PLACE AMONG THE DISPLACED: ENVISIONING PRESERVATION OF A MÉTIS SETTLEMENT IN MONTANA by EMILY ANNE SAKARIASSEN A THESIS Presented to the Interdisciplinary Studies Program: Historic Preservation and the Graduate School of the University of Oregon in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science June 2014 THESIS APPROVAL PAGE Student: Emily Anne Sakariassen Title: Place Among the Displaced: Envisioning Preservation of a Métis Settlement in Montana This thesis has been accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science degree in the Interdisciplinary Studies Program: Historic Preservation by: Dr. Marsha Weisiger Chairperson Dr. Rick Minor Member and Kimberly Andrews Espy Vice President for Research and Innovation; Dean of the Graduate School Original approval signatures are on file with the University of Oregon Graduate School. Degree awarded June 2014 ii © 2014 Emily Anne Sakariassen This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Nonommercial (United States) License. iii THESIS ABSTRACT Emily Anne Sakariassen Master of Science Interdisciplinary Studies Program: Historic Preservation June 2014 Title: Place Among the Displaced: Envisioning Preservation of a Métis Settlement in Montana The focus of this study is on the South Fork of the Teton River Canyon Settlement, a previously unevaluated historic settlement associated with the history of the Métis in Montana. The site is located along the South Fork of the Teton River, approximately thirty miles west of Choteau, Montana, and was once occupied by Métis families fleeing persecution for alleged involvement in the Northwest Rebellion of 1885. The study establishes precedent for the site’s inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places and addresses the potential for the site’s designation as a Traditional Cultural Property, despite the challenges inherent in such an approach. This study contributes to both existing documentation of the Métis narrative across the state of Montana and to the ongoing discussion among historic preservation professionals concerning the viability and possible revision of National Register Bulletin 38: Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Traditional Cultural Properties. iv CURRICULUM VITAE NAME OF AUTHOR: Emily Anne Sakariassen GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED: University of Oregon, Eugene University of Chester, Chester, United Kingdom University of Montana, Missoula DEGREES AWARDED: Master of Science, Interdisciplinary Studies Program: Historic Preservation, 2014, University of Oregon Bachelor of Arts, History, 2012, University of Montana Bachelor of Arts, Anthropology, 2012, University of Montana Certificate in Historic Preservation, 2012, University of Montana AREAS OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Cultural Resource Identification and Evaluation PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Architectural History Consultant, Metcalf Archaeological Consultants, Inc., Bismarck, ND, Spring 2014. Intern, Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Montana Historical Society, Helena, Montana, Summer 2012. GRANTS, AWARDS, AND HONORS: Margaret Wiese Graduate Student Research Award, Place Among the Displaced: Preservation of a Métis Settlement in Montana, Margaret J. Wiese Scholarship Endowment Fund, 2014. PUBLICATIONS: Sakariassen, Emily. “A Prairie Mentor: The Architectural Influence of William Gray Purcell in the Pacific Northwest.” Journal of the Associated Students for Historic Preservation (2013): 6-9. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I want to express my gratitude, first, to my Métis friend Al Wiseman for sharing his cultural traditions, interpretations, and knowledge of the South Fork Settlement and its people. Thanks also to Nicholas Vrooman, to members and friends from the Choteau and surrounding area community (many of whom trace their family histories to the South Fork), and to Nancy Thornton for her invaluable archive of primary-source material concerning Choteau’s Métis. I extend sincere appreciation to my committee chair, Dr. Marsha Weisiger for her patience and guidance. She has influenced the way I think and the way I write. I am also grateful to Dr. Rick Minor for the time and energy he has spent reviewing my work. He has challenged me to assert my knowledge. Thanks also to the faculty, staff, and students of the Historic Preservation Program at the University of Oregon for their many kindnesses and inspiring conversations, and to the Margaret J. Weise Endowment for supporting my endeavor. I must also express gratitude to the many friends and family members for encouraging my best efforts. Individuals from the historic preservation community also deserve acknowledgment. Among them are Amy Cole of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Amy Bleier Research Archaeologist at the State Historical Society of North Dakota, the knowledgeable staff members of the North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and New Mexico State Historic Preservation Offices, and former Bureau of Land Management archaeologist Dave Vlcek. This body of research would not have been possible without the willingness of all of these individuals to impart their personal and professional experiences to a curious young graduate student. vi In fond memory of Ripley Hugo who introduced me to the story of this place, and for my father, Erik, who encouraged me to explore that story for myself. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 The Story ................................................................................................................ 3 The Place ................................................................................................................ 5 II. A NARRATIVE OF DISPLACEMENT ................................................................ 11 An Era of Conflict .................................................................................................. 12 Seclusion and Grandeur on the Rocky Mountain Front......................................... 17 Origins of the Montana Métis ................................................................................ 25 III. PRESERVATION OF THE MÉTIS NARRATIVE.............................................. 44 Gingras Trading Post State Historic Site, North Dakota ....................................... 44 Batoche National Historic Site of Canada, Saskatchewan..................................... 51 Hill 57, Montana .................................................................................................... 56 Seeking the Best Preservation Model .................................................................... 63 IV. BULLETIN 38: EXPANDING VIEWS ON TRADITIONAL CULTURAL PROPERTIES .............................................................................................................. 66 Medicine Mountain/Medicine Wheel NHL, Wyoming ......................................... 67 Mount Taylor, New Mexico .................................................................................. 75 Green River Drift Trail, Wyoming ........................................................................ 85 V. BULLETIN 38: UNTAPPED POTENTIAL .......................................................... 93 Recognizing TCPs ................................................................................................. 96 New Approaches .................................................................................................... 98 viii Chapter Page Old Conflicts .......................................................................................................... 102 Ongoing Challenges ............................................................................................... 107 VI. ENVISIONING MÉTIS HERITAGE PRESERVED AT THE SOUTH FORK SETTLEMENT ............................................................................................................ 113 Remnants of the Past .............................................................................................. 113 Traditional Knowledge Recovered ........................................................................ 117 Consideration of National Register Criteria .......................................................... 119 Criterion C Applicability ................................................................................. 120 Criterion D Applicability ................................................................................. 122 Significance and Setting ........................................................................................ 126 Place and Cultural Identity..................................................................................... 131 VII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION ..................................................................... 137 VIII. EPILOGUE ......................................................................................................... 142 REFERENCES CITED ................................................................................................ 144 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Map of Land Ownership surrounding the South Fork Settlement in Montana. ......... 6 2. "Métis Settlement sites in Montana circa 1900," Map by Gerhard Ens. ................... 13 3. "Lumber Mill on South Fork of Teton Creek," H.B. Ayers. ...................................... 21 4. "Colony of Half-Breed Woodcutters on the South Fork of Teton Creek," H.B. Ayers. ...............................................................................................................