What to do about artifacts

The cultural resources staff of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe has called my attention to the story that ran in The Press concerning Dennis Rachunok's prospecting for historic and prehistoric artifacts along the north shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene, near historic Fort Sherman. The Tribe was especially concerned at the reference to arrowhead collecting, as the area in question has been used by them for millennia.

As I'm sure you know, Fort Sherman itself is an important archaeological property in Idaho's territorial and state history. Although its term of use was brief, bracketed by the 1878 Bannock campaign and the Spanish-American War of 1898, the garrison there served to monitor the international border, protect railroad and telegraph crews, and impose martial law on northern Idaho civilians during labor disputes.

Few of the original 52 structures of the fort still stand, but as Mr. Rachunok has discovered, a rich record of artifacts and smaller items of material culture dating to the period remains on the site. If these artifacts were properly recovered and recorded, they would probably inform on a wide range of topics, ranging from parade ground flooding to the material culture and off-duty pastimes of the post-Civil War infantry.

Unfortunately, Idaho is one of the last states in the country without adequate laws protecting its historic heritage. Under these circumstances, an educated and informed citizenry is the best protection available for our fragile past.

Although the Fort Sherman site has been recorded as an archaeological property, with a site number and completed inventory record, it has never been formally designated and signed as a "historic site" under Idaho Code (Title 67-Ch. 41, Sec. 67-4113), which would give it certain protections under Section 67-4118. Although Mr. Rachunok's activities may reflect jurisdictional ignorance rather than a deliberate flouting of law, from a heritage perspective they damage and diminish our collective sense of ourselves as a people. He certainly should have notified the Department of Lands of his intentions, since that agency regulates all activity in, on, or over the 2128-foot contour at Lake Coeur d'Alene. If he had done so, they would have requested guidance from my office, and I would have discouraged issuance of a permit because of the nearby site.

However, perhaps some lessons can be learned from all this. Since the campus of North Idaho College is located on the site of Fort Sherman, and since the college offers an associate of arts degree in anthropology, with coursework in Native Peoples and archaeology and prehistory, an opportunity seems to be available for the appropriate documentation, recording, and - where appropriate - recovery of artifacts relating to the fort and the region's native peoples. Metal-detecting hobbyists have made important contributions to American archaeology in other states, and there is no reason to discourage their partnering with professionals in Idaho. Under professional supervision, and where in-place preservation is unrealistic, the fort-related artifacts could be properly mapped, recovered, analyzed, used in exhibits and museum displays, and ultimately curated in an accredited repository.

These artifacts represent the common heritage of the people of the city of Coeur d'Alene, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, and indeed, Idahoans and Americans generally. From a commercial perspective wider than mere personal gain, they also have economic potential, not as eBay transactions but as part of the growing heritage and tourism industry in northern Idaho.

Can the editorial and academic voices of northern Idaho join this conversation?

Kenneth C. Reid, Ph.D., is state archaeologist of the Idaho State Historic Preservation Office in Boise.