Michelle Jamison Adams: Indigenous Heritage of Walla Walla

Michelle Jamison Adams (Totsmul) lives in Walla Walla with her family. She is of Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla and Nez Perce descent and grew up on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Adams is a key member of the Planning Committee for the Pasxapa Powwow. She and I recently spoke over a delicious breakfast at The Maple Counter Cafe.

How are you involved in the Walla Walla community?
I wear a few hats. First and most important is as a mother. Then for my paid work I am a legal assistant to the Walla Walla County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. I also dedicate a lot of volunteer hours to bringing back Native American culture to our community and also advocating for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) crisis. 

Tell me more about the MMIP crisis.
I attended a training with Washington State prosecutors about how to navigate through a MMIP case when dealing with tribal members. For good reasons, a lot of tribal members don’t trust the government. So, when someone is missing or murdered it can be difficult for a typical victim advocate to come in and talk with a MMIP-connected family member. They don’t understand us, understand our culture, taboos. That training helped me understand why there’s such a crisis about MMIP and how hard it can be for law enforcement to navigate all aspects of all of it with these cultural and legal differences. Even just figuring out who has jurisdiction over the case! For me, advocating on this issue is important for the work I do in the prosecutor’s office and so if a case comes up in our area I can be an effective liaison for law enforcement and the victim’s family which will hopefully lead to justice being fairly and swiftly served.

How does your role fit into larger aspects of our region?
When I first got to Walla Walla in 2018, I felt isolated. I didn’t feel like there was any native community here. One of the first things we did was to start talking with my kids’ teachers—where is the Native American representation in the schools? I’m not seeing anything. Native American Heritage Month comes around—nothing! It’s important to note that CTUIR doesn’t reach out this far since the population of local native kids is so small here—it was on us to remind folks that the tribes are still here, still an important part of community, taking care of the land. When I started talking to Walla Walla Public Schools teachers, they started inviting us to give drumming and dance performances. This seemed to be around the time of Whitman renewing the MOA with CTUIR (in 2022). Once I realized that happened it gave me traction to ask for more involvement—so schools became more open. I had time with Superintendent Wade Smith about this. He invited me to join the Equity and Access Council. I went to some meetings. Then I got to know Jeanine (Gordon) especially through working on the Pasxapa Powwow. I think this work has definitely impacted the community in important ways.

In what ways is Walla Walla diverse?
The culture here is so diverse. So many cultures make up this area and they’re all celebrated. And that’s awesome—you can come from any walk of life you can share about your background. People will listen to you and ask you questions. It’s incredible. Like the German folk dance troupe—my daughter got invited. She’s not German but she went and did a big performance and had a great time. There’s a big Hispanic community, too, that has lots of pride and visibility. Now the Native American community is starting to shine out and come back. People here seem really open to all of this.

What do you think Walla Walla will be like in five years?
A lot more people moving here. We are such a small big town and this place seems to be gaining traction from the wine. The colleges seem to be attracting lots of people, too. I think we’re going to have more people, new businesses, which is awesome. I also hope to see more tribal members living in Walla Walla in the future, too.

If you could be involved in an aspect of Walla Walla life that you are not currently involved with, what would it be?
I’d like to be involved in the Native American Outreach project at Whitman! I’d love to volunteer with that. I’d also like to see the Hispanic and Native American cultural partnerships take shape here. 

Is there anything else Whitman students should know about our community that you haven’t discussed?
Yes, they should visit Whitman Mission. Look for the real truth in the history of the land. Listen to the Native people who have cared for it all the years before the settlers arrived and then take those lessons into your heart and into the next chapter of your life. Tribal teachings focus a lot on the land and if we don’t take care of it then it won’t be here for the future generation. And, go to a powwow!

Beyond the interview:

Michelle Jamison Adams will be available for questions and further conversations on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at noon in Reid Campus Center, room 207. The Career and Community Engagement Center will provide lunch for the first 10 students in attendance. Questions or ideas? Please contact Noah Leavitt at leavitns@whitman.edu.