Nez Perce

https://www.nps.gov/nepe/index.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nez_Perce_National_Historical_Park The Nez Perce National Historical Park comprises 38 sites located throughout the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, which included traditional aboriginal lands of the Nez Perce people. The sites are strongly associated with the resistance of Chief Joseph and his band, who in June 1877 took off from Oregon in an attempt to reach freedom in Canada and avoid being forced on to a reservation. They were pursued by US Cavalry and fought numerous skirmishes against them. The 38 sites span three main ecoregions, covering a wide range of elevations and climate. Numerous animal species inhabit the park, including several that are considered sensitive. Since time immemorial, the valleys, prairies, mountains, and plateaus of the inland northwest have been home to the nimíipuu (Nez Perce) people. Extremely resilient, they survived the settling of the United States and adapted to a changed world. Nez Perce National Historical Park consists of 38 places important to the history and culture of the nimíipuu. Explore these places. Learn their stories. Driving south bound on U.S. Highway 95 you will find the Visitor Center 10 miles from Lewiston, ID. Roughly one mile after crossing the Clearwater River you will find the park entrance on your left. When driving north on U.S. Highway 95 the Visitor Center will be 3 miles north of Lapwai, ID. The park entrance will be on your right. Nez Perce National Historical Park Visitor Center Contains a museum, park film, junior ranger program, and various maps and brochures. Painted Tipi Colorful painted tipi on green lawn Every morning in the summer Rangers put a tipi on the front lawn of the visitor center. Visitors are always welcome to help. Buffalo Eddy Petroglyph carvings on the bank of the Snake River. Buffalo Eddy contains many petroglyphs and is considered a ancient crossing place. Take Flight Birds in flight across a grassy field. Birds take flight across a grassy field. Buffalo Hide Tipi Elder (Mylie Lawyer) sitting in front of Old Buffalo hide tipi. The only known remaining complete buffalo hide tipi belonging to a Nez Perce. Appaloosa Horse Parade Horses and riders dressed in native regalia. This horse parade was held in the Spalding picnic area during the parks 50th anniversary in 2015. Weippe Camas Blue Camas flowers in a prairie field. Camas has been a food staple of the Nez Perce for thousands of years. Spotted Knapweed on the Decline in Big Hole National Battlefield The dedicated efforts of National Park Service staff and the Northern Rocky Mountain Exotic Plant Management Team (EPMT) at Big Hole National Battlefield has resulted in the decline of an invasive plant that threatens park natural and cultural resources: the spotted knapweed. Jason Lyon sprays knapweed in Big Hole NHP. The Journey On May 14, 1804, the expedition was officially underway. The party numbered more than 45, and their ages ranged from 17 to 35, with an average age of 27. On July 30 the Corps set up camp near what would become Fort Atkinson, and shortly after Lewis and Clark had made contact with the Oto and Missouria. On August 3 they held the first formal meeting between representatives of the U.S. Government and western tribes. 1871 photo of Nez Perce tribal member in front of tipis The Return On March 23, 1806, the return trip began. They followed the Columbia River upstream and eventually bought some pack horses to carry their gear until they reached the Nez Perce to retrieve their horses. From May 14 to June 10 the Corps stayed at a camp as guests of the Nez Perce and waited for the snow to melt. 1954 stamp commemorating the lewis and clark expedition Bear Paw Battlefield How did Montana's Bear Paw Mountains get their name? Old Chief Joseph grave site Summer Speaker Series Shares Cultural Wisdom Gwen Carter shows visitors a tukes (digging stick) during her August 3, 2019 talk on Traditional Nez Perce Food Gathering. A Nez Perce elder holding a tukes (digging stick). Nez Perce National Historical Park Nez Perce National Historical Park encompasses land that has been home to the Nez Perce people for thousands of years. Lewis and Clark first encountered the Nez Perce in September 1805 on their westward journey. The Nez Perce had never seen Europeans until the Corps, when they - nearly starving - came out of the Bitterroot Mountains. The Corps would camp with the Nez Perce at Weippe Prairie. nez perce teepees on a plain Chief Twisted Hair The Corps of Discovery encountered the Nez Perce people in late September 1805. They were exhausted from the grueling trek over the Bitterroot Mountains and the sight of the friendly Nez Perce must have been somewhat comforting. Among the Nez Perce leaders who offered guidance was Walamottinin, or Twisted Hair. William Clark described him as “a Cheerful man with apparant siencerity.” statue of lewis and clark and the Nez Perce Camas Citizen Science Monitoring Program The Camas Citizen Science Monitoring Program was developed by the National Park Service Upper Columbia Basin Network (UCBN) Inventory and Monitoring Program in collaboration with Nez Perce National Historical Park. This project seeks to engage high school volunteers as "Citizen Scientists" in the long range scientific monitoring of camas lily populations. National Park Service staff on the ground examining a blooming camas lily NPS Geodiversity Atlas—Nez Perce National Historical Park, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington Each park-specific page in the NPS Geodiversity Atlas provides basic information on the significant geologic features and processes occurring in the park. view of mountain ridges and smoke Cous Roots Early May was the time when the Nez Perce people dug cous roots. The Native people called it “shappelell,” and the men of the Corps thought the root resembled a small sweet potato. It’s also known as biscuitroot or desert parsley. The women and children of the tribe searched for cous roots on dry, rocky hillsides. As with most roots, they were careful not to harvest the largest one found – to make sure more cous grew the next year. plant with yellow flowers Wildland Fire in Ponderosa Pine: Western United States This forest community generally exists in areas with annual rainfall of 25 inches or less. Extensive pure stands of this forest type are found in the southwestern U.S., central Washington and Oregon, southern Idaho and the Black Hills of South Dakota. Recently burned ponderosa pine forest. Camas Restoration at Nez Perce National Historical Park