As an enrolled member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, Tim Ryan’s work embodies the material culture and traditional, place-based ecological knowledge preserved by his ancestors for thousands of years. His research on Salish seasonal rounds, lifeways, and economy has driven him to revive, utilize, and promote the traditional tools and material goods of his ancestors, leading him to become an instructor of traditional skills. These tools include digging sticks, grinding stones, stone hammers and axes, bison bladder canteens, beaded materials, digging sticks and stick games, fishing tools, parfleche and rawhide works, bows and arrows, and bark baskets and containers. Those who view and utilize Tim’s work quickly understand that Native practices, developed over millennia, were far from primitive, remain applicable to everyday life, and represent his people’s deep connection to and knowledge of the land.
