics in a similarly ambiguous yet potent way. Isen barger created a series of “protest signs” using hard plastic mesh designed for cross-stitching that she dipped into concrete to make them brittle, aged-looking and, of course, dysfunctional. Not only does Isenbarger juxtapose materials with a strong gender association — female textile work versus male construction work — she deliberately left the “signs” blank.

“The protest signs themselves don’t have text on them, because I don’t think it matters what side you’re on,” Isenbarger says. “I think we’re all sort of standing in fixed positions, and we’re all kind of burnt out.”

In another series, “Lost Expectations,” which pairs fabric dipped in concrete and framed in an embroidery hoop, words are essential. “Be true,” one reads. “Be sweet,” advises another.

These are the platitudes Isenbarger might have heard growing up, especially in the south east, where religion rules, yet where her family’s Catholic background was at odds with the domi nant Protestant faith. They could just as easily be nostalgic odes to a bygone era. Or maybe they’re both. Or something else entirely.

“What I appreciate about [Isenbarger’s] work specifically is the tension and ambiguity that it creates for the viewer,” says EWU gallery director Joshua Hobson, who also lectures in photography for the university’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts.

“It strikes a nice balance between recogniz able forms and materials with the unexpected and avant-garde.” n

“SPLIT” • Through Jan. 19, 2023; open MonFri from 9 am-5 pm • Free • Eastern Washing ton University • 140 Art Building, Cheney • ewu.edu/art • 509-359-2494

Stacy Isenbarger’s art show at EWU juxtaposes disparate materials to engage viewers in possible interpretations

Stacy Isenbarger’s “Head Off & Split”

Apples to Apples

Team Inlander dishes on its top three local apple pie picks, plus where else to find pies this season

BY CARRIE SCOZZARO

In the summer we cheer for “baseball, hot dogs and apple pie,” but as the weather cools, it’s all about the pie. Pie and coffee. Pie and whiskey. Pie and ice cream. Or just pie, which by definition is a baked dish of sweet or savory ingredients topped and encased in pastry, versus its European cousin, the single-shelled tart.

While pie variations abound, apples are one of the most popular fillings, so after compiling a list of local places offering whole pies (both in stock and available to preorder), we purchased several for Inlander’s editorial team to sample and rank.

Using a low-to-high scale of 1 to 5, the criteria was simple (and admittedly unscientific): presentation, pie crust, pie filling, and an overall score. With 140 points total up for grabs, here, then, are our top three apple-toapple (pie) picks.

LIL’ PUNKIN PIE CO.

7790 N. Atlas Rd., Coeur d’Alene, 208-762-3289; prairiehome farm.com

What we got: Classic apple ($24)

Score: 96.5 / 140

Pumpkin might be this North Idaho venture’s claim to fame, but Lil’ Punkin Pie Co. founder and baker Linda Swenson offers 24 standard and seasonal pies from assorted berries, rhubarb and pecan to salted pear crumble and meatless mince meat. Much of the fruit Swenson uses in her pies is from Prairie Home Farm, which she and husband Dave founded in 2015. Swenson has since turned the farm into a popular destination for October farm tours and U-pick pumpkins, and to offer year-round pies from her on-site bakery.

Both her classic apple and Dutch apple pie, the lat ter with a crumble topping, feature Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples from Wenatchee, where Swenson grew up.

“I believe the tart and crisp and sweet and soft is es sential” in the filling, she says.

Interested in learning Swenson’s secrets to perfect pie? Consider her monthly farm pie school classes ($35/ person).

INLANDER THOUGHTS: News team member Samantha Wohlfeil described the filling as “caramely, tart apple pie deliciousness,” while fellow staffer Daniel Walters picked it as his second favorite of the pies we sampled.

A slice of apple pie from Conley’s Place Restaurant.

CONLEY’S PLACE

RESTAURANT

12622 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley, 509-924-5411, conleysplacerestaurant.com

What we got: Classic apple ($18) Score: 99 / 140

Pie for breakfast? Sure. Lunch? Yup. Anytime you’re hungry for pie, visit Conley’s, which has 22 standard and seasonal versions in its pie case daily. Add a slice of pie to your meal ($6), take pie home with you, or order flavors online like an Almond Joy cream pie, pecan pie, cherry pie and sugar-free variations of select fruit pies.

Pies are scratch-made daily in Conley’s Pioneer Pies bakery, which co-owner Jennifer Conley has run since 1992, when she and husband Ed purchased the business and incorporated it into Conley’s Place Restaurant. Since then, Conley’s has been a go-to for Irish fare and for comfort foods from eggs Benedict for breakfast to fish and chips for lunch to grilled pork chops for dinner.

Two full-time bakers stay busy making roughly 200 or more pies a week, says longtime manager Linda Kartz, who is partial to the peanut butter chocolate pie.

“It’s a big process,” she adds, “but we love it.”

INLANDER THOUGHTS: Conley’s pie was Listings Editor Madison Pearson’s favorite, the “perfect combo of sweet and tart, gooey and syrupy … so good!”

Arts and Culture Editor Chey Scott remarked that it had a “lovely crust, flaky and very rich with that salty, butter taste.”

CRABBY MOURNING BAKERY

Spokane (pop-up), 509-953-3627; crabbymourningbakery.com What we got: Dutch apple ($30)

Score: 124 / 140

Crabby Mourning Bakery is one of many pop-ups working the farmers market and event circuit with an eye toward a brick-and-mortar location someday. Even though its owners, Gina Mourning and Becky Crabb, have been best friends since first grade, the Spokanebased bakery is only a few months old. Both women work day jobs — Mourning in sales and Crabb as a customer success manager — but recently launched the business that reflects their shared friendship and sense of faith.

“Before I bake every morning, I pray,” says Mourn ing, who agrees with Crabb that love is the secret to good pie.

Crabby Mourning is sharing that love and their baked goods, donating cookies to Vanessa Behan crisis nursery, for example, or pies to local nurses working on Thanksgiving.

Making pie is laborious and time-consuming, admits Mourning, who uses a decades-old contraption that peels, cores and slices the apples to a uniform thickness. She adds lemon to prevent browning and lets them sit an hour before spooning them into the prepared shell. This, she says, as well as letting the cooked pie rest a full 12 hours, is essential to her process.

INLANDER THOUGHTS: Music and screen edi tor Seth Sommerfeld noticed how good the pie smelled and liked the “excellent crumble top” and thin apple slices that were “super sweet in a good way.” Editor Nick Deshais also liked the level of sweetness in the filling, as well as the crispness of the apples for a pie he awarded a perfect score. News reporter Nate Sanford reported “this pie feels like it has something important to say.”

Yeah, it says, “I’m yummy!” n

8th ANNUAL

SOMEONE SAY PIE?

The following spots have whole pies available on-site or for order and pickup. Call or go online to confirm pricing and availability.

BEAN & PIE 208-930-4065, beanandpie.com

BILLIE’S DINER 509-244-0197, billiesdiner.com

BIRDIE’S PIE SHOP birdiespies.com

BLISSFUL WHISK 509-242-3189, blissfulwhisk.com

BREAÜXDOO BAKERY 509-290-6389, breauxdoobakery.com

CHAPS DINER AND BAKERY 509-624-4182, chapsgirl.com

DESSERTS BY SARA 509-922-6039, dessertsbysara.com

EUROPA RESTAURANT & BAKERY 509-455-4051, europaspokane.com

FRESH TODAY CATERING + BAKERY 509-904-9772, freshtodaycatering.com

GOOSE HOUSE BAKERY goosehousebakery.com

THE GRAIN SHED 509-241-3853, thegrainshed.coop

IDAHO FARMHOUSE BAKERY 509-540-7036, idaho-farmhouse-bakery.business.site

KATIE’S BAKEHOUSE 208-596-3198, facebook.com/kts.bakehouse

KOSELIG KITCHEN info@koseligkitchen.com, koseligkitchen.com

MADE WITH LOVE BAKERY 509-919-0041, mwlbakery.com

MIFLAVOUR MODERN FRENCH BAKERY 509-315-4516, miflavour.com

MILLER’S COUNTRY STORE 208-263-9446, millerscountrystoresandpoint.com

MOTHER BEAR’S BAKERY 509-818-0127, motherbearsbakery.square.site

OLIVE’S PIE BARN 208-800-5684, olivespastries.com

PASTRY AND MORE 208-667-3808, pastryandmore.com

PATTI’S PIES 509-220-7640, pattispies.com

PIE HUT 208-265-2208, Facebook: Pie Hut

THE VILLAGE BAKERY 208-770-8733, thevillagebakerycda.com

‘Desserts for Rock Stars’

After starting as delivery-only, Breaüxdoo Bakery debuts a storefront in Spokane Valley

BY CATE WILSON

Breaüxdoo Bakery has been around since 2020, but a recent expansion brings a fun-filled atmosphere to the business with a rock band twist.

Owner and Spokane native Gage Lang, who’s worked at restaurants and bakeries around Washington state, drew inspiration from his varied experiences in the food world to create the full-service bakery. His time at Biscuit Bitch in Seattle was formative in crafting the vibe he envisioned for Breaüxdoo.

“Working at Biscuit Bitch was a lot of fun, and I wanted to capture that same type of morale and energy that they and Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland put out,” Lang says. “I was formerly in a rock band, I am a bit of an androgynous personality, and I love skate culture and the feel of a tattoo shop. That is what Breaüdoox is meant to be.”

Lang’s unique style and artistic experience is now be

ing channeled into his foodie creations. While Breaüxdoo Bakery — the name rhymes with “voodoo” — is perhaps best known for its massive cookies ($4.50) and blondie bars ($5), Lang also recommends its distinctive cheese cake ($9 for an individual-size cake) that has an equal crust-to-filling ratio, unlike traditional versions.

“For spicy lovers, the ‘Peep Show’ ($15.25) is my best recommendation,” he says. “It is a biscuit with gravy, a German sausage hot link, shredded cheddar, jalapeños and Frank’s hot sauce. It is a killer new addition.”

The bakery began in 2020 as a venture focused on pickup and delivery orders, partly to comply with COVID social distancing guidelines at the time, but also to gradually ramp up production. But it was always Lang’s vision to expand with a permanent, walk-in style storefront. Delivery and curbside pickup service are still offered, and customers can also still find Breaüxdoo’s goods at the bakery’s wholesale vendors around town, like My Fresh Basket in Kendall Yards. The bakery is also a frequent vendor at local markets.

“We are now a full-fledged pastry shop with our fan favorites as well as cakes, cupcakes, cake pops, chocolatecovered strawberries and custom orders. Basically, you name it or think it up, we got it,” Lang says.

Although Lang has worked in a variety of differ ent professional food environments, he’s also somewhat self-taught. After starting out in a Running Start culinary program in high school, Lang took matters into his own hands to flesh out his resume. Besides working at Seattle’s quirky downtown spot Biscuit Bitch, Lang also counts a stint at Versalia Pizza in Spokane, among others.

His culinary skills now shine through the artistry he channels into each pastry and dish he thinks up.

