Millpond Days, Grand Marshals

In Nespelem, for the past 7 years, a summer celebration honors community members of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. Dinner is served Friday night during which grand marshals are announced and invited to lead a parade through town the following day.

Coverage in The Spokesman-Review, 2009:

Tell stories: Colville tribal members call it Millpond Days because once upon a time, Nespelem had a thriving sawmill. In the first half of the 20th century, Nespelem boasted stores, cafes, a post office and even a dance hall. Workers building Coulee Dam in the 1930s and early 1940s lived in Nespelem or drove there to spend their money.

“We want to honor our people when they are here, so that they can hear the words. Before we started this, the only time we heard anything about anybody is when we had a funeral,” said Zekkethal Vargas-Thomas.

This year I get to see how much everybody loves Grandma Yaya (right).

This year I hear that all of the timber mills have "temporarily" closed.