Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument sign dedication
"Newenee" sign at the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument sign dedication event
Saturday, October 9.
By LORI ANN EDMO
Sho-Ban News
HAGERMAN — It was a blustery day at the interpretive sign dedication October 9 at the Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and National Park Service conducted.
High winds forced the cancellation of the walk/run along the Oregon Trail Overlook trail but presentations still continued where participants — some wrapped in blankets and coats were able to hear tribal officials and NPS staff.
Sandra Gladish, Hagerman Fossil Beds director of education and interpretation, explained the area was declared a national monument because of the fossils from millions of years ago – back then there were cats, mastodons and the Hagerman Horse. She said the project started about a year ago but was put on pause until the Tribes were included. She thanked Bobette Haskett and Nolan Brown from the Tribes Original Territories and Historical Research office, Carolyn Smith, Language and Culture Preservation Department, along Derek No Sun Brown, artist.
Gladish said about a year ago, Nolan came and hike the trail with their staff where they acknowledged the wayside exhibits were hard to read and outdated. They wanted the Tribes land acknowledgement and worked with the LCPD staff. After many edits they came to a final result. No Sun Brown’s original artwork will be on display at the new Visitors Center in Hagerman, along with additional tribal exhibits.
“I’m so excited about this new chapter and this partnership, we are all so grateful,” she continued. “We are so glad to include your connections to this place.”
Sandra Gladish, Hagerman Fossil Beds director of education and interpretation speaks.
Fort Hall Business Council member Lee Juan Tyler thanked NPS and the Tribes LCPD for the invitation and said he’d visited the area previously. Awhile back a sign existed referring to gay Indians fishing and after thinking about it, it probably intended to mean happy Indians. He advised the officials then it needed to be changed and there also needed to be more signage about the Tribes presence in the area. He said the area is a beautiful place noting the thousand springs.
He told a legend that his mother shared with him about long time ago before people existed and the animals talked. The leaders coyote and wolf called for a thirst stand to pray for the water – they called all of the animals – the four leggeds including the zebra horse, which he believes was the Hagerman Horse to all participate. The birds were the singers. When they were getting ready to start, pretty soon the tsoaviche came stomping over hill angry because he was left out. He crowded the others waiting to go in the lodge so everybody had to move for him. When the big day came when the dancers are pushed to help themselves the crowd started cheering him on. He fell down and they left him. Coyote and Wolf picked him up and he went staggering to his stall. Later he told them about his vision saying someday the people will come, they will try to capture him and there would be no more salmon. He seen the zebra horse later on the sign and advised legends have meaning to tribal people – teachings as well.
Tyler also talked about Beula – the more than 11,000 year old ancestor that was found near Buhl in 1989. Her well preserved skeleton was also found with cultural items intact. She was repatriated to the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in 1991. He believes there needs to be signage near Buhl about her and the connections to the Tribes.
Haskett said it’s been a journey to get to this point but she’s glad the NPS reached out to work on the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes and Paiute history of the area. She noted her background is in geology and history but after being in the area she has an interest in paleontology. “When I come here my mind is focused on the past we are but a sliver in the timeline. I think of my ancestors and people that came through here — we have so much to learn from that, share that with our people.” She said our people stayed here, we lived here, we moved on and followed the salmon, the bitterroot. Coming back now it’s fascinating, she continued noting we want to keep coming back and in the spring or summer do that walk that was canceled. “Our ancestors are looking down on us saying yes,” for coming back to the area and she thanked the NPS for inviting the Tribes.
Fossil replica on display.
Wade Vagias, Hagerman Fossil Beds manager, said he feels grateful to the staff, along with LCPD staff members Brown, Haskett, Smith and artist No Sun Brown. He is also thankful to the Fort Hall Business Council for supporting the NPS on the project. “We haven’t always done things the right way but when I look at a project like this – the inclusion of your stories – those waysides will tell your stories for years to come,” he said. He believes the future looks so much brighter with the inclusion of the Tribes stories and he thanked all of the participants for attending.
After the presentations, participants had a sack lunch at the Visitors Center in Hagerman then went out to the Paleontology Lab near the Snake River to view fossils including a jawbone from the Hagerman Horse.
