Native Speaker Last Of Her Kind

At daybreak, Neda Wesley stood at the edge of the grave.

She watched as her friend's remains vanished under a blanket of dirt. Like countless other funerals, Wesley attended as a neighbor and community member. But the 70-year-old, fluent speaker of Sahaptin served another purpose as well.

They call her an echo.

When the medicine people speak, Wesley translates their words into Sahaptin so they can be passed on to the Creator. Wesley is glad she can send friends into the next world in the way they would want.

Wesley is the reservation's last echo.

So who will speak for her? Click here for the full story

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