Thomas Doty – Storyteller
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A New Native Story by Tish McFadden Cultural • Environmental • Bilingual • Educational Updated 6/6/2020 | Latest News | Refresh |
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Takelma elder Grandma Aggie passed away on November 27, 2019. Here is Tish McFadden's tribute to our inspiration and our friend. |
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Welcome! Upriver to Morning includes a book, audiobook, story theater script, songs, and comprehensive tools for teachers. Written by Tish McFadden, this engaging story dramatizes the teachings of Takelma elder and spiritual leader Agnes Baker Pilgrim. Upriver to Morning weaves inter-generational themes within the context of Salmon's year-long journey, from the Pacific Ocean to the Rogue River's source at Boundary Springs. Details of the project are described on this web page, or you can get an overview here: Upriver to Morning (PDF). Upriver to Morning has an online presence in three locations: here on this web page, on our website and on Facebook. We also have a brochure and rack card. |
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Make a tax deductible contribution to Upriver to Morning and 5% will be donated to the Agnes Baker Pilgrim Fund. |
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A New Native Story 
Upriver to Morning is a journey-to-wisdom story set in the native landscape of southwest Oregon. Written by Tish McFadden, the five-chapter book dramatizes 25 teachings of Takelma elder Agnes Baker Pilgrim. Her Takelma name is Taowhywee (Morning Star). From seaside beaches to riverine woodlands, interior valleys, the Table Rocks, river gorges, and ultimately to alpine springs, the story is rooted in universal life lessons that can deepen our capacity for compassion and sense of belonging. The story opens at sunset at the mouth of the Rogue River where Salmon is preparing for his long swim upriver to Boundary Springs, the home of Morning Star, and where all things begin. Not to be left behind on this adventure, and for their own motives, Coyote, Red-Tailed Hawk, Deer Woman, Jackrabbit, and Bear, one-by-one, join Salmon on his trek. Common to folktales from diverse cultures, the animal and earth element characters in Upriver to Morning possess identifiable personalities that we care about, laugh about, fear, and admire. Throughout the narrative, and woven into the adventures, we uncover ancient Takelma teachings that convey universal wisdom for all ages.  
Here's more information about the story. |
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Our Latest News 
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Interviews 
In June and October of 2019, Tish McFadden interviewed Takelma elder Agnes Baker Pilgrim on the banks of the Rogue River. Watch Interviews. 
In November of 2019, TV host and educator John Letz interviewed Thomas Doty about native storytelling and culture, and Tish McFadden about her Upriver to Morning project. Watch Interviews. 
In July of 2019, Nancy Bloom interviewed Tish and Thomas for two segments of her show, Life Passages: The Soul's Journey. Watch Interviews. |
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Where We Are in the World Upriver to Morning takes place in southwest Oregon in the ancient homeland of the Takelma people. The story begins at the mouth of the Rogue River where it flows into the Pacific Ocean. Over the course of a year, Salmon and his friends journey upriver to the beginning of the river at Boundary Springs. Our Takelma World (Audio Recording) Since the Old Time, native people have shared their stories and made maps of their homeland with images carved and painted on the rocks. Here's a modern rock writing map of Upriver to Morning and a guide to the symbols. |
Rogue River and Lower Table Rock. Watercolor by Upriver to Morning artist and illustrator Laura Winslow. |
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Notes on Takelma Culture 
Updated 5/14/2020 | Refresh #20 – The Importance of Remembering What's worth remembering is stored in stories. Sharing stories keeps the Takelma people strong, protected and moving ahead. In Upriver to Morning, Salmon and his friends spend the winter telling stories. Revisiting this storehouse of cultural and personal memories gives them the wisdom and strength to continue their journey. Their stories keep them safe. Near the beginning of their story together, Coyote tells Salmon to look to the stars. "Each one has a story. You have a story too," he says. "Stories and stars remind us of where we've been, and where we are going." Throughout his long swim, Salmon never forgets this. "Stories and stars," he tells himself over and over. "Our guides and guardians are stories and stars." |
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Agnes Baker Pilgrim – Takelma Elder  
"This is Grandma Agnes Pilgrim, the International Grandma. I'm your Grandma. Someday I pray that you will hear my voice and that you will grow up and be grey-headed like me. When you read this book, you will become an instant teacher. And you will tell people, young and old, to ripple it out so it will spread around because this is true stuff. These are the true teachings. And so, with all the love in my heart, I pray that you can do just that. Ripple it out." In Agnes Baker Pilgrim's book and audiobook, Grandma Says: Wake Up World!, Tish McFadden identified 25 essential and universal teachings that she included in the narrative of Upriver to Morning. This Grandma Aggie page includes her biography with photos, videos and audio recordings.   
