Long-Range Interpretative Plan, Nez Perce National Historical Park
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LONG-RANGE INTERPRETIVE PLAN NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK LONG-RANGE INTERPRETIVE PLAN NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK prepared by National Park Service Nez Perce National Historical Park Department of Interpretive Planning Harpers Ferry Center TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . .1 PARK PURPOSE . .2 PARK SIGNIFICANCE . .3 PRIMARY INTERPRETIVE THEMES . .4 THE VISITORS . .9 ISSUES, GIVENS, CONSTRAINTS . .10 VISITOR EXPERIENCE GOALS/ACTION . .11 PARKWIDEVISITOREXPERIENCEGOALSANDACTIONS . .11 IDAHOUNIT . .16 Spalding . .16 White Bird Battlefield . .20 Heart of the Monster/McBeth House . .22 Ant and Yellowjacket . .23 Buffalo Eddy . .24 Camas Prairie . .25 Canoe Camp . .27 Clearwater Battlefield . .28 Cottonwood Skirmishes . .29 Coyote’s Fishnet . .30 Craig Donation Land Claim . .31 Confluence Overlook . .32 Fort Lapwai Officers’ Quarters & Northern Idaho Indian Agency . .33 Hasotino Village Site . .34 Lapwai Mission . .35 Lenore . .36 Lewis and Clark Long Camp/Asa Smith Mission . .37 Lolo Trail and Lolo Pass . .38 Looking Glass Camp . .40 Musselshell Meadow . .42 Pierce Coourthouse . .43 Saint Joseph’s Mission . .44 Tolo Lake . .45 Weippe Prairie . .46 Weiss Rockshelter . .47 MONTANAUNIT . .48 Big Hole National Battlefield . .48 Bear Paw Battlefield . .51 Camas Meadows Battle Sites . .54 Canyon Creek . .55 OREGON/WASHINGTONUNIT . .57 Dug Bar . .57 Joseph Canyon Viewpoint . .58 Lostine Campsite . .59 Old Chief Joseph Gravesite . .61 Nez Perce (Nespelem) Campsites . .62 Nez Perce Cemetery . .63 PLANNING TEAM . .65 APPENDIX A-Recommendations Summary . .67 APPENDIX B-Media Accessibility Guidelines . .73 INTRODUCTION In 1995 the National Park Service issued a com- sary to begin implementing the interpretive and pletely revised and updated interpretive planning visitor experience actions prescribed in the chapter of the Service's Interpretation and General Management Plan. Visitor Services Guideline (NPS-6). This The park’s interpretation and education program revised guideline outlined the components of the will be driven by the park’s significance, it’s Comprehensive Interpretive Plan-a park's strate- resources and primary interpretive themes. The gic planning document for interpretation and Comprehensive Interpretive Plan defines ways visitor services. Every park has been encouraged the park can give each visitor the opportunity to to update their interpretive planning documents experience the park’s resources and the values using this guideline. A key component of the they represent, and foster a personal stewardship Comprehensive Interpretive Plan process is the ethic. Interpretation and education will encour- Long-Range Interpretive Plan. age dialogue and accept the visitor’s right to The Long-Range Interpretive Plan examines a have their own individual point of view. Factual park's purposes and significant resources in information presented will be current, accurate, order to establish the park's primary interpretive based on the best available scholarship and sci- themes and visitor experience goals. The plan ence. Interpretation and education will also analyzes the park's current interpretive facilities reach out to park neighbors and community and outlines any changes necessary to facilitate leaders, to stimulate discussions about the park appropriate visitor experiences. The Long- and its values in local, regional, and national Range Interpretive Plan is a concept plan that forums. In addition, interpretive and educational lays the groundwork for subsequent media plan- services will help park employees better under- ning and design. The actions recommended in stand the park’s history, resources, processes, the plan are those that the park can reasonably and visitors. be expected to accomplish in 7-10 years, the pro- jected life span of the Long-Range Interpretive Plan. Nez Perce National Historical Park completed its General Management Plan in 1997. The Long-Range Interpretive Plan will provide the additional strategic and tactical planning neces- Nez Perce National Historical Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan 1 PARK PURPOSE Park purpose is the reason or reasons for which On the basis of provisions in the enabling legis- a park area was established. Purpose statements lation, the 1997 General Management Plan for