Closed Captions

A Nez Perce archaeologist and cultural resource administrator discusses her mixed French and Nez Perce heritage, her work managing the Nez Perce Nimiipuu National Historic Trail, and the historical significance of the 1877 flight from the Wallowa Valley. She addresses the trail's use for seasonal hunting, trade networks, the Nez Perce aid to Lewis and Clark, and introduces a documentary video about this pivotal period in tribal history.

Transcript

0:02 It's the exhibit here. You're sitting in the Tent of Many Voices. I wanna welcome you here. Thank you so much for inviting us to your community. Everywhere we go, we stop in a few communities along the Lewis and Clark Trail. 200 years later we're trying to follow.
0:20 Thank you. Thank you for that nice introduction [speaking Nimipuutímt] Good afternoon. How are you all there? OK. It's a little warm today. We call this in my language, Nez Perce which is Nimipuutímt This, we would call [speaking Nimipuutímt] which means a hot place, but it's not too hot.
0:43 I, I really appreciate you coming out in this warm weather and spending some time with me. What I'd like to do today is tell you a little bit about myself, what I do and then introduce this video that we've all been working on and I think you're going to enjoy it. My background is I am part Nes Pers. I'm half and half. I'm Nez Perce and I'm French, which is not very uncommon
1:07 as French trappers were coming into our area, which I was born in Montana, but I live in Idaho now and they were marrying Indian women. And so that's where my heritage comes from. My maiden name is Broncho and my family comes from the Champagne Valley in France. The other part of my family grew up in Nez Perce country. As I was growing up,
1:31 I grew up in a very traditional home where my entire family was made up of extended relatives, aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, we all lived together and we all spoke our name, our language of Nez Perce, which is Nimipuutímt And even my mother who was non Nez Perce spoke the language as well. When I went on to college,
1:53 we didn't have much of an opportunity to speak the language and we start to forget words and lose the ability to speak it. It's a very difficult language because there's a lot of glottal stops, lots of um real deep down in the throat where you have to work on your language to keep those muscles intact, to be able to speak it correctly.
2:15 My background is by trade. I'm an archaeologist. I have a master's degree in anthropology. My minor is in wild land recreation and tourism. I worked as an archaeologist for a number of years for private corporations. I went to work for my own tribe in Lapwai, Idaho as a cultural resource director. I did that for about four years. And then I went to the forest service as an archaeologist.
2:39 I've been with the forest service almost 15 years now and I've had various jobs. I worked as an archaeologist for six years. I worked as an interpretive specialist for a couple of years. I went on to work for regions 2,4,6 and 1 as a tribal liaison. And currently I am the administrator of the Nez Perce Nimiipuu National Historic Trail. Are you all familiar with the trail?
3:04 Yes, great. I see some hands out there. Wonderful. Well, as you know, then the Nez Perce National Historic Trail was designated such in 1986 by Congress. It's the only National historical trail that the Forest Service administers, which is very unusual because the Park Service administers all of the other national historic trails. Of course, we administer some of the scenic trails,
3:28 but it's our only National historic trail. We work very closely with the Forest Service Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service. We also work with private state people in administering this trail. The trail is 1180 miles long, approximately depending on who is doing the mileage counting on it. It goes through four states of Oregon, Idaho Montana.
3:54 And what when did I leave out? Idaho Wyoming? Thank you. It goes through two national parks which is both Yellowstone and the Nez Perce National Historical Park.
4:07 I just want to tell you a little bit about myself as growing up. I told you that we grew up in a very traditional house. Um My maiden name, as I told you is Broncho My married name is McFarlane. My husband is full blooded Nez Perced We have three children. I have twin sons that are 20 years old and my youngest son is 17. My husband's name is Mcfarland,
4:29 which is not unusual to have different names that were assigned to you. And this was because when they came in, they couldn't spell the Nez Perce names or pronounce them. So they would give you names. So they would often give you names of missionaries or the Catholic priests that came in Mcfarlane is actually a military name. They were named after a lieutenant during the war of 1877.
4:54 And so that's why he has the name of Mcfarland. Excuse me, a little dry today. The allergy season is here and my medication is acting over time. Thank you. Um What I'd like to do is, uh, talk a little bit about the video you're going to see. It's going to be 20 minutes long and it covers what happened during the flight of 1877.
