Wà;šiw Land Back in the Tahoe Basin: Join the Movement

A traditional ceremonial structure solely dedicated to ceremony and the spiritual teachings of Wà;šiw will bring the people together to build it, maintain it, and remind everyone that Wašišiw are still present on the land as the original stewards. Returning ceremony to the land is not simply ritual, for us, it is conservation at its best; prayers to remind us and the larger surrounding community, that we are still here, and we remember how to live in balance and harmony with the earth and all living things, and with each other as human beings.

Two such “round” ceremonial semi subterranean dance/doctoring houses were present in Wašiw homelands after the turn of the century, but both were destroyed. Today there are no Wašiw gathering places in the Tahoe basin specifically designated for Wašiw spirituality and cultural teachings that are not linked to monetary gain and tourism. Wašiw are in an urgent situation, with very few original language speakers left and little access to our orignal homelands and our traditional foods and medicines. Before contact, our ancestors visited the shores of Da’aw aga [edge of the lake] each spring and summer to hunt, fish and gather plants. A return to the lake in a spiritual and ceremonial way has been missing for many years.

Dit de’huya lada’êšip hulew–All our lands make it right with our hands together!