New interpretive signs highlight petroglyphs and cultural history
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This past November, BLM Idaho Falls District staff from the Pocatello Field Office (PFO) installed two new interpretive signs at Indian Rocks near the petroglyph boulder display. The signs were designed by the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes in collaboration with the field office. The site is designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) to protect significant Native American cultural resources including petroglyphs and lithic scatters.
The new signs help tell the story of the area and highlight the importance of its history and current features. One wayside details the petroglyphs and the importance of archaeological and cultural resources. The other provides information about the history of Pihaguyu Nahuukwa Teviwa (the local Portneuf River Country), the creation of the Fort Hall Reservation, and traditional foods used by the Tribes today. English translation seen on one sign proclaims that “The rocks tell the story of our ancestors,” and are a cherished and invaluable resource.
Nolan Brown of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Cultural and Preservation Department helped design these signs, and another interpretive display in the Challis Field Office earlier in 2021. As the Historical Researcher for the Shoshone-Bannock tribes, his efforts were vital to help recognize and highlight the heritage and history of the area.
“This is a wonderful collaboration that shares a more complete view of the history and importance of these lands,” said Idaho Falls District Manager Mary D’Aversa. “The signs invite people to immerse themselves in the landscape and develop for a fuller appreciation and greater understanding of the area.”
PFO Archaeologist Amy Lapp spearheaded the project, with help from Maintenance Worker Andrew Harsh and Park Ranger Cory Olsen. When the signs were ready for installation, they discovered some additional challenges awaited them. An auger was brought to the site to dig holes for the sign posts, but they found much more rock than soil at Indian Rocks. After a few attempts and holes no more than shallow depressions possible, it was time for some quick problem solving. Due to all that lava rock, Andrew and Cory designed and built sturdy bases for the signs that could be installed on top of the ground. They even gathered nearby rocks to complete and anchor the design. After parking and reading the signs, a short trail leads to higher ground where the petroglyphs can then be seen.
There are many stories to explore in the area from the dark basalt cliffs formed as lava flowed from the Blackfoot Lava Field north and west of the site to the basalt boulders washed downstream and rounded by a catastrophic flood about 14,500 years ago that became the petroglyph rocks. They are some of the many “melon” boulders deposited across Idaho by what is now called the Bonneville Flood. Indigenous people, living in southern Idaho at that time, probably witnessed and/or experienced this massive flood.
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The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.