5:19 But what I want to share with you is that this trail has been used since time indefinite by the Nez Perce people. They used it on their seasonal rounds when they went to hunt to fish, to gather medicines, to dig roots and other food items. They also used this trail as they were going into the plains and they would go there to hunt buffalo
5:41 sometimes staying upwards of three years before returning home they would visit, they were doing intermarriages with the plains Indians people, they were copying different people's traits, their dress, their games. So there was very shared culture that was going on. The other reason that they were using this trail was it was a major trade network that was going on.
6:05 The Nez Perce were considered the tradesmen of the plateau. They would travel as far as modern day, Dakotas. And they also went down into modern day California where they traded a number of items back and forth. So they knew the area very well. When Lewis and Clark came through the area, you probably know from your history
6:27 that they stayed with the Nez Perce a considerable amount of time. And the Nez Perce not only cared for their horses, they fed them, took care of them. And of course, if it wouldn't have been for the Nez Perce, taking care of them, they probably would have starved to death. It's ironic when we look back on what happened of the great care that the Nez Perce shared with Lewis and Clark. They made them maps. They taught them as
6:50 their culture of burning out Ponderosa pine trees and making canoes and using adzes so that they could further their journey from the Clearwater river down into the Columbia river. The Nez Perce often traded clear to the Dallas Oregon at major trade centers. Excuse me, they also would go into the oceans
7:13 on the Pacific coast and trade there as well. So that's why they knew these waterways so well. All this information they freely shared with the Lewis and Clark Party. And partly it is believed as part of the Manifest Destiny Lewis and Clark really did open the way for more settlers and the miners to come into the area
7:34 and subsequently to force the Nez Perce onto a reduced reservation. The video that we're gonna show you today. Uh We're very proud of because we had a lot of people work on it. The script was largely written by Nez Perce people. We have Nez Perce voices in the script. We have Nez Perce people who did some of the artwork that you're going to see in the paintings.
7:58 We have Native Americans and Nez Perce that are doing all of the music of the video. And I work very closely with Gene Colling out of the regional office in Missoula who I work for, who has recently retired and researching and traveling and making this video to decide exactly what was going to shoot and what we weren't going to shoot.
8:21 So without talking more about what the video is about and the true story. So it's not repetitive. I want to show you this video and then we'll take time if you have comments for me or questions, I'd be happy to answer, answer those at the back table. I brought a few brochures, maps, posters. I would invite you to get, go back there on your way out after the presentation and help yourself.
8:45 We have some pens, we have water hold water bottle holders. We have a number of items that we'd like to share with you. You will notice that our contact information is on them as well as our website and we invite you to come and visit us on our website. We have won three national awards on our website in the last year. One was for best kids website.
9:05 So if you're a grandparent, a teacher, homeschooler or you have children, that are your family members, we invite you to share that with them so that they can become better acquainted with who the Nez Perce really are with that. We're gonna go ahead and queue the video and then I will be here with you so that I can answer questions and listen to your comments.
9:27 So with that, can we go ahead and start the video? Thank you. The short video.
9:34 Hm.
9:37 Mhm [speaking Nimipuutímt] Thank you. Uh One thing about the video was very meaningful to me is I am a direct descendant of the Chief Joseph Wallowa Band. My Nez Perce name is [speaking Nimipuutímt] which means like the first snowfall. And so the video was very uh touching and close to my heart
9:59 even though it happened over 100 years ago or more as we march forward in time. These memories are very close to many of us because we're not that far removed. My great great grandfather was Wottolen and his son Many Wounds who both served as tribal historians and passed on this information.
10:21 If you're familiar with the L. V. McWhorter books, Chief Joseph and his other book on Yellow Wolf, it is my great, great grandfather Wottolen iand Many Wounds. Uh Many Wounds, his son who served as an interpreter and taking him to these battlefield sites in recreating those books for the story to be told to all of you today.
