Tim Murphy receives Heritage Heroes Award
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ELKO, Nev. – A former BLM archaeologist and California Trail Interpretive Center volunteer received a national Heritage Heroes award.
Tim Murphy received the award on Dec. 10 at the BLM Elko District Office. The annual Heritage Heroes Award, from the BLM Washington Office, recognizes BLM employees, volunteers or partners for their significant support of cultural heritage, history or paleontological resources.
Murphy has served the California Trail Interpretive Center as a volunteer for over seven years. After Murphy retired as an archaeologist for the BLM Elko District in 2011, he immediately signed up as a BLM volunteer. He has provided the Trail Center valuable assistance with the interpretation of Great Basin Native American culture.
Murphy has served in diverse ways, from assisting with the construction of traditional Shoshone sage houses, to interpreting Native American lifeways at California Trail Days, the Trail Center’s annual living history reenactment.
Traditional Great Basin Native Americans lived in sage houses for thousands of years. Murphy, along with a local Shoshone, helped plan and build the Center’s original Shoshone Summer Camp, located on the Trail Center’s grounds.
“The sage houses provide outstanding educational and interpretive experiences for our visitors,” said Alex Rose, supervisory park ranger. “Native Americans have been living in the Great Basin for over 12,000 years. These simple structures provide powerful reminders to our visitors of the Great Basin’s original settlers.”
Since the Trail Center officially opened in 2012, Murphy has used his knowledge and experience to educate Center employees regarding traditional Great Basin Native American lifeways. These employees then pass this fascinating history on to visitors from throughout the nation and around the world.
“Whenever called upon, Tim has always made himself available to assist the Trail Center, from building Shoshone sage houses to educating our visitors about the rich history of Great Basin Native Americans,” Rose said. “Since 2012, over 125,000 Trail Center visitors have benefited from Tim’s enthusiasm for the interpretation of traditional Native American culture.”
The California Trail Interpretive Center is located eight miles west of Elko on I-80, Hunter exit 292. The Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free.
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.