November 30, 1921-February 8, 2024
In her own words from The Gift of Knowledge / Ttnúwit Átawish Nch'inch'imamí: Reflections on Sahaptin Ways, p. 72.
Tmáaktapam waḵ’íshwit, átaw iwá. Shix̱ nam imínk átawitma náktwaninta. Pápa’atawitapam. Awkláwna lísx̱am wa níyii niimí waḵ’íshwit, cháwna tl’yáwita kuna kw’áx̱i táx̱shita, chaw. Tamánwitkina wa íchna tiichámpa, chaw áwtik’a. Wáshna níyii kútkut náktkwanint tl’áax̱wnan tuun waḵ’íshwityiinan.
Respect your life. It is valuable. Take care of your loved ones, love one another. We are given life only once. We cannot die and come back to life again later, no. We were created and put here on this land for a reason. We were given life to dwell here and take care of everything that has life.
(Contributors to the below: Brian Saluskin, Julie Saluskin, Joana Jansen, Janne Underrinner, Sharon Hargus, Keegan Livermore)
Beloved Yakama elder Dr. Virginia “Tuxámshish” Beavert passed on February 8, 2024 at the age of 102. She was the eldest female elder of the Yakama Nation, and known as a linguist, educator, author and WWII Veteran. She was the first woman to be elected Secretary-Treasurer of Yakama General Council, in which she served from 1978-1985. In 2015, the Yakama Nation dedicated the Tuxámshish Higher Education Center, named to honor Dr. Beavert. The Yakama Nation wrote, “She achieved many milestones in her lifetime and impacted many lives. She will forever be remembered for her dedication to preserving the Ichishkíin language and her love for teaching.”
Additionally, she was a daughter, wife, aunt, horse and cattle person. She contributed to the medical records field and Hanford nuclear site endeavors before caring for her elderly mother, Ellen “Xápt’iniks Sawyalílx” Saluskin, and beginning her work in cultural preservation. She connected language and treaty rights to the cause and supported Tribal Sovereignty throughout her work. Her activism combined with her ability to speak multiple languages meant she could help translate for people who were arrested for "illegal" fishing. Her teachings uphold and perpetuate traditional ways through her language.
To those speaking and learning Ichishkíin she was known as Sapsikw’ałá (Teacher). She taught introductory through advanced language classes to students of all ages, and encouraged students from the Yakama Nation and tribes across the country to pursue work in language and culture preservation. Early recordings she shared with students were from a tape recorder, sitting by her house. As technology progressed, she was able to keep pace and shared her recorded Ichishkíin words through the dictionary, which is also available online. Knowing that such a reference was needed as a tool for students and teachers, she was steadfast in her documentation. Her resolute determination and strictness with pronunciation would be lightened with her stories about people and the resources. Her rhythmic way of speaking is forever treasured in the hearts of the Yakama people and others in the Northwest.
Her language work spanned her lifetime. In 1935 at the age of fourteen, due to her knowledge of the language and culture of her own tribe as well as neighboring Salish tribes, she began working with cultural anthropologist and linguist Melville Jacobs. From 1943-1945 Virginia Beavert served in the Women’s Army Corps, U.S. Air Force as a Wireless Radio Operator at the B-29 Training Station in Clovis, New Mexico. During the war her stepfather Alex Saluskin started to write down his language, knowing that this was a critical step in passing it along to future generations. When Dr. Beavert returned from her army service, she promised to continue his efforts, which she did until the time of her passing. She tirelessly continued, even when not everyone agreed with or supported her language work. Her own mother questioned it, until her mother accompanied her on a language trip and came to understand what her daughter was doing. Recently her work included providing valued guidance and support to the Yakama Nation Language Program. Her perspective and cultural insight was foundational in determining the future direction of the program. She assisted with interpretation for public information posters and projects to boost language learning and use, and encouraged the program to continue reaching out to elders and heritage Ichishkíin speakers. The storybooks and songbooks she contributed to will be enjoyed by many for years to come.