“I may not be too involved in the music scene anymore, but I do like to capture a specific energy in my shop,” Lang says. “Remnants of my past life are able to live on through my food, and I am ready for people to step into that.”

Take, for example, Breaüxdoo’s motto: “Desserts for rock stars.”

The brick and mortar space isn’t the only thing that’s changed since Breaüxdoo’s initial launch, then working out of a downtown Spokane commercial kitchen.

The bakery’s menu has expanded with many unique additions, like Lang’s take on biscuits and gravy with fun and funky names like “Jam Session” and “After Party” ($9.50 each). Whether customers are craving a sweet treat or a hardy and savory meal, Breaüxdoo has something for everyone. Custom cake orders are also available for any occasion.

In the new Spokane Valley store, with its jet black walls and a groovy red chandelier, Breaüxdoo reflects Lang’s time in a rock-and-roll band. The wide-open space’s edgy, show-stopping energy, along with its colorful, deca dent pastries and flavorful food, all fit the theme. n

Breaüxdoo Bakery • 14109 E. Sprague Ave., Suite 7A1, Spokane Valley • Open daily 8 am-6 pm • breaux doobakery.com • 509-290-6389

Breaüxdoo’s Gage Lang CHIANA McINELLY PHOTO

Members Zac T. & Hannah H. Paid for participation.

DELUSIONS

OF CANDOR

Alejandro González Iñárritu creates an indulgent tribute to his own artistic angst in Bardo

BY JOSH BELL

Alejandro González Iñárritu has never been a subtle filmmaker. The Oscar-winning director of Birdman and The Revenant has always made grand, serious statements with his movies, and that doesn’t change when the subject of the movie is himself. In Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, Iñárritu interrogates his own life and career via a thinly veiled surrogate, following in the footsteps of master filmmakers from Federico Fellini (8½) to Woody Allen (Stardust Memories) to Bob Fosse (All That Jazz).

When Iñárritu delivers sweeping artistic visions of the state of humanity, they may generally be pompous and insufferable, but at least they’re empathetic. In Bardo, he applies all of his stylistic excess and bombast to prop up his own apparent insecurities.

Iñárritu’s proxy is Silverio Gama (Daniel Giménez Cacho), a Mexican filmmaker like Iñárritu who has received international acclaim and has been living and working for many years in the U.S. Silverio isn’t quite as famous as Iñárritu, and he hasn’t won Oscars or worked with movie stars. He started his career as a journalist, and his movies are documentaries or “docufiction,” as he refers to them. He’s renowned for depicting the lives of the im poverished, but he’s become privileged and isolated. He returns to Mexico to ac

cept a prestigious award, but many in his home country, including his former collaborator Luis (Francisco Rubio), see him as a sellout who serves American interests.

Bardo can’t rise above its navel-gazing.

At a party celebrating Silverio’s career, Luis unloads on him with a barrage of criticisms about his latest movie, ones that of course could all be applied to Bardo itself. But preemptively listing all of his own movie’s flaws doesn’t absolve Iñárritu for his tedious filmmaking indul gences. As Silverio takes stock of his life and career, feeling empty and unfulfilled, Bardo blurs the lines between fantasy and reality, looping around to certain moments over and over, merging past and present.

Siciliani), giving birth to a son, only to have doctors place him back in the womb, saying that he doesn’t want to come out yet. It’s an absurdist way to illustrate the death of the couple’s infant child, a specter that hangs over the entire family, including their other two children (Iker Sanchez Solano and Ximena Lamadrid) as they grow up.

BARDO, FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS

Rated R

Silverio is more of a symbol than a person, as Iñárritu uses him to work out issues of class conflict, creative freedom and national identity. Cacho plays the character as a blank slate, buffeted from one humiliation to another, and it’s hard to imagine him as someone with a strong enough perspective to become a revered creator. Everything that Silverio does, from buying pet fish for his son to participating in a contentious interview with Luis, gets weighed down with allegorical meaning. That makes it tough to engage emotionally with Silverio or his family members, even as they deal with deeply personal trauma. An early scene shows Silverio’s wife, Lucia (Griselda

Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu Starring Daniel Giménez Cacho, Griselda Siciliani, Iker Sanchez Solano At the Magic Lantern starting Nov. 25

That’s just one narrative thread in this overstuffed film, which is 22 minutes shorter than the version that played at film festivals earlier this year, but still runs more than two and a half hours. Iñárritu seems incapable of staging any small-scale human drama, and nearly every scene features showy visuals, including multiple elaborate long takes that recall the central gimmick of Birdman. The technical wizardry is more distracting than enlightening, drawing attention to itself at the expense of the characters.

Despite his wealth and accolades, Silverio is as miser able and tormented as the characters in Iñárritu’s earlier films, including 21 Grams and Babel, and Bardo is similarly grim in its assessment of the human condition. It’s the self-important musings of an artist who’s overestimated his own significance. n

ALSO OPENING

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO

This year’s Disney+ remake of Pinocchio turned out to be as worthwhile as driftwood, but this darker del Toro vision of the classic story — brought to life in gorgeous stop-motion animation — looks far more promising. Rated PG At the Magic Lantern

THE MENU

When a young couple (Anya Taylor-Joy and Nicho las Hoult) head to a secluded island for an exclu sive culinary experience curated by a celebrity chef (Ralph Fiennes), the evening quickly takes a violent turn in this dark horror comedy. Rated R

SHE SAID

The story of New York Times reporters who broke the story of film producer Harvey Weinstein’s abu sive sexual misconduct against women and ignited the #MeToo movement gets detailed in this big screen drama. Rated R

Putting the Hum in Humbug

Musical comedy Spirited struggles to find a fresh take on A Christmas Carol

BY JOSH BELL

It’s the holiday season, so there’s no shame in putting out yet another take on Charles Dick ens’ A Christmas Carol. The classic story has been enacted by everyone from Patrick Stewart and Albert Finney to the Muppets and Mickey Mouse, and it’s proved durable for a reason. The best versions, led by the superb 1951 film starring Alastair Sim, treat Dickens’ material with respect, embracing the hokey but enduring tale of a miser who learns generosity over the course of a single magical night.

So why do the makers of Spirited seem so ashamed to be participating in this beloved tradition? The musi cal comedy starring Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds is yet another take on A Christmas Carol, complete with a Scrooge-like figure who’s taught humility by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Yet director and co-writer Sean Anders has his characters snark their way through the story, sneering at the concept even as they go through the motions of the familiar journey.

Rated PG-13

Jacob Marley (Patrick Page), so too do multiple characters groan each time the telltale notes of a new song begin. If the movie itself thinks that both A Christmas Carol and musicals are a waste of time, there’s no reason for the audience to feel any differently.

Anders and co-writer John Morris attempt to subvert expectations by turning the emotional stakes back on the ghost of Christmas present (Ferrell), who faces a severe challenge in getting Clint to focus on his inner growth. Clint, who’s an expert at manipulating audiences for his political and corporate clients, sees that Present (as he’s called) has doubts about his calling, and longs for something more than forcing jerks to change their ways every Christmas. Even as Clint witnesses the havoc he’s wrought in his life by his selfish and inconsiderate behavior, he forces Pres ent to face his own inadequacies.

Like too many modern family-friendly block busters, Spirited takes a mystical, unexplained literary concept and turns it into a rules-filled bureaucracy, so the process of haunting and in fluencing a curmudgeon has become codified and replicable. There is an entire afterlife department dedicated to these yuletide visitations, complete with meetings, presentations and support staff. Present is one of these agents, and after decades of service, he’s been offered the chance at “retire ment,” to be granted a human life back on Earth.

Spirited is also a full-scale musical, with Broadway-caliber numbers from renowned songwriting team Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman). Anders undercuts this aspect as well, even as he stages some lively set pieces with vibrant choreography by Chloe Arnold. Just as cynical marketing con sultant Clint Briggs (Reynolds) scoffs at the wellworn tropes of the speech delivered by ghostly

Clint spots Present eyeing Kimberly (Octavia Spencer), Clint’s morally conflicted second-incommand, and he seizes on that crush to push Present toward retirement in order to avoid his own moral reckoning. Of course, both men will learn their requisite lessons and become better people, although neither outcome is particularly convinc ing. Reynolds plays the same snide know-it-all as usual, and Spirited would have been more enter taining if it were just A Deadpool Christmas Carol.

SPIRITED

Ferrell and Spencer bring a bit more sensitiv ity to their parts, but their romance is as under whelming as the burgeoning friendship between Clint and Present. Pasek and Paul’s energetic, catchy songs are underserved by the merely passable singing from the three leads, and the comedy is too gentle to have any real bite. With past films like Daddy’s Home and Instant Family, Anders has specialized in combining limp humor with unearned sentiment. Spirited is a similar noncommittal mush, a brightly colored package without much worthwhile inside. n

Directed by Sean Anders Starring Will Ferrell, Ryan Reynolds, Octavia Spencer Streaming on Apple TV+

Hollering on the Road to Nowhere

Before Modest Mouse burst onto the national scene, the band crafted a Northwest classic in The Lonesome Crowded West

BY SETH SOMMERFELD

It’s f—ing lonely out here, man.

People sometimes don’t like to talk about the inherent isolation of the Northwest, but that shit’s real. I grew up in a city in Montana where the closest “real” cities — Denver and Seattle — were 10- and 12-hour drives. Even intrastate visits to grandparents meant pack ing in the car for three to five hours. I’ve lived in Billings, Spokane and Seattle, but perhaps it’d be more accurate to say the western stretch of Interstate 90 is my true home. Just endless hours rolling along through pine tree-strewn nothingness on roads carved into the banks of mountains. There’s an undeniable natural beauty to the winding paths, but simultaneously something perverse about it — these man-made pavement paths carving through the tranquility in the name of commerce, convenience and an unquenchable thirst for expansion.

Commuting those stretches of I-90 is second-nature to me after all these years of trekking from one place I called home to another. And more often than not, when I’m traversing terrain there’s one album to throw on that captures the spirit of everything about these surroundings.

The Lonesome Crowded West by Modest Mouse.

The creative force behind Modest Mouse — singersongwriter/guitarist Isaac Brock — knows the terrain I speak of well, being a fellow Montana-native whose family eventually settled down in Issaquah when he was a preteen. The Lonesome Crowded West feels like the bottledup indie rock release of growing up and growing hypercynical in the Northwest. The 1997 album came well before the band became one of the bigger rock bands on

the planet with the release of 2004’s Good News for People Who Love Bad News, but its distinct point-of-view, abrasive edges and cohesive vision still set it apart as Modest Mouse’s masterpiece. The record turns 25 this Friday, and to mark the occasion, Modest Mouse is touring the album as a stripped-back four-piece band (a dream con cert I honestly thought would never happen).

From the opening seconds of the album-opening “Teeth Like God’s Shoeshine,” the cacophonous and cha otic tone is set. Brock plays his guitar with an exasperated ferocity, violently slamming the strings and bending them until the notes wail with an unhinged dissonance, setting a noisy backdrop for his lisp-y hollers to the heavens. But the songs on this record turn on a dime, as Brock quickly gives way to haunting harmonics and lyrical reflections on the sad state of consumerist living, where “the malls are the soon-to-be ghost towns.” It borrows a page from the loud-soft-loud formula that Seattle grunge brought to the mainstream, but with even the “soft” parts mostly only being so by comparison.

