Heart of the Monster

46.2133°N 116.0059°W / 46.2133; -116.0059

Heart of the Monster (in the Nez Perce language timʼnépe) is a geological monument near Kamiah, Idaho that is central to an origin story told by the Nez Perce people.^[1]

The mound marks the spot where Coyote discarded the heart of a monster he killed after he found it eating all the animals. Coyote distributed the other remains of the monster in all directions, and from those remains sprang the Nez Perce peoples.^[1][2][3]

The site is one of three Nez Perce legend sites maintained by the National Park Service.^[4]

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  Historical Marker
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  Historical Marker
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  Historical Marker
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  Heart of the Monster 2017
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  Heart of the Monster 2017
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  Heart of the Monster 2017
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  Heart of the Monster 2017

"The Heart of the Monster", described in the Nez Perce origin story

References

1. "Heart of the Monster Legend". nps.gov. National Park Service. 2022-12-29. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
2. "Nez Perce Creation Story". uidaho.edu. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
3. Lyman, William Denison (1909). "The Columbia River: Its History, Its Myths, Its Scenery, Its Commerce". p. 20.
4. "Legend Sites". nps.gov. National Park Service. Retrieved 2023-10-07.

External links

• Heart of the Monster: A Nez Perce Creation Story at YouTube