Tribe remembers nation's largest massacre

Tribe remembers nation's largest massacre

Posted: March 10, 2008
by: Staff Reports / Indian Country Today

BRIGHAM CITY, Utah - On Jan. 29, 1863, almost 500 Northwestern Shoshone men, women and children perished in the Bear River Massacre. Federal troops trapped and decimated the tribe at the site of its annual ''Warm Dance'' in present-day Franklin County, Idaho. The tribe conducted a memorial service Jan. 29 at the Massacre Memorial four miles northwest of Preston, Idaho, on Highway 91.

Now, 145 years later, the tribe has acquired the massacre site and surrounding lands in an effort to protect the sacred site and create an appropriate memorial. In an ironic twist, the Northwestern Shoshone have distinguished themselves as an important federal contracting partner with the U.S. military, providing important intelligence and infrastructure assets in enhancing the nation's war-fighting capacity.

In partnership with the American West Heritage Center and state leaders in Idaho and Utah, the tribe has developed public/private partnerships to advance tribal cultural preservation and economic development goals.

''Our first tribal development action was to secure and preserve the massacre site. Since that day a few years ago, we have secured millions in government contracts, using the know-how and profits to benefit our tribe,'' said Bruce Parry, tribal chairman and CEO of the tribe's economic development corporation. He added that ''the tribe's strategic vision goes beyond mere job creation, emphasizing development that preserves and enhances tribal cultures, with sustainable economies.''

The tribe has become a national leader in tribal renewable energy, and COO Michael Devine indicated that ''the energy development efforts emphasize renewable energy sources, which are consistent with tribal cultural and environmental objectives.''

Utah Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert supports the progressive approach taken by the tribe, saying ''the Northwestern Shoshone have transcended the victim status of the Bear River Massacre, capitalizing on positive tribal intellectual assets to create a bright new future for the tribe.''