Tribal Leader Wins $50,000 Schnitzer Prize for Historic Massacre Site Restoration

A Historic Effort to Transform a Tragic Site into a Place of Healing

More than 400 members of the Shoshone Nation were killed during the Bear River Massacre in Preston, Idaho, in 1863. This event stands as one of the most tragic and deadly acts of violence against Native Americans in U.S. history. Decades later, efforts are underway to transform the site into a place of environmental and cultural healing.

On Saturday night, Portland philanthropist Jordan D. Schnitzer will recognize these efforts with the first annual $50,000 Schnitzer Prize of the West. The award marks a new chapter for the Schnitzer family, who have long supported the arts, culture, and education. The prize is part of their ongoing commitment to making a positive impact across the Western United States.

During a ceremony at the Portland Art Museum, Schnitzer will present the prize to Brad Parry, vice chair of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation in Ogden, Utah. Parry is leading the Wuda Ogwa Cultural and Land Restoration Project, which aims to restore the massacre site along the Wuda Ogwa, or Bear River.

“We’re just so grateful,” Parry said. “What it means to the project is it’s working.”

In 2018, the tribe purchased the 350-acre site, which had been affected by invasive species, polluted water, and wetlands that had been turned into grazing land. Parry explained that the land no longer resembled what their ancestors once saw.

“Our ancestors didn’t see this,” he said. “This isn’t what they camped around.”

With the help of volunteers and financial support from government grants and corporate and nonprofit partners, the tribe began removing invasive plants and replacing them with native vegetation. The work quickly gained momentum. Parry noted that the project had 300 volunteers in its first year and 500 in the second.

“This last year we had over a thousand,” he said.

Volunteers have planted 70,000 native plants and trees. The tribe’s goal is to plant 250,000, focusing on species that once thrived in the area.

The project has attracted attention from the Environmental Humanities Department at the University of Utah, which nominated Parry for the Schnitzer Prize.

The Schnitzer Family's Philanthropy

The Schnitzer family has a long history of supporting various causes. Their contributions include a recent $25 million gift to the University of Oregon and a $10 million gift to Portland State University. They have also been longtime supporters of Portland’s arts scene.

Through Schnitzer Properties, the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation, and the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation, the family has donated over $300 million to various initiatives.

Jordan Schnitzer, who serves as president of all three entities, explained that the new prize emerged from conversations with the High Desert Museum in Bend, which is administering the award. He described Mike Hollern, a longtime supporter of the museum and Central Oregon, as a “guiding hand” in the creation of the prize.

“There’s no pedestal high enough to put him on,” Schnitzer said.

Schnitzer hopes the prize highlights individuals and groups working collaboratively and entrepreneurially to address challenges across the West, such as wildfire prevention, water rights, tribal issues, and ranching practices.

“We need the best minds and the best efforts from all of us to first understand these issues better and to also praise the people that often work quietly without much recognition on creative solutions,” he said.

A panel of about a dozen experts, including tribal leaders and professionals in ranching, farming, and water policy, reviewed applications. Schnitzer expected around 25 applications but received 92.

“The reaction has been far greater than anything I expected,” he said.

Restoring the Land for Future Generations

Parry said the prize comes at an important time as the restoration work at the Bear River Massacre site moves into its next phase. This includes “pushing dirt and moving fields” to restore waterways and wetlands.

“We’re basically taking the land back in time to something our ancestors would recognize,” he said.

The tribe is also planning an amphitheater and cultural center at the site. In a few years, Parry said the restoration work will be complete.

“We’ll just let it do its thing like it always did,” he said. “That’s our goal.”