Testimonials
~ Agnes Baker Pilgrim, February 20, 2017
“Thank you, Tish for putting it together in book form, so everyone can get a good start about thinking about life, and themselves. This is so important, Tish. Help me ripple out to our next generations, to all people. I want to tell you, too, Tish, that EVERYBODY SHOULD READ YOUR BOOK! Young as well as the elders, so I hope that whoever hears this now that you will ripple this out to your neighbors, to your kids, to whoever, and spread it around. It’s so important, Tish. Thank you, Tish.”
~ Agnes Baker Pilgrim, Film Shoot #1, Rogue River Preserve, June 4, 2019.
“Tish is a truly gifted storyteller! The students were deeply engaged by her story, and as she read, they were mesmerized by the themes and symbolism in Upriver to Morning. Now more than ever, the connectedness to local Native cultures and appreciation for the wisdom of Indigenous elders is of upmost importance. Her beautiful story perfectly weaves information about the Takelma tribe, local geography, and themes of friendship and caring for one another, which is perfect for elementary aged children. Thank you for offering your book and reading to my class. We absolutely loved your book!”
~ Dylana Garfas, 4th Grade Teacher, Walker Elementary, Ashland, Oregon
“Upriver to Morning sings! The language is rich and purposeful, the story is Native and true. Supplemented with story theatre, Upriver to Morning can be used to build fluency and deepen comprehension. Songs accompanying each chapter ring out, are catchy, and seep into your heart. Upriver to Morning is a multipurpose text, used across the curriculum to enhance learning. Children need story and music and Tish offers them both. Children will grow with Upriver to Morning. They will ripple it out.”
~ Michele Warrence-Schreiber, Ashland School District Literacy Coach, Ashland, Oregon
“Upriver to Morning is a journey into interiors. As readers, we travel with Salmon through the interior landscape of the wild Rogue River world of the Takelmas—the lifeblood of their homeland—with all the wonder that getting to know an ancient place has to teach us. It is also a journey into the interior of each reader, guided by Salmon and his friends who know the way. The journey awakens universal life lessons that live in each of us, eager to emerge, there at journey’s end, in the wise light of Morning Star.”
~ Thomas Doty, Award-Winning Storyteller, Author, Cultural Consultant, Ashland, Oregon
“Listening to stories is how we are built to learn. The nuggets of wisdom in Upriver to Morning sink in and help us know how to live as Earthlings.”
~ Julie Norman, M.A., Environmental Educator, Manager of Agnes Baker Pilgrim Fund, Ashland, Oregon
“Thank you so much for coming in and sharing your amazing story, Upriver to Morning, and its songs with my class. What a gift! I so appreciate your ability to engage students—with your clever characters, the excitement of the story, and the movements you included.”
~ Amy Kneeland, 2nd Grade Teacher, Walker Elementary, Ashland, Oregon
“This lyrical wisdom teaching is a book of beauty. It entertains with its captivating tales of the adventures of Salmon and his animal companions, it informs with its depiction of Takelma culture, local geography and bilingual education, it transforms with its place based environmental activism and themes of friendship and caring. Most importantly it will have children and families looking to the stars, the plants, animals and all of nature as guides and allies. This is a book our customers are hungry for. We know this book will fly from our shelves.”
~ Jane Almquist & Cynthia Salbato, TreeHouse Books, Ashland, Oregon
“Gold Hill Friends of the Library was honored to recently host author Tish McFadden and storyteller Thomas Doty at the Gold Hill Library. A large and enthusiastic audience was excited to hear about this upcoming journey to wisdom story based on the universal teachings of Takelma elder Agnes Baker Pilgrim. We look forward to the completion of the Upriver to Morning project so we can have them return and share its success.”
~ Gold Hill Friends of the Library, Gold Hill, Oregon
“I cried at the integrity, wisdom, truthfulness, and purity of voice. I wish all kids access to these marvelous creatures. This is the kind of world I crave kids’ return to: nature, animals, interdependence, and respect. The honor of and appreciation for nature is what America so terribly and immediately needs. McFadden fuses fiction with biology, history, and cultural anthropology. Her prose is simply beautiful. The reader recognizes the significance of Salmon’s journey.”
~ Jennie Englund, MS Ed. English Professor, Ashland, Oregon
“Congratulations for this life-affirming, richly creative project. I have great respect for the way you’re taking the time to allow all of the elements to find their complete expression. This project is a tremendous example of a multi-faceted curriculum that teaches on many levels. A deep, educational, and yet entertaining, experience for everyone. And an appropriate tribute to the memory of Agnes Baker Pilgrim and all she stood for.”
