We have a running joke around our house . . . it’s full of cowboys and Indians.  We don’t just play with stick figures, we’re the living breathing reality of the game.

My mom is Caucasian, she’s a French Canadian.  My dad was a full blooded Indian, though his tribes were a mixture of Lummi, Tlingit and Swinomish.  My mom has always been fascinated with Native Americans, she still has old sketch books with her drawings of warriors on their horses, or a couple riding off into the sunset.  In fact, growing up it always felt like I lived with a tribe rather than a family.  We all lived so close together that the property lines were nonexistent.

Since my mom had such a love for Indians, she named me Shawnee after the Shawnee tribe back east.  So, I’m the Indian.  Right after high school I met my husband while working at Miner’s Drive In.  He was in rodeos, loved the western clothing and drove a huge Ford pickup.  He’s the cowboy.

We started dating.  I knew right away he was the one I was going to spend the rest of my life with.  “Tombstone” had opened and Rick drug me to the movies four times to watch it.  It was also during this time I discovered I was pregnant.  Rick and I discussed names and we couldn’t agree on what to name our son.  I wanted something biblical, Rick wanted something less traditional.

I remember it like it was yesterday.  Rick was standing on the bumper of our car with the hood open and working on something.  It was hot out and I was frustrated with him because he wouldn’t let me pick the name for our son.  So I flippantly said “What about Wyatt?”  Rick hopped off the bumper and immediately loved it.  “Yes,” he said, “Wyatt Earp Olson.”  Oh no!  I was being sarcastic.  I only mentioned it because we had been to see “Tombstone” so many times I practically had it memorized.

So we welcomed our newest little cowboy, Wyatt Richard.  Then we added on to our family.  This time we were having a hard time agreeing on a girl’s name.  Rick suggested “Cheyenne,” after the Indian tribe since that’s where my name came from.  I loved it!  Why didn’t I think of that?  So now we have a Cheyenne Sue too.

Both kids have participated in rodeos and both kids embrace their Native American roots.  It makes me so happy so see such a blended family mesh so easily.  So, we are proof that cowboys and Indians can get along.  Interestingly enough, Selah is home to Hatfield’s and McCoy’s too.  I haven’t heard about any shoot outs between them, so I’m assuming they also get along.