Bear River Heritage Area Council

The Bear River Heritage Area Council works to identify, preserve, and enhance the natural, cultural, and economic heritage and to stabilize and expand upon the economic opportunities associated with the heritage of the Bear River area, which consists of four counties in southeastern Idaho: Bear Lake, Caribou, Franklin, and Oneida and three counties in northern Utah: Box Elder, Cache, and Rich that make up the Bear River drainage. The Council created a strategic plan in 2000 that called for working with long time area residents and scholars to record local histories and identify and document traditional artisans and folklore of the Bear River region. This plan included working with communities and professional folklore fieldworkers to collect and record oral histories and information on local culture, artisans, and historically significant buildings. Randy Williams (USU Fife Folklore Archives) and Cindy Hall (Bear River Association of Governments) wrote grants and the BRHAC received funds from the Utah Humanities Council and the Community Cultural/Heritage Coordinating Council to conduct a fieldwork survey in Utah in the summer/fall 2001 in order to catalog the traditions in the Utah portion of the area. (Note: The Idaho component of the fieldwork took place in the summer 2004.)

From the description of The Living traditions of the Bear River Heritage Area survey, 1999-2002 (Utah State University). WorldCat record id: 58732478

The Bear River Heritage Area Council works to identify, preserve, and enhance the natural, cultural, and economic heritage and to stabilize and expand upon the economic opportunities associated with the heritage of the Bear River area, which consists of four counties in southeastern Idaho: Bear Lake, Caribou, Franklin, and Oneida and three counties in northern Utah: Box Elder, Cache, and Rich that make up the Bear River drainage. The Council created a strategic plan that called for working with long time area residents and scholars to record local histories and identify and document traditional artisans and folklore of the Bear River region. This plan included working with communities and professional folklore fieldworkers to collect and record oral histories and information on local culture, artisans, and historically significant buildings.

In order to move this plan forward, Randy Williams (USU's Fife Folklore Archives) and Cindy Hall (Bear River Association of Governments) wrote grants and the BRHAC received funds from the Utah Humanities Council and the Community Cultural/Heritage Coordinating Council to conduct a fieldwork survey in Utah in the summer/fall 2001 in order to catalog the traditions in the Utah portion of the area. In 2003, Elaine Thatcher (Associate Director of the Mountain West Center for Regional Studies at Utah State University), Cindy Hall, wrote a grant to National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to conduct the Idaho fieldwork.

The grant monies were used to hire folklore consultant Andrea Graham to conduct interviews in all seven counties (4 Idaho and 3 Utah) with local community members and tradition bearers and to mentor graduate student interns to assist with the fieldwork, and to develop an inventory of folk traditions in the Bear River Heritage Area. For the Utah segment of the fieldwork survey three graduate students from USU's Folklore Program participated: Sally Haueter (Rich County), Robin Parent (Cache County), and Michael Ward (Box Elder County). As well, Elaine Thatcher and Randy Williams conducted fieldwork in Utah. For the Idaho segment of the fieldwork survey three senior or graduate students from Idaho State University's English or Anthropology Departments and freelance folklorist (Duskin-Goede) participated: Sarah Barsness (Oneida County), Lisa Duskin-Goede (Franklin County), Andrew Jorgensen (Bear Lake County), and Terry Livingston (Caribou County). As well, Elaine Thatcher conducted fieldwork.

The inventory was used as the foundation for identifying heritage traditions and themes and future projects of the Bear River Heritage Area Council, and as a reference for interested community organizations. The fieldwork culminated with free public presentations in each of the counties entitled: "The Living Traditions of the Bear River Area." These programs included a PowerPoint presentation from the lead fieldworkers and graduate students and demonstrations from two community tradition bearers in each county. At the completion of the fieldwork, Elaine Thatcher, Tricia Harrison, Sally Haueter, and Randy Williams worked on the Bear River Heritage Guide that showcases the heritage sites, services, and traditions of the BRHA and is available throughout the region to help "heritage tourists" and local residents alike learn about and visit local heritage sites.

As well, the fieldwork gave the BRHAC direction for future heritage projects and helped with the BRHAC proposal to the 108th Congress to establish the National Bear River Heritage Area in Idaho and Utah.

From the guide to the Living traditions of the Bear River Heritage Area survey, 1999-2004, (Utah State University. Merrill-Cazier Library. Special Collections and Archives)