opera and language preservation
Justin Ralls and Rose Ann Abrahamson, Shoshone-Bannock Indian Festival, Aug. 2024
NU NAH-HUP: SACAJAWEA’S STORY
A new opera that reimagines the story of Sacajawea—the extraordinary Agai’dika/Lemi-Shoshone woman who was a crucial member of the historic 1804–1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition—from her indigenous perspective and from the language and oral histories of her familial descendants."
A crucial aspect of this opera project is our efforts to preserve Agai’dika/Lemhi-Shoshone language and oral histories. This exciting project designed by Rose Ann Abrahamson and Dr. Justin Ralls aims to preserve Agai’dika language, oral history, music and culture of Sacajawea’s people. Working alongside elders and culture bearers, Rose Ann’s dream to keep her language for the “seventh generation” through preservation and creative projects is being realized.
“We are telling Sacajawea’s story, her story, from an Agai’Dika perspective from her female familial descendants and people, a woman’s story from women. This story will share tradition, history and culture of Sacajawea from the viewpoint and oral history of the women of her people. The songs will express these aspects, and most importantly her language will be preserved through operatic songs.”
~Rose Ann Abrahamson, descendent of Sacajawea and Agai’Dika culture bearer
Part of our project includes digitizing and translating archive materials, such as Rose Ann’s mother Camille Navo.
Hovia Edwards and Justin Ralls perform the premiere of “Strikeing” from Nu Nah-Hup: Sacajawea’s Story at the Hinkley Theatre, Portland, Ore. May, 2023.
Rose Ann Abrahamson and Justin Ralls at the Sacajawea Education, Interpretive and Cultural Center in Salmon, Idaho – the ancestral homeland of the Agai’dika people. August, 2021.
