Sacajawea National Historic Park concept and Interpretive Centers proposed

The timing for establishing a series of Sacajawea Interpretive Centers through the National Park Service is a key element in the Tribe's effort in obtaining land in both Lemhi County and in the State of Montana as well as re-establishing the tribe's presence in ancestral homelands. In creating a relationship that is mutually beneficial to both parties (Salmon, Dillon, Bozeman, Virginia City and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes) will allow the tribe to secure federal lands with fewer obstacles. This would be a trust-to-trust transfer within the federal government; the Nez Perce Tribe as well as other tribes has already used this process. In my experience in participating as a speaker and presenter during the numerous Bicentennial events of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, I can assure you that the nation would support such a project funded through National Park Service. I discussed this concept with both Mitch Silvers and Jeffrey Sayre who are the Regional Directors for Senator Crapo and Senator Craig. In addition, Bob Sutton who is the Chief Historian for the NPS has shown interest, along with Mayor John Miller of Salmon and the City Council. On July 16th a presentation for the National Park Service Series of Sacajawea sites was presented by Roderick and Leo Ariwite at the request of City of Salmon Mayor, John Miller.

As I have previously mentioned, the establishment of a series of Sacajawea NPS sites throughout the State of Montana and Idaho immediately re-establishes our tribe's presence. Suzi Pengilly, Idaho's Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer [SHPO] in Boise, along with Dr. Stephanie Toothman, Chief, Cultural Resource Programs, for the National Park Service's Pacific West Region in Seattle have been informed of this effort properly honor Sacajawea of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Our proposal is recommending the establishment of a Sacajawea National Historical Park unit, first in Idaho, and then later including sites in Montana and possibly one site in North Dakota. Briefing documents of this effort has been prepared for the Chairman and Members of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. We are requesting that the Chairman of the Tribe contact Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and propose such an idea so that the idea of a Sacajawea National Historic Park based in Salmon might be put on a "to do list- for future National Parks. We got the sense that Kempthorne's office might indeed be looking for a park concept such as this, and with Kempthorne being an Idahoan it might be all that much more attractive for him. It would seem that contacting him as soon as possible would be a good idea. In contacting Kempthorne's office, we are advancing a proposal to establish a Sacajawea National Historical Park [SNHP] unit, modeled in part on the Nez Perce Historical Park headquartered in Spalding, Idaho. SNHP would be headquartered in Salmon, Idaho, incorporating (1) the current site of the Sacajawea Center in Salmon, Idaho. Other units located in Idaho would include (2) Sacajawea's birth place, (3) the site where Lewis and Clark met the Agai Dika across the road from her birth place, (4) Fort Lemhi. 5 , Tendon's gravesite. 6 ) Lembi Pass, and (7) The Fort Lemhi Indian [executive order] Reservation, 1875 - 1095 (1907).

The Montana units that might eventually be incorporated would include: (8) Sacajawea's capture site in the Three Forks drainage, (9) the Sacajawea reunion site near Camp Fortunate, (10) the Lemhi Shoshone buffalo kill site near Clark Canyon, (11) Lost Trail, (12) Laurin, Montana ( the actual site of the unratified Treaty with the Mixed-band of Shoshone, Bannock, and Sheepeater Indians, otherwise known as the Virginia City Treaty of September 24, 1868), and (13), Virginia City, Montana, 15 miles south of Laurin, Montana.

