Nez Perce National Historical Park ⓘ

Nez Perce National Historical Park acquired its first museum collections in 1965, with objects from Watson’s Store and the Evans Sacajawea Museum Collection. In 1977, the park began its formal museum collections management program. Some of the more notable museum collections stored at the Nez Perce National Historical Park include: The Wetxuuwíitin’ Collection , The Lawyer Family Collection, and the park’s dugout canoe collection. Park collections may be used for exhibits, interpretive programs, research, publications, and interpretive media. Collections from several other National Park Service sites are also curated here, including Big Hole National Battlefield and Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. In addition, the park helps curate the Nez Perce Tribe’s museum collections. Many of our collections are available in our virtual museum, linked below. The Plateau People's Portal also has excellent photos and information about the Wetxuuwíitin’ Collection, a temporary exhibit, currently on display at the Spalding Visitor Center. The Idaho Humanities Council featured a talk about this collection that was recorded and can be watched here . Prospective Donors

Nez Perce National Historical Park welcomes donations that fit into the themes as described in our Scope of Collections statement. This document defines the scope of present and future museum collection holdings and ensures that all collections are clearly relevant to the park’s mission. Any potential donations should fit into one of the categories as described below:

If you are interested in donating to the museum collection, please send an email to museum staff. In the email, please include as much background information about the item as possible and images. The park does not accept “drop off donations” where items are left at or shipped to the park without prior contact with the park’s museum collections staff. A team of park staff and subject-matter experts considers potential donations and determines if the donation fits within the park’s collecting guidelines and if the park has the means to care for the donation in perpetuity. For legal and ethical reasons Nez Perce National Historical Park museum staff cannot provide appraisals or valuations of items. If you wish to donate to the Nez Perce Tribe's museum collections, please contact the Nez Perce Tribe Cultural Resources Program . Nez Perce National Historical Park and the Nez Perce Tribe are two separate entities, each with their own museum collections.

Access to the museum collection is open by appointment only. Hours are 9:00am to 4:00pm Monday-Friday, excluding federal holidays, and subject to staff availability. To schedule an appointment, please contact the Museum Curator at (208) 843-7040 or email us.

The Nez Perce National Historical Park Research Center houses the park’s archival collection and library. Both are available for use on-site, at Nez Perce National Historical Park, to assist in the study and interpretation of Nez Perce history and culture. The collection’s primary themes include:

Nez Perce economic and commercial activity - both pre-contact and in the context of European and American presence in North America

The park’s archives collection contains park administrative and resource management records, donated manuscript collections, photographs, maps, and audio recordings. Archival and manuscript collections finding aids can be accessed by contacting the park’s Archivist. Approximately 4,000 digital images are available online via Washington State University Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections. The library collection consists of approximately 3,000 items including books, theses, dissertations, and reports. Also included are reprints, audio/video tapes, microforms, subject and biographical files, maps, and periodicals. Nez Perce National Historical Park’s library holdings as well as that of the entire National Park Service can be searched online through the National Park Service Library Information System . The Nez Perce National Historical Park Archives and Research Center will not be open for appointments until the park resumes regular operations. Park staff will, however, respond to research requests via email at NEPE_Library@nps.gov. Normally, the Research Center is open Monday through Friday 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. Due to limited staffing and to ensure that the researcher's needs are met in a timely manner, appointments for on-site research visits are required. If you would like to schedule an appointment, have questions, or to schedule a class visit, please contact the park Museum Curator at (208) 843 - 7040 or e-mail us .

At the heart of every culture are the stories and places that sustain them as a people. For the Nez Perce, these stories taught children about the landforms that surround them everyday and help them learn their language, history and culture. The Nez Perce homeland is filled with unique and special places that since the beginning of time have defined who they are. As you drive through the unique topography of Nez Perce country, keep in mind that many of the prominent landmarks you see more than likely have a story attached to them. Nez Perce National Historical Park interprets three of these story sites: Ant and Yellowjacket , Coyote's Fishnet and the Heart of the Monster . Each of these sites involves Coyote and other spiritual entities. Coyote was a teacher, trickster, or hero depending on the particular story.