are important to planning because they are basic Nez Perce National Historical Park and Big Hole to all other assumptions about the park and the National Battlefield identified these park pur- ways in which it should be used and managed. poses: Nez Perce National Historical Park was estab- lFacilitate protection and offer interpretation lished as a unit of the national park system on of Nez Perce sites in Idaho, Oregon, May 15, 1965, by Public Law 89-19. The law Washington, Montana, and Wyoming that states that the park was created to "facilitate pro- have exceptional value in commemorating tection and provide interpretation of sites in the the history of the United States. Nez Perce Country of Idaho that have excep- lPreserve and protect tangible resources that tional value in commemorating the history of the document the history of the Nez Perce peo- Nation." A total of 24 sites were designated part ples and the significant role of the Nez Perce of the historical park as a result of the 1965 leg- in North American history. islation. On October 30, 1992, Public Law 102- 576 allowed sites to be designated in Oregon, lInterpret the culture and history of the Nez Washington, Montana, and Wyoming, and spec- Perce peoples and promote documentation to ified 14 additional sites in Idaho, Oregon, enhance that interpretation. Washington, and Montana to be included in the park. 2 Nez Perce National Historical Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan PARK SIGNIFICANCE The significance of a park is summarized in lNez Perce National Historical Park offers a statements that capture the essence of the park's unique opportunity for visitors to gain an importance to our natural and cultural heritage. understanding of present-day Nez Perce cul- Significance statements are not the same as an ture within and outside the Nez Perce home- inventory of significant resources. While the land and to learn about important events of resource inventory is a basis on which signifi- the past. cance is determined, the significance statements lPast and present Nez Perce culture were describe the importance or distinctiveness of the shaped by the geography and the rich and var- aggregate of resources in a park. Knowing the ied resources of the Nez Perce homeland. park's significance helps set resource protection priorities, identify primary park interpretive lThe park includes parts of the Lewis and themes, and develop desirable visitor experi- Clark National Historic Trail and the Lolo ences. The 1997 General Management Plan for Trail, both of which were used by other cul- Nez Perce National Historical Park and Big Hole tures. The Nez Perce country, Nez Perce National Battlefield identified these significance National Historical Park sites, and other statements for Nez Perce National Historical Native American cultures overlap but also Park: differ in many ways. lThe park preserves a continuum of at least lThe park contains burial sites and sacred 11,000 years of Nez Perce culture. Its archeo- sites; it is also a focal point for current Nez logical record, museum collection, cultural Perce culture and allows for the continued landscapes, and structures are of national sig- traditional use of resources. The park honors nificance. The park contains historical and the rights retained in the 1855 and 1863 cultural landmarks that are of legendary sig- treaties and will fully apply all applicable nificance to the Nez Perce people. The Nez laws, executive orders, policies, and treaties Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) National Historic Trail related to the protection of cultural properties commemorates a significant event in the his- and sacred sites. tory of the Nez Perce people. Nez Perce National Historical Park Long-Range Interpretive Plan 3 PRIMARY INTERPRETIVE THEMES Primary interpretive themes are based on a includes some who are not blood relatives, was park's purposes, significance, and primary and is the basis for traditional Nez Perce society. resources. These themes are often described as lThe Nez Perce homeland-its land forms, its the key stories or concepts that visitors should resources-shaped every aspect of Nez Perce understand after visiting the park. The themes culture; it affected where people lived, their provide the foundation for all interpretive pro- diet, their economy, their recreational pur- grams and media developed for the park. They suits, and their spiritual well-being. do not include everything the.