The Northwest contrasts between grunge and this rabble-rousing early vintage of Modest Mouse indie rock make for interesting comparisons. Obviously both are rooted in punk rock and the general seasonal affective disorder blues that this corner of the country naturally spawns, but there are differences beyond grunge’s heavi ness. Grunge lyricism tends to wallow in intense feelings — it’s “nobody understands me” music. Brock’s lyricism on The Lonesome Crowded West is more weighted to a lack of human contact. The swirling guitars on tracks like

JAMES JOINER

“Heart Cooks Brain” create a soundscape of moods barely connected to anyone else — it’s aimless depressive rantings of the isolated.

These feelings of isolation aren’t, however, the result of heartbreak or tragedy. The root cause of what makes the West so crowded and lonesome from Brock’s perspective is simple — consumerism.

Even when he’s being tongue-in-cheek, mocking the hollow sides of capitalism rotting away the core of his Northwest home (“Let’s all have another Orange Julius / thick syrup, standing in lines”), Brock can’t hide the snarling, eye-rolling disgust he has for it. For example, the never-ending desire to pave over paradise for a parking lot in the name of car culture’s consumer “convenience” gets shredded in “Convenient Parking.”

Growing up near Microsoft’s tech hub must’ve worn off on Brock, who prophetically penned the line “Work ing really hard to make internet cash / fingers to the bone sitting on your ass” to go over the baby wails and strings on the disorienting “Jesus Christ Was an Only Child.” The tune “Cowboy Dan” captures the dread and alcoholic ravings when “civilized” expansion shows up unwanted at one’s doorstep (“didn’t move to the city, the city moved to me / and I want out desperately”); a gasp of air before the world one built is poisoned and dies.

“Bankrupt on Selling” uses a beautiful acoustic facade to muse about even angels being overly concerned with buying and selling and the futility of trying to escape small-town Northwest doldrums because you might still

INDIE ROCK

I don’t think TLCW era Isaac Brock (right) would be caught golfing.

PHOTO

only end up a forgettable “guy who said all those big words he musta learned in college.” And when all these complaints are being shouted into an uncar ing void, you can feel even lonelier and direct your rage in various direc tions — be it a sonic temper tantrum noise barrage like “Shit Luck” or giving up, resigning yourself to “trying to drink away the part of the day that I cannot sleep away” (“Polar Opposites”).

Even The Lonesome Crowded West’s most tender moment — “Trailer Trash” — is colored by the economic world that sur rounds it. The song is a rare artifact of honest nostalgia, a fond remembrance of simpler times while acknowledging things back then were far from perfect. Over loose, scratchy chords Brock empathetically sings about trailer park living and the anxieties that can be entwined in that, while warmly and heart-wrenchingly recalling touching tiny moments like eating snowflakes with plastic forks. He may “shout that you’re all fakes” and genuinely mean it, but he’s not so obtuse to not acknowledge that it’s tough out there for everyone, so he’s also “sorry if I dissed you.”

Somewhat ironically, the one seeming respite from the crumbling consumerist world is those sonic and literal open roads — pathways to commerce and the only escape from it. From the faded mutterings of someone you might find having one-too-many at the roadside bar (“Long Distance Drunk”) to the sprawling zone-out on a road trip journey of the 11-minute “Truckers At las,” Brock finds it easier to escape his problems at least momen tarily by watching the mile markers whiz by. The Lonesome Crowded West encourages that sad sack wanderlust mindset with a one hour and 14 minutes runtime. Typically, that would seem wildly indulgent for a raw indie rock album, but in this case it accurately sets the proper cruise control speed.

The album isn’t a full-on dour fest either. While it’s not gonna let up with super melodic pop breaks, it’s hard not to have fun with a song like “Doin’ the Cockroach,” where the best intro riff Brock has ever written gives way to what can best be described as a boogie-down hosted by a wide-eyed maniacal rock preacher. The final track, “Styrofoam Boots,” also becomes a coy afterlife jam, questioning heaven’s structures before going all out for a drum-driven deep groove outro (kudos to Modest Mouse drum mer Jeremiah Green and former bassist Eric Judy).

Brock isn’t merely aimlessly shrieking his way through The Lonesome Crowded West — there’s a much more nuanced feel to his lyrical delivery. It’s lashing out. But more specifically, it’s the type of extra angry lashing when you know you’re screaming about something you know is f—ed but can’t do anything to change.

If The Communist Manifesto isn’t gonna make a significant dent in American capitalism, Brock isn’t under the illusion that an indie rock record from a tiny band in Issaquah is going to ignite some kind of revolution. But even if that’s the case, there’s value in having this album as a sort of communal airing of grievances, an expression of collective pent-up frustrations about this reality. At the very least, it’s nice to listen and know you’re not alone in hav ing these thoughts.

The Northwest is a beautiful place. The Northwest is an ugly place. Those truths exist in messy harmony. And nothing captures that quite like The Lonesome Crowded West n

Modest Mouse: The Lonesome Crowded West 25th Anniversary Tour • Sat, Nov. 19 at 8 pm • Sold out • All ages • Knitting Fac tory • 919 W. Sprague Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com

ON SALE NOW!

LOCAL ROCK THANKSGIVING THROWDOWN

Make the most out of the one Wednes day night each year that’s always fol lowed by a national holiday. Thanksgiv ing Throwdown, Spokane’s pre-Turkey Day local music extravaganza, returns for its eighth edi tion. Organized by local hard-edged pop punk band Free the Jester (pictured), the annual free concert at the Knitting Factory is a great way to blow off any steam before spending Thanksgiv ing with the fam. In addition to FtJ, this year’s lineup includes Of Truth’s emotional posthardcore, metalcore thrashers Remember Me When, the melodic hardcore of Stubborn Will, and rap-influenced singer-songwriter Nathan Chartrey. Before you stuff the turkey, musically gorge at the Throwdown.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

J = THE INLANDER RECOMMENDS THIS SHOW J = ALL AGES SHOW

Thursday, 11/17

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Thursday Night Jam

CHECKERBOARD TAPROOM, Weathered Shepherds

HIGHBALL A MODERN SPEAKEASY, Echo Elysium

J HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL, Riley Grey

LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Laney Lou & The Bird Dogs

J MARTIN WOLDSON THEATER AT THE FOX, Midland

THE MASON JAR, Rosalie J QQ SUSHI & KITCHEN, Just Plain Darin

J RIVERSIDE PLACE, Champagne Drip, SIPPY STEAM PLANT RESTAURANT & BREW PUB, Son of Brad ZOLA, Desperate8s

Friday, 11/18

J THE BIG DIPPER, From Sword To Sunrise, Frisson, Becoming Ghosts, Munson BIGFOOT PUB, The Happiness

J BING CROSBY THEATER, Aaron Tippin

BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Dangerous Type

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Kosta la Vista

CHINOOK STEAK, PASTA & SPIRITS, Echo Elysium

CURLEY’S, Heather King Band

J DAVENPORT GRAND HOTEL, Steven King

J HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL, Brent Edstorm

IRON HORSE (CDA), Royale

JOHN’S ALLEY, Tone Sober, Rusted Hand, White Trash Romeo

J LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Sports, Hot Flash Heat Wave, SIPPER MOOSE LOUNGE, Karma’s Circle

INDIE HOT FLASH HEAT WAVE

Thanksgiving Throwdown 8: Of Truth, Free the Jester, Remember Me When, Stub born Will, Nathan Chartrey • Wed, Nov. 23 at 6:30 pm • Free • All ages • Knitting Factory • 919 W. Sprague Ave. • sp.knittingfactory.com

NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), Whack A Mole

OSPREY RESTAURANT & BAR, Sam Leyde

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Nobody Famous

THE RIDLER PIANO BAR, Just Plain Darin

ZOLA, Runaway Lemonade

Saturday, 11/19

BACKWOODS WHISKEY BAR, The Next Best Thing

J THE BIG DIPPER, The Emergency Exit, Hilltop Rats, Crusty Mustard, City of Ember BIGFOOT PUB, The Happiness

BOLO’S BAR & GRILL, Dangerous Type

CHAN’S RED DRAGON ON THIRD, Papa D and Studebaker Road

CHINOOK STEAK, PASTA & SPIRITS, Echo Elysium THE CORK & TAP, Just Plain Darin

CURLEY’S, Heather King Band J DAVENPORT GRAND HOTEL, Steven King

J GREEN BLUFF GRANGE, Jackie Fox & The Hounds J HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL, Brent Edstorm

IRON HORSE (CDA), Royale

JOHN’S ALLEY, Pert Near Sandstone, Pixie & The Partygrass Boys

J KELLY’S UNDERGROUND, Hot Club of Spokane

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Modest Mouse: The Lonesome Crowded West 25th Anniversary Tour LINGER LONGER LOUNGE, WhiteNoise

LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Joel Ansett, Hannah Siglin LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Imagine Collective MOOSE LOUNGE, Karma’s Circle

OSPREY RESTAURANT & BAR, Son of Brad J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Wiebe Jammin SPOKANE VALLEY EAGLES, Stage coach West

ZOLA, Blake Braley

Sunday, 11/20

CURLEY’S, Kosta la Vista

J DAVENPORT GRAND HOTEL, Steven King HOGFISH, Open Mic IRON HORSE (VALLEY), Into the Drift Duo

Monday, 11/21

M

ixing washed out dream pop with psychedelic spice, Cali indie rock band Hot Flash Heat Wave is all about creat ing vibes. The group’s laid-back style doesn’t insist upon itself, as the guys in the band seem more than content to sink into some trippy grooves and zone out regardless of whether anyone’s listening. This spring the band re leased Sportsware an LP that sonically alludes to everything from new wave to house music while crafting a sonic dreamspace. Beat the wintry freeze by showing up to Lucky You early to see Hot Flash Heat Wave when they open up for Oklahoma dream-pop band Sports.

— SETH SOMMERFELD

Sports, Hot Flash Heat Wave, SIPPER • Fri, Nov. 18 at 8 pm • $22 • 21+ •

Lucky You Lounge • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • luckyyoulounge.com

NIGHTHAWK LOUNGE (CDA CASINO), Whack A Mole

LUCKY YOU LOUNGE, Zonky Night

Wednesday, 11/23

EICHARDT’S PUB, John Firshi

HIGHBALL A MODERN SPEAKEASY, Sara Brown Band

J HISTORIC DAVENPORT HOTEL, Steven King

J J KNITTING FACTORY, Thanksgiving Throwdown 8: Of Truth, Free the Jester, Remem ber Me When, Stubborn Will, Nathan Chartrey

J PEND D’OREILLE WINERY, Jason Evans

RED ROOM LOUNGE, The Roomates

SOUTH PERRY LANTERN, Mike McCafferty

ZOLA, Runaway Lemonade

RED ROOM LOUNGE, Open Mic Night

Tuesday, 11/22 LITZ’S PUB & EATERY, Shuffle Dawgs

Coming Up ...

