Developing and Presenting Geoscience Interpretive

Developing and Presenting Geoscience Interpretive Programs at
Nez Perce National Historical Park, Idaho
Shane V. Smith
Department of Geology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2812,
svsmith@mail.wsu.edu
ABSTRACT
Geoscience interpretive programs are not typically
developed and presented at national historical parks and
never were at Nez Perce National Historical Park prior to
the author's employment at the park. The goal of this
paper is to provide examples for creating and
implementing geoscience interpretive programs at
historical parks. Numerous challenges exist when
creating geoscience programs at historical parks with the
primary challenge being to maintain a historical theme to
the program. This challenge was overcome by the author
while employed at Nez Perce National Historical Park by
designing two interpretive programs based on the
importance of geomorphic features and earth materials
in Nez Perce history and culture. Positive feedback from
Nez Perce Tribal members, and visitors and staff at Nez
Perce National Historical Park demonstrates that it is
possible to implement geoscience programs with a
historical theme that interest the public.
INTRODUCTION
A number of unique challenges were encountered when
developing and presenting geoscience interpretive
programs at Nez Perce National Historical Park.
National Park Service employees use the term
"interpretive program" to define the process of
communicating information about the park to park
visitors. The principal challenge was maintaining a
historical theme, which is the primary reason why the
public is visiting the park. To overcome this challenge the
author developed two interpretive programs based on:
1) Native American oral histories about geomorphic
features associated with the park and 2) traditional Nez
Perce uses of earth materials.
Both interpretive programs were created and presented
when the author was employed as an interpretive park
ranger at Nez Perce National Historical Park. The
motivation for publishing this paper is to provide
guidelines for developing and implementing geoscience
interpretive programs at historical parks.
BENEFITS OF THESE GEOSCIENCE
INTERPRETIVE PROGRAM
Any geoscience presentation that interests the general
public and enhances their scientific literacy is beneficial
because the public commonly lacks knowledge of the
geosciences and their role in society (Hazen, 1992;
Patterson, 1994; National Academy Press, 1995). These
programs
provided
innovative,
non-traditional
approaches for exposing park visitors to the geology of
Nez Perce National Historical Park and the role of
geoscience in Nez Perce history and culture.
294
PRESENTING THE GEOMORPHOLOGY
PROGRAM
The geomorphology interpretive program began by
telling the oral histories about the formation of the
Columbia River, Bridge of the Gods over the Columbia
River, and Hell's Canyon of the Snake River. The version
of the Columbia River and Bridge of the Gods oral
history used was recorded by Ella Clark (1953) as
recounted in 1951 by Peter Noyes, a member of the
Colville tribe on the Colville Reservation in Washington.
The Hell's Canyon oral history was also recorded by Ella
Clark (1953) as related in August 1950 by Caleb
Whitman, a member of the Nez Perce Tribe on the
Umatilla Reservation in Oregon. These oral histories
were chosen because of the importance of the two rivers
in Nez Perce history and culture.
The oral histories were then compared to modern
geomorphic hypotheses for the formation of the three
features, including; 1) erosion carving the Columbia and
Snake Rivers over millions of years (Fecht et al., 1985), 2)
incision by floods from glacial lakes Missoula and
Columbia contributing to the morphology of the
Columbia River (Bretz, 1923 and 1969), 3) the Lake
Bonneville flood contributing to the down cutting of
Hell's Canyon of the Snake River (Gilbert, 1878; Malde,
1968), and 4) the earthquake generated Bridge of the
Gods/Bonneville landslide (Waters, 1973). Maps
illustrating the locations and areal extent of the
Columbia and Snake Rivers, glacial lakes Missoula and
Columbia and their flood paths, Lake Bonneville and its
flood path, and the Bridge of the Gods/Bonneville
landslide were used as visual aids for this program.
The following is a summary of the comparison
between the oral history and modern hypothesis about
the formation of the Columbia River presented during
the program. The oral history states that long ago there
was a lake located in northeastern Washington and the
Coyote dug a river from the lake to the ocean, so salmon
could migrate up the river to feed the people (Clark,
1953). While digging the river the Coyote dug a tunnel
through the Cascade Range creating a bridge over the
river that was known as the Bridge of the Gods. The lake
drained down the river, now known as the Columbia
River, after it was dug. Years later an earthquake
collapsed the Bridge of the Gods into the river creating
the Cascades of the Columbia River. Modern
geoscientists hypothesize Glacial Lake Columbia existed
in northeastern Washington between 15,000-12,000 years
ago (Waitt and Thorson, 1983). Floods generated by the
emptying of Glacial Lake Columbia eroded portions of
the Channeled Scablands and the Columbia River valley
(Waitt and Thorson, 1983). Geoscientists also
hypothesize that an earthquake-generated landslide
between 442-900 years before present (Lawrence and
Lawrence, 1958), know as the Bridge of the
Gods/Bonneville landslide, produced a temporary dam
and bridge across the Columbia River. The Columbia
River eroded through the landslide producing the
Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 53, n. 3, May, 2005, p. 294-296
Raw Earth Materials
Hematite
Limonite
Obsidian
Chert
Basalt
Catlinite
Finished Product or Tool
Dyes on buckskin
Dyes on buckskin
Arrowheads
Arrowheads
Mortar and pestle
Fishnet weights
Smoking pipes
Table 1. Examples of samples used in Earth Materials
interpretive program.
