What I Know About the Old Ways
The Life and Wisdom of a Flathead Indian Reservation Elder
Agnes Vanderburg
Published by Salish Kootenai College Press, 2022
Agnes Vanderburg (1901-1989) was a widely respected
Salish elder on the Flathead Indian Reservation in western
Montana. She was born at the dawn of the twentieth
century when horses provided transport. Her elders taught
her many of the traditional ways of the Salish people. With
her knowledge of Salish culture and language, she was an
invaluable source of knowledge for the younger generation
of tribal members.
As a young woman she competed in horse races and
traveled around the country sharing the Salish culture and
language. Working with her husband Jerome, and later by
herself, she created a cultural camp on the reservation to
share her knowledge with young tribal members, students
of tribal culture, and visitors from around the world.
Agnes shared her life story and wisdom in interviews
during her later years. This book is a compilation of a
few of these interviews which allows her to speak to tribal
members and others in the twenty-first century. Her
message of the importance of preserving Salish culture and
language is especially important for tribal members and all
Americans today.
(The text above comes from the back of the book)