Time immemorial.
Each member of the team is either a tribal member or descendant of the Colville Confederated Tribes, 12 individual tribes that form one of the largest tribes in Washington state. Inchelium has a large population of members who belong to the Lakes, or Sinixt, tribe.
These young ladies descend from a people who, together, survived depopulation, assimilation and termination threats in the past three centuries. While those might not be issues they’re fluent in now (See: G-Eazy, Snapchat, and Nike), it’s not out of the realm of possibility you could see one or more of these girls leading their currently 9,400-member tribe in the future.
You see, every member of this team is linked to one or more leaders from past to present.
—Meika Heath, the team’s ace and backup shortstop, is the granddaughter of Jeanne Jerred, one of the few women to ever hold the tribe’s highest position as chairwoman. Jerred was honored at the 2017 Celebrating Salish Conference as a language hero, an award given to those who are helping their respective tribes recover their endangered languages.
—Rylee Desautel, the starting shortstop, and Amaya Simpson, the catcher, are the niece and granddaughter of Richard Desautel, who was a catalyst in the Sinixt receiving recognition in Canada in 2018 for the first time since being declared extinct in 1956.
—Joelle Boyd, third and first base, and Grace Kohler, right field, are the great-nieces of the late Jim Boyd, the Colville tribal chairman who passed in 2016. Boyd, 60, was the first chairman to pass while in office, and also received the Native American Music Association’s lifetime achievement award in 2015. Joel Boyd (current), Violet Boyd, Luana Boyd-Rowley and Lanny Boyd also served on council from their family.
—Chas Seymour, outfield, is the granddaughter of Gail DeLaCruz, who, at 49, suddenly passed away as vice-chairwoman of the Colville Business Council in 2008. She was a well-respected tribal leader throughout Indian country, and the daughter of Quinault leader Joe Delacruz, who is regarded as one of the greatest Indian leaders of his time.
—Jaylene Lelone, third base, and Chenoa Erickson, first base and outfield, are nieces of Joe Pakootas, a five-year Colville tribal chairman who twice ran for congress against Cathy McMorris Rodgers in 2014 and 2016. Lelone's grandmother was Gloria Marchand Picard, another former CBC member.
—Michaela Ferguson, center field, is the daughter of Bessie Simpson, a former Colville Business Councilwoman who emceed the tribe’s historic celebration of the return of the Ancient One, also known as Kennewick Man, in Seattle in 2017. For more than 20 years, the tribe fought for the remains to be returned to the claimant tribes. She and Desautel are the great-nieces of former councilwoman Juanita Warren, and are both linked to former CBC member Cork Nugent. Ferguson is also the great-niece of current CBC members Susie (Mason) and Larry Allen.
—Cloey Simpson, second base, and Erickson are nieces of the late Virgil Seymour, the tribe’s first Sinixt Aboriginal Coordinator who was honored for his service in 2018. Seymour, whose brother Doug also served on council, helped organize a historic inter-tribal canoe journey to Kettle Falls in 2016. Simpson is also the niece of current CBC member Georgia Simpson and her husband, former CBC member Richard Swan.
—Summer Finley, left field, is the daughter Michael Finley, the tribe’s youngest-ever chairman who became one of the highest ranking tribal leaders in the National Congress of American Indians in 2013. Finley is also the granddaughter of Andy Joseph Jr., who is a member of the National Indian Health Board and the son of former chairman Andy Joseph Sr.
—Eighth-grade Sammi Stensgar, third base and outfield, is the great-niece of a handful of tribal council members, including former chairman Jude Stensgar, Dave Stensgar and Terry Finley.
It’s rare for a team from the Colville Reservation to have a team make the state tournament where each member has tribal heritage. There’s so much Colville blood here they should sew the tribal seal on their jerseys.
The excitement this team has brought to the town and reservation has been enormous — unparalleled in about a decade for softball. The Hornets have made the state tournament for the first time since placing third in 2009 behind the pitching of Jordan Signor, batting of Serena Condon and coaching of Jerry Signor — all tribal members.
The dynamic of the town has changed since then. Both Signors, along with numerous other Hornet fans and fixtures, have passed on. Softball, a few years ago, was hanging on by a thread, as players had to join forces with cross-river rival Columbia (Hunters).
This year’s team has brought the pride back to Inchelium, and Native pride back to Colville tribal members from there. Their relatives and ancestors have made their mark on tribal history — and though they are just a bunch of teenagers, they have a chance to do the same.
It starts Saturday with a match over Almira-Coulee-Hartline — the thorn in the side who has given the Hornets five of their six losses in 2018 — in Medical Lake. The game will determine the No. 1 and 2 seeds in the State 1B Softball Tournament, which begins May 25 at 1 p.m. at the Gateway Sports Complex in Yakima.
Cary Rosenbaum writes The Traveling NDN column for Tribal Tribune. He can be contacted attravelingndn@gmail.com
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