As part of the construction of the U.S. 395 North Spokane Corridor, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) included a pedestrian-bike trail called “Children of the Sun.” In 2018, WSDOT and Eastern Washington University conducted public “placemaking” charrettes. Communities affected by the new corridor favored the concept of digital interpretive displays accessible via QR codes, which would be low-cost, low-maintenance, and less likely to be subjected to vandalism or weathering that would beset physical signage.

In 2022, Dr. Katey Roden and Dr. Greg Gordon of Gonzaga University received a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Digital Projects for the Public “Discovery” grant to explore potential digital platforms and develop partnerships. Two years later, Drs. Roden and Gordon received a subsequent NEH “Prototyping” grant to develop a website and digital community archive where each neighborhood could feature its history, cultural identity, and resources. Finding Our Way is the result.

At the same time, the Finding Our Way team identified the necessity of a physical anchor for the project. A collaboration between Gonzaga University’s Environmental Studies students and members of the Spokane Tribe of Indians led to a proposed ethnobotanical Discovery Garden featuring native plantings accompanied by interpretive materials to discover more about the relationship between these plants, this place, and the people who occupy this region — both in the past and present. Spokane Parks and Recreation agreed to include the Discovery Garden as part of its master plan for redesigning Wildhorse Park.

This website is developing along with the physical reality of the trail. Acknowledgement goes to the many people and organizations contributing to what we hope will be a valuable resource in the community and region.