Ant and Yellowjacket and Coyote's Fishnet are on Hwy 95, very close to the park's visitor center in Lapwai, Idaho. Heart of the Monster is located approximately 55 miles east of the visitor center on Hwy 12 just outside of the town of Kamiah.

Beginning in the 1830s and continuing for the remainder of the nineteenth century, Protestant and Roman Catholic missionaries spent time among the Nez Perce. Christianity was accepted by some and rejected by others and many of the active churches on the Nez Perce reservation today have their roots in these missions. It was the beginning of many changes that confronted the Nez Perce and their culture.

The Reverand Henry Spalding and his wife Eliza were the first to arrive in the Clearwater River valley and would remain until 1846. Learn more about the impact of their missionary work by following the links below.

Asa and Sarah Smith arrived in Kamiah in 1839 and remained two short but eventful years. Learn about the impact of their missionary work by following the links below.

Father Joseph Cataldo arrived at Slickpoo Valley south of Lapwai, Idaho in the 1860s and established St. Joseph's Jesuit Catholic mission. Learn more about his work by following the links below.

Kate and Sue McBeth arrived in Lapwai in 1873 and built on Spalding's work to strengthen the Presbyterian Church. Learn more about their work by following the links below.

The treaty era for the nimíipuu (Nez Perce) began in 1846 when Great Britain and the United States settled a long running disagreement over settlement and control of what was then known as Oregon country. With the settlement of this dispute, settlers going overland on the Oregon Trail began to pour into the region. The creation of the Oregon Territory in 1848 and Washington in 1853 triggered the treaty process.

In 1855, territorial governor Isaac I. Stevens met with representatives from the Umatilla, Yakama, Nez Perce, Cayuse, and Palouse. After more than a week of tense negotiations, the nimíipuu agreed to cede 7.5 million acres of tribal land while still retaining the right to hunt and fish in their "usual and accustomed places". The Treaty of 1855 was ratified by the US Senate in 1859.

In 1860, gold was discovered within the boundaries of the reservation. Rather than stop the newcomers from trespassing on reservation land, the U.S. government instead initiated another treaty council that would shrink the 1855 reservation by 90%, claiming over five million acres. The bands that lived outside of the proposed reservation boundaries walked out of the proceedings and refused to endorse this land grab. Nevertheless, 51 headmen who lived within the proposed reservation boundaries affixed their marks to the new treaty. The US Senate ratified the document in 1867. The 1863 Treaty became known amongst nimíipuu as the 'Thief Treaty' or 'Steal Treaty' and created the conditions that would eventually lead to the armed clash between the Nez Perce and the US Army, now known as the Nez Perce Flight of 1877 .

The events of 1877, as one Nez Perce elder suggests, can be remembered as "our people's painful and tragic encounter with 'Manifest Destiny.'" When the Nez Perce reservation was reduced to one-tenth its original size, even those who refused to sign the 1863 Treaty were evicted from their homeland and moved onto the new reservation.

Learn more about the complex events leading up to the Nez Perce Flight of 1877 by following the links below.

Eventually war broke out between the non-treaty Nez Perce and the U.S. Army, forcing the non-treaty Nez Perce on a 126-day journey that spanned over 1,170 miles and through four different states. The series of engagements between certain bands of Nez Perce, their allies, and the U.S. Army in the summer of 1877 are events that continue to resonate in the hearts and minds of the Nez Perce to this day. Many of the sites of conflict are protected and preserved by the National Park Service, often in cooperation with land owners and local citizens, and serve as reminders of the sacrifices of those who participated in the flight. Learn more about the battles and other events that occurred during the Nez Perce Flight of 1877 by following the links below.

The National Park Service has commissioned special studies on particular aspects of 1877. These studies are available below in a digital format.

In addition, the Nez Perce National Historic Trail has an extensive bibliography that is useful for finding resources related to 1877.

The natural resources of Nez Perce National Historical Park are diverse and complex. The park sites, scattered throughout four states, are mostly small pockets of land surrounded by a patchwork of private, local, state, tribal, and federal lands.

The people and culture of this park are inextricably tied to the natural resources in the area; it is impossible to separate them. If the areas did not contain natural resources—salmon, elk, bison, camas, balsamroot, dogbane, lodgepole, pine, grasses, water, minerals, and fertile soil—the nimíipuu (Nez Perce), the fur trappers, the missionaries, the pioneers, and the miners would not have come to these areas. Intimate familiarity with and use of natural resources led to the development of Nez Perce culture. Others saw the richness of the land too and came using additional resources . An understanding of the cultural ties to the natural resources is critical to the management of this park.

Nez Perce National Historical Park falls into three basic ecoregions: the shortgrass prairies of the Palouse Grasslands and Missouri Basin, the sagebrush steppe of the Columbia and Snake River Plateaus, and the conifer/alpine meadows of the Blue Mountains, the Salmon River Mountains, the basins and ranges of southwestern Montana, and the northern Rocky Mountains of Idaho and Montana.

Shortgrass prairies are characterized by flat or rolling expanses of low to moderate relief. Park elevations range from less than 1,000 feet to about 3,500 feet on the Camas Prairie. These prairies are dissected by rivers and streams forming canyons and valleys.

Nez Perce NHP sites in this ecoregion: Ant and Yellowjacket, Asa Smith Mission, Camas Prairie, Canoe Camp, Clearwater Battlefield, Cottonwood Skirmishes Site, Coyote’s Fishnet, Craig Donation Land Claim, Confluence Overlook, East Kamiah (Heart of the Monster), Fort Lapwai Officer's Quarters, Hasotino Village Site, Lapwai Mission, Lenore, Lewis and Clark Long Camp, Looking Glass Camp, Musselshell Meadow, Pierce Courthouse, Saint Joseph’s Mission, Spalding, Tolo Lake, Weippe Prairie, Weis Rockshelter, White Bird Battlefield.

Sagebrush steppe is characterized by the plains and tablelands of the Columbia and Snake River Plateaus. These mid-elevation (3,000 feet) plateaus include most of the Northwest’s lava fields and are surrounded by lava flows that have been folded or faulted into regions.

Nez Perce NHP sites in this ecoregion: Dug Bar, Buffalo Eddy, Camas Meadows, Nez Perce Cemetery, and Nez Perce Campsites.

The Idaho Batholith, which forms the Bitterroot Range over which the Lolo Trail crosses, and the Wallowa and Blue Mountains in eastern Oregon, are marked with distinctive elevation zones of vegetation. Severe winters in the higher elevations are usual in these areas. Winter temperatures frequently drop below 32 degrees F, and summer highs may reach only 70 degree F. Temperature and snowfall vary greatly with elevation. Precipitation varies from 20 to 40 inches per year and comes predominantly in snowfall during the winter months.

The avian communities of Nez Perce National Historical Park are as rich and as varied as the landscapes they occupy. The Park serves as a permanent home to many bird ( wi'twit ) species, a summer breeding area for others, a place to rest and refuel for long-distance migrants, and a place for some species, such as the American tree sparrow ( Spizella arborea ) to spend the winter. The Park is home to common species, such as the American robin ( Turdus migratorius) , as well as some of the rarest, such as the American three-toed woodpecker ( Picoides dorsalis ). Some park sites are developed, whereas others, such as the Lolo Trail remain mostly wild. Bear Paw Battlefield stands as a remnant of what was once an extensive prairie system. Nevertheless, this remnant prairie site supports such rare species as the ferruginous hawk ( Buteo regalis ), Baird's sparrow ( Ammodramus bairdii ), Sprague's pipit ( Anthus spragueii ), long-billed curlew ( Numenius americanus ), and others.

Shortgrass prairie park sites such as Hasotino Village Site, Looking Glass Camp, Musselshell Meadow, Spalding, Tolo Lake, and White Bird Battlefield support hawks, along with smaller birds such as the lark bunting ( Passerina amoena ), the horned lark ( Eremophila alpestris ), and the meadowlark ( Strunella neglecta ).

The geography of sagebrush steppe park areas support habitat this is important for many species of migratory waterfowl. Mallards ( Anas platyrhynchos ), use the area for breeding and resting. Other birds are bald eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ), Swainson's hawk ( Buteo virginianus ), burrowing owl ( Athene cunicularia ), killdeers ( Charadrius vocifercus ), and western kingbirds ( Tyrannus verticalis ).

Some bird species found in conifer/alpine meadow areas are mountain bluebird ( Sialia currucoides ), red-breasted nuthatch ( Sitta Canadensis ), ruby-crowned kinglet ( Regulus calendula ), pygmy nuthatch ( Sitta pygmaea ), Steller's jay ( Cyanocitta stelleri ), and Clark's nutcracker ( Nucifraga Columbiana ). A wide variety of migratory birds, including bald eagles, peregrine falcons ( Falco peregrines ), and sandhill cranes ( Grus Canadensis ), use an assortment of habitats, but the greatest numbers are seen in riparian areas. Hawks and owls can be seen in most of the region. Blue ( Dendragapus obscurus ) and ruffed grouse ( Bonasa umbellus ) and quail ( Callipepla californica ) are common game birds.

Bird feathers are important to the Nez Perce and, by law, should not be collected within the park.

Traditional Nez Perce culture was closely tied with the natural world, and plants had great importance materially and spiritually. Understanding Nez Perce relationships with plant communities can contribute to the overall understanding of Nez Perce culture, including subsistence, technology, medicine, spiritual matters, settlement patterns, travels, social organization, and relationships with other groups historically and today.

Plants contributed to traditional Nez Perce culture in both material and spiritual dimensions. Plant foods provided over half of the dietary calories, with winter survival depending largely on dried roots, especially kouse ( Lomatium spp.) and camas ( Camassia quamash ). Techniques for preparing and storing winter foods enabled people to survive times of colder winters with little or no fresh foods. Favorite fruits dried for winter were serviceberries ( Amelanchier alnifolia ), huckleberries ( Vaccinium membranaceum ), elderberries ( Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa ), and chokecherries ( Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa ). Nez Perce textiles were made primarily from dogbane ( Apocynum cannabinum ), tules ( Scirpus acutus ), and western redcedar ( Thuja plicata ). The most important industrial woods were redcedar, ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa ), Douglas fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii ), willow ( Salix exigua ), and hard woods such as yew ( Taxus brevifolia ) and syringa ( Philadelphus lewisii ).

Since the end of the twentieth century, Euroamerican settlement in the Nez Perce homeland seriously restricted Nez Perce access to traditional plant resources. In the nineteenth century, missionaries and the United States government advocated that the Nez Perce people abandon their traditional ways and become sedentary farmers. Agricultural development, aggressive weed species, extensive grazing and land alterations have eliminated and further impacted persisting populations of traditional food plants. Nez Perce people were forced to adopt a Euroamerican diet because of restrictions on their movements and degeneration or destruction of traditional food plant habitats. Nonetheless, many contemporary Nez Perce people include traditional foods in their diet today.

Nez Perce people have always incorporated technological elements of other cultures into their own. For example, as native dogbane became less available to them, they began using commercial hemp twine, commercial string, and disassembled gunnysacks to weave their soft flat bags. Some contemporary Nez Perce people use commercial dyes and synthetic yarns and experiment with techniques and materials characteristic of groups from other geographic areas.

Before the coming of the Latetelwit (human beings), the world according to the Nez Perce people was inhabited by animals that were endowed with the qualities and behaviors of humans. In this ancient past, the principal character was Iceye’ye (Coyote), a trickster and transformer.

Coyote stories and legends convey teachings and practical information about familiar things such as notable landmarks found around their villages, the storms and winds of the mountains, the rattlesnakes among the basalt rocks in the canyons, the flowing streams and the salmon that come in the spring and summer, the insects, birds, animals, and trees.