J J BING CROSBY THEATER, Judy Collins, Nov. 29, 8 pm.

MUSIC | VENUES

219 LOUNGE • 219 N. First Ave., Sandpoint • 208-263-5673

ARBOR CREST WINE CELLARS • 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-927-9463

BABY BAR • 827 W. First Ave. • 509-847-1234

BARRISTER WINERY • 1213 W. Railroad Ave. • 509-465-3591

BEE’S KNEES WHISKY BAR • 1324 W. Lancaster Rd.., Hayden • 208-758-0558

BERSERK • 125 S. Stevens St. • 509-315-5101

THE BIG DIPPER • 171 S. Washington St. • 509-863-8098

BIGFOOT PUB • 9115 N. Division St. • 509-467-9638

BING CROSBY THEATER • 901 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-227-7638

BLACK DIAMOND • 9614 E. Sprague Ave. • 509891-8357

BOLO’S BAR & GRILL • 116 S. Best Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-891-8995

BOOMERS CLASSIC ROCK BAR • 18219 E. Appleway Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-368-9847

BUCER’S COFFEEHOUSE PUB • 201 S. Main St., Moscow • 208-596-0887

THE BULL HEAD • 10211 S. Electric St., Four Lakes • 509-838-9717

CHAN’S RED DRAGON • 1406 W. Third Ave. • 509-838-6688

COEUR D’ALENE CASINO • 37914 S. Nukwalqw St., Worley • 800-523-2464

COEUR D’ALENE CELLARS • 3890 N. Schreiber Way, Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-2336

CRUISERS BAR & GRILL • 6105 W Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-446-7154

CURLEY’S HAUSER JUNCTION • 26433 W. Hwy. 53, Post Falls • 208-773-5816

EICHARDT’S PUB • 212 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-263-4005

FIRST INTERSTATE CENTER FOR THE ARTS • 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. • 509-279-7000

FOX THEATER • 1001 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-624-1200

IRON HORSE • 407 E. Sherman, Coeur d’Alene • 208-667-7314

IRON HORSE BAR & GRILL • 11105 E. Sprague Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-926-8411

JOHN’S ALLEY • 114 E. Sixth St., Moscow • 208-883-7662

KNITTING FACTORY • 911 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-244-3279

LEFTBANK WINE BAR • 108 N. Washington St. • 509-315-8623

LUCKY YOU LOUNGE • 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. • 509-474-0511

MARYHILL WINERY • 1303 W. Summit Pkwy. • 509-443-3832

THE MASON JAR • 101 F St., Cheney • 509-359-8052

MAX AT MIRABEAU • 1100 N. Sullivan Rd., Spokane Valley • 509-922-6252

MILLIE’S • 28441 Hwy 57, Priest Lake • 208-443-0510

MOOSE LOUNGE • 401 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene • 208-664-7901

MOOTSY’S • 406 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-838-1570

NASHVILLE NORTH • 6361 W. Seltice Way, Post Falls • 208-457-9128

NORTHERN QUEST RESORT & CASINO • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • 877-871-6772

NYNE BAR & BISTRO • 232 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-474-1621

PEND D’OREILLE WINERY • 301 Cedar St., Sandpoint • 208-265-8545

THE PODIUM • 511 W. Dean Ave. • 509-279-7000

POST FALLS BREWING CO. • 112 N. Spokane St., Post Falls • 208-773-7301

RAZZLE’S BAR & GRILL • 10325 N. Government Way, Hayden • 208-635-5874

RED ROOM LOUNGE • 521 W. Sprague Ave. • 509-838-7613

THE RIDLER PIANO BAR • 718 W. Riverside Ave. • 509-822-7938

SEASONS OF COEUR D’ALENE • 1004 S. Perry St. • 208-664-8008

SPOKANE ARENA • 720 W. Mallon Ave. • 509-279-7000

SOUTH PERRY LANTERN • 12303 E. Trent Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-473-9098

STEAM PLANT • 159 S. Lincoln St. • 509-777-3900

STORMIN’ NORMAN’S SHIPFACED SALOON • 12303 E. Trent Ave., Spokane Valley • 509-862-4852

TRANCHE • 705

COMMUNITY FIVE YEAR FIESTA

Latinos en Spokane is a powerhouse of sorts. It’s a group constantly on the move, and crafting events and workshops that support and engage the Latino community in Spokane. This month, Latinos en Spokane celebrates five years of union and growth with their tamalada event. Roughly translated, tamalada means “tamale making party,” and at this event, various regions of Latin America are represented via tamales. There’s sure to be plenty to go around. The potluck event also includes Latinos en Spokane’s El Mercadito, an outdoor cultural market, kids activities, local vendors and live music to accompany all of the deliciousness. Congrats on five years of a strong community, Latinos en Spokane!

— MADISON PEARSON

Tamalada 2022 • Sat, Nov. 19 from 11 am-8 pm • Free • West Central Community Center • 1603 N. Belt St. • latinosenspokane.org

GET LISTED!

Submit events online at Inlander.com/getlisted or email relevant details to getlisted@inlander.com. We need the details one week prior to our publication date.

COMMUNITY WALK THE TROT

Serious local runners, like many members of the Bloomsday Road Runners Club, take the annual Turkey Trot run, well, seriously, and are eager to get to the scenic course winding through Manito Park and the South Hill to try and beat last year’s time. Others — myself included — are there for the pure community camaraderie and festive atmosphere, as this local tradition signals the start of winter holidays with its pre-Thanksgiving dinner timing. For all heading to the Trot, don’t forget cash or nonperishable food donations for Second Harvest, and dress warmly. And be on the lookout for hot apple cider passed out by friendly neighbors along the picturesque route. If you’re heading from across town, remember that parking is a bit tricky, and carpooling with a crew is the best way to get to this pre-feast, community calorie burner.

— CHEY SCOTT

Turkey Trot • Thu, Nov. 24 at 9 am • Free; donations requested • Manito Park • 1702 S. Grand Blvd. • brrc.net

FOOD MOBILE FLIGHT

Ordinarily, you’d enjoy a flight of wine in one spot, but Coeur d’Alene’s annual “Wine for the Holidays” event has you tasting wines while wandering throughout downtown’s assorted busi nesses. Check in at The Resort Plaza Shops to get your tasting tick ets good for six 1-ounce pours and a map of where to fill up your commemorative glass. Bring your holiday shopping list in case you see something for that special someone as you sip and enjoy live music at select venues. Some places even offer free gift wrapping, which is one more thing to check off your list! And if you bring an unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots, you’ll be rewarded with extra tasting tickets plus the knowledge that you’re making spirits bright for a local kiddo, too.

— CARRIE SCOZZARO

Wine for the Holidays • Sat, Nov. 19 from 1-6 pm • $20 advance; $25 door • Ages 21+ • 210 E. Sherman Ave., Coeur d’Alene. • cdadowntown.com • 208-415-0116

COMMUNITY CITY SIDEWALKS, BUSY SIDEWALKS

Say what you will, naysayers, but some of us really, really like to start our winter holiday celebrations early, tree and all. (Mine went up last weekend!) Add a parade to that list, with the return of Spokane’s Merry & Magical holiday parade, a collaboration by the Spokane Lilac Festival — which has many decades of parade experience — and Visit Spokane. A chilly November afternoon can’t keep people from celebrating, nor local marching bands, active duty military groups and community organizations, including current Lilac Festival royalty in their purple ball gowns, from traversing the parade route through downtown Spokane’s streets. In addition to the festivities, the event also serves as a donation drive for Toys for Tots, and participants are invited to bring new, unwrapped gifts for the cause.

— CHEY SCOTT

Merry & Magical Holiday Parade • Sat, Nov. 19 at 2 pm • Free • Downtown Spokane • spokanelilacfestival.org

SPORTS THE OTHER BIG GAME

The college basketball world’s eyes will be on Spokane Arena on Sunday for the sold-out matchup between Gonzaga and Kentucky, but don’t sleep on the hardwood tilt the following night. While it might not be a Top 25 matchup, Washington State and Eastern Washington men’s basketball teams both have reason to be optimistic when they face off for a neutral site game in the Arena. The Cougs could sneak up on some folk in the Pac-12 led by Sengalese big man Mouhamed Gueye, while the Eagles have a promising young core under second-year coach David Riley. (Side note: It’s honestly a joke that Gonzaga, Eastern, and Wazzu don’t all play each other in the Arena every year. Get on that, athletic directors.)

— SETH SOMMERFELD

I SAW YOU

RE: NEVER IMAGINED YOU OUT OF MY LIFE BUT... Hey there. It may or may not be the person you intended to reach, but here we are. If you couldn’t imagine it and didn’t want to go back, why say anything at all? It seems petty, cruel and a tad bit narcissistic. Whatever the case there’s a lot of pain even after all this time, and frankly the lack of closure is the only reason why I may still be here. Can’t leave but you cannot stay, so choose silence and the new life you created instead of knocking on closed doors. It’s around that time you said goodbye. Pick up the phone or stay gone.

RUDE SHOPPERS I see you throwing your trash all over the grocery store aisles. I saw you eat a bag of chicken wings and throw the bones in the produce for employees to pick up. I saw you scoop up a bunch of deli products and bulk food that you never intended to pay for. Customers and employees are sick of you. Stop being so selfish and disgusting. It is not someone’s job to follow you around and clean up after you. Learn some manners.

RE: MISSING YOU Baby, I do trust you, but I think you should just move on and try to be happy. I still read the Inlander weekly so, of course I would see your post. I’ll always have a special place in my heart for you, but we just didn’t jive right... way too far apart in age. Sorry, Baby, but I’m happier now, and you should try to be now too. Love and hugs, Baby Too Young

CHEERS

CRIME CHECK HOORAY Thank you Crime Check for helping me when I wasn’t sure if it was fireworks or a gun going off in our neighborhood last week. Much better response & the gentleman was friendly.

WOW 2 CRIME CHECK Hey Crime Check I don’t know if you read the Inlander or if your managers did, but this time when our apartment complex had prowlers in the parking lot, you sent a rolling police unit. Thanks — it sure scared the crap out of them. MUCH BETTER THANKS.

YOU’RE AWESOME! I saw you Friday the 4… sitting by Subway with 2 young boys… I think they called you grandpa… You ended up getting A&W… You have an amazing smile and loved how you were with kids… Couldn’t help but smile at you. You gave me joy… Thank you…

AMERICAN VOTERS Cheers to the American voters that wouldn’t let the Trumpanzees completely destroy democracy. The big red wave was barely a ripple. Now if we could get the last two Trump SCOTUS justices and Justice Thomas to go away, America could possibly go back to normal. Unfortunately there’s too much conservative hate out there for that to happen.

CHEERS TO THE JEERS Regarding the unrealistic Pollyanna who finds the Jeers section petty and/or negative: Not so. I admit, I go straight to reading the Jeers because so many issues have been brought to light with awareness through succinct and descriptive writing. I frequently find myself impressed by the writer putting into words what I can’t quite verbalize. Sticking one’s head in the sand only works for ostriches, BTW.

