Story by Kelli Larsen, Plymouth’s director of strategic initiatives

 

As soon as I walked through the front door at Scargo/Lewiston, I smelled the frying bread. I made my way back to the kitchen to see Plymouth staff hard at work: Katharine Revello frying up the bread like a professional…Laura Jones, Kristina Grotts, Jeanese Hime, and Carole Antoncich setting up the food and getting ready to serve dinner to celebrate our annual Native Dinner.

Roger Fernandes started off the evening with a few stories. Roger is an artist and storyteller, and member of the Lower Elwha S’Klallam Tribe. His stories have enriched every one of Plymouth’s Native Dinners.

One of the pieces of wisdom he shared is that stories are on a journey and you help them travel and live and grow by telling them to others. I love this view of stories, and it reminds me of all the stories I have heard in my own family, in my work, from our staff and from our tenants. We all need to keep telling stories.

Once the storytelling was complete, a few of our dinner guests talked with Roger and shared their tribal connections – one mentioned Ute, another Cheyenne.

Finally it was time to eat!

Plymouth housing case manager David Rodriquez offered a few words to open the meal and gathering.

Next, our team delivered fry bread to each table while we assembled dinner plates for each guest – which included venison, salmon, wild rice, and vegetables. We also served a few beverages, which required some improvisation in the small kitchen – we didn’t have a proper ladle for serving the hot cider, but the resourceful Mycie Lubin invented a workaround, and we continued on. JJ Stein also arrived with guests from St. Charles, and helped out in the kitchen.

Thanks to all of our residents and staff for making this such a wonderful event.

 

Consider these words from one of Roger’s stories:

I will be strong for my people

I will be strong for my ancestors

I will be strong for those to come