Phillips cut sticks for the game from a willow tree, he said. Phillips often cuts down willow for his work, but he asked the kids why he wouldn't just cut down all the trees in one spot, to sell as much willow as he could.

Because other animals need the willow as well, the kids yelled.

"Everything is important, every person, every animal. Show everybody respect," Phillips said.

The honoring is held on land where tribal members grew up learning to hunt and camp with their families, said Stephen Small Salmon, who teaches at Nkwusm Salish Language Immersion School in Arlee.

He played on the river as a child, Small Salmon said. Teaching children not just from the tribe, but from Missoula and surrounding areas about the river and its importance, is how his culture can continue to thrive, he said.

The event was started more than 30 years ago and has continued to grow, White said. Having tribal members like Small Salmon share their memories and experiences is a more effective way for the students to learn than to ask them to read about the history of the land.

"I heard from a young woman in Arlee that this was her favorite field trip she'd ever taken," White said.

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