Good memories of Flett

Stephen Fox’s remembrance of George Flett revived good memories (Jan. 19, “George Flett’s good deeds, amazing art will live forever”). George was a quiet but determined protector of Indian traditions, including ledger drawing and painting.

In 2002, he shared his art and stories with the University of Idaho and Moscow community through the humanities program, Sense of Place in the Pacific Northwest. I was administrative assistant to faculty fellows Kenton Bird, Mary DuPree, and Rodney Frey, who coordinated that series of transformative seminars about traditions that connect people to each other and places they live. George was plain-spoken and modest, but profoundly influential because of his commitment to preserving an art form that tells stories on many levels.

Moscow City Hall hosted a Flett exhibit in 2010. As mayor, I kept a signed postcard of George’s “Eye of the Sun” on my bulletin board. When I vacated my office this January, the multiple punctures in that card told the story of how many times I had shared it, or paused to remind myself of the man who gave it to me, and the powerful objectives his art form represents. Steven Fox’s article brought back a flood of memories.

Nancy Chaney

Moscow, Idaho