Apr

5

Big Hole National Battlefield

April 5, 2007 | 3 Comments

Got an email earlier today from Racine containing the following:

Dear David,

I hope you will consider writing about Big Hole National Battlefield, it’s just a day trip from Great Falls. This August, Big Hole will commemorate the 130th anniversary of the historic battle between the U.S. military and the Nez Perce people. Regrettably, in the effort to preserve their land and way of life, between 60 and 90 Nez Perce were killed in the battle of Big Hole; many of the casualties were women and children. Today, a very different battle is being fought at Big Hole. This time, the enemy is insufficient funding but the cause remains remarkably similar: preserving the Nez Perce story and culture. Big Hole National Battlefield is one of eight National Park System units in Montana. The 655-acre battlefield, located ten miles west of Wisdom, Montana, tells the story of the lives that were lost there during the battle in 1877.

The National Parks Conservation Association’s recently-completed assessment of Big Hole’s known cultural and natural resources rates the park in “fair” condition, reporting that, like all of Montana’s national parks, Big Hole would benefit from additional federal funding. At this park, such investment would enable Big Hole’s dedicated staff to conduct important historical research, provide protections for artifacts, update exhibits, combat invasive species, and address other park needs.

NPCA is advocating that Congress and the Administration provide adequate funding for Big Hole and all national parks, which now suffer from a system-wide shortage of $800 million annually, and work together to put our parks on the road to recovery in time for the park system centennial in 2016.

For a complete copy of the report please go to http://www.npca.org/stateoftheparks/big_hole/.

Here’s a Google map; looks like a pretty cool place.

The hawaiian airlines are not exactly cheap flights but unlike the ata airlines, they offer the best airline ticket prices, making everyone go airlines with hawaiian.


Comments

3 Comments so far

  1. BG on May 3, 2007 4:52 pm

    A day trip from Great Falls? Did anyone actually LOOK at the mileage from Great Falls to the Big Hole National Battle Field? It’s 240 miles ONE WAY. Even in Montana, that ain’t a day trip. This is a day trip from Butte (88 miles one way), Anaconda (50-odd miles one way) or Missoula (112 miles one way).

  2. david on May 3, 2007 5:09 pm

    Heh…that caught my eye, too — yeah, it’s not too much farther than, say, Billings or Missoula from Great Falls, but those few extra miles can really make a difference after sitting on your butt for 3+ hours!

  3. Terry Brother of Eagle on July 11, 2008 1:44 pm

    I am a Cherokee Shaman, I healed the bone spur of Chief Elder Francis’s wife at the Butte Pow Wow of 2007. He insisted that I go to the Big Hole Battle Field. I at the time knew very little of the Nez Perce war of 1877. I got to the Big Hole probably the last day of the season last fall. It snowed in as I was leaving. One of the most powerful experiences of my life. As I walked towards the camp area about 30 yds. from the first tipis I walked into what I discovered was a large bubble of spirit energy. It was as if I hit a wall. The entire time in the camp I felt strong male anger and rage. I placed my hand on the ground in both Chief Joseph’s and Chief Toohoohoolzote’s tipi ring. I instantly had a vision in Toohoohoolzote’s ring. It was that of the picture/sculpter called ,End of The Trail. I then knew ,he knew, all was lost at this battle. My hand tingled for 25 mins. after leaving the camp area. I felt myself walk thru the spirit energy bubble upon leaving same. When I got home ,I placed my hand within an inch of a picture of Chief Joseph that I have hanging in my living room. The hand tingled the whole time as before. So if you would like to experience probably the most spiritual thing you may ever do, please visit this site. But PLEASE be very respectful, you will be in a cemetary. I have since done much research of this battle and the war. Yellow Wolf’s quote, in his book ,of what he remembered about this battle, states: he was very angry here.
    I felt all of this , maybe you will to. Shaman Terry Brother of Eagle

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