MISSING YOU We used to look at all of the drama in the Inlander. Now every week I hope to hear from you. I want to trust you. I forever will have you in my heart. Happy holidays bear. Our love is the club, our chemistry is the dj. Let’s dance! I’m right here.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS Missing you is an understatement. I miss your smile, your touch, your shrimp Alfredo. I deeply love you and am still in love. I can’t have you, and it sucks. All I want is my Irish kisses again. With all the toppings. I’ll see you in my dreams. Brrrr.

JEERS

AVISTA??? SAY IT’S NOT SO Jeers to Avista Utilities. Yes the solar panel program works, with owners getting a one for one tradeoff for energy produced, and anything not used is “banked” for future use. As little as it is in the winter, everything helps with the power bill and clean energy independence… until the end of March each year. Avista doesn’t want you producing to much energy (they limit you to 100KW a month), and at the end of March, they “wipe” all your banked energy off the books. You start with a zero balance on 1 April. It’s not like they’re not selling the excess banked energy on the wholesale market because they are. Checking with two energy companies over here in Idaho got me the answer that one rolls over your banked energy forever. Another cuts the owner a check for the wholesale market value. When called on it, Avista told me, “Washington state doesn’t require us to repay the property owner, so we don’t.”

SAME STORY AGAIN Well, the time of year has now arrived. Once again, we get to hear all about Gonzaga basketball as “our team,” meanwhile forgetting every other team in the local area. Whitworth? EWU? WSU? Those aren’t “our teams” but just other teams in the same geographical area. So, why should the news cover them? Oh well. Go Zags! Can’t wait to see another run at the national title falling short again. At least they beat North Florida Community College. What a win! ZAGS! ZAGS! ZAGS!

LUMINO$HITTY You stole my light idea because you live in darkness. You are marrying a city stooge, but who are we kidding, ten bucks says save the date for a 2023 divorce party. It has been quite the time these past four years seeing you fall in love every two months, but I can honestly say that at this stage of the game, you both are probably two peas in a pod. Shame on you for stealing my idea, and shame on you for running through male companions like a husky goes through chew toys. Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the horsiest horse-face of all?

BATMAN To quote Mr. Jack Nicholson, aka, “the Joker,” “THIS TOWN NEEDS AN ENEMA!!”

CITY COUNCIL GOP MEMBERS AND NADINE

Feel played by the redistricting map process? Oh, boohoo! Remember when you and your friends gutted the Health District board and kicked anyone off who might disagree with you? Remember there was zero oversight or community input? Consider it even!

SHAME ON YOU, INLANDER I read the “I Saw You” every week, and it has been something I always look forward to on Thursdays. After reading this morning’s “I Saw You,” I counted

HYPOCRITICAL BEHAVIOR Just a short while back, churches decided to obey the WA governor’s mandate and move all services online. This proved to be a bit of a joke. Then, they opened slowly and separated parishioners to maintain “social distance.” Now that the “pandemic” is over (it actually isn’t, according to the CDC and WHO, but stupid people have decided on their own that it is), some huge church in Spokane has decided it’s best to crowd as many people as possible into two services “to give the best possible experience to newcomers.” Ironic

four different pieces attacking Republicans. Maybe it is just that Democrats read this section of the Inlander, but shame on you Inlander for obviously being pro-left and not allowing those on the right wing to express their opinions. As a proud Republican, I am not a white supremacist, I am not racist, I am not against LQBTQ. I care about about our city, I care about small business, I believe in working hard for what I have and not expecting a handout and for everything to be given to me. Do not allow your publication to make us all seem the same, or pretty soon we will see all Democrats/Liberals in the same light, and it won’t be pretty.

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER WALKER HAYES

CONCERT Mother and Daughter section 15, row F. I spent the first hour of the concert seeing nothing but your behind because you had to stand. I was going to point out to you that you were blocking those sitting behind you during intermission when the people behind me yelled out to sit down. Your response — that you intended to stand for the entire show and that you paid for your seats — was very inconsiderate and rude. If you wanted to stand, why didn’t you purchase tickets for the floor? Did you not notice that there were people who also wanted to stand moved over to the end of the row as not to block other peoples view? Kindness isn’t a hard thing. Being aware of how your actions are affecting those around you is having empathy for the human race. By the way I too paid for my tickets. I had every right to see the show and not have it blocked by your large bottom. Totally rude and NO class. May I suggest taking an etiquette class.

considering we now have not just the original virus that caused the lockdowns but multiple other viruses circulating. It really seems to be true. Humans (in Spokane) are the dumbest animals. Add a service. Continue to maintain distance. Cover your cough. Wash your hands. Stay home when sick.

RE: SCOOTER PLAGUE Some of us might have recently needed a scooter or bicycle due to a car accident/insurance/license issue ... I agree, people need to be charged accordingly. If you have an issue with “fat people,” you should give classes out for free. Let me know, I’ll come. n

BENEFIT

5TH ANNUAL DECK THE HALLS This annual holiday fundraiser benefits One More Time NW, a nonprofit that grants wishes to adults with life-limiting condi tions. The event features food/drink and live/silent auctions. Nov. 17, 6-8 pm. $20. Garden Plaza of Post Falls, 545 N. Garden Plaza. facebook.com/onemoretimenw

SOU-PORT THE END OF HOMELESS NESS An event featyring 30+ soups pre pared and served by local businesses and organizations. All proceeds support the St. Vincent de Paul Winter programming. Nov. 17, 11 am-1 pm. $15. Silver Lake Mall, 200 W. Hanley Ave. stvincentdepaulcda. org (208-664-3095 ext. 315)

PARTY FOR A PURPOSE A benefit for Matt’s Place, which provides hope and housing for families with ALS. Nov. 17, 5:30-7:30 pm. $30-$40. Spokane Club, 1002 W. Riverside Ave. spokaneyp.org

CELEBRATE THE SEASON BASH Kick off the season with food, awards, music and ugly sweaters, and a presentation from guest speaker Anton Watson, of the Gonzaga Men’s Basketball team. Nov. 18, 5:30-7:30 pm. $25-$200. The Centennial Hotel, 303 W. North River Dr. spokane. salvationarmy.org (509-329-2733)

EPICUREAN DELIGHT Benefiting the Blood Center Foundation of the Inland Northwest and Vitalant, Epicurean wel comes guests to enjoy gourmet food and drink prepared and presented by local restaurants and libations purveyors. Nov. 18. Sold out. Spokane Convention Center, 334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. epicureande light.org (509-232-4567)

READING BETWEEN THE WINES A night of sips, sweets and a silent auction. Proceeds fund programs for The Literacy Project of North Idaho, which offers ESL classes and pairs tutors with adult learn ers. Nov. 18, 5:30 & 6 pm. $40-$75. The Jacklin Arts & Cultural Center, 405 N. Wil liam St. theliteracyprojectni.org

FURRBALL This annual event celebrates the Spokane Humane Society’s 125th year of serving neglected and unwanted animals with dinner, live music and an auction. Nov. 19, 5 pm. $150. Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. spokanhumanesociety.org

the Make Me Laugh USA Competition and semi-finalist in NBC’s Stand Up Diversity Showcase. Nov. 18, 7 pm. $10-$15. Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida.org

TONIA JO HALL, WILLIAMS & REE Hall is a native comedian teaching Native American youth about their identities. Williams and Ree are a musical comedy duo out of the Dakotas. Nov. 18, 7-10 pm. $40. Coeur d’Alene Casino, 37914 S. Nuk walqw. cdacasino.com (208-769-2464)

AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, Sedaris addresses the human condition in his stage show. Nov. 19, 8-10 pm. Sold out. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com

SAFARI A fast-paced, short-form come dic improv show. Saturdays from 7:30-9 pm. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Gar land Ave. bluedoortheatre.com

TONIA JO HALL In honor of Native American Heritage Month, nationally recognized Native American comedian Tonia Jo Hall brings her act to NQ. Nov. 19, 7:30 pm (rescheduled from Nov. 11). Free. Northern Quest Resort & Casino, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com

VICTORIA JACKSON Jackson is most well known for her six-year stint on Sat urday Night Live from 1986-1992. Nov. 20, 7:30 pm. $20-$28. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedy club.com (509-318-9998)

NEW TALENT TUESDAYS Watch come dians of all skill levels work out jokes together. Tuesdays at 7 pm (doors at 6 pm). Free. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

OPEN MIC STAND-UP Wednesdays at 7:30 pm. See website for details. Free. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

PREACHER LAWSON Preacher is best known for his appearance on season 12 of America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent. Nov. 25-26, 7:30 & 10:30 pm and Nov. 27, 7:30 pm. $25-$35. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokan ecomedyclub.com (509-318-9998)

COMMUNITY

riverparksquare.com (509-363-0304) DROP IN & RPG Stop by and explore the world of role playing games. Build a shared narrative using cooperative prob lem solving, exploration, imagination and rich social interaction. First and Third Saturdays, 1-3:45 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org

THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE AND ITS DISCOVERIES The Webb Tele scope is the most complex and expensive space telescope in history. Join astron omy educator Dan Bakken as he shares some of the discoveries of the JWST. Nov. 19, 3-4 pm. Free. Shadle Library, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave. spokanelibrary.org

MERRY & MAGICAL HOLIDAY PARADE A festive showcase of community groups, marching bands, floats and more, culmi nating with an appearance by Santa. Nov. 19, 2 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane. spo kanelilacfestival.org/holidayparade

NINE MILE ARTISAN MARKET Hand made goods from local makers, food from Incrediburger & Eggs and Crepe Cafe Sisters, coffee and more. Nov. 19, 9 am. $1. Nine Mile Elementary, 10102 W. Charles Rd. (unexpectednecessities@ yahoo.com)

PHOTOS WITH SANTA Each visit in cludes a 4x6 photo magnet, a chance to write a letter to the North Pole and a goodie bag. Donations to Teen and Kid Closet also accepted. Nov. 19-20, Nov. 26-27, Dec. 3-4 and Dec. 10-11 from 12-6 pm. $30. Creative Catch Studio, 1804 E. Sprague. santa.thecreativecatch.com

SPOKANE FREEDOM EXCHANGE An opportunity to build a parallel economy and exchange and barter homemade/ homegrown goods, silver or crypto. You don’t need to have anything to trade or barter. Bring your conspiracy theories, pictures of your homestead projects or even just yourself. Nov. 19, 10 am-noon. free. Spokane Salt Room, 2838 N Ruby. (208-274-3076)

pm. Free. The Wonder Building, 835 N. Post St. wonderspokane.com

WINTER BLESSING An afternoon of tra ditional storytelling and dance with com plimentary fry bread and huckleberry jam. Nov. 20, 2-4 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Ca sino, 37914 S. Nukwalqw. cdacasino.com

JOURNEY TO THE NORTH POLE A 40-minute holiday cruise across Lake Coeur d’Alene to view the holiday light displays and visit Santa Claus and his elves. Nov. 24-Jan. 2; daily at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 pm. $11.50-$26.50. Coeur d’Alene. cdacruises.com (208-292-5670)