~ David Alexander, Commercial & Art Photographer, Ashland, Oregon
“I had an opportunity to read the story, Upriver to Morning, to my friends’ grandkids while I was in Ottawa. Both grandparents and grandkids loved the book. My friend John studied at Southern Oregon University and said that the story brought vivid images of the area to mind, as well as reminding him of some of the cultural history of the Takelma people. His wife, Darlene, is an English major and absolutely loved the rich, descriptive language and imagery. She too has visited Southern Oregon. The granddaughters also loved the story, especially how everyone accepted and helped each other.”
~ Kris Kibbee, Curriculum Specialist, St. Albans, Vermont
“This carefully crafted teaching story, sourced from a beloved Takelma Elder, brings forth an ancient wisdom that will touch the hearts and souls of all children. Guided by other-than-human sentient life forms, from the salmon to the stars, it offers ways to augment school curriculum and instruction in ways that will serve to bring back foundational understandings for how to live in flowing balance once again.”
~ Four Arrows, Professor at Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, California
“Upriver to Morning is a journey to wisdom story that connects children of all ages to the lessons of the past that need to be kept alive today and for the next seven generations. As we strive to live in right relations with the land and the people of the land, this narrative reminds us of the life force in all things. Upriver to Morning weaves music, drama, strong imagery, animal friends, historical knowledge, and cultural wisdom into a story that captivates audiences young and old. Tish brought this tale to life in my primary grade classroom with dancing, music, interactive storytelling—the students got cast as the characters—and pure joy. She is committed to following in the footsteps of the ancestors who so generously shared their stories with her to guide this work. Thank you Grandma Aggie and Thomas Doty.
“I give Upriver to Morning my whole-hearted recommendation and I am grateful that the stories of the past will continue to be the stories of today. May the legacy of the first people be lifted up, shared and remembered so that we can learn from them and honor them in our thoughts, words and actions.”
~ Tia McLean, So. Oregon Teacher of the Year 2020, Helman Elementary School, Ashland, Oregon
“Indigenous wisdom jumps off the pages and into young hearts and minds right along with Salmon and friends as they journey courageously into their future. Through story, song, and gorgeous illustration, children are engaged at all levels with lessons of kindness and responsibility, patience and perseverance, care for their communities and the earth. Since every journey is, in the end, an interior journey toward growth, Upriver to Morning, and the Takelma teaching on which it is based, helps young people make sense of their own passages.”
~ Jennifer E. Joss, Ph.D., San Francisco, California
“Tish McFadden and Thomas Doty’s presentation at our 2019 Forest and Farm Nature Camp was engaging, educational, fun and important! Thomas shared traditional Native Takelma stories and Tish delivered songs and excerpts from her new book, Upriver to Morning: A Journey to Wisdom, inspired by the teachings of local Takelma elder, Agnes Baker Pilgrim. The campers were attentive and eager to participate.”
– Suzanne Willow & Lanita Witt, Willow-Witt Ranch, Ashland, Oregon
“Upriver to Morning, by Tish McFadden, is a beautiful story that allows readers to follow Salmon’s journey up the Rogue River to Boundary Springs. It weaves together important teachings from the Takelma people, local geography, and themes of kindness, friendship, and respect. There are so many learning experiences that can be applied to the elementary classroom with this story.
“Tish came to our Kindergarten classroom to share the first chapter of Upriver to Morning, along with songs she wrote that tie together the journeys of Salmon, Red-tailed Hawk, and Coyote; and the importance of sharing the teachings of our ancestors. Our students were engaged by this wonderful story and Tish’s teaching style.
“Her joyfulness and bright smile bring love and happiness to children. It is so important that children learn about those who came before us, the Takelma in the Rogue Valley, and I am grateful for this work and opportunity for collaboration and connection. Thank you!”
– Jordan Lambert, Student Teacher, Helman Elementary School, Ashland, Oregon
“Tish McFadden’s Upriver to Morning serves as an example of a literature based educational program. Set in the beautiful Rogue River Valley in Oregon, the archetypal animal characters in her children’s novel, and their rich adventures, provide a portal for multiple avenues of study. Group reading and discussion of the text with youngsters lends itself to exploring local geography of the Siskiyou Bioregion, creative writing activities language arts, sciences, social emotional themes and local Indigenous cultural studies. The curriculum opportunities that arise from a well-written engaging children’s novel are limitless, especially when the text captures and celebrates the values of the original people of the land.”
– Heidi Martin, 4th Grade Teacher, The Siskiyou School, Ashland, Oregon