Culture of Idaho

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Although the culture of Idaho is reflective of the broader culture of the United States to some extent, some of the forces that have shaped the more distinctive aspects of the Idaho culture are ethnographic, geographic, and historical in nature. Additionally, the culture of Idaho is reflected in the state's symbols, traditions, stories, art, and cuisine.

Contents

Ethnographic influences

Idaho is home to several immigrant groups with notable histories. [1] [2] Specifically, Idaho is home to significant numbers of people with historical British, Native American, German, and Mexican historical ties. The Native peoples of north Idaho are of different language backgrounds and separate from the Uto-Aztecan peoples of the Great Basin and the Shoshoni tribes of southern Idaho. Among them the Nez Perces in the Clearwater and lower Salmon River welcomed the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the early 1800s. The Spalding Mission [3] influenced greatly the subsequent history of the people in this area. [4] The first major influx of European-Americans in the south came from Utah, comprising Mormons who needed more land after the Salt Lake Valley became inhabited. To this day LDS churches and the Mormon culture are predominant in the daily life and customs of south-east counties. In general the popular culture of the south of the State is shared with other inland Western states that developed out of cattle and sheep ranching, the "cowboy culture" of the late 19th C. Few ethnic enclaves have developed, although Boise and its environs have more people of Basque ancestry than anywhere outside the Western Pyrenees. For the most part, people live in mixed neighborhoods and carry on ethnic customs in their homes or churches.

Cultural centers in the Treasure Valley region of southern Idaho include the Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho [5] and the Basque Center [6] in downtown Boise. Another cultural site is the Minidoka Relocation Camp site, [7] near Hagerman, which housed many Japanese-Americans during World War II in a concentration camp, from which the small but significant population of Japanese-Americans in the Snake River Valley mostly resettled starting in 1946.

Idaho takes great pride in its potato farming, mass producing 322,000 potatoes each year in the Snake River Lava Plateau. The agricultural basis of the economy influences many aspects of the local culture, politics and activities.

Geographic influences

Geography has shaped the Idahoan identity, imprinting aesthetic and recreational aspects upon the culture. For example, consider that the world's first chairlift was built in Sun Valley and that skiing is cherished as an Idaho pastime. [8] Additionally, the rivers and high mountain lakes of Idaho contribute to a rich fishing culture within the state. [9] The significance of Idaho's fishing culture is partly revealed by the impact of fishing recreation on the economy of Idaho. [10]

There are variations arising from geography that impact culture. For example, the state features some areas that could be classified as urban (such as Boise), and others that could be classified as decidedly rural.

Historical influences

In examining historical influences upon the culture of Idaho, the effect of Mormon and European settlers holds a notable position.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idaho</span> U.S. state

Idaho is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington and Oregon to the west. The state's capital and largest city is Boise. With an area of 83,570 square miles (216,400 km2), Idaho is the 14th largest state by land area, but with a population of approximately 1.8 million, it ranks as the 13th least populous and the 7th least densely populated of the 50 U.S. states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nez Perce</span> Indigenous peoples of North America

The Nez Percé are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who are presumed to have lived on the Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest region for at least 11,500 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snake River</span> Major river in the northwestern United States

The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At 1,078 miles (1,735 km) long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake River rises in western Wyoming, then flows through the Snake River Plain of southern Idaho, the rugged Hells Canyon on the Oregon–Idaho border and the rolling Palouse Hills of Washington, emptying into the Columbia River at the Tri-Cities in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boise, Idaho</span> Capital city of Idaho, United States

Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho and is the county seat of Ada County. As of the 2020 census, there were 235,684 people residing in the city. On the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is 41 miles (66 km) east of the Oregon border and 110 miles (177 km) north of the Nevada border. The downtown area's elevation is 2,704 feet (824 m) above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spalding, Idaho</span> Unincorporated community in northern Nez Perce County, Idaho

Spalding is an unincorporated community in the northwest United States, located in northern Nez Perce County, Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nez Perce National Historical Park</span> Series of federally protected historic sites in the northwestern United States

The Nez Perce National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park comprising 38 sites located across the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, which include traditional aboriginal lands of the Nez Perce people. The sites are strongly associated with the resistance of Chief Joseph and his band, who in June 1877 migrated from Oregon in an attempt to reach freedom in Canada and avoid being forced on to a reservation. They were pursued by U.S. Army cavalry forces and fought numerous skirmishes against them during the so-called Nez Perce War, which eventually ended with Chief Joseph's surrender in the Montana Territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palouse people</span>

The Palouse are a Sahaptin tribe recognized in the Treaty of 1855 with the United States along with the Yakama. It was negotiated at the 1855 Walla Walla Council. A variant spelling is Palus. Today they are enrolled in the federally recognized Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and some are also represented by the Colville Confederated Tribes, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Nez Perce Tribe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magic Valley</span> Region in Idaho, United States

