The Civilian Conservation Corps was a storied program of FDR’s New Deal. Idaho embraced the program perhaps more than any other state, getting the largest number of CCC camps per population in the country. The total number of camps in Idaho, 270, was second only to California.
Less well-known was the impact of a parallel program called CCC-ID. In this case, the ID didn’t stand for Idaho but for Indian.
Records show that 80,000 to 85,000 men served in the CCC-ID. One remarkable feature of the program was that it was run mainly by the Tribes. They selected the men from their reservations who would participate. Those men learned animal husbandry, gardening, road building, conservation work, and academic subjects. Most of the work they did was on their home reservations.
Nationwide the CCC-ID men laid out almost 9,800 miles of truck trails, controlled pests on 1,351,870 acres, eradicated weeds on 263,129 acres, and built 1,792 dams and reservoirs. Those efforts were similar to the CCCs, but the Indian branch also focused on teaching native skills and arts.
The men receive $30 a month for working 20 days. Some were paid from $1 to $2 a day for the use of their teams of horses. If they took advantage of all the pay opportunities of the program, they could make up to $42 a month. The regular CCC men made at most $30.
One of the most important outcomes of the CCC-ID was that the program showed that Native Americans could succeed under their own tribal management.
Both the CCC and CCC-ID were disbanded in the early 1940s as the nation turned its attention to WWII.
Less well-known was the impact of a parallel program called CCC-ID. In this case, the ID didn’t stand for Idaho but for Indian.
Records show that 80,000 to 85,000 men served in the CCC-ID. One remarkable feature of the program was that it was run mainly by the Tribes. They selected the men from their reservations who would participate. Those men learned animal husbandry, gardening, road building, conservation work, and academic subjects. Most of the work they did was on their home reservations.
Nationwide the CCC-ID men laid out almost 9,800 miles of truck trails, controlled pests on 1,351,870 acres, eradicated weeds on 263,129 acres, and built 1,792 dams and reservoirs. Those efforts were similar to the CCCs, but the Indian branch also focused on teaching native skills and arts.
The men receive $30 a month for working 20 days. Some were paid from $1 to $2 a day for the use of their teams of horses. If they took advantage of all the pay opportunities of the program, they could make up to $42 a month. The regular CCC men made at most $30.
One of the most important outcomes of the CCC-ID was that the program showed that Native Americans could succeed under their own tribal management.
Both the CCC and CCC-ID were disbanded in the early 1940s as the nation turned its attention to WWII.
A Fort Hall work crew of the CCC-ID working on a road.
Men from the Fort Hall CCC-ID seeding a hillside.
Group picture, 20 men in front of tents, Fort Hall Reservation. All photos are from the Civilian Conservation Corps in Idaho Collection, Digital Initiatives, University of Idaho Library. Digital reproduction rights provided by Mary Washakie.
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