Nez Perce Story Sites — Nimiipuu 54

Stories & the Power of Place

At the heart of every culture are the stories and places that sustain its people. For the Nez Perce, these stories teach children about the landforms that surround them — and help them learn their language, history, and culture. The Nimíipuu homeland is filled with unique places that, since the beginning of time, have defined who they are. Nez Perce National Historical Park interprets three of these story sites.

Three Story Sites

Coyote & the Land

Each of these sites involves Coyote and other spiritual entities. Coyote is a teacher, a trickster, or a hero — depending on the particular story.

Heart of the Monster

Coyote killed the great monster along the Clearwater River, and from its heart created the Nez Perce people. The rock formation here represents that heart — sacred ground.

near Kamiah, ID →

A basalt outcropping shaped like a draped fishnet on a hillside above the Clearwater River.

Coyote's Fishnet

The place where Coyote flung his fishnet onto the south hill of the Clearwater River — and where it remains, draped in stone, today.

near Lewiston, ID →

A basaltic rock outcropping on a hillside on a sunny day.

Ant and Yellowjacket

Coyote turned two quarreling insects into stone — locked together for all time. The story is still visible in the rock at this site.

near Lewiston, ID →

Where to Find Them

Visiting the Story Sites

Ant and Yellowjacket and Coyote's Fishnet are on Highway 95, very close to the park's visitor center in Lapwai, Idaho. Heart of the Monster is approximately 55 miles east of the visitor center on Highway 12, just outside Kamiah.