Nez Perce National Historic Trail

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Nez Perce National Historic Trail
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
Location:	Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, USA
Nearest city:	Lewiston, ID
Coordinates:	46°8′31″N, 116°21′34″W
Established:	1986
Governing body:	U.S. Forest Service

The Nez Perce National Historical Trail follows the same journey undertaken by a band of the Nez Perce Indian tribe in 1877 during their attempt to flee the U.S. Cavalry. The 1,170 mile (1,883 km) trail was created in 1986 as part of the National Trails System Act and is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The trail traverses through portions of the U.S. states of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana and connects 38 separate sites across these four states that commemorate significant events which occurred to the Nez Perce during their attempt to escape capture by the U.S. Cavalry who were under orders to move the Indians onto a reservation.

One band of 750 Nez Perce who were not under any treaty with the U.S. Government, fought numerous engagements with the 7th Cavalry during their attempt to reach Canada and escape being forced into an Indian Reservation. Beginning near Wallowa Lake in eastern Oregon, the Nez Perce headed east into Idaho. They crossed Lolo Pass into Montana and fought a major battle at what is now know as Big Hole National Battlefield. After that, the Nez Perce continued traveling south and east, back into Idaho and then into Wyoming entering Yellowstone National Park near West Yellowstone, Montana. The tribe left the park crossing Sylvan Pass and followed the Clarks Fork River back into Montana. From there the Nez Perce headed almost straight north for Canada and almost made it. The Nez Perce were near starvation and exhaustion after fighting their last battle at Bearpaw Mountain, less than 40 miles (64 km) from the Canadian border, when they surrendered to U.S. authorities. Chief Joseph is widely credited with leading the Nez Perce on this journey, but he was more of a camp supervisor, entrusted with the logistics of moving a large group of people, their horses and belongings. At the time of the surrender, Chief Joseph was the most prominent surviving leader among the group and was ultimately the one who decided that they must surrender. A few members of the tribe did manage to escape to Canada, but the vast majority were relocated to Kansas and Oklahoma for eight years before being allowed to return to Idaho, near their ancestral home.

The trail passes through numerous National Park Service managed areas and National Forests. While Oregon was already a state, the other three states the trail now passes through were still merely territories. None of the forest lands were managed by the federal government, but Yellowstone National Park was created 5 years prior to the Nez Perce journey. The trail also passes through privately owned property and it is best advised to obtain permission to enter these areas from local landowners. Little of the trail is actually a foot trail, but much of the journey can be closely followed by roads. Attempts are underway to continue to preserve right of way to allow greater access for visitors.

[edit] External link

• U.S. Forest Service. Nez Perce National Historical Trail. Retrieved on 2006-07-08.

[edit] See also

• Nez Perce National Historical Park