Salish - Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee...

Salish-Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee employees and consultants:
Director: Antoine Incashola
Senior Advisor & Translator: Felicite "Jim" Sapiye McDonald
Language Specialist: Shirley Trahan
Historical Collections Manager: Sadie Peone
Translator: Josephine Quequesah
Office Manager: Gloria Whitworth
Facilities Manager: Richard Alexander
Data Entry Technician: Alan "Chauncey" Beaverhead
History & Geography Projects: Thompson Smith

PURPOSE AND MISSION
The Salish-Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee (originally called the Flathead Culture Committee) seeks to preserve, protect, and perpetuate the living culture and traditional ways of life of our people.

HISTORY AND ORGANIZATION
The Salish-Pend d'Oreille Culture Committee was first created in 1974-75 in response to the urgent concern of many traditional elders that we needed to take strong action to ensure that our culture would be carried on by the younger generations, and by the generations yet to come. Since that time, we have worked hard in many areas to ensure that both our language and way of life will always survive and flourish.

The elders are now constituted as the Salish-Pend d'Oreille Elders Cultural Advisory Council, a group of culturally knowledgeable elders whose wise oversight and direction shapes both the long-term goals and daily work of the Culture Committee staff.

The Culture Committee staff is comprised of eight full-time staff members and one consultant. Our offices are based at based at the Salish-Pend d'Oreille Longhouse in St. Ignatius.

The Committee’s work covers many areas, including:

1. Traditional tribal cultural events and activities
2. Salish-Pend d'Oreille Elders Cultural Advisory Council
3. Salish language
4. History & Culture Archives, Photographic Archives, and Historical Collections Management
5. Tribal History and Ethnogeography Projects
6. Cultural orientation for Tribal and non-Tribal departments and programs.
7. Public educational outreach and presentations.

The Salish Longhouse – is an important center of tribal cultural life. Use of this
building is strictly reserved for traditional activities and tribal use. Following is a
prioritized list of allowed uses of this space:

1. Wakes and funerals.
2. Memorial feasts.
3. Traditional cultural activities (e.g., Jump Dances and Bitterroot Feast) and
   SPCC events.
4. SPCC elders meetings.
5. Tribal meetings and use by other tribal departments.

Please contact the Culture Committee to inquire further about use of the facility at 406-745-4572.