MULTICULTURAL THANKSGIVING DAY

CELEBRATION A Thanksgiving day cel ebration with four ethnic groups coming together to express gratitude for their countries through traditional dress, mu sic and prayer. Please bring nonperish able food items for Our Place. Nov. 24, 10-11:30 am. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 1503 W. Dean Ave. (509-993-6157)

25TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW

This annual show features over a mil lion lights along the floating boardwalk. Nov. 25-Jan. 2, daily at sundown. Free. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com/holiday-light-show

ELF ON A SHELF COEUR D’ALENE Elf on a Shelf characters are hidden around downtown Coeur d’Alene. Find one of the Coeur d’Alene Scout Elves and win a prize from Santa. Nov. 25-Dec. 17. Free. Down town Coeur d’Alene. cdadowntown.com

FESTIVAL OF FAIR TRADE Celebrate the global community by shopping handi crafts from around the world including Nepal, Chile, Guatemala and more. This annual tradition, hosted by Ganesh Himal Trading and Kizuri, brings a world mar ketplace to Spokane. Nov. 25-26, Fri-Sat from 10 am-5:30 pm, Sun from 10 am-5 pm. Free. Community Building, 35 W. Main Ave. shopkizuri.com

KIDS HOLIDAY HUNT Look for hidden characters with secret words in 25 down town businesses and organizations. Col lect 10 and return your ‘passport’ to be entered to win the grand prize. Nov. 26Dec. 18, 10 am-8 pm daily. Free. Downtown Spokane. downtownspokane.org

MAC HOLIDAY KICK-OFF CELEBRATION Enjoy festive holiday lights and outdoor activities including a vintage Crescent department store holiday window dis play and a scavenger hunt. Meet the Campbell House’s cook, Hulda, and enjoy one of her famous sugar cookies. Nov. 26, 4-6 pm. By donation. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org

NUMERICA TREE LIGHTING CELEBRA TION This annual celebration kicks off the holidays with food trucks, live entertain ment and complimentary hot chocolate. Nov. 26, 3-6 pm. Free. Numerica Skate Ribbon, 720 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. river frontspokane.com (509-625-6600)

SHOP SMALL COLVILLE Celebrate Small Business Saturday in Colville. Stop by Heritage Court from 10 am-1 pm to ac quire your ‘passport’, then visit partici pating stores to collect stamps. Nov. 26. Free. Colville, Wash. colvilletogether.org

SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER RECOVERY IN NORTH IDAHO University of Idaho WWAMI Medical Education and North Idaho AHEC host a screening and round table discussion about substance use disorder recovery. Nov. 28, 6:45 pm. Free. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. ken worthy.org (208-882-4127)

CHRISTMAS TREE ELEGANCE This an nual holiday event features 15 decorated trees and gifts on the mezzanine of the Historic Davenport and the second floor of River Park Square. All proceeds sup port the Spokane Symphony. Nov. 29Dec. 11. Free. River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave. spokanesymphonyassoc.org

FILM

THE

SALVATION

ARMY’S SPOKANE ANGEL TREE Businesses, organizations, churches or families can commit to hang ing pre-labeled gift tags in a common space or on a Christmas tree. This allows anyone the opportunity to select a gift tag and purchase the item listed. These items are handed out to children and families throughout the season. Through Dec. 24. makingspokanebetter.org

COMEDY

DREW LYNCH Lynch is a stand-up co median known for his appearance on the 10th season of America’s Got Talent. Nov. 17, 7 pm, Nov. 18-19, 7 & 10 pm. $35-$45. Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. spokanecomedyclub.com

THE PUNDERGROUND An improvised punning competition with prizes. Regis ter to pun at 6 pm, show starts at 6:30. Nov. 17, 6-8 pm. Free. Boots Bakery & Lounge, 24 W. Main. (509-703-7223)

BEFORE IT’S IN THEATRES An all-im provised version of a movie based off of the promo trailer. Fridays at 7:30 pm through Nov. 25. $8. Blue Door Theatre, 815 W. Garland. bluedoortheatre.com

BRENDAN GAY Brendan was a finalist in

POINSETTIA OPEN HOUSE Check out 23 unique poinsettia varieties that Spokane Community College horticulture students have been managing all fall. Plants avail able for purchase. Nov. 17-18, 10 am-4 pm. Free. Spokane Community College, 1810 N. Greene St. scc.spokane.edu

SANTA’S SNEAK-PEEK WEEK CRUISES

A lake cruise takes participants to the ‘North Pole’ to visit Santa and his elves before crowds start to form. Nov. 15-23; daily at 5:30, 6:30 and 7:30 pm. $9$20.50. Coeur d’Alene. cdacruises.com

CUSTER’S CHRISTMAS ARTS & CRAFTS

SHOW The 446th annual show features professional artists and crafters from the Inland Northwest displaying and selling their goods. Nov. 18, 10 am-7 pm, Nov. 19, 9 am-6 pm and Nov. 20, 10 am-4 pm. $8$10. Spokane County Fair & Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. custershows.com

ROLE-PLAYING GAME DROP IN Improve your RPG skills by watching and partici pating in games. Fridays from 4-8 pm and Saturdays from 1-5 pm. Free. RPG Community Center, 101 N. Stone Street. rpgcenter.org

SANTA’S ARRIVAL Be the first to see Santa as he arrives at River Park Square for the holiday season. Nov. 18, 6:30 pm. Free. River Park Square, 808 W. Main Ave.

SUDS & SCIENCE: HOW PLANTS DE FEND THEMSELVES A lecture from Dr. Olivia Cope about plants and how they defend themselves in nature. Nov. 19, 7 pm. Free. Golden Handle Brewing Co., 154 S. Madison St. goldenhandle.org TAMALADA 2022 Celebrate the fifth anniversary of Latinos en Spokane with potluck tamales, El Mercadito, local ven dors, live music and more. Nov. 19, 11 am-8 pm. Free. West Central Community Center, 1603 N. Belt St. latinosenspokane. org (509-326-9540)

TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEM BRANCE Odyssey Youth Movement and Spectrum Center present an evening of community grief and celebration, fea turing local trans voices and stories. Full vaccination against COVID-19 and face masks required. Refreshments provided. Nov. 19, 3-5 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. fb.me/e/31ebCOT4X

WEST VALLEY OUTDOOR LEARNING CENTER OPEN HOUSE Join the Learning Center’s monthly open house featuring crafts, games and wild animals. Nov. 19, 10 am-1 pm. Suggested donation of $5. West Valley Outdoor Learning Center, 8706 E. Upriver Drive. olc.wvsd.org

WINTER GLOW SPECTACULAR A holi day light display that trails through Or chard Park. Nov. 19-Jan. 1. Free. Orchard Park, 20298 E. Indiana Ave. winterglow spectacular.com

WONDER HOLIDAY MARKET The Won der Building’s winter market features live music, arts and gifts, hot cocoa and more. Nov. 19-Dec. 17, Sat from 10 am-2

LIGHTING CEREMONY CRUISES Experi ence the magic as the crew flips the switch on their holiday light display for the first time. Ticket includes a 90-minute cruise and front-row seats to the annual lighting ceremony. Nov. 25, 5 & 5:30 pm. $30-$41. Coeur d’Alene. cdacruises.com

LIGHTING CEREMONY PARADE The 30th annual parade lights up Sherman Ave. and features marching bands, danc ing, music and festive floats. Nov. 25, 5-6 pm. Free. Downtown Coeur d’Alene. cdadowntown.com (208-415-0116)

WHEATLAND BANK HORSE & CAR RIAGE RIDES Free horse-drawn carriage rides through downtown Spokane pro vided by Wheatland Bank. Each ride lasts about 8-10 minutes. No reservations, standby only. Pick up at 15 N. Wall St. Nov. 25-Dec. 24; Fri from 3-8 pm, Sat-Sun from 12-5 pm. Free. Downtown Spokane. visitspokane.com (509-456-0580)

ACCEPTANCE SPOKANE A peer-sup ported safe space for LGBTQIA+ youth in the Spokane area to meet and discuss issues and topics, promote mental health awareness and acceptance of oneself. Ages 16-19. Nov. 26, 3-4 pm. Free. Atomic Threads Clothing Boutique, 1925 N. Mon roe St. acceptancespokane.org

CRESCENT HOLIDAY WINDOWS Five window bays on the south side of the Grand display refurbished figurines res cued from the basement of the former Crescent department store. Display un veiling on Sat, Nov. 26 at 4:30 pm. Regu lar hours through Jan. 2; Fri-Sat from 12-10 pm and Sun-Thu from 3-8 pm. Free. Davenport Grand Hotel, 333 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. davenporthotelcollection.com

BRING HER HOME This documentary examines the fight for justice for mur dered and missing Indigenous women. Guest speaker Margo Hill leads a postfilm discussion. In the Health Education & Research Building, room 432. Nov. 17, 4-6 pm. Free. WSU Health Sciences Spokane, 412 E. Spokane Falls Blvd. medicine.wsu. edu (509-358-7500)

CATVIDEOFEST A compilation reel of the latest and best cat videos culled from countless hours of submissions, sourced animations, music videos and classic in ternet powerhouses. Nov. 17, 7 pm. $10. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenwor thy.org (208-882-4127)

LENA HAUG & ALL THE WILD HORSES

Celebrating local equestrian Lena Haug, who’s currently participating in the Mon gol Derby, the longest endurance horse race in the world. Nov. 17, 7 pm. $20.

Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. panida. org (208-263-9191)

THIRD THURSDAY MATINEE MOVIE: BOUND FOR GLORY This film traces the life of folk singer Woody Guthrie, based on his 1943 autobiography. Nov. 17, 1 pm. $7. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN Two lifelong friends find themselves at an im passe when one abruptly ends their rela tionship, with alarming consequences for both of them. Nov. 18-20; Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 4-6 pm. $7. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-8824127)

EVENTS

CALENDAR

SWEETHEART DANCERS This film about a Two-Spirit couple is followed by bingo with prizes from R.I.S.E. Indigenous, the Spectrum Center and more. Registration required. Nov. 18, 6 pm. Free. The Hive, 2904 E. Sprague Ave. spectrumcenter spokane.org (509-444-5300)

TOTALLY TUBULAR TUESDAY A weekly screening of a throwback film. Every Tuesday at 7 pm. $2.50. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.com

THE WIZARD OF OZ The classic musical returns to the big screen. Nov. 22, 7:15 pm. $5. Garland Theater, 924 W. Garland Ave. garlandtheater.com (509-327-1050)

ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS This 22nd annual edition is composed of 10 films which deal with both the anxieties and hopes of a world faced with a seem ingly endless series of existential crises. Nov. 23, 7 pm. $10. The Kenworthy, 508 S. Main St. kenworthy.org (208-882-4127)

FOOD & DRINK

BEVERLY’S THANKSGIVING WINE DIN

NER Select wines are paired with a sixcourse, autumn-inspired menu crafted by executive chef Jim Barrett and sous chef Taylor Wolters. Nov. 17, 6-9 pm. $150. Beverly’s, 115 S. Second. beverlyscda.com

