The Gift of Knowledge / Ttnúwit Átawish Nch'inch'imamí

"Inspiring and informative. . . . Born in a bear cave in the Blue Mountains of Oregon, raised in a traditional Indian-only speaking household by parents who were shamans, and having served as an Air Force wireless radio operator at a B-29 bomber base during the Second World War, Beavert has spent her adult life tirelessly retrieving, preserving, and sharing Sahaptin knowledge. . . . She began working in her Native language at the age of 12 after meeting linguist Melville Jacobs. Since then she has collaborated with some of the most accomplished linguists and anthropologists. . . . Her passion for and interest in the welfare of her younger readers reverberates throughout every page of The Gift of Knowledge, in which her stated purpose is to record the lifeways taught to her by her family."—Journal of the West

"A Colombia Plateau ethnographic study like no other, Beavert's book shows how her own life story is inextricably connected to the plateau culture and language that she presents. . . . An anthropological text rich in personal biographical detail, context, and warm, vivid prose, this is a must-read for those interested in Indigenous Studies, anthropology, history, and the Columbia Plateau. . . . Adds very important contributions to the fields of sociolinguistics, ethnography, Pacific Northwest history, and cultural anthropology. . . . A shining example of intellectual sovereignty."—Oregon Historical Quarterly

"The Gift of Knowledge addresses topics and issues largely inaccessible to non-Native and younger scholars. It significantly augments and clarifies the existing literature."—Eugene S. Hunn, author of Nch'i-Wána, "The Big River": Mid-Columbia Indians and Their Land

"A compelling contribution to the study of Native American cultures and languages. The Gift of Knowledge is a masterfully written work of scholarship that represents the gift of storytelling by the most prolific Yakama scholar, Tuxámshish Virginia Beavert."—Michelle M. Jacob, author of Yakama Rising: Indigenous Cultural Revitalization, Activism, and Healing

"In The Gift of Knowledge, Beavert documents her outstanding life's work in Sahaptin languages and cultures of the Northwest."—Deward Walker, Jr., author of Nez Perce Coyote Tales: The Myth Cycle