The Ozette Prairies of Olympic National Park - Natural Resources ...
The Ozette Prairies of Olympic National Park - Natural Resources ... The Ozette Prairies of Olympic National Park - Natural Resources ...
Other researchers have collected data showing that fire was used to expand the wetlands into the surrounding upland forests. Geographer Andrew Bach and archaeologist Dave Conca (2001) found that the soils of the transition areas between forest and peatland are modified forest spodosols rather than the mollisols more typical of grasslands or “prairies.” The modified spodosols indicate that fire was part of the soil forming or modification process in the wetlands. Bach and Conca (2004:10) conclude: [T]hree soil types have been identified, two spodols (forest soils) and a histosol (organic soil). Each soil type has distinctive soil properties, particularly the horizonation. Each soil strongly suggests a long history of different vegetative cover which produced the different soil types. The distribution of the soil types does not fully correspond with the current distribution of vegetation, suggesting that fire or other disturbances removed the forest cover from the perimenter of the prairie complex. This change in forest cover has altered the forest soils, resulting in depodzolization—the process of changing a spodosol into a different soil type. Figure 38. James Wesseler, a domesticated cranberry grower, on the Hoko-Ozette Rd., displaying the cranberry label designed by his father Isaac Tippecanoe Wesseler. Note the Roosevelt elk, a common visitor of both wild and domesticated cranberry bogs to partake in the fruits. Photograph taken by Kat Anderson, 2006. Cultural Purposes for Burning 47 To understand more fully how the Ozette people used fire to maintain the Ozette Prairies, it is nec- essary to examine their reasons for doing so. Improve game habitat. Indian burning of the open habitat fostered three inter-related goals related to the hunting of game animals: it facilitated hunting by increasing visibility and access to animals; it lured the animals to the open areas to congregate by encouraging the growth of new lush vegetation; and it maximized the quality and quantity of food available to these animals. James Wesseler, Bud Klock, Emil Person, and Bob Bowlby all recall that Indian burning en- hanced hunting on the Ozette Prairies (see Appendix 4). James Wesseler’s father, Isaac Tippecanoe Wesseler, who homesteaded out along the Hoko-Ozette Road near Royal in 1902, told Jim: “The Indians used to burn off patches in
48 the [Ozette] prairies. They would burn them off like that and then the grass would come up and the deer and elk would come in to feed and the Indians would hunt” (James Wesseler pers. comm. 2002) (see Figure 38). Bob Bowlby (Jamestown S’Kallam) whose maternal and paternal grandparents home- Figure 39. The home of Judge William Morton Bowlby (Bob Bowlby’s paternal grandfasteaded the western Olympic ther) on the Beach at Toleak Point 1938. From left to right: Lavin Coe (Quileute), Gene Jackson (Quileute), William H. Bowlby, Bob Bowlby (Jamestown S”Kallam), Chris Peninsula very early said that Morgenroth II (Quileute), and Steve Penn (Quileute). Walter Jackson (Quileute) is in the doorway. William Morton Bowlby, photographer. Courtesy of Bob Bowlby. “Dad and grandfather knew the Quileute and Makah well. Both sets of grandparents and both parents spoke Chinook jargon to the tribes” (pers. comm. 2009). Bowlby was born at Clallam Bay in 1926 and stated that, “My dad William Henderson Bowlby and my stepdad Clyde Maneval told of the Indians burning the prairies. The closest was Shuwah. No Beaver Prairie, then Shuwah, then Forks Prairie, then Quilleute Prairie, then Little Prairie. And those are the ones on that end in the eastern part. And then there was what we called Ahlstrom’s Prairie up past Ozette Lake and Roose’s Prairie. The Indians always waited until it was very dry before they burned so it would be probably a hot day in August [when they burned]. They burned once a year. When they started a fire it would burn everything that was there. And that was the object to burn everything that was there and keep the trees off of the prairie and around the edges so that the woods wouldn’t creep in on the elk pasture. And of course that would be the purpose of burning the prairie in the first place, so the animalselk and deer--would have some grass to eat” (pers. comm. 2003). Figure 40. Bud Klock, 1993. Photographer unknown. Courtesy of Vera Klock. According to Bud Klock who has lived in Sekiu since 1928: “the Indians used to burn those [Ozette] prairies every year or every other year to keep all the brush down, to keep it open...because it was good hunting when everything was burned down. After they would burn those prairies everything
- Page 5 and 6: Figure 35. 1895 Plat Map highlighti
- Page 7 and 8: Acknowledgments The conception for
- Page 9 and 10: many obscure references. Many other
- Page 11 and 12: Figure 1. View of Ahlstrom’s Prai
- Page 13 and 14: Until recently, we were limited by
- Page 15 and 16: zones between forest and prairie).