FIRESIDE DINNER & MUSIC SERIES En joy selections from Arbor Crest’s season al menu along with wine and beer from Square Wheel Brewing. Music lineup varies, see website for info. Thu-Sat from 6-8 pm. $50-$60. Arbor Crest Wine Cel lars, 4705 N. Fruit Hill Rd. arborcrest.com

FRIENDS’ FEAST An evening of commu nity and food in partnership with KSPS PBS Kids. Get to know members of the community through food, watch an epi sode of Molly of Denali and create. recipe book. Nov. 17, 4:30-6:30 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. sparkcentral.org (509-279-0299)

HISTORICAL

SERIES Each week, Chef Steven and team create a buffet brunch. Pour your bubbles, pick your juice and garnish with fruit. Nov. 20, 10 am-2 pm. $25. Fête - A Nectar Co, 120 N. Stevens St. bit.ly/mimo sa-brunch (509-951-2096)

DRAG BRUNCH Watch local drag queens perform while enjoying breakfast and mimosas. Sundays from 10 am-2 pm. Globe Bar & Kitchen, 204 N. Division. globespokane.com

NOVA KAINE’S DON’T TELL MAMA CABARET & DRAG BRUNCH Local drag performers take the stage and perform pieces choreographed by Troy Nickerson. First and third Sundays, 11 am. Highball A Modern Speakeasy, 100 N. Hayford Rd. northernquest.com (877-871-6772)

INDIGENOUS FOODS WORKSHOP Cre ate wild rice and meatballs with guid ance from the Center for Native Ameri can Health. In the Health Education & Research Building, room 202. Nov. 22, 2-4 pm. Free. WSU Spokane Campus. (509-477-2048)

TOM’S TURKEY DRIVE Purchase a bag at any Spokane-area Rosauers to help com plete a Thanksgiving meal for a family in need. $20. krem.com/toms-turkey-drive

THANKSGIVING BUFFET A holiday buf fet crafted by Dockside’s chefs. Nov. 24, 10 am-6 pm. $30-$56. Dockside Restau rant, 115 S. Second St., Coeur d’Alene Re sort, Lobby Floor. docksidecda.com

MUSIC

EWU WIND ENSEMBLE CONCERT The student wind ensemble performs various compositions under the direction of Don Goodwin. Nov. 17, 7:30 pm. $5-$10. EWU Music Building Recital Hall, Music Build ing 119. ewu.edu/music (509-359-2241)

sition competition, as well as the North west premiere of Brent Edstrom’s “Prairie Songs,” sung by tenor and faculty mem ber Scott Miller. Nov. 21, 7:30 pm. $10-$12. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. foxtheaterspokane.org

THE BEST OF CHRISTMAS Ellen Tra volta’s annual evening of holiday music, laughter and stories, featuring special guests Abbey Crawford, Molly Allen, Mark Cotter and Margaret Travolta. Nov. 25-Dec. 18, Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm; Sun at 5 pm. $35. The Coeur d’Alene Resort, 115 S. Second. cdaresort.com/travoltachristmas-show

SGT. STEVE: IT’S OFFICIALLY CHRIST MAS Steve Friel, professor of saxophone at EWU, and fellow EWU professor Kris tina Ploeger perform original takes on well-known holiday songs. Nov. 25, 8-10 pm. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. bingcrosbytheater.com

SPORTS & OUTDOORS

PRAY FOR SNOW PARTY Kick off the winter season with a “Dance for Snow” contest, a retro ski gear contest, a pho tobooth and the release of PSB’s Haute Laps Pale Ale Nov. 18, 6-11 pm. Free. Perry Street Brewing, 1025 S. Perry St. perrys treetbrewing.com (509-279-2820)

SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. CALGARY HITMEN Promotional events include Fred Meyer Shop with the Chiefs night. Nov. 19, 7:05 pm. $12-$30. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com

$10-$12. Ferris High School, 3020 E. 37th Ave. ferristheatrearts.com

ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD A selection of scenes from Jacques Of fenbach’s operetta performed by WSU opera workshop students. Nov. 17, 7:30-9 pm. Free. Bryan Hall Theatre, 605 Veter ans Way. music.wsu.edu

THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL A teen and his friends embark on an epic journey to find Zeus’s missing lightning bolt and prevent a war among the Greek gods. Nov. 18-20, Fri-Sat at 7 pm, Sat-Sun at 3 pm. $14-$18. Kroc Center, 1765 W. Golf Course Rd. cyt northidaho.org (208-660-9870)

GONZAGA THEATRE SPORTS IMPROV The student comedy group showcases family-friendly humor in this completely improvised stage show. Nov. 19, 9 pm and Dec. 3, 9 pm. $1. Gonzaga University Magnuson Theatre, 502 E. Boone Ave. gonzaga.edu/theatreanddance

A CHRISTMAS CAROL As miserly Eb enezer Scrooge falls asleep on Christmas Eve, three ghosts appear, revealing to Scrooge the wrong doings of his life and what happens if he continues his evil ways. Nov. 25-Dec. 23, Thu-Sat at 7:30 pm, Sun at 2 pm. $10-$35. Spokane Civic Theatre, 1020 N. Howard St. spokaneciv ictheatre.com (509-325-2507)

VISUAL ARTS

through March 12. $7-$12. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org

ORNAMENT & SMALL WORK SHOW This annual show features small pieces of art and ornaments by local artists. Mon-Fri from 10 am-5 pm through Dec. 23. Free to shop. Spokane Art School, 811 W. Garland Ave. spokaneartschool.net

RELIEF PRINTING: INTRO TO LINOCUTZ Learn the basics of relief printmaking using linoleum cuts with artist RGZ. All materials included. Nov. 17, 4-6 pm. $55. Spokane Print & Publishing Center, 1921 N. Ash St. spokaneprint.org

SAVAGES & PRINCESSES: THE PERSIS TENCE OF NATIVE AMERICAN STEREO TYPES Contemporary Native American visual artists reclaim their identities by replacing stereotypical images that fill the pop culture landscape. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Jan. 8. $10-$15. Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org

SPOKANE JEWELERS GUILD SHOW

Guild members work in sterling silver, titanium, copper and mixed metals, plus glass enamel, clay, fibers, found objects, crystal and gemstones. Daily from 11 am-7 pm through Nov. 30. Free. Pottery Place Plus, 203 N. Washington St. pot teryplaceplus.com

TOUR & SUPPER CLUB

Enjoy dinner, Prohibition-style cocktails and live music by Jona Gallegos. Dinner is served at a large communal table, fam ily style. Nov. 18 and Nov. 19, 5-9:30 pm. $85. Commellini Estate, 14715 N. Dartford Dr. commellini.com/supper-club

MURDER AT THE SPEAKEASY A night at the speakeasy filled with intrigue. Discover who the killer is while enjoying a meal. Reservations required. Nov. 18, 7 pm. $59. Roosevelt Inn, 105 E. Wallace. therooseveltinn.com (208-765-5200)

NORTH IDAHO WINE SOCIETY The No vember program features Dunham Cel lars from Walla Walla. Joanne Dunham, founder and managing partner of the winery, speaks about the selections. Nov. 18, 7:30 pm. $25-$30. Lake City Center, 1916 N. Lakewood Dr. northidahowineso ciety.org (208-667-4628)

SENSORY COFFEE TASTING Test your senses with Evan Brothers Coffee Roast ers and a variety of coffees, apples, honey, cinnamon and more to learn about tasting notes and identifying them in coffee. Nov. 19, 11 am-1 pm. Free. The Wonder Building, 835 N. Post St. Evans BrothersCoffee.com (509-808-2749)

WINE FOR THE HOLIDAYS Enjoy a vari ety of wines perfect for pairing with holi day meals. Sip, stroll and shop downtown boutiques, home décor shops, bakeries, ice cream shops and more. Nov. 19, 1-6 pm. $20. Downtown Coeur d’Alene, Sher man Ave. (208-415-0116)

BOTTOMLESS(ISH) MIMOSA BRUNCH

HANDEL’S MESSIAH Handel takes the story of Christ and illustrates it with music that is profound, moving, venge ful, transformational and even humor ous. Nov. 19, 7:30 pm and Nov. 20, 3 pm. $13.50-$32. St. John’s Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave. spokanesymphony.org

SATURDAY WITH THE SYMPHONY: A CHILDREN’S PROGRAM A program geared toward introducing children to music via the Coeur d’Alene Symphony. Third Thursday of every month from 11 am-12 pm. Free. Coeur d’Alene Public Library, 702 E. Front Ave. cdalibrary.org

HORN RECITAL This recital features Jen nifer Brummett, Cynthia Munson and Andrew Angelos. Compositions include Dukas, Mozart and Krol. Nov. 20, 7-8 pm.

Free. Whitworth Cowles Auditorium, 300 W. Hawthorne Ave. whitworth.edu

MUSIC CONSERVATORY OF SAND POINT: FALL SERENADE This annual event showcases the conservatory’s mu sic teachers. All proceeds benefit com munity youth who wish to learn to sing or play an instrument. Nov. 20, 7-9 pm.

$25. Music Conservatory of Sandpoint, 110 Main St. sandpointconservatory.org

SPOKANE STRING QUARTET This con cert features Dawn Wolksi, program TBA. Nov. 20, 3 pm. $20-$25. Bing Crosby Theater, 901 W. Sprague Ave. spokanes tringquartet.org (509-998-2261)

SPOKANE YOUTH SYMPHONY: BRAVO! Program TBA. Nov. 20, 4 pm. $15-$19. Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox, 1001 W. Sprague Ave. foxtheaterspokane.org

PRAIRIE SONGS & CONCERTO WIN NERS The Whitworth University Orches tra’s fall concert features the winners of the annual student concerto and compo

EASTERN EAGLES VS. WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS The Eastern Washing ton University’s Men’s Basketball team hosts the Washington State University Cougars in partnership with Numerica Credit Union. Nov. 21, 6 pm. $13-$103. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spo kanearena.com (509-279-7000)

WORLD CUP VIEWING PARTY Watch the USA Men’s team take on Wales and Iran and work on a kids’ soccer craft. Nov. 21, 11 am-1:30 pm and Nov. 29, 11 am-1:30 pm. Free. Spokane Valley Library, 12004 E. Main. scld.org (893-8400)

SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. VANCOUVER GI ANTS Promo events include the Tickets West Player Magnet Giveaway. Nov. 23, 7:05 pm. $12-$30. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com

BRRC TURKEY TROT A three-mile run/ walk through Manito Park on Thanksgiv ing morning. The race is free but dona tions to Second Harvest Food Bank are accepted. Nov. 24, 9 am. Manito Park, 1800 S. Grand Blvd. brrc.net

STATE LAND FREE DAYS The Washing ton State Parks and Recreation Commis sion invites visitors to enjoy a state park for free on select days each year. Nov. 25. Free. parks.wa.gov

SPOKANE CHIEFS VS. EVERETT SIL VERTIPS Promotional events include the Winter Warmth Clothing Drive. Nov. 27, 5:05 pm. $12-$30. Spokane Arena, 720 W. Mallon Ave. spokanechiefs.com

THEATER

26 PEBBLES A heartbreaking docudra ma by Eric Ulloa about gun violence in a small town. Nov. 17, 5 pm, Nov. 18-19, 7:30 pm. Eastern Washington University, 526 Fifth St. ewu.edu/theatre DISNEY’S THE LITTLE MERMAID A mu sical is based the classic Disney animated film. Nov. 17-18 at 7 pm, Nov. 19 at 2 pm.

