Kamiak Butte
Location Kamiak Butte State Park, Pullman, Washington 99161
Kamiak Butte is located in between the towns Palouse and Pullman in Whitman County, off of State Highway 27, to the west.
Geological Setting, Historical and Geological Significance The specific location that I have chosen for this assignment offers a 3.5-mile long hike up to the mountain summit’s peak of 1,903 meters above sea level where stunning views of the hills of the Palouse can be seen. My purpose in finding historical information and research on the geological setting will help expand my geological investigation to the greater Whitman County, although all pictures and geological features proceeding in part two of the term project will be from the specific location of Kamiak Butte. The County of Whitman was once home to many Native American Tribes, but with the advent of white settlement, tribes were relocated to the Yakima Indian Reservation during the early 1800’s. By the 1860’s cattle ranchers and white farmers had established land claims over the area and logging industries were established shortly after. Chief Kamiakin of the Yakima tribe was highly recognized and would travel with his brothers sometimes as far as California, returning with cattle and milk, potatoes, peas, and other crops. In the beginning, Kamiakin watched carefully as white settlers began moving into the region. He was rather friendly to the intruders, until sometime around 1853, when he asked for the removal of a settler who had established claim on Indian land. Knowing that this had happened to other Native American tribes in the area, Kamiakin was concerned for the well being of his tribe. Even after being offered money and gifts from white settlers, Kamiakin could not compromise to sell the land. Not until he was physically threatened did Kamiakin agree to sell the land to the white farmers. According to the Yakima Treaty of 1855, the 14 surrounding tribes moved from their 17,000 square mile area to an exclusive
Kamiak Butte is located in between the towns Palouse and Pullman in Whitman County, off of State Highway 27, to the west.
Geological Setting, Historical and Geological Significance The specific location that I have chosen for this assignment offers a 3.5-mile long hike up to the mountain summit’s peak of 1,903 meters above sea level where stunning views of the hills of the Palouse can be seen. My purpose in finding historical information and research on the geological setting will help expand my geological investigation to the greater Whitman County, although all pictures and geological features proceeding in part two of the term project will be from the specific location of Kamiak Butte. The County of Whitman was once home to many Native American Tribes, but with the advent of white settlement, tribes were relocated to the Yakima Indian Reservation during the early 1800’s. By the 1860’s cattle ranchers and white farmers had established land claims over the area and logging industries were established shortly after. Chief Kamiakin of the Yakima tribe was highly recognized and would travel with his brothers sometimes as far as California, returning with cattle and milk, potatoes, peas, and other crops. In the beginning, Kamiakin watched carefully as white settlers began moving into the region. He was rather friendly to the intruders, until sometime around 1853, when he asked for the removal of a settler who had established claim on Indian land. Knowing that this had happened to other Native American tribes in the area, Kamiakin was concerned for the well being of his tribe. Even after being offered money and gifts from white settlers, Kamiakin could not compromise to sell the land. Not until he was physically threatened did Kamiakin agree to sell the land to the white farmers. According to the Yakima Treaty of 1855, the 14 surrounding tribes moved from their 17,000 square mile area to an exclusive
Cited: 1. America 's volcanic past: washington state. (1980, April). Retrieved from http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/LivingWith/VolcanicPast/Places/volcanic_past_washington_state.html 2. Kamiak butte summit - washington mountain peak information. (2006). Retrieved from http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/640640/kamiak-butte.html 3. Kamiak butte summit - washington mountain peak information. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.mountainzone.com/mountains/detail.asp?fid=3962156 4. Peters, E.K. (n.d.). Geological field trip 1: from opans and ancient mountaintops to ice age lakes. Unpublished manuscript, Geology Department, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington. 5. Steury, Tim. (n.d.). Finding chief kamiakin. Retrieved from http://wsm.wsu.edu/s/index.php?id=303