Every Day Is Special: Idaho

Showing posts with label Idaho. Show all posts

June 17 - It Was Called the Steal Treaty...

Posted on June 17, 2020

On this date in 1960, the Nez Perce tribe was awarded $4 million for land that had been "bought" from them - really, stolen from them! - for just 4 cents per acre, way back in 1863.

The seven million acres (about 28 thousand square kilometers) was very much undervalued by the treaty, even for 1863 prices. The land was in Eastern Washington and Oregon and a central chunk of Idaho. The compensation for the land was so unfair, the nickname for the treaty became "the steal treaty."

By the way, the reason for the land grab was that gold was discovered within the boundaries of the land that had been given to the Nez Perce by the Treaty of 1855! The U.S. government, instead of sticking to its promise to the tribe, enforcing reservation boundaries by keeping gold-seekers out, and allowing the Nez Perce to profit from the resources on their own land - yeah, instead of all of that, the U.S. just grabbed about 90% of the reservation!

You probably know that European settlers in the "New World," and their descendants, treated the native peoples who lived in North America really dreadfully. Obviously, not every interaction between European-American and Native American was awful, but as a whole, the British colonies and the United States has a terrible human-rights record. Stealing land; making and then breaking treaties; devaluing native cultures, languages, and religions; kidnapping and murder, war and massacres - yikes, what a lot of horrific stuff!

Chief Joseph is one of the most famous of the Nez Perce.

In modern times, a few steps have been taken to right a fraction of the wrongs, and one of these steps was this 1960 payment. Today the Nez Perce own and operate two casinos in Idaho, and many people in this tribe are involved with the hatching, harvesting, and selling salmon.

Also on this date:

Eat Your Vegetables Day

Iceland's National Day

Artist M. C. Escher's birthday

Stewart's Root Beer Day

Anniversary of the “discovery” of muskoxen

Bunker Hill Day

World Day to Combat Desertification

Father's Day in Guatemala and El Salvador

National Garbage Man Day

World Tessellation Day

Turtle Days

(June 17 - 20, 2020 - but it may be postponed or cancelled!)

Plan ahead:

Check out my Pinterest boards for:

June holidays

June birthdays

Historical anniversaries in June

And here are my Pinterest boards for:

July holidays

July birthdays

Historical anniversaries in July

July 3 – Idaho's Statehood Anniversary

Posted on July 3, 2016

On this date in 1890, Idaho became the 43^rd state of the United States of America.

Idaho is in the West, so (like all Western states) it is larger than many of the eastern states. As a matter of fact, the area of Idaho is larger than all of New England put together!

Yet Idaho is also one of the least densely populated states.

I always think of potatoes when I think of Idaho, because that crop is grown pretty widely there. Indeed, some people call Idaho the “Potato State.” About one-fifth of the U.S. potato crop is grown in Idaho, including about half of all potatoes used by McDonalds for French fries!

I loved finding peacock ore
in Idaho!!

But another Idaho nickname is the “Gem State.” Almost every known gemstone has been found there!! (We're talking 72 different precious and semi-precious stones!)

And Idaho is one of only two places in the entire world where there is a quantity of star garnets (the other source of star garnets is India).

Star garnets

Even though star garnets are super rare, apparently they aren't terribly expensive. Tourists can pay $10 (adult; only $5 for kids) for a permit and borrowed equipment to wash and screen gravel, looking for these stones. You're allowed to take up to five pounds of garnets for that price!

Three kinds of opals found in Idaho:

Above, harlequin opal
Below, pinfire opal
Far below, the very rare star opal

Energy and jumps

Arco, Idaho, became the first city lit by atomic energy in 1955.
Idaho's statehouse in capital Boise is heated by geothermal energy; the underground hot springs provide the heat!
Famous daredevil Evil Knievel tried – but failed to jump over the Snake River Canyon, in Idaho, in 1974. It was a mile-wide chasm, and Knievel was trying to make the enormous jump in a specially-built “rocket motorcycle.”
A high-jump technique called the Fosbury Flop was invented by an athlete from Idaho. His name was Dick Fosbury (why are you not surprised?), and he not only won an Olympic gold medal, he revolutionized the high-jump event and is considered one of the most influential athletes in the entire history of track and field!