People of the Big River Field Class 2026
pictures courtesy of Judy Bergevin
Students from Heritage University traveled across eastern Washington and central Oregon during a 14-day academic field experience. The course, People of the Big River, connected scholars with tribal elders, scientists and natural resource managers for a unique study that blended Western science with traditional ecological knowledge.
The project, conducted in partnership with the Yakama Nation Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service and Heritage University’s Center for Indigenous Health, Culture & the Environment, took students to the following sites:
- Yakama Nation (WA)
- Spokane Tribe of Indians (WA)
- Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (OR)
- Deschutes National Forest (OR)
People of the Big River is made possible by the generous support of Battelle and private donors.
The participants documented their journey through a series of blog posts, sharing firsthand accounts of their experiences, observations and discoveries along the way:
Lovey Vanpelt:
Gavin Kessler:
Dallas Wheeler:
Judy Bergevin:
Phabian George:
Sergio Mejia: