The Nez Perce National Historical Park is a United States

National Historical Park National Historic Site (NHS) and National Historical Park (NHP) are designations for officially recognized areas of nationally historic significance in the United States. They are usually owned and managed by the federal government. An NHS usually ...

comprising 38 sites located across the states of

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, and

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, which include traditional aboriginal lands of the

Nez Perce people The Nez Perce (; Exonym and endonym, autonym in Nez Perce language: , meaning 'we, the people') are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who still live on a fraction of the lands on the southeastern Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwes ...

. The sites are strongly associated with the resistance of

Chief Joseph ''Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt'' (or ''hinmatóowyalahtq̓it'' in Americanist orthography; March 3, 1840 – September 21, 1904), popularly known as Chief Joseph, Young Joseph, or Joseph the Younger, was a leader of the wal-lam-wat-kain (Wallowa) ...

and his band, who in June 1877 migrated from Oregon in an attempt to reach freedom in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and avoid being forced on to a reservation. They were pursued by

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

forces and fought numerous skirmishes against them during the so-called

Nez Perce War The Nez Perce War was an armed conflict in 1877 in the Western United States that pitted several bands of the Nez Perce tribe of Native Americans and their allies, a small band of the ''Palouse'' tribe led by Red Echo (''Hahtalekin'') and ...

, which eventually ended with Chief Joseph's surrender in the Montana Territory. Nez Perce National Historical Park was established in 1965, and a museum was opened at the park headquarters in

Spalding, Idaho Spalding is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community in the Northwestern United States, northwest United States, located in northern Nez Perce County, Idaho, Nez Perce County, Idaho. Description The community is located east and ...

, in 1983. The 38 discontiguous sites span three main

ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) is an ecological and geographic area that exists on multiple different levels, defined by type, quality, and quantity of environmental resources. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and c ...

s, covering a wide range of elevations and climate. Numerous animal species inhabit the park areas, including several that are considered sensitive.

History

The park commemorates the history, culture, and stories of the Nez Perce. It includes sites associated with the

of 1877, when the people resisted takeover by the United States, and the flight of

and his band. The park is administered overall by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...

, and a number of the sites are managed by other federal and state agencies as well as local communities; the park's headquarters are located in

, east of Lewiston. The park was established by Congress in 1965. Construction of the planned headquarters site and museum at Spalding were delayed by land acquisition and federal funding Soon after construction began in September 1979, Native American graves were discovered at the site; remains and artifacts were preserved in consultation with the Nez Perce. Construction of the visitor center and museum was later restarted, and the museum opened in June 1983.

Sites

The Nez Perce National Historic Park does not follow the format of most national parks, in that it is composed of dozens of sites spread over four states. The 38 sites are linked by the history of the Nez Perce people, rather than by geographic location. Twenty-six of the sites are on or near the

Nez Perce Indian Reservation The Nez Perce (; autonym in Nez Perce language: , meaning 'we, the people') are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who still live on a fraction of the lands on the southeastern Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest. This region ha ...

in Idaho and can be toured in one day. Adjacent states hold the other twelve sites. Several of the sites are connected by the Nez Perce National Historic Trail, managed by the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 United States National Forest, national forests and 20 United States Natio ...

. It preserves the route taken by Chief Joseph and his band when they tried to reach Canada in 1877. The sites include: *

Battle of Bear Paw The Battle of Bear Paw (also sometimes called Battle of the Bears Paw or Battle of the Bears Paw Mountains) was the final engagement of the Nez Perce War of 1877. Following a running fight from North Central Idaho, north central Idaho Territor ...

–

Blaine County, Montana Blaine County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,044. Its county seat is Chinook. The county was named for James G. Blaine, former United States Secretary of State. It is on the north line o ...

Battle of Canyon Creek The Battle of Canyon Creek was a military engagement in Montana Territory between the Nez Perce Indians and the United States Army's 7th Cavalry Regiment, 7th Cavalry. The battle was part of the larger Indian Wars of the latter 19th century and ...

Yellowstone County, Montana Yellowstone County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 164,731. Its county seat is Billings, the state's most populous city. Like the nearby national park, Yellowstone County ...

Battle of the Clearwater The Battle of the Clearwater (July 11–12, 1877) was a battle in the Idaho Territory between the Nez Perce under Chief Joseph and the United States Army. Under General O. O. Howard, the army surprised a Nez Perce village; the Nez Perce counte ...

–

Idaho County, Idaho Idaho County is a county in the U.S. state of Idaho, and the largest by area in the state. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,541. The county seat is Grangeville. Previous county seats of the area were Florence (1864–68), Washing ...

Battle of White Bird Canyon The Battle of White Bird Canyon was fought on June 17, 1877, in Idaho Territory. White Bird Canyon was the opening battle of the Nez Perce War between the Nez Perce tribe, Nez Perce Indians and the United States. The battle was a significant d ...

– Idaho County, Idaho *

Big Hole National Battlefield Big Hole National Battlefield preserves a battlefield in the western United States, located in Beaverhead County, Montana. In 1877, the Nez Perce fought a delaying action against the U.S. Army's 7th Infantry Regiment here on August 9 and 10, du ...

–

Beaverhead County, Montana Beaverhead County is the largest county by area in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,371. Its county seat is Dillon. The county was founded in 1865. Much of the perimeter of the county is the Continental ...

Camas Meadows Battle Sites The Camas Meadows Battle Sites, also known as Camas Meadows Camp and Battle Sites, are two sites important to the Battle of Camas Creek, fought August 20, 1877 between members of the Nez Perce tribe and troops of the United States Army. The Nez ...

–

Clark County, Idaho Clark County is a rural county in the U.S. state of Idaho; its county seat and largest city is Dubois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 790, making it the least populous county in the state. History Establishment of stage coach stop ...

Camas Prairie Camas prairies are found in several different geographical areas in the western United States, and are named for the native perennial camas ('' Camassia''). The culturally and scientifically significant of these areas lie within Idaho and Montana. ...

– Idaho County and

Lewis County, Idaho Lewis County is a County (United States), county located in the North Central Idaho, north central region of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 3,533, making it the fourth-least populou ...

* Camp Chopunnish – Idaho County, Idaho * Cottonwood Skirmishes – Idaho County, Idaho *

Heart of the Monster Heart of the Monster (in the Nez Perce language ) is a geological monument near Kamiah, Idaho that is central to an origin story told by the Nez Perce people. The mound marks the spot where Coyote discarded the heart of a monster he killed afte ...

– Idaho County, Idaho * Joseph Canyon –

Wallowa County, Oregon Wallowa County () is the northeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,391, making it Oregon's fifth-least populous county. Its county seat is Enterprise. According to '' Oregon Geographic N ...

and

Asotin County, Washington Asotin County () is a County (United States), county in the far southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 22,285. The county seat is at Asotin, ...

* Lolo Pass – Idaho County, Idaho and

Missoula County, Montana Missoula County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state, state of Montana. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 117,922, making it Montana's List of counties in Montana, third most populous ...

* Looking Glass Camp – Idaho County, Idaho * Old Chief Joseph Gravesite – Wallowa County, Oregon * Pierce Courthouse –

Clearwater County, Idaho Clearwater County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 8,734. The county seat is Orofino, Idaho, Orofino. Established in 1911, the county wa ...

* St. Joseph's Mission –

Nez Perce County, Idaho Nez Perce County ; is a county located in the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 42,090. The county seat is Lewiston. The county is named after the Native American Nez Perce tribe. Nez Perce County i ...

Tolo Lake Tolo Lake is a shallow, natural lake in camas prairie in Idaho County, Idaho, United States. It is about in size. An area of about including the lake was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. It is a historic rendez-vo ...

– Idaho County, Idaho * Weippe Prairie – Weippe, Idaho

Ecology

The NPNHP sites cover three main

s. The first, found at the sites in the Palouse grasslands and Missouri Basin, is

shortgrass prairie The shortgrass prairie is an ecosystem located in the Great Plains of North America. The two most dominant grasses in the shortgrass prairie are blue grama (''Bouteloua gracilis'') and buffalograss (''Bouteloua dactyloides''), the two less domin ...

. These flat or slightly rolling prairies include rivers and streams, and have an altitude of about . The second, found in the plateaus of the Columbia and

Snake Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...

rivers, is

sagebrush steppe Sagebrush steppe also known as the sagebrush sea, is a type of shrub-steppe, a plant community characterized by the presence of shrubs, and usually dominated by sagebrush, any of several species in the genus '' Artemisia''.

at around 3,000 ft in altitude; it includes

lava field A lava field, sometimes called a lava bed, is a large, mostly flat area of lava flows. Such features are generally composed of highly fluid basalt lava, and can extend for tens or hundreds of kilometers across the underlying terrain. Morp ...

s and flows. The third, found in the sites in the Blue Mountains, Salmon River Mountains, southwestern Montana and northern

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

, is

conifer Conifers () are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a sin ...

and

alpine meadow Alpine tundra is a type of natural region or biome that does not contain trees because it is at high elevation, with an associated harsh climate. As the latitude of a location approaches the poles, the threshold elevation for alpine tundra gets ...

s. These high-elevation sites have lower temperatures and greater precipitation than the other ecoregions. Numerous species of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and invertebrates inhabit the various park sites. Several of these species are classified in terms of their status as "threatened," "endangered" or "sensitive" at the state level. Montana Arctic grayling,

mountain plover The mountain plover (''Anarhynchus montanus'') is a medium-sized ground bird in the plover family ( Charadriidae). It is misnamed, as it lives on level land. Unlike most plovers, it is usually not found near bodies of water or even on wet soil; ...

swift fox The swift fox (''Vulpes velox'') is a small light orange-tan fox around the size of a domestic cat found in the western grasslands of North America, such as Montana, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. It also lives in southern M ...

great grey owl The great grey owl (''Strix nebulosa'') (also great gray owl in American English) is a true owl, and is the world's largest species of owl by length. It is distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, and it is the only species in the genus ''Str ...

, boreal owl and several fish species are all sensitive species that inhabit the park, while

gray wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the grey wolf or gray wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, including the dog and dingo, though gr ...

and

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche ...

s are sometimes seen. Managers of the park have several ecological concerns including issues of invasive plant species, the degradation of animal habitat due to human activity, the protection of endangered species, and dealing with effects of

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

References

* * * *

External links

* {{authority control National historical parks of the United States Historic districts in Montana Nez Perce Nez Perce War Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Idaho Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Montana Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon Parks on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state) Archaeological sites in Idaho Archaeological sites in Montana Archaeological sites in Oregon Archaeological sites in Washington (state) Indigenous culture of the Plateau Protected areas established in 1965 National Park Service areas in Idaho National Park Service areas in Montana National Park Service areas in Oregon National Park Service areas in Washington (state) 1965 establishments in Oregon 1965 establishments in Montana 1965 establishments in Idaho 1965 establishments in Washington (state) Museums established in 1983 1983 establishments in Idaho

History

Sites

Ecology

See also

References

External links