The Magic Valley is a region in south-central Idaho constituting Blaine, Camas, Cassia, Gooding, Jerome, Lincoln, Minidoka, and Twin Falls counties. It is particularly associated with the agricultural region in the Snake River Plain located in the area. The northern Magic Valley region — particularly Blaine and Camas Counties — is also known as the Wood River Valley after the Big Wood River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treasure Valley</span> Metropolitan area and river valley in southwestern Idaho

The Treasure Valley is a valley in the western United States, primarily in southwestern Idaho, where the Payette, Boise, Weiser, Malheur, Owyhee, and Burnt rivers drain into the Snake River. It includes all the lowland areas from Vale in rural eastern Oregon to Boise, and is the most populated area in Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry H. Spalding</span>

Henry Harmon Spalding (1803–1874), and his wife Eliza Hart Spalding (1807–1851) were prominent Presbyterian missionaries and educators working primarily with the Nez Perce in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. The Spaldings and their fellow missionaries were among the earliest Americans to travel across the western plains, through the Rocky Mountains and into the lands of the Pacific Northwest to their religious missions in what would become the states of Idaho and Washington. Their missionary party of five, including Marcus Whitman and his wife Narcissa and William H. Gray, joined with a group of fur traders to create the first wagon train along the Oregon Trail.

The history of Idaho is an examination of the human history and social activity within the state of Idaho, one of the United States of America located in the Pacific Northwest area near the west coast of the United States and Canada. Other associated areas include southern Alaska, all of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, western Montana and northern California and Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallowa–Whitman National Forest</span> United States national forest in Oregon

The Wallowa–Whitman National Forest is a United States National Forest in the U.S. states of Oregon and Idaho. Formed upon the merger of the Wallowa and Whitman national forests in 1954, it is located in the northeastern corner of the state, in Wallowa, Baker, Union, Grant, and Umatilla counties in Oregon, and includes small areas in Nez Perce and Idaho counties in Idaho. The forest is named for the Wallowa band of the Nez Perce people, who originally lived in the area, and Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, Presbyterian missionaries who settled just to the north in 1836. Forest headquarters are located in Baker City, Oregon with ranger districts in La Grande, Joseph and Baker City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Idaho</span> Overview of the Geograpny of Idaho

The U.S. state of Idaho borders six other U.S. states and one Canadian province. The states of Washington and Oregon are to the west, Nevada and Utah are to the south, and Montana and Wyoming are to the east. Idaho also shares a short border with the Canadian province of British Columbia to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Idaho Territory in the American Civil War</span>

The history of Idaho in the American Civil War is atypical, as the territory was far from the battlefields.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Route of the Oregon Trail</span>

The historic 2,170-mile (3,490 km) Oregon Trail connected various towns along the Missouri River to Oregon's Willamette Valley. It was used during the 19th century by Great Plains pioneers who were seeking fertile land in the West and North.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teton Valley, Idaho</span> Region in the United States

Teton Valley is located on the west slope of the Teton Mountain Range in the western United States. Sometimes known as "The quiet side of the Tetons", it is composed of the cities of Victor, Idaho, Driggs, Idaho, Tetonia, Idaho, and Alta, Wyoming. The valley's economy is based in agriculture and ranching, with a shifting emphasis towards recreational tourism. Teton Valley has a unique climate and geology, as well as a wide variety of attractions including national parks and opportunities for wildlife viewing, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, skiing and participating in the arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snake River Archaeological Site</span> Historic district in Washington, United States

The Snake River Archaeological District is an archaeological area located in Nez Perce County, Idaho, and Asotin County, Washington, and centered on the Snake River, which divides the two states. The area includes a number of sites inhabited by the Nez Perce people, who used it as a fishing ground and a winter campsite. Settlement in the area stretches from roughly 6000 B.C. to the 20th century A.D. Several hundred pictographs are part of the area, usually painted at village sites.

The six national parks, reserves, historic sites, and monuments in Idaho contain a wide variety of interesting places and experiences. These include recreational areas, archeological sites, nature preserves and volcanic parks.

References

  1. ↑ "Idaho Culture". VisitIdaho.org. Archived from the original on 2010-03-22.
  2. ↑ "Orchard Street in Boise: Home to the World". Idaho Statesman. Archived from the original on 2013-01-26.
  3. ↑ "The Spaldings Mission - Nez Perce National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov.
  4. ↑ Robert G. Bailey (1935). The River of No Return: A Century of History in Idaho and Eastern Washington. Bailey-Blake Printing Company, Lewiston ID.
  5. ↑ "Hispanic Cultural Center of Idaho". Archived from the original on 2011-10-08. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
  6. ↑ "Basque Center". Archived from the original on 2011-11-17. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
  7. ↑ "Minidoka National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov.
  8. ↑ "Hometown Ski Hills – Outdoor Idaho".
  9. ↑ "Fishing". Idaho Fish and Game. March 21, 2016.
  10. ↑ "2003 Idaho Sport Fishing Economic Impact". Archived from the original on 2010-12-25. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
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