DATES: June 30 – July 3, 2025
TUITION: $686
LOCATION: GARDINER, MT
GROUP SIZE: 13
ACTIVITY LEVEL: 1
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Millennia before the arrival of Columbus or the reintroduction of the horse into the Western Hemisphere, nimíipuu (Nez Perce) Peoples established an intimate and engaged relationship with the southwestern Montana landscapes, including the remarkable Yellowstone “super-volcano” caldera and its spectrum of rich natural resources. Major nimíipuu travel networks and corridors were established to travel from Idaho, traverse the challenging Northern Rocky Mountains, and reach the Yellowstone Region to camp on the south side of wispáyk’as (A Place to Camp: Yellowstone Lake) before continuing to buffalo country in present day Wyoming.
Students will learn in detail about the geology and geography of the northern Nez Perce travel corridor k’usey’neˀískit (Migrating Trail) from Yellowstone through Lolo Pass, MT, and the much older southern Nez Perce trail wiseˀískit (Camping Trail), from Yellowstone over the Idaho Batholith and through Darby , MT. Students will review how the unique geology, landforms, and geographies of the Yellowstone region were effectively used by the nimíipuu in the Nez Perce Resistance of 1877 where accomplished Tribal warriors and community members successfully engaged some of the most seasoned US Calvary forces in the United States at the newly designated Yellowstone National Park.
Additionally, students will learn about the long term relationship with mac’íspa (Yellowstone) that is manifested by, but not limited to, oral testimony, legend time oratory, significant place name designations, lithic harvest sites, hunting strategies, and benevolent alliances with the other lithic peoples in Yellowstone such as ˀisúuxé (Crow) and tiwélqe (Shoshone-Bannock).
DAY 1
WELCOME & ORIENTATION
The program starts with an evening orientation. Participants will get to know one another and be introduced to the program. Throughout the evening, the itinerary and seminar key concepts will be discussed, as well as what to expect to pack for the field each day.
DAY 2
Mac’i’spa: “The Bad Smelling Place”
What is ethnogeology and what are some examples of ethnogeologic elements in the Pacific Northwest and North America over the past 17,000 years? What is the ethnogeology of Yellowstone National Park and how did Tribal Peoples explain geologic phenomena and engage and utilize earth resources such as soils. landforms, and lithic materials in their traditional lifeways since the last Glacial Period II,000 years ago?
FIELD TRIP: Albright Visitor Center to look at megafauna exhibits and fossil remains of mammoths, ancient bison, bighorn sheep, ancient horse, and giant sloths.
DAY 3
Nimiipuu Presence and Earth Resource Use in Mac’i’spa Through Millennia
Who are the Nez Perce and what is the specific “Nimiipuu ethnogeolgy of Yellowstone National Park”? What are the main earth resource the Nimiipuu established and maintained at Yellowstone?
FIELD TRIP: Visit and walk with class at Mammoth Hot Spring and illustrate and discuss key uses Nez Perce employed with geothermal resources of Yellowstone.
DAY 4
The Nez Perce Resistance of 1877 Comes to Yellowstone
What travel corridor did the Nez Perce use in Idaho and Montana to get to and go through Yellowstone National Park in 1877? What was the strategy for going to Yellowstone and what successes, challenges, and obstacles did Nez Perce People encounter in their war-time travel through Yellowstone? How did minimal number of Nez Perce warriors defend an entire Nimiipuu community of elders, women, children, and over 2000 horses against several waves of professional US military forces that came from different locations and States in the American West.
FIELD TRIP: Visit the rock piles/cairns located around Mammoth Hot Springs and discuss their fascinating spectrum of uses.
PROGRAM ENDS
Dates & Times: The program begins at 7:00 PM on Monday, June 30, 2025 and goes through 5:00 PM on Thursday, July 3, 2025.
Meals: This course is not catered. Participants will need to bring their own food; lunch should be able to travel in the field.
ACTIVITY LEVEL 1
- Be prepared to hike up to 1 mile per day, comfortably, through relatively flat terrain on maintained trails.
- For more information about our activity levels, please visit our Activity Level webpage here.
- Most activities will take place at elevations between 7,200 to 8,000 feet. Participants residing at lower elevations may want to arrive a day early to adjust to the altitude.
- To learn more about how specific medical conditions can be affected by Yellowstone’s environment and our activities, please visit our site page on health information.
- All field activities will be conducted as a group. If members of the group cannot participate in the day’s activities, they need to let the educator know in advance.
- To participate in this program, each participant must fill out and sign a health questionnaire and assumption of risk waiver. These forms must be completed and returned at least 30 days prior to the program start date.
RECOMMENDED READINGS
- MacDonald, D. H., (2018). Before Yellowstone: Native American Archaeology in the National Park. University of Washington Press.
- Nabokov P., & Loendorf L. (2004). Restoring A Presence: American Indians and Yellowstone National Park. University of Oklahoma Press.
Whom to Contact: For any questions, concerns, or additional information please contact the following:
Program itinerary, health forms, payment, and general program questions please contact Yellowstone Forever at [email protected] or 406-848-2400 extension 3
Road updates, park conditions, and general park information please contact Yellowstone National Park Service at https://www.nps.gov/yell/contacts.htm
If running late for a program, please contact 406-848-9128.
General Information: For general information about the facilities, preparation for classes, what to expect, cancellation policies, and more, please see the Gardiner-Based Field Seminars – General Information document.
Cancellation Policy: Review our Cancellation & Refund Policies here.
BOOK THIS FIELD SEMINAR NOW
Roger Amerman, M.S.
Roger Amerman (Choctaw) is a resident and active community member on the Nez Perce Reservation of Idaho. Mr. Amerman has collectively worked for the US Government (USFS, BIA, NRCS, and NPS) for over 31 years as a geologist, plant ecologist, soil conservationist, and Tribal Liaison across the western United States. Mr. Amerman is currently serving as a consultant and ethnogeologist working with Washington State University geo-archeologist and the Nez Perce Tribe in understanding the peopling of the Pacific Northwest in the Nez Perce Homeland and beyond. During the recent Geological Society of America Conference in May 2024 (Spokane, WA) Mr. Amerman was featured and co-authored a program about the Nimiipuu Ethnogeology of Yellowstone National Park through millennia. Mr. Amerman talks to the spectrum of ways Native Peoples incorporate soils, geography, lithic materials, landforms, and geologic phenomena in their lifeways, languages, and oral testimony. In Fall 2025, Roger and his associates will be presenting to the Environmental Studies Program and featuring a month-long 26 poster panel Nimiipuu ethno-earth sciences exhibit at the prestigious Reed College (Portland, OR).
