Kione Indian Canoe

I grew up in Eastern Lewis County, near Mt. Rainier. The Kione indians were a part of the Yakima Indians who were part of the Nez Perce Indians until their reservation was cut down to a little bit of land in Idaho. My mom took care of Grandma Mary Kione, in her older years. Mary Kionie and her family lived near White Pass, between Glenoma and Randle Washington about 7 miles down the creek from where we lived. She lived to be 112. Every year, on her birthday the Tacoma Tribune would do a whole page on her.

Our neighbors remember their mother caring for the indidans, giving them left-overs from the breakfast table. One morning the indian dad asked for a pup pie and asked for another pup pie the next day. It dawned on our neighbors that that they were eating these pups. Remember how thankful Lewis and Clark were thankful for the dogs the Nez Perce gave them when they got into Idaho? They were so sick of eating grasses and mosses.