Nez Perce National Historical Park – Cultural Resources Individual Placement

Northwest Youth Corps

Individual Placement

National Park Service

Nez Perce National Historical Park

Lapwai, ID – 16 weeks

position Title: Cultural Resources Individual Placement – 640 HR

Position Summary:

The Nez Perce National Historical Park is recruiting one Cultural Resources Individual Placement beginning June through October 2026. The Individual Placement will provide youth with the opportunity to learn resource management values and ethics while gaining hands-on opportunities in management and preservation of cultural resources. The Individual Placement will also focus on career building and professional development skills. This will include resume writing, overview of park operations, leadership training, and project management skills.

About Northwest Youth Corps (NYC):

Northwest Youth Corps was created in 1984 to offer teenagers and young adults an education-based, work experience modeled after the historic Civilian jobshiringnearme.org Corps of the 1930’s. Today, we serve over 1,000 youth and young adults each year across a four-state region who restore critical habitat, build trails, lead volunteers, and educate youth and young adults to learn, grow and experience success.

Nez Perce National Historical Park, Lapwai, Idaho

The 38 units of Nez Perce National Historical Park form a park unit about a people, for all people. It is not one place, but many. It is not one story, but a multitude. It is not one viewpoint, but many more than one. Approximately 300,000 visitors annually come to Nez Perce National Historical Park to experience and understand the cultural heritage and history of the Nez Perce as well as to see the scenery along two national historic trails: the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, a unit of the National Park Service, and the Nez Perce (Nee-Me-Poo) National Historic Trail, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service in close partnership with Nez Perce National Historical Park. The majority of visitors discover Nez Perce sites as they travel to and from other destinations but are able to discover the many stories and legends inherently tied to this landscape.

Lapwai, Idaho is Park Headquarters for Nez Perce National Historical Park. It is located in NW Idaho near the Idaho Washington border 12 miles SW of Lewiston Idaho on US HWY 95. The area is defined by the Clearwater and Snake rivers as they flow through canyons and steep hills and run together in Lewiston. Vegetation in the area is mostly grass and sage, the topography is rolling hills with distant mountains, much of the area is agricultural and planted in wheat. The towns of Lewiston, Idaho (population 34,000) and Clarkston, Washington (population 7,000) offer all major services including grocery stores, rental housing, airport, schools, and hospitals. There is no public transportation to the park from the surrounding communities. Daytime temperatures from May to October frequently reach the high 80’s with numerous days in July and August with temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Daytime temperatures in the winter range from the low 30’s to mid-50’s.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Records Management (40%)
  • Review paper archaeological records such as reports, site files, notes, illustrations, photographs, and other records to document existing paper record collection.
  • Work closely with Cultural Resources Program Manager and other museum staff to photograph and document recovered artifacts maintained in the park museum collections and input associated data into archaeological databases.
• Digitization (40%)
  • Digitize paper records by carefully unbinding reports, separating documents, and other records and scanning them via flatbed and auto-feed document scanners.
  • Enter digitized documents into park databases for review by other parks and partner archaeologists.
• Archaeology (20%)
  • Work closely with park archaeologist to develop GIS dataset in ArcGIS for past park archaeology projects, recorded archaeological sites, and historic structures. Also, to digitize hand drawn archaeology site maps by recreating them utilizing Adobe Illustrator and/or AutoCAD.
  • Assist the park archaeologist with the completion of condition assessments for documented archaeology sites and historic structures. Also, assist with cultural resource impact assessments from proposed project undertakings.

Required Qualifications:

• Enrolled in (or completed) collegiate program in cultural resources management, archaeology, anthropology, history, historic preservation, or closely related field
• Ages 18-30 (up to 35 for veterans)
• U.S. Citizen or lawful, permanent resident
• Must pass a background/driver check
• Ability to lift 40 pounds
• Ability to work in inclement weather (100+ degrees and <40 degrees)
• Ability to work outside in varied, difficult terrain
• Demonstrated understanding of document organization and digitization
• Demonstrated understanding of Microsoft Office Suite
• Demonstrated use and/or understanding of at least one of the following software suites (AutoDesk, Adobe Creative Suite, Esri ArcGIS, FileMaker Pro)

Desired Qualifications:

• Completed 4-year degree in archaeology, anthropology, history, museum studies, or closely related field
• Prior experience with public land management
• Prior experience in GIS data collection
• Enrolled in graduate program in archaeology, anthropology, or historic preservation
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of Adobe Illustrator
• Driver’s License
• Personal transportation

Duty Location:

Duties are performed within Nez Perce National Historical Park – Visitor Center in Lapwai, ID. Work is primarily indoors with occasional work outside. Some overnight travel may occur to Big Hole National Battlefield (Wisdom, MT) and daytrips to Whitman Mission National Historic Site (Walla Walla, WA), as needed and if interested.

Terms of Employment:

Individual Placement will complete the 16-week program starting June through October 2026. The Individual Placement will average 40 hours of labor per week, Monday through Friday, 8am to 4:30pm, minus holidays for a total of 16 weeks. If an Individual Placement is a full-time student, i.e. during the academic year, arrangements would be made to work with the Individual Placement’s scheduling needs. Sick days and off days are allowed per request via the Nez Perce National Historical Park staff. Individual Placements are responsible for providing their own housing, personal transportation, and food.

Program Benefits:

Individual Placements will earn $10,240 living allowance dispersed on a monthly basis throughout the 16-week program (640 hours). The living allowance is taxable. Upon successful completion of the term, Individual Placement could be eligible to receive a hiring authority within the federal service. A housing fund may be available.

Application Instructions

• Application Deadline: March 13, 2026
• Interviews: Will occur as qualified applications are received.
• Type of position: Individual Placement
• Service Dates: June 2026-October 2026
• Length of Term: 640 Hours (16 weeks)

Additional Information

If you have questions about the position, please reach Northwest Youth Corps Interns Department at interns@nwyouthcorps.org

, 208-593-7622 or Nez Perce National Historical Park Cultural Resources Program Manager, Kristine Leier at 208-843-7040 or kristine_leier@nps.gov

All job offers are contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check (criminal history and driving history).