Cascades of the Columbia River. These similarities
between the oral history and modern hypothesis are
intriguing because the oral history was first heard by its
teller, Peter Noyes, in the 1880's (Clark, 1953) and the
modern hypotheses were not proposed until the 1900's
(Bretz, 1923; Waitt and Thorson, 1983; Lawrence and
Lawrence, 1958).
The program then discussed archaeological
evidence of ancestral Nez Perce and other Native
American habitation in the Pacific Northwest during the
time of glacial lakes Missoula and Columbia (Lyon,
2000). I suggested the possibility Native American oral
histories of the floods may have originated from
eyewitness accounts of these events and are not simply
myths or legends. I also suggested Native Americans'
contributing the digging or erosion of the Columbia
River to the Coyote as being similar to early Christians
contributing catastrophic events to acts of God. This is
because the Coyote is the central figure in many Nez
Perce and other Native American oral histories and is
commonly a very powerful, mystical being (Walker and
Matthew, 1998; Landeen and Pinkham, 1999). Both
groups were explaining events in a context familiar to the
eyewitness of each event.
This type of program should be presented from the
perspective that each oral history or modern hypothesis
was developed using the knowledge and education
available to the individual or group developing the oral
history or hypothesis. The program should not be
presented from the perspective of one group being
correct and the other being incorrect. This is regardless of
whether the knowledge is natural and spiritual as
possessed by ancestral Native Americans or scientific
and mathematical as possessed by modern geoscientists.
PRESENTING THE EARTH MATERIALS
PROGRAM
The earth materials interpretive program illustrated the
ties of the traditional Nez Perce to the Earth by
discussing and showing examples of raw earth materials
and the finished products the Nez Perce made from these
materials. Samples of raw earth materials and finished
products were available for the park visitors to handle
and examine (Table 1). The program was presented in
two parts: 1) earth materials used and tools produced
prior to contact with European-Americans, and 2) earth
materials used and tools produced after contact with
European-Americans. The reason for presenting the
program in two parts was because contact with
European-Americans had a profound influence on the
earth materials used by the Nez Perce. The prime
example of this influence was the Nez Perce did not use
metals prior to contact with European-Americans
(Spiden, 1908). After contact, the Nez Perce began to use
numerous metal tools including cooking pots,
arrowheads, and digging sticks.
INDICATORS OF INTERPRETIVE
PROGRAM SUCCESS
The short duration of the author's employment as a
seasonal ranger at Nez Perce National Historical Park
did not allow for the development of a formal plan of
assessment. The author did receive written and verbal
comments about the geomorphology and earth materials
interpretive programs from park staff and visitors. The
responses were resoundingly positive for both
interpretive programs with the author receiving no
negative comments.
Examples of written comments received from Nez
Perce National Historical Park visitors and staff that
attended the interpretive programs presented by the
author included:
1)
My understanding and enjoyment of the park and its
resources were increased because of efforts made by
ranger Shane Smith during the presentation of his
earth materials interpretive program.
2) Ranger Smith's presentation captured my interest
and imagination and provided me a fundamental
understanding of the link between the Nez Perce and
the world around them.
3) Ranger Smith encouraged audience interaction and
challenged the audience to think about the subject he
was presenting during his geomorphology program.
Examples of verbal comments received from Nez Perce
National Historical Park visitors and staff that attended
the interpretive programs presented by the author
included:
1) A park visitor told the author that she was Nez Perce
and wanted to express her thanks for doing a great
job presenting and comparing Nez Perce oral
histories.
2) A park ranger and Nez Perce tribal member told the
author that she was happy to see that he respected
and considered traditional beliefs in a way that most
modern scientists don't.
CONCLUSIONS
These programs illustrate it is possible to develop and
present geoscience interpretive programs with a
historical theme. These programs provided visitors to
Nez Perce National Historical Park with unique
opportunities to learn the important role of geomorphic
features and earth materials in Nez Perce history and
culture. The interest of park visitors in these programs
demonstrates the format of these programs is effective
for presenting geoscience topics at other historical parks.
