Future of Perma pictograph area future discussed at SPCC Elders Committee meeting

By B.L. Azure

Kevin Askan (foreground) of the Tribal Preservation Office informs the Elders Committee about projects that Preservation is working on. Robert “Buzz” Fyant, archeological technician and newest member of the TPO, was introduced to the elders. (B.L. Azure photo)

ST. IGNATIUS — The proposed improvements to the Perma pictograph area that would mitigate environmental damage there and limit future damage potential was a big topic at the Salish Pend d’Oreille Culture Committee’s February Elders Committee meeting this past Wednesday.

The area contains historically significant pictographs of importance to the Tribes of the Flathead Reservation. Through the years, unmanaged use of the area has resulted in a scarred landscape as well as vandalism and looting at the pictographs.

Ira Matt of the Tribal Preservation Office brought the Elders Committee up to speed on the proposed mitigation work at the Perma pictograph area located along the southern banks of the Flathead River across from Perma, the now nearly abandoned town that was once an important cog in the economics of the early Flathead Reservation.

Several Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ entities are working together to reclaim the damaged sensitive landscape of the area that has historic, cultural and spiritual significance to the Tribes.

The Division of Fire’s Fire Prevention and Education program and the Forestry Department are working with the Tribal Preservation Office to assess the damage, plan and develop official campsites with parking, fire rings and picnic tables, improve access roads, reclaim unauthorized roads and campsites and limit vehicle access in the pictograph area. Hiking, fishing, boating and day use would be promoted.

Elder Eneas Vanderburg encourages the effort to videotape fluent tribal language speakers for language preservation and education

Curt Matt, DOF Fire Prevention and Education officer, is currently seeking $30,000 in grant funds for the tentative desired improvement plans for the area.

“There is a plan in the works for the area but nothing in concrete yet,” Ira Matt of the Tribal Preservation Office told the Elders Committee about the ongoing effort to mitigate damage done in the Perma pictograph area. There has been looting and vandalism of the pictographs, unauthorized motor vehicles use off the designated roadways have caused rutted road scars, denuded natural vegetation and transported knapweed that is displacing native plants. Unauthorized campsites have resulted in numerous rock fire rings and litter is a problem in the area.

By improving the area to a designated campsite with use rules and regulations, the area can be maintained, monitored, and users can be ticketed for unauthorized uses and damages caused.

“We want people to recognize that the area is being managed when they turn onto the area,” Matt said, adding the first portion of land off Montana Highway 382 is a state parcel that contains an “informal” boat launching dock with a limited area for parking. The CSKT land begins just west and north of the state owned parcel that borders 382 and the Flathead River just northwest of the Perma Bridge. The CSKT road, Camas 1300 traverses the area from 382 westward through the pictograph area and beyond.

In part, the tentative improvements at the state area would include an improved boat launch to limit erosion with adequate parking to keep vehicles off the fragile landscape. The state area would also contain historical information as well as regulatory signage that include land ownership and guiding ordinances.

Ted Schall, right, discussed the location of two graves on his property with Ira Matt of the Tribal Preservation Office. Schall was seeking guidance about potential relocation of the graves. (B.L. Azure photo)

Traffic flow in the area is important due to the negative impacts that off-road vehicle-use cause. The evidence is clawed in soil denuded of native vegetation and partially replaced with non-native invasive weeds. Off-road travel via motorized vehicles would be restricted while hiking of trails and unimproved roads in the area would be promoted.

About a half a dozen years ago a relatively large area was used for a fire fighting base camp to stage fire oppression and containment efforts in a combination of fires dubbed the Dixon Complex fires.

“We want to influence some of the campers to the fire camp area,” Matt said. “It is an area with a lot of disturbance to the land and improved campsites would be constructed there.”

It would contain camping spaces with improved parking, fire rings, concrete picnic tables. There would also be regulatory signage that includes land ownership information and guiding ordinances. The Camas 1300 road would be re-graded to keep vehicle traffic on it.

Further west and closer to the pictograph area at least two more improved camping areas would be constructed. The existing Camas 1300 road would allow vehicles to continue west beyond the pictograph area. However a rock border would not allow vehicles to pull off into the pictograph area.

The area near the pictographs that has been used for camping would be reclaimed.

Elder Committee member Louie Adams raised concern about increased snowmobile use in the Valley Creek area. He was of the mind that there were restrictions on snowmobile use that aren’t being enforced. (B.L. Azure photo)

Interpretive signage would explain the history of the tribes of the Flathead Reservation and explain the cultural and spiritual significance of the pictographs. Near the pictographs natural landscape improvements would address the knapweed infestation with the restoration of native plants. “We want to establish a corridor that people stay on. We propose to segregate the pictograph area with a rock border to restrict people from driving too close. We want to keep people out of there but it’s hard. The rock border and signage will help,” Matt said. “We want the public to know the importance of the area to the tribal people here and the area. I think when people understand its importance it gets them involved in the preservation of the place instead of its destruction.”

Pend d’Oreille Elder Pat Pierre said, the area has been used historically used by tribal people, including his family.

“We used to camp in the area when I was a kid,” said the 83-year-old Pierre. “But the original campground people used was in the area where the spring used to be. That’s where people camped, not near the pictographs.”

In other TPO business Matt said TPO personnel is currently locating graves in the Turtle Lake area; two have been located and there are leads on other potential grave areas.

Matt also discussed the former Milltown dam area and a proposed state park there that is located near tribal graves there. The tribal graves were already moved once before, during the construction of the dam. The park, proposed by Missoula County and a citizens group, would encircle the graves with the proposed park. Matt said the group seems to not want to officially address the Tribes’ concerns because that would add teeth to the Tribes claim for protection of the gravesites.

“They are concerned that the graves could alter their plans and they don’t want to reinforce the fact that the burial site is there through official discussions with us,” Matt said, adding that they will continue to call for dialogue with Missoula County to protect the gravesites.

Lucy Vanderburg of the Peoples Center discussed the effort of videotaping interviews with fluent tribal language speakers that would be used in the preservation of the Salish and Pend d’Oreille dialects of the Salish language as well as the Kootenai language.

Steve Small Salmon assists in identifying people and locations of historic photos with tribal members in them. (B.L. Azure photo)

“Josh Brown and I will be focusing on the Salish and Pend d’Oreille interviews. Vernon Finley will be overseeing the Kootenai interviews,” Vanderburg said. The resulting information would be edited for use in educational efforts in area schools and Salish Kootenai College. “Younger generations need to have access to accurate information. That’s what this project is all about. I’m excited to be a part of this.”

The SPCC Elders encouraged the effort and many volunteered to be interviewed.

The Salish Pend d’Oreille Culture Committee Elders Committee meets the first Wednesdays of the month. They suspend official meetings during the summer months.