26TH SMALL WORKS INVITATIONAL A show and sale that features works by over 100 artists, all small enough to give as gifts. Through Dec. 25. Free. The Art Spirit Gallery, 415 Sherman Ave. artspir itgallery.com (208-765-6006)

AMERICAN IMPRESSIONISM: TREA SURES FROM THE DAYWOOD COLLEC TION This exhibition features 41 paint ings from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through Jan. 8. $10-$20. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org

BRUSH & BREWS: SNOWMAN STYLE! Cozy up with a beer, paints and friends to paint a reclaimed wood pallet. Nov. 17, 6:30-9 pm. $55. Golden Handle Brewing Co., 154 S. Madison St. goldenhandle.org

CAITIE SELLERS: SCENES FROM AN UNDERPASS An ode to human develop ment, stubborn vegetation, sprawl, guts, growth and decay. Drawings are trans lated into sculptures and displayed with a collection of small studies and samples. Mon-Fri from 8:30 am-3:30 am through Dec. 1. Free. SFCC Fine Arts Gallery, 3410 W. Whistalks Way. sfcc.spokane.edu

CRISTA ANN AMES: MISAPPROPRIATE MYTHOLOGIES A new spin on feminine monuments and sculptures from art his tory. Thu-Sat from 4-7 pm through Nov. 26. Free. Terrain Gallery, 728 N. Monroe St. terrainspokane.com

DANCING WITH LIFE: MEXICAN MASKS

With a regional focus in Michoacan, Mexico, this exhibition presents a selec tion of dance masks from the MAC collec tion and contemporary Mexican artists. Tues-Sun from 10 am-5 pm through April 16. $7-$12. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. northwestmuseum.org (509-456-3931)

LILA SHAW GIRVIN: GIFT OF A MO MENT Living and working in Spokane since 1958, Lila Girvin has used vibrant color, form, and unassuming techniques with oil paint to explore new dimensions of feeling through ethereal, abstract paintings. Tue-Sun from 10 am-5 pm

STACY ISENBARGER: SPLIT Isenbarg er’s work considers physical, personal and political boundaries in response to drastic changes in our communal spaces. Mon-Fri from 9 am-5 pm through Jan. 19. Free. EWU Gallery of Art, 140 Art Build ing. ewu.edu/cahss (509-359-2494)

TRANSMUTATION Kim Long and Susan Webber complement each other with themes of nature, mythology and the in clusion of personal experiences. Wed-Sat from 11 am-5 pm through Nov. 26. Free. New Moon Art Gallery, 1326 E. Sprague. newmoonartgallery.com

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT An exhibi tion curated by Charlene Teters of local native artists who create art around the idea of native land acknowledgements. Fri from 4-7 pm, Sat from 10 am-3 pm through Dec. 3. Free. Gonzaga University Urban Arts Center, 125 S. Stevens St. face book.com/GUUAC

LISA NAPPA & CHRIS TYLLIA: SWELL Swell is a collection of materials, objects and images that explore observation, movement and change. Fri-Sat from 12-8 pm through Nov. 26. Free. Saranac Art Projects, 25 W. Main Ave. sapgallery.com

SPOKANE HANDWEAVERS’ GUILD SHOW & SALE A display of handwoven items created by members of the Spo kane Handweavers Guild. Nov. 18, 2-9 pm and Nov. 19, 12-6 pm. Free. Barrister Win ery, 1213 W. Railroad Ave. barristerwinery. com (509-413-1133)

DEB & EMMA SHELDON OPEN HOUSE

This open house hosted by two local art ists includes letterpress demonstrations, paintings, prints, cars and treats for all who attend. Nov. 19, 10 am-6 pm. Free. Avenue Art + Design, 514 W. 24th Ave. avenueart.design

FUSED GLASS ANIMAL ORNAMENT

Create two glass ornaments or magnets using glass scraps and the technique of glass fusing. Nov. 19, 10 am-noon. $53$55. Art Salvage Spokane, 1925 N. Ash St. artsalvagespokane.com (509-598-8983)

HOLIDAY MARKET Emerge’s annual hol iday market includes pottery, knit goods, jewelry, prints and more created by local makers and artists. Nov. 19, 11 am-5 pm. Free. Emerge, 119 N. Second St. emerg ecda.com

ITCH TO STITCH Weekly support and a place to learn new basic skills in knit, crochet and other stitch crafts. Spark Central furnishes yarn, please bring hooks and needles if possible. Tue from 12-2 pm through Dec. 20. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org

BLACK FRIDAY SPOKRAMPUS ART SHOW Various local artists have submitted Krampus/dark Christ mas-themed artwork to be shown in the bookstore. Nov. 25, 5-8 pm. Free. Giant Nerd Books, 607 W. Gar land Ave. giantnerdbooks.com

WORDS

EMERGE OPEN MIC NITE 3Hosts Willow Tree and Koda welcome you to share music, poetry, spoken word, etc. Third Thursdays, 7-9 pm. Free. Emerge, 119 N. Second St. emerg ecda.com (208-930-1876)

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF TOLER ANCE SYMPOSIUM This symposium examines the implications of stag ing “the world’s greatest sporting event” on the social, political and economic development of Qatar as well as on regional and global af fairs. Presenters include Bill Smith, Emma Ariyo and Naghme Morlock. Nov. 17, 5:45-7 pm. Free. Gonzaga Hemmingson Center, 702 E. Desmet Ave. gonzaga.edu (509-313-6942)

LEANNE BABLITZ: WHERE HAVE THE ROMAN COURTROOMS GONE? Using ancient evidence and virtual reality 3D modeling, explore the locations at which the inhabit ants of Roman communities sought resolution to their disputes. Nov. 17, 6-8 pm. Free. The MAC, 2316 W. First Ave. .northwestmuseum.org

LETS TALK ABOUT SEX! Talk about different aspects of healthy sexual living including the prevention of STIs and HIV. In collaboration with Gilead Sciences and SANS Spokane Aids Network. Nov. 17, 6-8 pm. Free. Atomic Threads Boutique, 1905 N. Monroe St. atomicthreadsinc.com

LILAC CITY LIVE! This months guests are NAACP President, Kian tha Duncan, comedian and radio host Casey Strain and musical guest Rosie Cerquone. Nov. 17, 8 pm. Free. Central Library, 906 W. Main Ave. spokanelibrary.org

PUBLIC LANDS STORYTELLING SERIES: EPICS Local storytellers talk about adventures they’ve had while on public lands. Nov. 17, 6 pm. Free. Saranac Commons, 19 W. Main. landscouncil.org (509-838-4912)

HANDS-ON POETRY This program invites youth and families to get cre ative with language through art and movement, no paper necessary. All literary levels welcome. Fridays from 4-5 pm. Free. Spark Central, 1214 W. Summit Pkwy. spark-central.org

ARTIST TALK: LR MONTGOMERY & RUTH GIFFORD A social gathering with Dishman Hills Artist in Resi dence LR Montgomery and Dishman Hills Director Ruth Gifford. Learn about the Conservancy’s beginnings and current projects. See and collect impressionistic paintings of the Hills. Nov. 19, 5 pm. Free. Liberty Building, 402 N. Washington. spokaneliberty building.com

BROKEN MIC Spokane Poetry Slam’s longest-running, weekly se ries. Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. Free. Neato Burrito, 827 W. First Ave. bit. ly/2ZAbugD (509-847-1234) n

LEGALIZATION

Green Tide Ebbs

Cannabis legalization crashed against “no” votes this Election Day

BY WILL MAUPIN

Election Day has been a cause for celebration among legalization activists in the decade since voters in Washington and Colorado approved cannabis for recreational use. From 2014 through 2020, legalization efforts appeared on ballots 14 times, with vot ers approving 11 of them.

This year was a different story.

Cannabis legalization was on the ballot in five states this year: Arkansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota and South Dakota. Only two of those — Maryland and Missouri — approved it.

This was the second time in four years that North Dakotans have voted to reject cannabis legalization. The 2018 attempt failed, garnering just 40.5 percent of the vote. The 2022 attempt gained some ground but still reaped just 45 percent of the vote.

South Dakota voters, on the other hand, had previ

ously approved a legalization measure in 2020, with 54.2 percent of the vote. However, a legal challenge spear headed by Republican Gov. Kristi Noem overturned the vote on a constitutional technicality. Two years later, the pro-legalization effort garnered just 47.1 percent of the vote. Noem was once again vociferous in her opposition to legalization efforts as she campaigned both against legalization and for her own reelection, which she won.

The state where legalization efforts performed the worst was Arkansas, where only 43.7 percent of voters supported legalization. That result isn’t terribly surpris ing, however, as the American South has largely avoided the green wave that’s swept across the rest of the country. The initiative in Arkansas was just the first time that recreational cannabis has appeared on the ballot in a traditionally southern state. Many states in the South still prohibit medical marijuana, and only one — Virginia —

For now, cannabis remains illegal in the Dakotas.

has legalized recreational cannabis, where the legalization process moved through the Legislature rather than the ballot box.

It wasn’t all bad news for proponents of legalization on Election Day, however. Initiatives were approved in Maryland and Missouri, making them the 12th and 13th states, plus D.C., to legalize recreational cannabis at the ballot box. Maryland’s proposal was approved with 65.8 percent of the vote, while Missouri’s passed with 53.1 percent of the vote.

Overall, the number of states that have legalized recreational cannabis now stands at 21.

Looking ahead to 2023, legalization will be on the ballot in Oklahoma and could be as well in Ohio, where a similar measure has been cleared for signature gather ing. Signature gathering efforts for 2024 are also under way in Florida and Nebraska. n

NOTE TO READERS

Be aware of the differences in the law between Idaho and Washington. It is illegal to possess, sell or transport cannabis in the State of Idaho. Possessing up to an ounce is a misdemeanor and can get you a year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine; more than three ounces is a felony that can carry a five-year sentence and fine of up to $10,000. Transporting marijuana across state lines, like from Washington into Idaho, is a felony under federal law.

This product has intoxicating effects and may be habit forming. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. For use only by adults twenty-one and older. Keep out of the reach of children.

BE AWARE: Marijuana is legal for adults 21 and older under Washington State law (e.g., RCW 69.50, RCW 69.51A, HB0001 Initiative 502 and Senate Bill 5052). State law does not preempt federal law; possessing, using, distributing and selling marijuana remains illegal under federal law. In Washington state, consuming marijuana in public, driving while under the influence of marijuana and transporting marijuana across state lines are all illegal. Marijuana has intox icating effects; there may be health risks as sociated with its consumption, and it may be habit-forming. It can also impair concentration, coordination and judgment. Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of this drug. Keep out of reach of children. For more information, consult the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board at www.liq.wa.gov.