DANENA MARY BLOSSOM IKE

Danena Mary Blossom Ike, a Western Shoshone, was born to Dan and Katherine Blossom. Her birthplace is Battle Mountain, Nevada, located approximately 35 miles SW from the Western Shoshones sacred Rock Creek. She is older of 2 girls from Dan and Katherine’s marriage, and is the 4th child of a total of 5 children in the family. Her dad whom she is named after, gave her name to her.

After 3 years of her early life in Battle Mountain, her mother moved the children to Elko, Nevada, approximately 72 miles from Battle
Mountain. Their mother raised an older brother and sister, herself, and a younger sister in Elko. Danena was raised father during her childhood and she strongly feels that both parents are needed to raise a family. Her memory of her early years without a daddy left a void in her life, which she continues to deal with emptiness. Keeping her family together for her children and grandchildren is a very important condition to raise a healthy family. She attends traditional gatherings to pray for all the children and our Mother Earth, and she gives thanks the blessings we receive.

Danena attended the elementary, secondary, and high schools in Elko. Between a fulltime job, taking care of a family, travels and hobbies, she takes courses at the Great Basin College, which these courses will be applied towards a bachelor degree in elementary education.

She lives on the Elko Indian Colony with her husband, Roger of 23 years. They enjoy traveling, beadwork, quilting, weaving baskets, camping, canning, gathering native foods such as pinenuts and berries family events in Elko, which the children and grandchildren have had the average of having a close-knit and extended family. Many family dinners, events, and visits are common throughout the year.

Roger an Danena reared their daughters in Elko, Lisa (23 years old), Jennifer (21 years old), and Deanna (18 years old). The girls were raised on the Pow Wow trail until they reaches high school, which school athletics were their choice and efforts of participation. The grandchildren have started to Indian dance and can be seen on the Pow Wow Trail between family events. At 3 years old, Tristin is a Grass Dancer who loves to sing and may someday hand drum traditional songs and participate in competition dancing. And their granddaughter, Christina, at age 1 has taken her first steps to being a Fancy Shawl dancer.

Danena is employed by Newmont Mining Corporation and is currently working on her 14th year with the company. She works in the Environmental Department of Transportation (NDOT) and has worked in the same Sign Shop for more than 25 years.

Their future predicts Roger and Danena traveling to Pow Wows and traditional events. They plan to sell their beadwork, quilting, and baskets to enable them to travel and visit traditional sites of Native Peoples. They were raised in homes where their native language was not spoken, which they now attempt to learn and teach their grandchildren. They realize the importance of learning of learning the traditional way and living a healthy life. Another important condition to raising a family is no drugs or alcohol is allowed in the home. Danena was raised with no grandparents and tries to teach her grandchildren what she was learned by watching, reading, and praying for the guidance, strength and knowledge in order to continue a Native life in a new millennium.