Recreational Uses of Land and Water in the Great Plains and Intermountain West

Historically, domestic dogs(Canis familiaris)have been documented as central features of Intermountain West and Great Plains Native American camps. Some of these dogs were bred specifically for largeness and stamina to haultravoisand to carry pannier-style packs. Ethnographic accounts frequently highlight the importance of dogs in moving through the Intermountain West and the plains, reporting loads as heavy as 45 kg (100 lbs). We calculated body mass from skeletal morphometric data and used these to estimate prehistoric and historic dog load capacities for travois and pannier-style packs in the Intermountain West, Great Plains, and Great Basin. Specimens of large dogs recovered from sites in the Birch Creek Valley in Idaho and on the Great Plains indicate the animals could carry weights comparable to ethnographically recorded loads. Further, direct dating of the Birch Creek dog specimens indicated that dogs of this size have been present in the Intermountain West for more than 3,000 years. These data have important implications for our understanding of prehistoric mobility in the Intermountain West and the plains and suggest that the use of dogs in transporting cargo may have begun as early as 5,000 years ago.

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Regional Seismic Network Monitoring in the Eastern Intermountain West

Seismological Research Letters ◽

10.1785/0220190209 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 91 (2A) ◽

pp. 631-646 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Kristine L. Pankow ◽

Michael Stickney ◽

Jeri Y. Ben-Horin ◽

Mairi Litherland ◽

Suzette Payne ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seismic Hazard ◽

Sierra Nevada ◽

Great Plains ◽

Active Regions ◽

Seismic Monitoring ◽

Historical Seismicity ◽

Military Bases ◽

Intermountain West ◽

Critical Facilities ◽

Seismic Networks

Abstract The Intermountain West (IMW) region is bounded by the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the west and the Great Plains to the east. Tectonically, the region is dominated by active extension and has moderate to high seismic hazard. Both paleoseismic and historical records include M>7 surface-rupturing earthquakes. The region is also the location of frequent moderate-size (M 5–6) earthquakes. In this article, we focus on the eastern IMW and its six regional seismic networks. We document recent and historical seismicity, describe the evolution of the regional networks, and clarify the rationale for sustained and improved seismic monitoring. Although absolute population is relatively low compared with other parts of the country, the IMW is experiencing rapid growth. Beyond population, there is significant seismic risk posed to major transportation and energy corridors, nuclear generation and storage facilities, dams, national laboratories, military bases, and other critical facilities. Despite the relatively high seismic hazard and increasing risk, seismic monitoring varies from excellent to skeletal, with some seismically active regions having minimal seismographic coverage. Clear monitoring needs for the IMW include increased station density, replacement of outdated seismic equipment, and more stable funding.

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North America

The First Domestication ◽

10.12987/yale/9780300226164.003.0008 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Raymond Pierotti ◽

Brandy R. Fogg

Keyword(s):

Nineteenth Century ◽

North America ◽

Indigenous Peoples ◽

Great Plains ◽

Homo Sapiens ◽

Reciprocal Relationship ◽

The Other ◽

Intermountain West ◽

Reciprocal Relationships ◽

Historical Relationship

This chapter explores the historical relationship between Indigenous Americans and wolves illustrated through the stories of Indigenous peoples of North America, especially on the Great Plains and the Intermountain West. Tribal accounts have not been previously employed in scholarly examinations of the origins of “dogs” or studies of domestication. All the Plains tribes examined closely (Cheyenne, Lakota, Blackfoot, Pawnee, Shoshone) have stories characterizing wolves as guides, protectors, or entities that directly taught or showed humans how to hunt, creating reciprocal relationships in which each species provided food for the other or shared food. Indeed, evidence from tribes suggests a coevolutionary reciprocal relationship between Homo sapiens and American Canis lupus that existed until at least the nineteenth century.

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