The wildlife found in and around the sites of Nez Perce National Historical Park connects the Coyote stories of the past, with the present. Amphibians, birds, mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates abound at all sites. From the peregrine falcon to the ant, species diversity is of critical importance. Also of importance are state listed threatened, endangered, and sensitive species. Gray wolf and bald eagle may be periodically seen in the park, but are not residents. Other sensitive species that may be found in the park include Montana arctic grayling, mountain plover, swift fox, great gray owl, boreal owl, and certain species of fish.

In Nez Perce oral history the wolf ( himeen ) and fox were important animal people along with the coyote and bear. Many stories exist of the wolf brothers. In the story of "Coyote's Council," where all of the animal people were deciding on how to help humans survive when they were created, the wolf stepped forward to offer knowledge on how to hunt, how to act socially, and how to raise a family. Many Nez Perce individuals hold names that refer to wolf, such as YellowWolf or Red Wolf. The wolf was also a powerful weyekin or guardian power.

The shortgrass prairies of Nez Perce National Historical Park support an abundance of wildlife. Cottontail rabbits, ground squirrels, coyotes, bobcats, and skunks abound in these grasslands.

The two Montana park sites, Bear Paw and Big Hole National Battlefield, were once the home of large herds of bison, which the Nez Perce traveled to hunt. Pronghorn antelope are now the most common large mammal, but deer may be found along stream channels where brush cover is available. Whitetail jackrabbits, desert cottontail, ground squirrels, coyotes, and badgers are common.

Many wildlife species also use sagebrush steppe areas as seasonal habitat, particularly during the winter. Larger mammals found in these areas are coyote, pronghorn antelope, mountain lion, and bobcat. Smaller species include ground squirrels, deer mouse, and porcupine. Severe winters may force elk and mule deer from higher elevations to these plateaus.

Some of the larger mammals in conifer/alpine meadows are elk, deer, moose, black bear, mountain lion, beaver, and porcupine. Small mammals include flying squirrel, marten, chipmunks, and woodrats.

In the early 1700s, the Nez Perce were introduced to the horse. The people were quick to realize how horses could help them, and they integrated horses into their lives. The Nez Perce were known for the quantity and quality of horses they owned. The breed was commonly known as "Appaloosa."

With the acquisition of horses, the lifestyle of the Nez Perce changed dramatically. The horse became a form of personal wealth, an item of trade, a means of transportation, an ally on the hunt, a resource to be stolen or protected, and a way of traveling distances and to places formerly unheard of. Nez Perce horses were renowned for their speed and stamina, traits developed through selective breeding systems.

Today, a new breed of horse developed by tribal members, known as the Nez Perce Horse, has recently been registered as well. Horses are still being used in tribal, social, and ceremonial events. Young tribal members are learning how to ride and care for horses in order to continue an important horse culture.

Explore the 38 sites that make up Nez Perce National Historical Park on the interactive map below. To learn more information about a specific site you can either click on the image or a point on the map. Follow the 'Learn more' links for trip planning information. Zoom in to see a site or area more clearly.

Plan your trip to the park's main visitor center, headquarters, and several other historic sites in Spalding, Idaho.

Plan your trip to the battlefield and visitor center that commemorate the Nez Perce Flight of 1877's August 9th and 10th battle.

Plan your trip to the site of the Nez Perce Flight of 1877's final battle. Located near Chinook, MT.

Plan your visit to a site that contains hundreds of ancient, unique petroglyphs. Located near Asotin, WA.

Plan your trip to the site where Nez Perce helped Lewis & Clark carve canoes that took them to the Pacific Ocean. Located near Orofino, ID.

Plan your visit to the site where Coyote created the Nez Perce people. Located near present-day Kamiah, ID.

Plan your visit to the site where Tıwi·teqıs's remains are buried. Located near Joseph, OR.

Plan your visit to the site where the Nez Perce met Lewis and Clark in 1805. Located near Weippe, ID.

Plan your trip to the site of the Nez Perce Flight of 1877's first battle. Located near Whitebird, ID.