John Wesley Powell

The explorer, geologist, and anthropologist John Wesley Powell helped to shape national policies for the lands and Indigenous communities of the American West. He became a national hero following his scientific expedition through the “Great Unknown” of the Grand Canyon in 1869. Powell’s ideas for sustainable Western agriculture and irrigation met with skepticism at the time, yet his studies served as the foundation for twentieth century water-use policies.
As director of both the U.S. Geological Survey (1881–94) and the Smithsonian Institution’s U.S. Bureau of Ethnology (1879–1902), Powell oversaw the collection and interpretation of artifacts relating to Native peoples and led a major study of North American languages. “Because of the rapid change in the Indian population now in progress,” Powell noted regretfully in 1878, “all habits, customs, and opinions are fading away.” Yet he supported removing Native peoples from their lands and promoted their assimilation into Euro-American culture.