Kootenai Tribe embodies resilience, strength
Native American Heritage Month is a time to reflect on the strength and resilience of Indigenous peoples, honoring the enduring cultures, traditions, and contributions that continue to shape our communities today.
For me, this month holds deep personal meaning as it reminds me of the power of my heritage and the incredible resilience of my tribe — the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho. Our tribe embodies resilience through our history and the way we continue to thrive and protect what matters most to us: our land, our culture, and our future.
Tribal sovereignty plays a central role in this resilience. For the Kootenai Tribe, sovereignty has been essential in rebuilding our community, reconnecting with our roots, and ensuring that our traditions are passed on to future generations. Growing up, I always felt this deep sense of pride in our sovereignty — it’s more than just a political and legal right; it’s a lifeline that connects us to our ancestors and helps us move forward with strength and purpose.
One of the clearest examples of our tribe’s sovereignty is the ongoing war to restore the Kootenai River. This river is not just a resource for us; it is part of our identity. I’ve seen firsthand how our tribe has fought to protect it from pollution and the impacts of damming. These efforts aren’t just about environmental protection — they’re about preserving a vital part of who we are. The river holds deep cultural and spiritual significance, and through the tribe’s leadership, we’ve ensured that future generations will be able to honor it as we do. The restoration of the river is a testament to the resilience of our people, showing how sovereignty allows us to protect what’s sacred and ensure that our traditions remain alive.
The Kootenai Tribe’s fierce protection of its sovereignty has also allowed us to focus on preserving our language. Growing up, it was important to my grandparents that I honor our culture. As I grow older, I understand more and more why this was so important to them. For Indigenous peoples, language is more than just a means of communication — it carries the worldview, history, and values of a people. It reflects how a culture understands the world, how it connects to the land, and how it shares its stories, traditions, and knowledge. Preserving language and culture is the key to maintaining a sense of continuity with our ancestors.
As a Kootenai child at Valley View Elementary, I always took pride in sharing our culture with my peers. Whether it was teaching my classmates our powwow dances, showing them how to make drums, or explaining our traditions, I felt like I was doing my part to keep our culture alive and show others the richness of our heritage. Those moments helped me realize that sovereignty isn’t just about legal rights; it’s about living your culture every day and sharing it with others. It’s about building bridges of understanding, showing respect, and forging a stronger community.
Sharing my Kootenai culture with my classmates wasn’t just an educational experience — it was a reminder that our people’s resilience is something worth celebrating, not just during Native American Heritage Month, but every day. It is also a reminder of my pride in the rich community that Bonners Ferry embodies; it’s a personal and collective victory to be from a town where neighbors are neighbors and value one another.
For me, being part of this journey, sharing my culture, and knowing that I’m contributing to something so much bigger than myself is a powerful reminder of the strength that lies within our community. The Kootenai Tribe embodies resilience, not just in the challenges we’ve faced, but in the hope we carry forward for the generations to come. With that, I would like to express gratitude to my hometown, and wish all a very Happy Native American Heritage Month.
DIOSA AZIZA ENAO BAHE
(kǂawǂa ǂika·pu paǂkiʔ, Grizzly Coat Woman)
Kootenai Tribal citizen