Momím Wadaahá

Thank you for checking out the Momím Wadaahá (Water Wellness) art campaign!

The Momím Wadaahá campaign is comprised of three shows highlighting the relationships between Native artists and their Tribal waterways, presented by the SSBMI Exhibits & Collections Center in collaboration with concept:art+movement and Arts and Culture El Dorado. The Momím Wadaahá campaign is made possible by the Capitol Region Creative Corps grant, which is funded in part by the California Arts Council.

The Momím Wadaahá team collaborated with the SSBMI Language Department to share the Nisenan language in the titles of this campaign and the shows that comprise it. Here, you can listen to their titles and learn more about the Nisenan language we have shared.

English

Water Wellness

Nisenan

Momím Wadaahá

The word mom means 'water' and wadaahá means 'wellness', 'health', or 'life' in Nisenan. When linked with the ending -ím like so, the resulting phrase means 'water wellness'. We chose this title to reflect how the health of Tribal waterways is intimately tied to our health and wellbeing.

The Momím Wadaahá shows

Here, you can listen to the titles of the three shows that comprise the Momím Wadaahá campaign. You can click on their names to learn more:

English

Medicine Water

Nisenan

Momím Wené

Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) The Momím Wené show was held at Folsom Lake College's Harris Center, August 30 - October 13.

Rivers and Relations

Sewín Tuulémɨsén Ha

Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) The Sewín Tuulémɨsén Ha show is at Shingle Springs Rancheria's Lólmen Gallery, Oct. 21 - Jan. 5.

Scattered Water

Yatapk’oyihím Mom

Esak’ábe mi? (Do you know?) The Yatapk’oyihím Mom show is being held at Placerville's Switchboard Gallery, Nov. 21 - Jan. 12.

Do you want to know more?

The Nisenan language that we share is from speakers of the Valley dialect of Nisenan such as SSBMI Matriarch Pamela Cleanso Adams and her brother Tom Cleanso as well as speakers of the Southern Hill dialect such as William Joseph, Ida Hill Starkey, and Charlie Hunchup.

Valley Nisenan and Southern Hill Nisenan are very similar to one another in terms of their words and grammar. Except where we have noted any differences, all of the words and phrases that we share here are shared by or would be understood by the speakers of both of these dialects.

The Tribe has ancestral ties to the Nisenan language through the Tribe's Matriarchs, Pamela Cleanso Adams and Annie Hill Murray Paris. Pamela, Annie, and many of their close relations spoke Nisenan and shared their language with researchers in the 1900s. The knowledge that they shared provides us with a pathway to reconnect with the Nisenan language today. The Tribe also has significant connections to ancestral Nisenan villages like Pusúune, K’ademmá, Wóllok, and Yáales, where the Nisenan language has been spoken since time immemorial.

Moreover, the Nisenan language has been spoken throughout what are now called Sacramento and El Dorado Counties since time immemorial.

We hope that you will join us in reconnecting with this part of the Tribe's heritage. Nisenáanweypé! (Let's speak Nisenan!)

For any questions, please contact the Exhibits & Collections Center at ecc@ssband.org or the Language Department at language@ssband.org.

Webpage last updated: 2024-12-04