Pre-visit Activity

Please conduct these discussions/activities 3-5 days prior to your visit.

Conduct a class discussion on why the class is going on a field trip to Nez Perce National Historical Park, & what you expect students to learn.

View the movie “Nez Perce Portrait of a People” (many schools/school districts have purchased this & it is available for sale at the park visitor center for $19.95). The following is a list of ‘suggested’ questions that pertain to the film. What do you think “culture” means after watching this video? (Pose before showing the video).

• How did the Nez Perce people get their name?
• Does their name represent their people and how?
• How did the Nez Perce feel about the earth? Give examples.
• Where did the Nez Perce believe they received their power?
• What caused the U.S. Government to move the Nez Perce people off of their land?
• How did the Nez Perces’ lives change as a result of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery expedition? Give examples.
• Describe one part of the Nez Perce culture.
• What might the movie mean when it says Nez Perce History in the past as well as the future?
• What are some differences and similarities between how the Nez Perce people live today verses 100 years ago?
• How do the Nez Perce people preserve their culture?
• Why did some Nez Perce bands leave for Canada in 1877 and some stay on the reservation?
• What impact did this have on the Nez Perce as a whole?
• Have students develop one of their own questions to ask the class.

** If your school does not have the movie, please use the questions as an oral pre-test. **