Idaho Tribal Historical Trail Proposed Story-Date: 07:16 p.m. PST Sunday , July 20, 1997 Idaho Tribal Historical Trail Proposed BY JONI LUECK, INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY, RAPID CITY, S.D. Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News CATALDO, Idaho--Jul. 21--Part of an old north Idaho railroad bed that runs from Plummer to Cataldo could help the Coeur d'Alene Tribe recreate its history. First, however, a proposed trail that would include the stretch from Plummer to Cataldo must be approved by several agencies. And the fate of that 72-mile-long railroad bed from Plummer to Mullan is being negotiated by Union Pacific Railroad, the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the tribe and the state. The railroad is considering tearing up its rails and then paving the old bed so it could be used as a public hiking and bicycling trail. Plans call for the state and the tribe to co-manage a section of the trail in the future. The tribe has deep historical roots in a 25-mile section of this proposed paved walking trail. According to a manager with the tribe, members are interested in the conversion for three reasons. First, it would enable the tribe to educate the public about their past use of this land. Second, it would tie together the tribe with land being held in trust for the tribe. And third, it would act as the first step in a major cleanup of the entire Coeur d'Alene Basin, said Phillip Cernera, tribal restoration project manager. The section of trail from Harrison to the Old Mission State Park was used by the tribe in the past for hunting and for religious pursuits. ``It is important to maintain it for the edification or enlightenment of the public about the importance,'' said elder Henry ``Red Bird'' SiJohn, tribe councilman and environmental liaison. In addition, archaeologists have submitted findings of over 100 camp sites that were used by the tribe in the trade of catching fish and the hunting of wildlife. ``They gathered food in the low lands or mountains, berries, medicinal plants and herbs. There was the spiritual connection between the American Indian and the way they lived. ``They loved this area, the clean water and the abundance of food and plants. The old people cherished it,'' Mr. SiJohn said. ``In the sweat houses they emerged in a state of rebirth, rejuvenated with energy, health, vitality and spirit here,'' SiJohn said. ``They had the greatest of respects of natural things of Earth. All spirituality is connected and they couldn't have been here without the Creator for the benefit of mankind. ``The American Indian lived as near to utopia, free, moving at will, lived with nature. They studied, understood and respected nature that was given to them by the Creator,'' he said. The tribe traveled extensively from Harrison to Cataldo and this proposed paved trail would ``be a rejuvenation of the ancient practice of travel,'' said Mr. SiJohn. The railroad allegedly carried contaminated ore from the mines in the Silver Valley for about 100 years and now the rail bed must be cleaned up. ``The conversion of the railroad bed to a paved trail must address the pollution issues in the UP corridor,'' said Mr. Cernera. Representatives from the entities are continuing to work on the legal and technical aspects of the conversion now. One of the issues officials are contemplating include keeping the public away from contaminated areas in surrounding waterways and banks. ``The Tribe wants to make sure the public is aware of the pollution,'' Mr. Cernera said. ``We would provide fencing, signage and scrappy brush to keep the public away from contaminated surrounding sites.'' Another importance reason to support the paved trail includes sponsoring a commemorative horseback ride over the same ground their ancestors rode on. ``This ancestral journey is memorable and highly respected for the worship,'' said Mr. SiJohn. ``The trail would allow the Tribe to have an interpretive recount of the tribal history,'' said Cernera. ``We could ride by horseback for the annual Feast of the Assumption to the Cataldo Mission in August.'' The Mission is being held in trust to the Tribe until the year 2015. That agreement was signed in 1975 between the Roman Catholic Diocese of Boise and the state of Idaho. The Mission became the center of the religious endeavor set forth by the Jesuit fathers and became a stopping area by settlers who infiltrated the area, SiJohn said. ``The Coeur d'Alene Tribe has always considered this as our land,'' said Mr. SiJohn. ``We want to make sure that the agreement with the Idaho State Parks and Recreation and Gov. Phil Batt is held in trust for the Tribe. The Tribe is concerned with the smooth transition of that agreement to take place and the Mission will be maintained as a historic site as well as a religious center for the community and visitors. Another detail to be worked out in the conversion plan is setting up an operation management fund to pay the expenses of maintaining the trail. Mr. Cernera said employees would have to be hired to manage the trail and funds would have to be set aside for maintenance. The third aspect of importance of the rails conversion includes the first step taken in the larger cleanup of the Basin. ``This is just one step in the complete restoration and cleanup of the corridor and the waterways and the flood plain,'' Mr. Cernera said. The Tribe joined the federal government in the Natural Resource Damagement Assessment suit in 1991 against mining companies to get the entire Coeur d'Alene Basin cleaned up, he said. ----- ON THE INTERNET: Visit Indian Country Today on the World Wide Web at http://www.indiancountry.com/ ----- (c) 1997, Indian Country Today, Rapid City, S.D. Distributed by Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News. ------------------------------------------------------------