Camas Restoration at Nez Perce National Historical Park Peace Medals Still in Existence One peace metal is known to be within the collection of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla near Pendleton, Oregon. In 1899, the newly formed Oregon Historical Society acquired one of the small medals Lewis and Clark had handed out nearly a century before. Although in poor shape, the Jefferson Peace Medal was one of the few surviving material reminders that the Corps of Discovery had passed through the Pacific Northwest. Tú·kes (digging sticks) of the Nez Perce This unique tool is virtually identical to one that William Clark described in his journals: “a Strong Stick of three feet and a half long Sharpened at the lower end and its upper inserted into a part of an Elks or buck’s horn which Serves as a handle…” It’s a digging stick or a tú·kes from the Nez Perce people. A smooth, slightly curved brown stick lies horizontally on a table. It has a short handle National Park Service Commemoration of the 19th Amendment In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment the National Park Service has developed a number of special programs. This includes online content, exhibits, and special events. The National Park Service’s Cultural Resources Geographic Information Systems (CRGIS) announces the release of a story map that highlights some of these programs and provides information for the public to locate and participate. Opening slide of the 19th Amendment NPS Commemoration Story Map Nimiipuu Women Carry the Future on Their Backs  Mothers and grandmothers hold vital roles in the Nimiipuu, (pronounced Nee-me-poo) nation. The tribe is often referred to as the Nez Perce due to an early misconception by French fur traders that tribal members’ noses were pierced. The Nimiipuu mothers brought their children into the world and raised them to live off their abundant homelands of north-central Idaho.   A field of bright green grass with snow-capped mountains in the background. Light purple flowers Ida Blackeagle Ida Blackeagle was a Cultural Demonstrator at the Nez Perce National Historical Park who was instrumental to the revitalization of Nimíipuu cornhusk weaving in the mid-twentieth century. Her efforts showcasing the craft and mentoring the next generations of Nimíipuu weavers has preserved this art form, which uses dried and folded husks to create baskets and other vessels, traditionally used for storing food. Two women smiling and holding beading implements Nez Perce Women and the War of 1877 In the face of tremendous loss and suffering, Nez Perce women demonstrated resilience during the Nez Perce War of 1877. After the Battle of Big Hole, as the Nez Perce fled their homes and embarked on the Lolo Trail to reach the reservation in Montana, it was the women of the tribe who kept their people strong. Indigenous woman in dress and headband stands with arms around an older seated woman and young child Wetxuwiis Wetxuwiis, a Nez Perce woman, played a significant diplomatic role that led to the opening of trade with white settlers and provided the Corps of Discovery with critical information to help them reach the Columbia River and the Pacific coast, the location of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. Sweeping mountains recede into distance. In foreground, dead tree and rocks serve as marker Series: Volcano Types Volcanoes vary in size from small cinder cones that stand only a few hundred feet tall to the most massive mountains on earth. photo of a volcanic mountain with snow and ice Fissure Volcanoes Fissure volcanoes erupt from elongated vents (fissures) rather than a central vent. The lava flows in Craters of the Moon National Monument were erupted from fissures. aerial photo of a line of volcanic cones and lava flows Series: Women's History in the Pacific West - Columbia-Pacific Northwest Collection Biographies of women from parks in Washington, Oregon Idaho and far western Montana Map of Washington, Oregon and Idaho Camas Nez Perce people welcomed Meriwether Lewis and William Clark here in 1805 and again in 1806. They fed them, allowed them to stay, and shared information about the geography and people of the area. Two Nez Perce men they met here guided Lewis and Clark’s party from Weippe Prairie to The Dalles. large open prairie Slowing the Flow of Time: Conservation of Wooden Canoes at Nez Perce National Historical Park Over the last twenty years, Nez Perce National Historical Park and its tribal partners have taken great strides to stabilize the historic canoes in its collection and slow future deterioration as much as possible. Two young people using brush and vaccuum to clean canoe Updated Species Database Will Help Boost Amphibian Conservation Across the National Park System To steward amphibians effectively, managers need basic information about which species live in parks. But species lists need constant maintenance to remain accurate. Due to recent efforts, the National Park Service now has an up-to-date amphibian species checklist for almost 300 parks. This information can serve as the basis for innumerable conservation efforts across the nation. A toad sits on red sand, looking into the camera. Elizabeth Penney Wilson nimipuutímt Recording In the 1970s, Elizabeth Penney Wilson recorded interviews in nimipuutímt, the Nez Perce language. You can hear the profound love she has for her language. Despite being forced to attend the Carlisle Indian Boarding School over 2,000 miles, Elizabeth spent her life helping to preserve her people’s language and traditions. Her efforts helped produce a modern Nez Perce dictionary that is crucial for connecting the Nez Perce people of today to the language of their ancestors. Black and white portrait of young indigenous woman in beaded dress and belt Series: Home and Homelands Exhibition: Resistance How have the expectations of others shaped your life? Ideas about home and gender are intimately connected. This has often meant confining women to a particular space – the home – and solely to domestic roles – a wife, a mother, a homemaker. But women have long pushed against this. Some sought to reclaim their Indigenous ideas of home. These stories of resistance conclude the exhibit precisely because they expand what counts as a home and women’s relationship to it. Thick white paper peeled back to reveal collage of women. "Home and Homelands: Resistance." Staff Spotlight: Sarah Sherwood Meet Sarah Sherwood, Park Guide at White Sands National Park, and learn about her career journey from internships to permanent positions! A female ranger in uniform standing at a cave entrance.