ABSTRACT
Words have power. Both Native Americans and Anglo Americans recognize this power and set boundaries on the use of words. “The word became flesh and dwelt among us.” These words from the Gospel of John graphically emphasize the power of the word in western European culture. The word, the power, the creative force, the ability to change and create a new history “dwelt among us.” History is essentially about words, both oral and written, that express forms of memory or embody the creative forces of a particular culture. Analyzing the means that a culture uses to create its story or telling how the “word” is made alive to dwell among the people is the subject of this work. The “word” in this instance is the history of the Nez Perce people and Anglo Americans created a very specific “word” to dwell among them and animate their past.
