The Nespelem tribune. [volume] (Nespelem, Wash.) 1934-1936, 1935-04-17
FATHER CRIVA'S INDIAN WORK
TOLD in MAGAZINE ARTICLE
Has Been Missionary On North
west Reservations For Al
Years Jackson Writes
Sees Indians View
Long Experience Has Given Local
Priest Insight Into Charges
Troubles, Story Tells

The story OF the work Of church
missionaries among the Indians of
the Northwest is one of the most
poignant chapters of this regions
history. Hardship and defeat are
interviewer with high attainment
and reward to make each story a
thrilling one.
In the current issue of ST. Joseph
Magazine, a Catholic periodical, Sid
ney jackson, editor of the Grand
Coulee News tells the story of Faith
er Edward Griva, S. j., who for Al
years has labored among the reser-
vatiOns of the Northwest. The article
is titled, In The Footsteps OF
Father DeSmet."
Father Griva, the author tells, has
worked among the Flatheads, the
Colville, Moses, Yakima, Umatilla
and other Indians and today lives
In Nespelem.
"Over 10 years of age Father
Griva still travels over his parish,
ministering to members of the four
tribes of the Colville, Moses, Nez
Perez and Yakima Indians that live
on the South Hail." he explains.
Knows Indians Well
HE knows the Indians as few
white men. He has learned to speak
many of their languages and dia-
lects, including the language of the
Kalispell, Grow, Colville, Yakima,
Assiniboin and in part the Moses
as we'll as the Chinook jargon Some
OF these languages will be soon for
gotten. Father Griva, at times, at
tempted to make dictionary OF the
languages, but parish duties inter-
fere."
After recounting some OF Father
Griva's experiences in his work here,
jackson sketches his biography,
telling that Father Griva was born
in Turin, Italy, joined the priest
hood and came to America to do
Indian missionary work.
Except for short periods he has
been with them ever since, travel
ing thousands of miles astride a
cayuse, or in buggy, or peddling
a bicycle At only one time did he
have an automobile, and that for
about year, when a scalawag stole
it,"
He lived first among Indians Of
Montana, and Idaho, later moving
to Spokane. and the Yakima valley
where he built a church at Mckee,
another at Prosser, and finished the
one started at Ft. Simcoe.
From Yakima" Jackson writes,
Father Griva went to the Nez
Perez and the Umatillas of Oregon,
but was sent by his superior to the
Colville tribe in washington in 1903
There he built churches at Kelly
Hill, Northport, Marcus and Barn
ably. After three or four years at
Colville, he went back to Belknap
to work with the Cayuse Indians
and the Crosse Ventres Chg Belly.
He was at st. Ingnatius Mission for
five years, built churches at Poison
and Roman, and later was given
charge of mission work on the Flat
head reservation"
Had Long Illness
Following a long illness Father
Griva was returned to the Colville
reservation and finished the
churches at Oroville and Ellisforde
and built a new church at Tonasket.
It was then he came to Nespelem,
the author explains, where many OF
his lifelong dreams conferred
around his church and proposed
school, the latter never materializ-
ing.
while only there a little over
three years he found time to build
a church at Nespelem, one at Keller
and a third at Monse. The last
Continued On Page Three