The amber color of an old newspaper. The tattered edges of a worn photograph. The indescribable quirkiness of an artifact whose purpose you can't name. These are some of the qualities and mysteries of old things that draw us into antique stores, into our chest of family memorabilia, and into museum exhibits. What if all of this could be brought into your classroom online?

The primary inspiration for this Treaty Trail website and curriculum was the 150th anniversary of the signing of the treaties between the United States and numerous Indian tribes in the Pacific Northwest between 1854 and 1856. Treaty negotiations between the U.S. and Indian tribes of the Northwest are major historic events that continue to influence our lives today.

Antone Minthorn, board member of the Washington State Historical Society and chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, has said, "While the Treaties are not necessarily a cause for celebration, this historic anniversary is certainly an appropriate opportunity to remember and honor the ancestors who signed the Treaties and to educate our youth and the public about these important documents." The Washington legislature agrees.