Lastly, we proposed having a Sacajawea site, #14, located at an appropriate location at the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Ankara Nation, also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes headquartered at New Town, North Dakota. This concept was endorsed by the Shoshone-Bannock Business Council at the meeting held on June 11, 2008. The support we are receiving has been encouraging after conversations and contacts with Suzi Pengilly, Idaho's Deputy SHPO, and Dr. Stephanie Toothman, Chief, Cultural Resource Programs, for the National Park Service's Pacific West Region in Seattle and others. It is important to realize that the "window of opportunity" for this is shrinking. Secretary Kempthorne will be leaving his cabinet post in the immediate future. It is critical for Chairman Coby and other Council members to initiate a meeting with the Interior Secretary and members from the National Park Service. We are prepared to develop conceptual propos¬als for this immediately. I know for a fact the many Lewis and Clark organizations will support such an effort by the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. Joe Garcia and Ernie Stensgar, NCAI and ATNI Presidents, would pro-vide a letter of support for this venture if we were to ask them.
A project of this magnitude requires a legal-political historical report to support the reacquisition of federal trust lands in Lemhi County along with revisiting the unratified Virginia City Treaty of September 24, 1868, and the attendant lands Tendoy proposed to cede in return for a treaty reservation near present-day Salmon, Idaho. Those lands essentially comprise the Three Forks drainage-the Jefferson, Madison, and the Gallatin rivers. For over the past fifteen years, the History Department at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, has compiled a historic and legal profile of the Lemhi Indian people, consisting of five M.A. thesis documents, one PhD. Dissertation, and a book published by the University of Nebraska Press as well as hundreds of historical documents from repositories across the nation. The timing of such an endeavor is critical to assure our success. There can be no doubt that if the best talent and expert witnesses work on these projects, the tribe will be successful in re-establishing its communities in Lemhi County and in the State of Montana. Pengilly indicated that getting such an idea on a list for possible National Parks might result in Kempthorne's office directing the National Park Service's Pacific West Region's office in Seattle to undertake a Reconnaissance Survey that would address just such a proposal. Just so you have an idea what such a survey is all about, I included a link to the "Craters of the Moon Reconnaissance Survey:

http://www.nps.gov/archive/crmo/expansion/expansion2b.htm

It certainly seems to me that on the heels of the Bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark Expedition that a Sacajawea National Historical Park representing Sacajawea, her people the Agai Dikas (known today as the Shoshone- Bannock Tribes), and spanning a three-state area would have enduring, national appeal. So many sites throughout the United States already bear her name-who can count, for instance, all the middle schools named Sacagawea Middle School? Her image on the silver dollar and the recent christening of the USNS Sacagawea are further testaments to the national profile of this American Indian woman who is arguably one of best known, if not the best known, American Indian women in American history.

In conclusion, the extraordinary service that Sacajawea performed for this country was articulated in a letter that Captain William Clark wrote to Sacajawea and her family: "your woman who accompanied you that long dangerous and fatiguing route to the Pacific Ocean and back deserves a greater reward for her attention and services on that route than we had in our power to give her at the Mandans" August 20th, 1806. We have obtained a copy this letter from the Missouri Historical Society, and it is just one more remarkable tribute to this American woman whose people have been overlooked in American history.

The many Lewis and Clark organizations are well aware of this letter and what it means, and we need to use it to our advantage, finally. We are requesting that the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes execute a land claim for the lands, which were identified under the Un-ratified Treaty of Virginia City with the Lemhi Indians. The Indian Claims Commission in the 1970's identified this land as homeland of the Lemhi Indians. We are estimating of 32.6 million acres of land in the lands identified by the Treaty of Virginia City, which was signed by Chief Tendoy, and eleven various sub Chiefs of the Lemhi Indians on September 24, 1868 near Virginia City, Montana Territory.

We can no longer sit back and allow other tribes to claim our ancestral homelands; our forefathers for generations gave up their lives so that their children and people can live forever in Salmon River and Three Forks drainages. As great grandson of the signer of the Fort Bridger Treaty on July 3rd in 1868; this Treaty of Virginia City, unratified as it is, greatly enhances the off reservation fishing and hunting rights of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in the State of Montana. Since, the Treaty of Virginia City was never ratified by Congress; THE LANDS WERE NEVER RELINQUISHED BY THE LEMHI INDIANS WHO ARE NOW MEMBERS OF THE SHOSHONE-BANNOCK TRIBES. The numerous historical documents along with many cultural, religious and historical sites of the Lemhi Indians have been documented in area by government agents and various newspaper articles in Southwestern Montana. The research we are requesting the Tribe to fund would prepare a legal historical and political document that we need to prepare to make this historic event that forever will change lives of children and our unborn grandchildren.

Contact Information:
Washington DC 20006 (202) 293-3040; (202) 293-5430 (fax)
Roderick Ariwite, Director of Sacajawea Foundation, P.O. Box 642, Fort Hall, Idaho 83203 (208) 791-7490
Leo T. Arriwite, Fort Lemhi Reservation Land Restoration and Development Committee
P.O. Box 306, Fort Hall, Idaho 83203 E-mail: ftlemhi@yahoo.com or duivich@yahoo.com