The Great Clearing - Montana Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

One of a group of five interpretive signs at Sula on U.S. Hwy. 93 about 12 miles north of Lost Trail Pass.
Text of Sign: “Our people were camped in a kind of prairie along the Bitterroot River, a few miles upstream from the Medicine Tree. The place is called Ross’ Hole now; the Indians then called it K”tit Pupam.” - Pierre Pichette, Salish Tribal Elder (1953)
This traditional place -- whose Salish language name means ‘big clear area’ or ‘great clearing’ was used by countless generations of Indian people to gather chokecherries and to pasture their horses on the abundant grass. From here, the Salish could travel south to the Salmon River country to fish for salmon, or travel east to the open plains, to hunt buffalo.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition was welcomed by a large band of Salish Indians who were camped in this open valley on September 4, 1805. Captain Clark noted that there were over 30 lodges, 400 people and at least 500 horses. Clark also wrote: “those people recved us friendly, threw white robes over out shoulders & smoked in the pipes of peace . . .”

Describe the area and history: Sign is located near the site of the community of Sula on the East Fork of the Bitterroot River. View of Bitterroot Mountains and the Ross Hole area.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   10/08/2010 Volcanoguy visited it