Seasons and Cycles

Nez Perce country encompasses over 13.5 million acres of mountains, prairies, and canyons abundant with wild foods.

Annual gathering cycles dictate movement throughout the seasons, so instead of permanent villages, fishing and gathering sites were returned to year after year for generations. The seasonal round marks time based on the natural events that most affected life for the walw'á·ma.

WE LEARN A LOT OF LESSONS FROM WATCHING ANIMALS...

This handmade depiction of the cycle of the seasons marks time based on the natural events that most affected daily life.

...The salmon are one of our best teachers. We learn from them that we have to do certain things by the seasons. We watch the salmon as smolts going to the ocean and observe them returning home. We see the many obstacles that they have to overcome. We see them fulfill the circle of life, just as we must do. If the salmon aren’t here, the circle becomes broken and we all suffer. — Leroy Seth

The life cycle of the salmon, one of the best teachers of the natural world.

wewé·xp | spring

latí·t’al
the time when new plants surface and the flowers blossom

———

qaqí·t’al
the time for the first harvest of roots, the time of thanksgiving, the time of arrival of new food

———

apál
the season for baking loaves of ground qa·ws to store for winter

———

ˀilaˀá·l
the time when the melting snows cause the rivers and streams to rise

táyam | summer

tastamastaˀá•l
the time for migrating to higher elevations to dig roots, the time when syringa blooms and male deer are fit to hunt in the mountains

———

hesu'al
the time when the eels move to the upper tributaries

———

qam’aˀá•l
the season of digging qemes

———

táy’a•l
the season of midsummer hot weather when people harvest and prepare food for winter storage

sexním | fall

nat'soxliwal
the time when the chinook salmon return to upper rivers, ready to journey to spawning streams

———

waw'amaˀayq'á•l
the time when the chinook salmon reach the canyon streams

———

pik’únmaˀa•l
the season when when the fall salmon run upstream and when the fingerlings journey down river

———

hóplal
the season when the tamarack turn yellow and shed their needles, signifying the first frost

ˀením' | winter

ˀalatam’á•l
the time of severe cold, blizzards, scarce fuel and difficulty building fires

———

wilá•pap
the time of cold storms, low temperature and many icy places

———

haˀóqoy
the season of the fetus in the womb of deer and elk, when hunting is finished and the meat tastes gamey and is unfit to eat

———

sexli•wál
the season of shedding leaves when cold weather and snow arrive in higher elevations

<— Previous: Tamá·lwit

Next: Our Creation Story —>

Seasons and Cycles

Nez Perce country encompasses over 13.5 million acres of mountains, prairies, and canyons abundant with wild foods.

WE LEARN A LOT OF LESSONS FROM WATCHING ANIMALS...

wewé·xp | spring

latí·t’al
the time when new plants surface and the flowers blossom

qaqí·t’al
the time for the first harvest of roots, the time of thanksgiving, the time of arrival of new food

apál
the season for baking loaves of ground qa·ws to store for winter

ˀilaˀá·l
the time when the melting snows cause the rivers and streams to rise

táyam | summer

tastamastaˀá•l
the time for migrating to higher elevations to dig roots, the time when syringa blooms and male deer are fit to hunt in the mountains

hesu'al
the time when the eels move to the upper tributaries

qam’aˀá•l
the season of digging qemes

táy’a•l
the season of midsummer hot weather when people harvest and prepare food for winter storage

sexním | fall

nat'soxliwal
the time when the chinook salmon return to upper rivers, ready to journey to spawning streams

waw'amaˀayq'á•l
the time when the chinook salmon reach the canyon streams

pik’únmaˀa•l
the season when when the fall salmon run upstream and when the fingerlings journey down river

hóplal
the season when the tamarack turn yellow and shed their needles, signifying the first frost

ˀením' | winter

ˀalatam’á•l
the time of severe cold, blizzards, scarce fuel and difficulty building fires

wilá•pap
the time of cold storms, low temperature and many icy places

haˀóqoy
the season of the fetus in the womb of deer and elk, when hunting is finished and the meat tastes gamey and is unfit to eat

sexli•wál
the season of shedding leaves when cold weather and snow arrive in higher elevations

<— Previous: Tamá·lwit

Next: Our Creation Story —>

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Seasons and Cycles

Nez Perce country encompasses over 13.5 million acres of mountains, prairies, and canyons abundant with wild foods.

WE LEARN A LOT OF LESSONS FROM WATCHING ANIMALS...

wewé·xp | spring

latí·t’althe time when new plants surface and the flowers blossom

qaqí·t’althe time for the first harvest of roots, the time of thanksgiving, the time of arrival of new food

apálthe season for baking loaves of ground qa·ws to store for winter

ˀilaˀá·lthe time when the melting snows cause the rivers and streams to rise

táyam | summer

tastamastaˀá•lthe time for migrating to higher elevations to dig roots, the time when syringa blooms and male deer are fit to hunt in the mountains

hesu'althe time when the eels move to the upper tributaries

qam’aˀá•lthe season of digging qemes

táy’a•lthe season of midsummer hot weather when people harvest and prepare food for winter storage

sexním | fall

nat'soxliwalthe time when the chinook salmon return to upper rivers, ready to journey to spawning streams

waw'amaˀayq'á•lthe time when the chinook salmon reach the canyon streams

pik’únmaˀa•lthe season when when the fall salmon run upstream and when the fingerlings journey down river

hóplalthe season when the tamarack turn yellow and shed their needles, signifying the first frost

ˀením' | winter

ˀalatam’á•lthe time of severe cold, blizzards, scarce fuel and difficulty building fires

wilá•papthe time of cold storms, low temperature and many icy places

haˀóqoythe season of the fetus in the womb of deer and elk, when hunting is finished and the meat tastes gamey and is unfit to eat

sexli•wálthe season of shedding leaves when cold weather and snow arrive in higher elevations

<— Previous: Tamá·lwit

Next: Our Creation Story —>

latí·t’al
the time when new plants surface and the flowers blossom

qaqí·t’al
the time for the first harvest of roots, the time of thanksgiving, the time of arrival of new food

apál
the season for baking loaves of ground qa·ws to store for winter

ˀilaˀá·l
the time when the melting snows cause the rivers and streams to rise

tastamastaˀá•l
the time for migrating to higher elevations to dig roots, the time when syringa blooms and male deer are fit to hunt in the mountains

hesu'al
the time when the eels move to the upper tributaries

qam’aˀá•l
the season of digging qemes

táy’a•l
the season of midsummer hot weather when people harvest and prepare food for winter storage

nat'soxliwal
the time when the chinook salmon return to upper rivers, ready to journey to spawning streams

waw'amaˀayq'á•l
the time when the chinook salmon reach the canyon streams

pik’únmaˀa•l
the season when when the fall salmon run upstream and when the fingerlings journey down river

hóplal
the season when the tamarack turn yellow and shed their needles, signifying the first frost

ˀalatam’á•l
the time of severe cold, blizzards, scarce fuel and difficulty building fires

wilá•pap
the time of cold storms, low temperature and many icy places

haˀóqoy
the season of the fetus in the womb of deer and elk, when hunting is finished and the meat tastes gamey and is unfit to eat

sexli•wál
the season of shedding leaves when cold weather and snow arrive in higher elevations