10:46 So, um the story is very touching and close because having a great, great grandfather who was involved in the war is not that far removed, my grandmother who passed away a year ago was that of course, that was her father. So it is pretty close in time when we look at it from that standpoint, as opposed to looking at how many years have passed
11:10 this video is gonna be made free to the public. It will be shown in visitor centers, interpretive centers. It's being shown right now back in DC at the New Native American Museum and we will make it available for public schools. Um None of our items we charge for whether it's our brochures or videos, anything that you'll see on the back table and I'll be back there shortly
11:33 to join you to get some more items out for you to enjoy. Are, do you have any comments for me on what we could do? We're still kind of tweaking this video a little bit sir.
11:48 People were moved to most the home.
11:52 Um, [inaudible] why, uh, his question, so you can hear it was when the people were moved out to Oklahoma, what was the mode of transportation to, to transport the people?
12:12 Thank you for clarifying both to Oklahoma and from Oklahoma. What was used was flat boats and box cars, railroad. That's how they were shipped. Good question, sir.
12:31 I, which is why, uh, his question was the course of the Nez Perce trail did not go totally east. Is that what you said to avoid the Black Feet? Um Is that true or not true? Uh Not necessarily. Uh The video does not bring this out very strongly because we have to cut so much out to keep it to a short period. But
12:56 the Black Feet on and off were friends of the Nez Perce. It was um uh what would you call a relationship that sometimes they were friends and sometimes they weren't, but there was at least 12 other Indian tribes that was involved with the conflict of 1877. Many times. They were friends of the Nez Perce. Sometimes they were foes,
13:17 sometimes they were both friends and foes at the same time, but not necessarily. Was that true as uh why the route the route they took, they primarily took that route because that was a known route for them to go into Yellowstone and then into the plains.
13:35 Ok.
13:42 Yes. The question is the Nez Perce, we're famous for the Appaloosa horse. And the answer to that is yes, that is a big part of their heritage. Um My family raises appaloosas. We have the M-Y Sweetwater ranch. We have about 2000 horses and we raise those um breed them, train them and sell them throughout the world. And uh many other families are still perpetuating the
14:05 appaloosas horse herd today and they were practicing gelding techniques when Lewis and Clark came through. And that's something that was noted in the journals that the Nez Perce what made their horse herd so valuable because of their technique of gelding.
14:24 Yeah.
14:31 Uh
14:36 Yes. Um It was the Chief Joseph Band that left the Wallowa. There were five different bands that went on the flight of 1877 out of 13 different bands of Nez Perce people. Some chose not to go on the flight, obviously, which was referred to as the, as the treaty Indians. And then of course, the non treaty Indians and they did have to cross your question of the rivers, both the Snake River
15:01 and also the Salmon. Uh The Snake River was at spring time. So there was a runoff within the Hells Canyon and it was swollen and pretty high for them to cross. But yes, they did. Joseph's band did cross there with, with all of his people and as many belongs as they could pack on their horses and on themselves.
15:22 Yes.
15:38 The question is is there are more than one tribe within the Nez Perce. Um The Nez Perce were composed of 13 different bands but they were all one people of Nez Perce people. Good question. Are there any other questions?
15:57 What in English does Nez Perce mean? It comes from a French term. nez percé, which means pierced nose in English.
16:08 And a lot of people claim that the Nez Perce never really pierced their noses. But when you have 13 different bands of people and they were borrowing dresses the way of beautifying themselves, there is the possibility that some of them did just like today, if we pierce our ears or we have one earring or two earrings or whatever. So I think people were very individualistic on how they adorn themselves.
16:31 So I think it's a possibility that shouldn't be ruled out, but as a general rule of thumb for the culture, they did not pierce their noses. Are there any other questions or do you have a comment on what we could do to make the video better or what you would like to see changed?
16:49 Yes, ma'am.
17:08 This was the narrator's voice you're referring to in the video that his voice drops a lot. So we lose some of that sound you're saying?
17:20 Mhm.
17:27 All right. OK. I appreciate that comment. We'll look into that. Thank you. Is there anything else that I can answer for you or do you have a comment for me that I can take back in trying to make this a better production.
17:42 No. Well, I will turn it back over to Aaron then and [speaks Nimipuutímt] Thank you very much.

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Nez Perce cultural heritage, the 1877 flight, and the National Historic Trail

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