Dr. Beavert earned a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Central Washington University (1986) and a Master’s degree in Bilingual/Bicultural Education through the University of Arizona’s American Indian Language Development Institute (2000). She received a Doctorate of Humane Letters (honorary PhD) from the University of Washington in 2009, as well as a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Oregon in 2012, graduating from UO at the age of 90 as the UO’s oldest-ever graduate. Her dissertation, titled Wántwint Inmí Tiináwit, A Reflection of What I Have Learned, documents older traditions that are being lost, with a particular focus on the language of those traditions.
Her scholarly work spans publications that range from personal memories to history to Yakama legends. She collaborated on numerous linguistic and language restoration projects. She compiled a book based on her dissertation that was published in 2017, titled The Gift of Knowledge / Ttnúwit Átawish Nch'inch'imamí: Reflections on Sahaptin Ways, edited by Janne Underriner. She also authored Ichishkíin Sinwit Yakama/Yakima Sahaptin Dictionary (2009) with Sharon Hargus. She compiled and edited a book of Yakama legends and stories Anakú Iwachá (The Way It Was), first published in 1974 in collaboration with D.E. Walker, Jr., with a second edition published in 2021, in collaboration with Michelle M. Jacob and Joana Jansen. She worked with the Confluence Project on connecting people to the history and culture of the Columbia River through recordings and contributing language to the Story Circles at Sacajawea State Park.
She taught Ichishkíin at Heritage University from 1990 through the early 2000’s, where she was an instructor, Scholar in Residence, and Director of the Sahaptin Language Program. She was a language instructor and Elder board member at the Northwest Indian Language Institute (NILI) and the Department of Linguistics at the University of Oregon (UO) from 1997 until her passing. She was the Sapsik’ʷałá Program Distinguished Elder Educator, College of Education, UO beginning in 2016. She taught in numerous other schools and institutions throughout her lifetime including the Yakama Nation, Wapato School District, Central Washington University and Yakima Valley Community College.
Dr. Beavert received numerous fellowships from organizations such as the Smithsonian Institute, Dartmouth College, the NEH, and the Washington State Arts Commission. She was a key planner of the Yakama exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian, and served on committees and planning councils related to the documentation and preservation of Native American languages.
Dr. Beavert was acknowledged with many honors and awards for her language preservation and teaching efforts. She was the 2002 Washington State Indian Educator of the Year, and in 2004 was honored by the Indigenous Language Institute for her lifetime of work on language revitalization. In 2005 she received the Washington Governor's Heritage Award, which recognizes individuals and organizations for their significant contributions to the creativity and culture of Washington State. In 2008 she was awarded the prestigious Ken Hale Prize by the Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas. That year she also received the Distinguished Service Award from the University of Oregon for her significant contribution to the cultural development of Oregon and society as a whole. In 2015 she was recognized as the Elder of the Year by the National Indian Education Association. In 2019 she received the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by The Museum at Warm Springs, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and in 2021 the American Indian Language Development Institute at the University of Arizona recognized her contributions with the Ken Hale Award.
Book Publications:
Anakú Iwachá: Yakama Stories and Legends, 2nd Edition. 2021. Co-edited with Michelle M. Jacob, Joana W. Jansen. WA: University of Washington Press.
The Gift of Knowledge / Ttnúwit Átawish Nch'inch'imamí: Reflections on Sahaptin Ways. 2017. Edited by Janne Underriner. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
Ichishkíin Sínwit Yakama/Yakima Sahaptin Dictionary. 2009. Co-written with Sharon Hargus. Toppenish and Seattle: Heritage University and UW Press.
Yakima Language Practical Dictionary. 1975. Co-written with Bruce Rigsby. Toppenish, Washington, Consortium of Johnson-O'Malley Committees, Region IV [State of Washington].
Anaku Iwacha: The Way It Was (Yakima Indian Legends). 1974. With Deward Walker, Technical Advisor Yakima, WA, The Consortium of Johnson O'Malley Committees, Region IV [State of Washington].
