Methow Artifact Research Project

We have great detail about the history of the Methow Valley from 1880 onward, as settlers to this area kept journals, wrote newspaper articles, took photos, and many of their descendants are still living and can provide detailed living memories. We know from oral history and a few archaeological finds that there was a vibrant population in the valley for thousands of years prior to the 1880s, but the story is only in bits and pieces – like an incomplete jigsaw puzzle. The reasons for this incomplete picture are many – but there is an opportunity for some people to help piece the puzzle together through the Methow Artifact Research Project.

Rich Davis, archaeologist with the Methow Valley Interpretive Center(MVIC), is leading the Methow Artifact Research Project. The goal is to create a photographic record of found artifacts to enrich the archaeological record of the Methow Valley and enhance the legacy of the Methow people.

Since the project began a year ago, sixty new items have been shared. Tools including atlatls - a large spear used to hunt big game - date human occupation in the valley to at least 9,000 years ago and earlier. Tools made of obsidian and petrified wood are rare finds in the valley, or anywhere. The location of these pieces, along with comparable findings elsewhere, point to a robust trade route through the valley.

In a letter, Rich postulates a theory based on the available evidence: “There was a long human presence of several thousand years here in the mid-Valley area just after the Ice receded. The Valley appears to have been an extremely early trade route or passage to the Upper Skagit. The lack of available and suitable projectile point toolstone materials may have made projectile points not only a more valuable import, but a more precious commodity, less likely to be wasted.”

The most valuable artifact that will yield the most clues about a human timeline in the valley is a projectile point. There are many scientific methods to date an object, but projectile points are the most telling time capsules, says Rich, “Every period in prehistory had a unique style of projectile point that originated in different geographical areas.” A projectile point can identify a myriad of details about a people including a timeline of use, routes traveled, and available resources.

The artifacts shared to date are in remarkably old and in pristine condition.

As the snow melts and we begin our spring gardening, building, and cleaning, please keep the Methow Artifact Research Project in mind for sharing any found objects. Sharing your stories and family collections will help us piece together the story of lives lived in this beautiful valley, before all information is lost forever. Privacy is guaranteed. Rich only asks for the opportunity to photograph and study the objects. Please contact Rich Davis at 509-449-3796, or the MVIC.

This article appeared in the Methow Valley News, 28 March 2018

Cultural Preservation

On March 25^th the Methow Valley Interpretive Center will host “Drawing with Vision, Harold J. Cundy’s Recordings of Rock Images on the Columbia Plateau 1927-1936” with historian William Layman and guests Randy Lewis and Arnold Cleveland. The presentation and discussion will show documented rock art found throughout the region.

Hank Adams, Randy Lewis, and Vine DeLoria

I had recently discovered the book, “Custer Died for Your Sins” by Vine Deloria. Randy sent me a photo of himself with the author, Vine, and activist Hank Adams at the March 1968 Right to be Indian conference at Western Washington University in Bellingham. A chapter of Vine’s book, entitled, “Anthropologists and Other Friends”, had been printed in Playboy magazine the month before, raising awareness of American Indians in contemporary society. The book hit the New York Times best seller list a month later.

Randy sent me two other photos, of recent letters from school children notifying him of plans to replicate his likeness in a downtown Seattle mural. They read, “We learned about activists and change at school and learned about how you helped in the Ft. Lawton takeover in the 1970s. We wanted to honor you by painting your portrait on a mural that will be installed at a bus shelter at Yesler Way and 29^th street in the central district. Thank you for helping our community.”

In 1970, Fort Lawton was declared a ‘surplus’ military base and became available for use as public land. The United Indians of All Tribes, UIAT, wished to reclaim the historical grounds for use as a cultural and social service center for American Indians. The state and city rejected the proposal. On March 8, 1970, a hundred people scaled the cliffs of Fort Lawton and staged a sit-in. The demonstration, led by Bernie Whitebear of the Colville Reservation, lasted for three weeks and made national news. The peaceful protest raised awareness of challenges faced by American Indians including poverty, education, and unemployment. The city negotiated with UIAT and set aside twenty-acres for the Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center, located in the heart of Discovery Park. Fort Lawton military grounds became Discovery Park, Seattle’s largest park along the shores of Puget Sound. The park stretches over 500 acres, with nearly 12 miles of languid trails traversing forest, shoreline, grasslands, and landscaped gardens.

An interview with Randy talking about the protest can be viewed online here: http://q13fox.com/2018/04/05/when-native-americans-invaded-fort-lawton/

Randy, like so many others in his generation, worked tirelessly to raise awareness about every facet of human rights. Young people today are tackling issues on the national front yet again and taking to the streets this month to raise awareness about the simple human right of receiving an education uninterrupted by domestic terrorism. The future belongs to our youth, they deserve our support and efforts to find a solution.

Randy Lewis, circa 1977, at the Methow headwaters in traditional Methow regalia

This original article appeared in the Methow Valley News, 14 March 2018