09/02/2024
Wild Rose
By Wil Phinney
Wild Rose, known for their twisting, turning, thundering fancy dance songs, will serve as host drum at the second-annual Two Cultures, One Community Powwow in Pendleton set for Feb. 28- March 2, 2025.
The first TCOC powwow was a huge success with 10 contest drums, and more than 600 dancers from across the United States and Canada converging on the Pendleton Convention Center for three days of competitive drumming, singing and dancing.
A family-based drum from the Yakama Reservation, Wild Rose earned judges’ top drum honors at Pendleton. They succeed Northern Cree, the powwow’s inaugural host drum, which is expected to return to compete next year.
Caseymac Wallahee is an original member of Wild Rose, starting the group with his brother, Buck, in 1997.
Caseymac’s oldest son, Marcus, began beating the drum with his father and uncle at the age of 8. Now age 27, Marcus and his brothers, Ethan 25, and Bryson, 17, form the nucleus of the newest version of Wild Rose. “We started over with a group of younger singers,” said Caseymac, who at the time of this interview was on his way to the Shakopee Mdewakanton
Sioux Community Celebration in Minnesota, where Wild Rose was an invited drum. “All the boys ranged from about 15 to 20 and it was fun for me; I got to teach all these young singers, mold them, bring them along. Now when I see Wild Rose the average age is about 25.”
In addition to the five Wallahees, the group includes Ted and Wes Walsey, and Rooster Jackson, all from Yakama; Elijah Bevis and Kelsey Burns from the Umatilla Indian Reservation; Jonathan Nomee from Coer de Alene, Idaho; and two Warm Springs Indians - Frankie Michel from Portland and Kaiwin Clements from Pendleton. Three women – Audrey and Violet Whitegrass, Blackfeet and Winnebago from Missoula, Montana, and Wallahee’s niece, Emma EagleSpeaker, a Puyallup Indian, are the female back-up singers for Wild Rose.
“We’re mostly known for our fancy dance style songs,” said Caseymac, describing Wild Rose’s style as “energetic and lively, up tempo with a higher pitch.”
In an interview with a TV station years ago, Caseymac described it like this: "That first downbeat, gets kind of, sends a chill, you know, through your body. You feel the vibration. You feel the power of the drum. We like them loud because they help us sing louder. It makes us feel good."
Wild Rose has been busy all year, starting their season with a powwow in Hollywood, Florida, before competing the following week at the first TCOC event. “It’s been every weekend after that … Florida, Cherokee, North Carolina, Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, New Mexico, and Alberta.
Wild Rose has often been an invited or host drum, but the past year has focused on competition. The group finishes consistently in the top five at powwows. They were first, of course, at Pendleton, and finished second at the Cherokee event in North Carolina.
Fred Hill Sr., a co-chair of the TCOC Committee, has known the Wallahee family for years. In fact, he is related through his father’s mother,
Princess Wallahee, and her father, Jim Wallahee.
Hill likes the upbeat sound of fancy dance songs by Wild Rose, but he says that group can sing original songs just as well. “They are all out contemporary style, but when the time to sing regional, or local, ceremonial and honor songs, they have that too,” Hill said.
Hill knows the Wallahee family’s powwow life is influenced by Yakama traditions and customs, but he also noted that the Wallahees have a cowboy background as well. “Casey is a rodeo announcer and Wild Rose has been invited to drum at pro bull riding events where there are men’s and women’s fancy dance contests,” Hill said.
Caseymac said he was impressed by the first TCOC event in Pendleton. “For the first year we were really impressed with the turnout. It was a good celebration. We enjoyed ourselves, had a lot of fun.” He said the next one should be even better.
“Seeing that turnout, you know the word is getting around already,” Caseymac said. “We were hearing people say they’d be back so it sounds like this year will be a good turnout again.” Caseymac said Wild Rose is excited to be coming back as the host drum.
“We spend the winter months at local celebrations, but February is usually the kickoff to our season, so we’ll be looking forward to Pendleton.”
