TOPPENISH, Wash. — Accomplished linguist and author Virginia Rosalyn Beavert turned 101 on Wednesday, making her the oldest living Yakama Nation elder.
She’s also a World War II veteran, teacher, mentor and the driving force behind “Anakú Iwachá: Yakama Legends and Stories,” a book that’s been called a precious gift to the Yakama people.
“The name of the book is Anakú Iwachá,” Beavert said. “It’s a collection of legends, Native legends.”
Beavert celebrated her birthday early this year with a book signing Tuesday at the Yakama Nation Museum and Cultural Center, greeting the dozens of community members lining up to thank her for her lifelong dedication to preserving Yakama culture for future generations.
First published in 1974, the book contains dozens of stories Beavert spent years gathering from Yakama elders, painstakingly translating them from several Ichishkíin dialects.
A second edition published last summer includes a new foreword by the Yakama Nation, a map, essays, artwork, annotations and four more stories from elders.
“The spirit of those people who told will be there,” Beavert said.
Beavert said saving the language was something her family called her to do and something that needed to be done for young people who haven’t heard the stories or don’t remember them and need the language to remember their culture.
“You learn it when you’re a child then you grow up, you teach your own children,” Beavert said. “That way, you keep it and they will know who they are.”
“Anakú Iwachá: Yakama Legends and Stories” was edited by Beavert, Joana W. Jansen and Michelle M. Jacob, who attended the signing with Beavert on Tuesday.
The book is available for purchase at the Yakama Nation Museum and Cultural Center, on Amazon or via the University of Washington Press website.
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