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In keeping with the oral traditions of the First Nation People, Agnes Baker Pilgrim has shared the legacy of her Takelma ancestors at sacred salmon ceremonies along the Applegate and Rogue rivers for the better part of two decades. "The old ones used to believe that salmon were people who looked like us, the two-legged,” she tells those who gather at river’s edge. “They lived in beautiful cities beneath the ocean floor. Every spring and fall, they chose to put on the form of salmon to come back and feed the two-legged. They teach us that you have to give back." Affectionately known as “Grandma Aggie,” Baker Pilgrim weaves a tapestry of stories of people who lived for 22,000 years on land “they felt the creator gave to them, eternally, as long as the grass grew and the water flowed.” And, for the past 15 years, the self-proclaimed “ambassador for Mother Earth” has addressed global water issues. “The creator called upon me to be a ‘voice for the voiceless,’ and for a long time I didn’t know what that meant. But then I hit upon that one of those that needs our voice is water. Water is very sacred. We are all born in water. We have an obligation to take care of it.” In an audiobook titled “Grandma Says: ‘Wake Up, World!’ ” Blackstone Publishing has preserved Baker Pilgrim’s stories as well as her wit and wisdom for future generations. In conjunction with the audiobook, the Ashland-based production company also released paperback and e-book versions in December. Baker Pilgrim’s narrative is the first in Blackstone’s series titled “The Legacy of the First Nation, Voices of a Generation.” “It’s important to preserve the legacy and wisdom of the First Nation People,” says Rick Bleiweiss, head of business development for Blackstone. “This is an opportunity to spread the wisdom.” “Grandma’s stories are compelling, and her voice captivating,” he adds. “She’s an engaging human being.” “The Ancient Ones are speaking through our voices,” says Baker Pilgrim, who has adopted the name Taowhywee (“Morningstar”) and wears the traditional “111” chin tattoos. Baker Pilgrim is considered a “Living Treasure” by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz. Honored as a “Living Cultural Legend” by the Oregon Council of the Arts, the 91-year-old Grants Pass woman is the spiritual leader and the oldest living member of the Takelma tribe. As chairperson and one of the founders of the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, Baker Pilgrim has had an audience with the Pope, the Dalai Lama and President Barack Obama. With the audiobook, Bleiweiss hopes her audience is now the world. In “Grandma Says: ‘Wake Up, World!’ ” she shares life experiences, addresses a wide range of cultural and societal issues, including bullying, teen suicide, drugs and alcohol, the environment, and prescribes how to cope with physical and emotional pain. Bleiweiss calls it her “blueprint for living life together in harmony, laughter and peace.” Jason R. Couch, executive producer of the series, says documenting the elders’ stories before they are gone is both his passion and mission. A member of the Muskogee Creek tribe, he says, “I was born to (do) it.” The second project in the series will be Thomas Doty's “Doty Meets Coyote: Traditional & Original Native American Stories.” Both audiobook and e-book are set to be released in February. Doty is nationally known for his performances of traditional and original native stories. He is currently writing a series of "Doty and Coyote" stories that dramatize the native folklore, mythology and history of the Gold Hill area. The third storyteller, in what Couch calls the “perfect triad of sacred storytellers,” is Chief Arvol Looking Horse, a spiritual leader of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota nations and founder of World Peace and Prayer Day. The project with Baker Pilgrim is the result of a “20-something-year-long” relationship, he says. A photographer and aspiring filmmaker, Couch has spent the last two decades capturing Baker Pilgrim’s life. “(The audiobook) wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t had that,” he says. “She knew she was safe.” He likens it to a “sacred trust among native warriors.” Once in the recording studio, he says, “we pretty much just hit ‘record,’ and got out of her way.” In the stories, Baker Pilgrim shares memories of her childhood growing up in Lincoln County at the Siletz reservation. She also describes how she had to muster the strength to forgive the prejudice suffered by her people. “There were restaurant signs that said ‘Indians and Dogs Not Allowed,’ ” she recalls. “But I am not bitter … what was, was … I forgave. I can’t change what happened a minute, an hour, a day, a week or a year before. I can only change now.” She may have forgiven, but she has not forgotten. She recounts the Takelmas’ removal from the Rogue Valley after the bitter Rogue River Indian Wars and the long trek to Siletz in 1856. “The Trail of Tears,” she says, “was 200 miles of trails where there were no trails.” With only moccasins on their feet and very few belongings on their backs, many of the elders perished as they traversed rough terrain in inclement weather. Baker Pilgrim’s grandfather George Harney was 19 years old when he walked the Trail of Tears. For the next 14 years he worked alongside people from 27 other tribes to adjust to the hardships of life on the reservation. “It was a terrible time for our people,” his granddaughter says. “It’s a wonder I sit here.” Like her grandfather, who was later elected the first chief of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz, Baker Pilgrim is a diplomat. “Yes, we have a lot of work to do to have harmony and peace,” she says. “Together we have gifts to bring by teaching what is sacred. We are all in this leaky canoe together. … We will keep on keeping on until our hearts are on the ground.” Reach Grants Pass freelance writer Tammy Asnicar at [email protected]. null