Not Forgotten

Nez Perce National Historical Park, Memorial Day Weekend 2009

There is a segment in our history that is shameful - a past we would like to forget about. And for that very reason we must not hide our faces from it nor can we forget it. In our greed, arrogance and ignorance, we tried our best to destroy the nations that inhabited this land before. Those we could not destroy, we rounded up those left behind and forced them onto lands often not of their home. As pale reconciliation, several locations have been set aside to commemorate the people who were here before us. One such place is the Nez Perce National Historical Park in Idaho.

I visited there recently on a photo shoot for the park - documenting aspects of their culture and history on land where they fought battles, raised families, and called home. I met with several rangers, natives who had their own stories to tell. I watched their dances. And explored their land.

In the end, I knew this was a place for remembering.