Landscapes in Idaho
Battle of White Bird Canyon, 2022
Achieving statehood in 1890, Idaho is reputed to be a place of relative cultural homogeneity, rugged mountains and potatoes.
However, the stories of Idaho’s people are layered and complex as is the history and terrain of Idaho itself. Through the ages, Idaho has been home to Native Americans and a destination for migrants, immigrants and refugees for a plethora of reasons ranging from industries like logging, fur trading and mining to railroad construction to war to politics to the dream of living on the last frontier. Each group left their mark, one way or the other, on the land itself.
Our team crisscrossed Idaho in a camper van beginning in 2019, documenting the stories of Native Americans, immigrant diaspora, migrants and refugees and the land they all call home. We documented the landscape using a large format camera and drone footage.
Native Americans
Idaho has long been a place where Native Americans have lived, been displaced, or relocated. In 1805, explorers Lewis and Clark and their guide Sacagawea, entered Idaho on their way to the west coast and met with both the Shoshone and the Nez Perce peoples. Soon after, missionaries, fur traders, minors, and farmers, traveling along the Oregon Trail, began to settle in Idaho. With more settlers and prosperity and the boon of the gold rush, came conflict and pressure for the Native Americans to relinquish their tribal lands.
During the 1850’s to the 1870s, Native American tribes in Idaho signed treaties with the federal government establishing several reservations.
“Today, there are five federally recognized tribes located in the state of Idaho: the Shoshone-Bannock, the Shoshone-Paiute, the Coeur d’Alene, the Kootenai, and the Nez Perce. The vast majority of the Native American population resides on four of five reservations, the Fort Hall Reservation (Shoshone-Bannock Tribes), the Coeur d’Alene Reservation, the Kootenai Reservation and the Nez Perce Reservation. The District shares the Duck Valley Reservation (Shoshone-Paiute Tribes) with Nevada.”(Tribal Lands)
Migrants and Immigrants
For three hundred years, it has been a place where other migrants and immigrants have lived and sometimes stayed. Settlements grew along railroad lines and major travel routes; populated by miners, ranchers and farmers enticed by the bountiful natural resources and minerals deposits. Settlement was also encouraged by favorable federal land laws and seemingly ideal farming conditions, attracting new residents from the American Midwest and Plains states, Europe, Asia, Mexico, and Canada.
For instance, Boise is home to a large community of Basque-Americans. Basque settlers were initially drawn to Idaho by the discovery of silver. Those that did not directly become involved in mining became ranchers or sheepherders, selling beef and lamb products to support their families. The land is marked with Arborglyphs made by Basque sheepherders and provide an important record of the area's history and land use.
Refugees
Idaho has welcomed refugees since the enactment of the 1975 Indochinese Refugee Assistance Program in response to the need for all states to participate in the resettlement of Southeast Asian refugees after the end of the conflict in Vietnam.
According to Atlas Obscura, the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide grew exponentially over the past decade, increasing from 43.3 million in 2009 to 79.5 million in 2019. (Kiniry) The United States has historically resettled more refugees each year than any other country, of which Idaho receives a relatively large percentage.
All told, Idaho is home to more than 120 countries of origin and has become home to refugees and immigrants from around the globe. (Diaspora in Idaho) As Idaho continues to change and evolve; to remember and look forward; the land bears witness to the eras of all the people who have worked, lived, loved and died on the land they called home.
References
Blalack, J. (2021). Basque Sheepherder Aspen Carvings. National Park System. https://www.nps.gov/grba/learn/historyculture/basque-sheepherder-aspen-carvings.htm
Digital Atlas staff members. (n.d.). Immigration and Emigration. The Digital Atlas of Idaho. https://digitalatlas.cose.isu.edu/geog/imem/text/main.htm#:~:text=Idaho's%20largest%20ethnic%20group%20has,gold%20rush%20of%20the%201860s
(2019). Diaspora in Idaho. Idaho Museum of International Diaspora.
https://www.idahomid.org/diaspora-in-idahoKiniry, L. (2021). How Boise, Idaho, Became a Sanctuary for Refugees and Their Cuisine. Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/restaurants-in-boise-idaho
(2021). Tribal Lands. United States Attorney's Office, District of Idaho. https://www.justice.gov/usao-id/tribal-lands