News

This January marks 160 years since the Bear River Massacre, one of the largest massacres of indigenous people in North American history. In remembrance of those who were lost that day, the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation will be observing the anniversary of the massacre on Sunday, January 29, 2023, at 11am.

The memorial service is open to all and will be held at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Historical Marker on US-91, Milepost 13.1, located 2.5 miles north of Preston, Idaho.

In 2018, the NBSN purchased approximately 300 acres of the land at the site of the Bear River Massacre and they are currently working to restore and revitalize the site to a more natural ecological condition. They call the site Wuda Ogwa, which is Shoshone for Bear River. The NBSN intends to build an interpretive site on the property, with an educational center and trail system, to share the history of the site and its cultural significance to the Shoshone people.

For many years, the only reminder of the massacre was a plaque, erected by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers near the site. Every year, hundreds of people would gather near the plaque to remember the massacre. The plaque is adjacent to US-91 and parking is limited, making the spot less than ideal for a large gathering of people. The planned new interpretive center will include ample parking and visitor services that could support such a large gathering in the rural area. Once it has been built, guests will be able to gather there for the annual memorial service. 

While plans are in place to build the interpretive center, the funding for this complex has not yet been secured. Donations can be made to support this project at  https://wudaogwa.com/.

BIO-WEST has been assisting the NBSN and Hansen, Allen & Luce with their restoration efforts over the entire purchased property. Recently they’ve been focusing their attention along Battle Creek, which flows south through the NBSN property and into the Bear River as is flows through Wuda Ogwa. The Bear River has recently been deemed an impaired waterbody under the Clean Water Act due to sediment loads, pollutants, and higher water temperatures. As a result, the NBSN has started taking steps to help restore the river’s watershed and improve the water quality. 

Current planning for Battle Creek restoration includes moving the stream into a more natural channel form with a connected floodplain. The stream is currently locked into a flow pattern within an existing narrow and deep ditch form.  Allowing the stream to access a wide floodplain will encourage native plant and wildlife establishment, including the return of beavers, which would have been common during the time of the massacre.

Restoration efforts include revegetating the area with native species that would have naturally occurred during the time of the Bear River Massacre and prior to that. Much of the native vegetation community, and the associated wildlife and fish habitat, has been severely reduced and eliminated due to the agricultural and human activities that have taken place since the time of the massacre.

The revegetation planning targets the native plant and animal habitat that’s important to the NBSN’s culture and history. BIO-WEST is working with the NBSN to develop a detailed plant palette that will be utilized to determine which plantings and seedings are appropriate for specific restoration habitat types. Due to the cultural sensitivity of the site, the selected plant species are often considered extremely culturally significant to the NBSN. Other projects for the restoration site include designing a pedestrian trail system throughout the property that will be part of the future planned interpretive center.

BIO-WEST is also currently assisting the NBSN and Utah State University in collecting extensive data on water quality and stream flow within Battle Creek.  This includes installing remote water quality equipment and weather stations so that real time data is available for the NBSN. The stream flow data that’s being collected on Battle Creek will be used for future modeling of any potential stream restoration designs.  BIO-WEST has also been conducting fisheries surveys within Battle Creek and downstream to the Bear River for the last two years. 

The restoration process will take place over the next 10–20 years. For more information about the restoration of Wuda Ogwa, visit their website at https://wudaogwa.com/