There is a great, untapped potential for exposing visitors
at other historical parks to the geosciences by presenting
similar interpretive programs.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Diane Mallickan and Leland "Lem"
Mitchell for their reviews and constructive comments
provided during the development of the content and
Smith - Developing and Presenting Geoscience Interpretive Programs
295
presentations for these programs. Diane is a Nez Perce
tribal member and interpretive park ranger at Nez Perce
National Park. Diane is also one of the editors of a book
entitled "The Nez Perce Nation Divided: Firsthand
Accounts of Events Leading to the 1863 Treaty" (Baird et
al., 2002). Lem is a Nez Perce tribal member and was a
seasonal park guide at Nez Perce National Park. I want to
thank Marie Marek, Spalding Unit Manager at Nez Perce
National Historical Park, for permitting me to develop
and present interpretive programs that were atypical at
the park. The critical and constructive reviews by Dr.
Steven C. Semken (Arizona State University), Dr. Laura
Crossey (University of New Mexico), Bridget Diefenbach
(University of Idaho), and Kathy Baldwin (Washington
State University) were greatly appreciated.
REFERENCES
Baird, D., Mallickan, D, and Swagerty, W. R. (eds), 2002,
The Nez Perce Nation Divided: Firsthand Accounts
of the Events Leading to the 1863 Treaty, University
of Idaho Press, Moscow, Idaho, 458 p.
Bretz, J. H., 1923, The Channeled Scablands of the
Columbia Plateau, Journal of Geology, v. 31, p.
617-649.
Bretz, J. H., 1969, The Lake Missoula floods and the
Channeled Scablands, Journal of Geology, v. 77, p.
505-543.
Clark, E. E., 1953, Indian legends of the Pacific
Northwest, Berkley, University of California Press,
225 p.
Fecht, K. R., Reidel, S. P., and Tallman, A. M., 1985,
Paleodrainage of the Columbia River on the
Columbia Plateau of Washington State: A summary,
Richland,
Washington,
Rockwell
Hanford
Operations Report RHO-BW-SA-318, 55 p.
Gilbert, G. K., 1878, The ancient outlet of Great Salt Lake,
American Journal of Science, v. 15, p. 256-259.
Hazen, R. M., 1992, Scientific literacy: the enemy is us,
National Academy Press, 11, Scientific Literacy, p.
95-103.
296
Landeem, D., and Pinkham, A., 1999, Salmon and His
People: Fish and Fishing in Nez Perce Culture,
Confluence Press, Lewiston, Idaho, 249 p.
Lawrence, D. B., and Lawrence, E. G., 1958, Bridge of the
Gods legend - Its origin, history, and dating,
Mazama, v. 40, p. 33-41.
Lyon, J. W., 2000, An examination of three upland
archaeological sites in the Clearwater River region,
MS thesis, University of Idaho, 108 p.
Malde, H., 1968, The catastrophic Late Pleistocene
Bonneville Flood in the Snake River Plain, Idaho,
United States Geological Survey Professional Paper
596, 52 p.
National Academy Press, 1995, Cross national studies of
adult understanding of science, p. 23-28.
Patterson, J.G., 1994, Preparing for the future: will our
graduates be scientifically literate?, Geoscience
Canada, v. 20, p. 165-172.
Spinden, H. J., 1908, The Nez Perce Indians, Memoirs of
the American Anthropological Association, v. II,
part 3, 274 p.
Waitt, R., B., Jr., 1985, Case for periodic, colossal
jökulhlaups from Pleistocene glacial Lake Missoula,
Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 96, p.
1271-1286.
Waitt, R. B., Jr., and Thorson, R. M., 1983, The Cordilleran
Ice Sheet in Washington, Idaho, and Montana, in
Wright, H. E., Jr. (ed.), Late-Quaternary
Environments of the United States, volume 1: The
Late Pleistocene, Porter, S. C., (ed.), University of
Minnesota Press, p 53-70.
Walker, D., E, Jr., and Matthew, D. N., 1998, Nez Perce
Coyote Tales: The Myth Cycle, University of
Oklahoma Press, Norman, Oklahoma, 244 p.
Waters, A. C., 1973, The Columbia River Gorge - Basalt
stratigraphy, ancient lava dams, and landslide dams,
in Beaulieu, J. D. (ed.), Geologic field trips in
northern Oregon and southern Washington, Oregon
Department f Geology and Mineral Industries
Bulletin 77, p. 133-162.
Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 53, n. 3, May, 2005, p. 294-296
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