- Page 17 and 18: The drier east-facing slopes have c
- Page 19 and 20: e important nesting sites for some
- Page 21 and 22: to the sea to the north of Cape Ala
- Page 23 and 24: 1928, notes that “tuberculosis an
- Page 25 and 26: Table 1. Timeline for Major Events
- Page 27 and 28: a significant part of the Makah’s
- Page 29 and 30: oxes, spoons, and bowls. Mature con
- Page 31 and 32: Figure 16. T.T. Waterman map. #22 a
- Page 33 and 34: It is possible that the Ozettes vis
- Page 35 and 36: in the wet areas, and salal berries
- Page 37 and 38: Species Uses Plant Part Location Be
- Page 39 and 40: Species Uses Plant Part Location Ti
- Page 41 and 42: 32 were small, but they were in abu
- Page 43 and 44: I still gather them [the leaves] ev
- Page 45 and 46: The Makah harvested the leaves of c
- Page 47 and 48: Born on February 2, 1926, eighty-th
- Page 49 and 50: She arrived early enough on the Mak
- Page 51 and 52: Prairie was not surveyed (see Table
- Page 53 and 54: 44 Figure 35. 1895 Plat Map. Townsh
- Page 55: Figure 37. Bracken fern (Pteridium
- Page 59 and 60: Enhance productivity of above-groun
- Page 61 and 62: We do have some evidence that the O
- Page 63 and 64: happened “yearly or whenever it w
- Page 65 and 66: such as parent material, land form,
- Page 67 and 68: to advance onto the Ozette Prairies
- Page 69 and 70: near Ozette; their meat and oil are
- Page 71 and 72: support their existing flora or par
- Page 73 and 74: References Agee, J.K. 1993. Fire Ec
- Page 75 and 76: Croes, D.R. and E. Blinman. 1980. H
- Page 77 and 78: Howie, S.A., P.H. Whitfield, R.J. H
- Page 79 and 80: expanded by G. Peterson and G. Pete
- Page 81 and 82: Vanderhoof, M. 1960. Death of pione
- Page 83 and 84: num hummocks dominated by Empretum
- Page 85 and 86: Linda Kunze’s Survey of Sand Poin
- Page 87 and 88: Appendix 3 Evidence of Indian Burni
- Page 89 and 90: Appendix 4 Evidence of Indian Burni
- Page 91 and 92: Appendix 5 Evidence of Indian Burni
- Page 93 and 94: ear, and elk that graze in there. T
- Page 95 and 96: the spiritual world of the prairies
- Page 97 and 98: Prairie Animal Resources. The prair
- Page 99 and 100: Ram Singh discussed the importance
- Page 101 and 102: long by ½” thick. It was found o
- Page 103 and 104: Ha’hiba, Trees common around the
- Page 105 and 106: Vine maple (t’apsiyoqwpat, “spl
48<br />
the [<strong>Ozette</strong>] prairies. <strong>The</strong>y would<br />
burn them <strong>of</strong>f like that and then<br />
the grass would come up and the<br />
deer and elk would come in to<br />
feed and the Indians would hunt”<br />
(James Wesseler pers. comm. 2002)<br />
(see Figure 38).<br />
Bob Bowlby (Jamestown<br />
S’Kallam) whose maternal and<br />
paternal grandparents home-<br />
Figure 39. <strong>The</strong> home <strong>of</strong> Judge William Morton Bowlby (Bob Bowlby’s paternal grandfasteaded the western <strong>Olympic</strong><br />
ther) on the Beach at Toleak Point 1938. From left to right: Lavin Coe (Quileute), Gene<br />
Jackson (Quileute), William H. Bowlby, Bob Bowlby (Jamestown S”Kallam), Chris Peninsula very early said that<br />
Morgenroth II (Quileute), and Steve Penn (Quileute). Walter Jackson (Quileute) is in the<br />
doorway. William Morton Bowlby, photographer. Courtesy <strong>of</strong> Bob Bowlby.<br />
“Dad and grandfather knew the<br />
Quileute and Makah well. Both sets<br />
<strong>of</strong> grandparents and both parents spoke Chinook jargon to the tribes” (pers. comm. 2009). Bowlby was<br />
born at Clallam Bay in 1926 and stated that, “My dad William Henderson Bowlby and my stepdad Clyde<br />
Maneval told <strong>of</strong> the Indians burning the prairies. <strong>The</strong> closest was Shuwah. No Beaver Prairie, then Shuwah,<br />
then Forks Prairie, then Quilleute Prairie, then Little Prairie. And those are the ones on that end in<br />
the eastern part. And then there was what we called Ahlstrom’s Prairie up past <strong>Ozette</strong> Lake and Roose’s<br />
Prairie. <strong>The</strong> Indians always waited until it was very dry before they burned so it would be probably a<br />
hot day in August [when they burned]. <strong>The</strong>y burned once a year. When they started a fire it would burn<br />
everything that was there. And that was the object to burn everything that was there and keep the trees<br />
<strong>of</strong>f <strong>of</strong> the prairie and around the edges so that the woods wouldn’t creep in on the elk pasture. And <strong>of</strong><br />
course that would be the purpose <strong>of</strong> burning<br />
the prairie in the first place, so the animalselk<br />
and deer--would have some grass to eat”<br />
(pers. comm. 2003).<br />
Figure 40. Bud Klock, 1993. Photographer unknown. Courtesy <strong>of</strong><br />
Vera Klock.<br />
According to Bud Klock who has lived<br />
in Sekiu since 1928: “the Indians used to burn<br />
those [<strong>Ozette</strong>] prairies every year or every<br />
other year to keep all the brush down, to<br />
keep it open...because it was good hunting<br />
when everything was burned down. After<br />
they would burn those prairies everything
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