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Excerpts from Upriver to Morning 
From Chapter Three In the end, the Dragonfly Brothers, exhausted with argument, agree to disagree. They each pick their own spots on the edge of Rogue River, one upriver and one down. Far away, as the sun dips into the ocean, brushing clouds red and gold, the Brothers turn themselves into Upper and Lower Table Rocks. In this new form, they become the center of the universe, a communal homeland, and the ribs of the Great Animal that is the World. 
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In-Person Presentations  
Tish McFadden and Thomas Doty are available for community presentations ... in classrooms, libraries, museums.... Programs include traditional native stories, as well as selections of stories and songs from Upriver to Morning. Programs have been done for diverse audiences, ranging in age from five to ninety-five. Promotional materials are in the Press Kit for Sponsors. Stories and Songs On June 24, 2019, Tish and Thomas shared Upriver to Morning stories and songs at a youth camp at Willow-Witt Ranch in the Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon. On January 13, 2020, Tish visited a kindergarten class at Helman Elementary School in Ashland, Oregon. |
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Project Overview   
Here are the Cultural, Environmental, Bilingual and Educational components that make up the Upriver to Morning project.
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Samples for Educators 
Here's a sampling of classroom tools available to educators. |
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Here's the Team!  
Work on Upriver to Morning began in the summer of 2016. Several specialists have contributed their creativity and knowledge to the project.
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Author • Storyteller  
Tish McFadden lives in Ashland, Oregon. She is a published author (Wilderness Press, AdventureKEEN, and Anthology Works), a published songwriter (Big Round Records and Rum Tum Music), and music educator. She is also a former United States Forest Service archaeologist and historian -- the career that originally introduced her to Agnes Baker Pilgrim, spiritual elder of the Takelma people. More recently, Agnes Baker Pilgrim became the inspiration for Tish's book and educational program, Upriver to Morning. Tish's occupation as an author, educator, musician, performer, and recording artist spans over thirty years. Upriver to Morning is a synthesis of her life's work in cultural resource preservation, writing, and music. Thomas Doty is a native storyteller. Since 1981, he has traveled the countryside performing traditional and original stories. He learned his art and native cultural traditions from elders, including listening to Grandma Maude, the family storyteller. Doty was born in southern Oregon where he still lives. He is descended from Irish and English settlers who settled in the Rogue Valley in the 1800s, and has family connections to Takelma and Shasta ancestors of the region. He is the author of several books, including Doty Meets Coyote, published in 2016 by Blackstone Publishing. His stories have been broadcast on Public Radio, and he is the recipient of a Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award from the national American Indian Program. He has been called, "A Cultural Treasure" and "A Master of his Art." |
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Artist & Illustrator  
Laura Winslow grew up in a home filled with creativity. Her mother was a watercolorist and instilled in her the love of the medium and the artist eye. After working in advertising art and selling her illustrations at Henri Brendels in NYC, Laura married, and raised a family. To keep up with her art, she taught art classes to children, and she is still involved in teaching art, and doing workshops. "I love to instill the wonderful principals of art into students," says Laura, "and turn their eyes and hearts to appreciate beautiful art and enjoy doing it themselves. I am now illustrating children's books, a dream come true, and thoroughly enjoy working with authors to bring to life their characters and stories in full color." Laura illustrated Tish McFadden's previous book, Song of the Redwing. |
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Writing © 2020 by Tish McFadden.
Website © 1997-
by Thomas Doty.