The Swan Valley books began at least 15 years ago as a personal fantasy of mine. I have always had a deep love and respect for Native American Indians and have had several as close friends at one time or another.

I hate to admit it, but several Halloweens, I "went Indian" as an expression of love and admiration, not of mockery. One time, I went all out and created a costume as authentic as I could come up with at the time, taking great pains to do it well. More recently, I redesigned the Lenormand oracle deck using a Native American Indian theme - again, as true as I could make it.

I have based the Neme'o'ng (very loosely) on the Shoshoni and Arapaho peoples who live in Wyoming, and developed a pidgin language as it might have developed if a small band of misfits (from both tribes) were thrown together in a remote area and challenged to survive.

I have studied Native culture (as well as brief studies into the Shoshoni and Arapaho languages) to make sure I am reasonably accurate and always as respectful as I can be - but remembering that they are still just people - and have the same faults as any of us...

With this, I hope you enjoy this March 2015 dive into the culture at Swan Valley - the home of the Neme'o'ng.

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Cast of Characters

• Tanya Jones – stay-at-home mother of two from Portland, Oregon
• Frank Jones – abusive husband
• Skye Jones – 7-year-old daughter
• Rose Jones – 3-year-old daughter
• Jenny Underwood – Skye's teacher
• Evana Johnson - neighbor
• Freya Ingram – Evana’s friend in Pendleton, Oregon
• Therese Calais – Evana’s friend in Blackfoot, Idaho
• Tiger Lily – lives with Therese in Blackfoot and Jasmine, her 2-year-old daughter

♥

Tribal Members in Swan Valley (Ba’a O’ng)

• Phoenix (Coonagwi)
• Crow (A’ra) – tribal member
• Dancing Bear (Woxi) – wise woman of the tribe
• Dragonfly (Banduni) – Crow’s wife
• Nighthawk (Wa’yapa) – chief elder
• Jade Wolf – (Hooxa) – Nighthawk's nephew
• Little Deer – (Deheyi) – Nighthawk's youngest daughter
• Pronghorn – (Wahn’zi) Sage Eagle’s closest friend
• Sage Eagle – (Kwina) – Nighthawk's youngest son
• Swift Falcon – (Ginna) – Sage Eagle’s friend
• Swift Fox – (Waana) – Swift Falcon’s twin

♥

Mentions:

• Ruffled Grouse – Nighthawk’s late wife
• Lone Coyote – Jade Wolf’s father
• Brave Lynx – Jade Wolf’s mother
• Star – Sage Eagle’s lover who died, Sterling’s sister
• Sterling – Little Deer’s lover, who died after his sister.

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Glossary

Note: words from the Swan Valley dialect (neme daigwe i) will be italicized and listed here.

ap’ken’da – grandfather (father’s father)
appa – father
ar’ - crow
.
ba’a – valley
Ba’a O’ng – Swan Valley
banduna – dragonfly
bee-hoo – owl (any government official)
.
coonagwe – the firebird
.
da – dad
dehey – deer
denanga – to hear
dukwani – night
.
ginn – falcon
.
haiw – dove
hemo – self
hemo’bi – wife
hemo’da – husband
hoox - wolf
.
katte – stay, remain
ken’bi – grandmother (generic)
kinn – hawk
kwin – eagle
kwitta – shit
.
Neme – the people
Neme’o’ng – the people of Swan Valley. (“The Swan People.”)
Neme Daigwe – “the People’s tongue”
.
o’ng – swan
.
tsan – good
tsandukwani – good night
t’suanka/t’suanki – one’s carnal lover
tuku – sky
.
umant – family
.
waan – fox
wahn’z – pronghorn antelope
wa’yap – nighthawk
wox – bear

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Image Credits

Phoenix
Genesis 8.1 by DAZ 3D Studio
Summer Dress by Pusey Designs
Mitsu Hair
Dice Earrings by Fisty
.
Sage Eagle
Genesis 8.1
Mada TnC Jeans by DAZ
Gypsy Shirt by Pusey Designs
PH Classic Hair
.
Kitten
Housecat by HiveWire
.
Background
Room4 by SmidA