Nez Perce

Nez Perce Tribe
Niimíipuu
nimíipuu

No Horn on His Head, a Nez Perce man painted in 1832 by George Catlin
Total population
3,500+^[1]
Regions with significant populations
United States (Idaho)
Languages
English, nimipuutímt aka Nez Perce
Religion
Seven Drum (Walasat), Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Sahaptin peoples

The Nez Perce (/ˌnɛzˈpɜːrs, ˌnɛs-/; autonym in Nez Perce language: nimíipuu, meaning "we, the people")^[2] are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who still live on a fraction of the lands on the southeastern Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest. This region has been occupied for at least 11,500 years.^[3]

Members of the Sahaptin language group,^[4] the Nimíipuu were the dominant people of the Columbia Plateau for much of that time,^[5] especially after acquiring the horses that led them to breed the Appaloosa horse in the 18th century.

Prior to first contact with European colonial people the Nimiipuu were economically and culturally influential in trade and war, interacting with other indigenous nations in a vast network from the western shores of Oregon and Washington, the high plains of Montana, and the northern Great Basin in southern Idaho and northern Nevada.^[6]^[7]

French explorers and trappers indiscriminately used and popularized the name "Nez Percé" for the nimíipuu and nearby Chinook. The name translates as "pierced nose", but only the Chinook used that form of body modification.^[8]

Cut off from most of their horticultural sites throughout the Camas Prairie^[3] by an 1863 treaty (subsequently known as the "Thief Treaty" or "Steal Treaty" among the Nimiipuu),^[9]^[8] confinement to reservations in Idaho, Washington and Oklahoma Indian Territory after the Nez Perce War of 1877, and Dawes Act of 1887 land allotments, the Nez Perce remain as a distinct culture and political economic influence within and outside their reservation.^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]^[14]

As a federally recognized tribe, the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho govern their Native reservation in Idaho through a central government headquartered in Lapwai known as the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee (NPTEC).^[15]^[16] They are one of five federally recognized tribes in the state of Idaho. The Nez Perce only own 12% of their own reservation and some Nez Perce lease land to farmers or loggers. Today, hatching, harvesting and eating salmon is an important cultural and economic strength of the Nez Perce through full ownership or co-management of various salmon fish hatcheries, such as the Kooskia National Fish Hatchery in Kooskia or the Dworshak National Fish Hatchery in Orofino.^[17]^[18]^[19]

Some still speak their traditional language. The Tribe owns and operates two casinos along the Clearwater River (in Kamiah and east of Lewiston),^[20]^[21] health clinics, a police force and court, community centers, salmon fisheries, radio station, and other institutions that promote economic and cultural self-determination.^[22]

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[music] >> NARRATOR: There is a landscape that begins in the deep canyons and fertile valleys of Oregon and rolls like a ribbon through Idaho until it reaches the high plains of north central Montana. Embedded in the fabric of this land and the people who live here is the memory of one of our nation's most enduring stories. It is an epic story of hope, despair, and ultimately loss of a homeland. Even though it happened long ago, this story remains as current as today's headlines. This is the Nez Perce National Historic Trail, and as you travel the landscape, this journey grows more significant with time. For thousands of generations the people who call themselves "Nimiipuu" used this trail across the mountains to visit friends and relatives on the plains; to trade and to hunt the buffalo. They learned to follow the trail in the days of foot travel, long before horses. According to legend, Grizzly bears found a brave, lost boy and showed him the path through the mountains and how to survive in this rugged country. Then in 1877, the path became a trail of sadness. In that year 750 Nez Perce men, women and children made a heroic yet futile flight seeking freedom and peace far from their homeland. But this trail is not just about yesterday's journeys. Today's and tomorrow's travelers may also find meaning here. The Nez Perce National Historic Trail is a landscape of history that carries understanding to those who travel it. The Nez Perce Tribe's native homeland extended across a plateau country of ancient volcanic rock, deep canyons and mighty rivers between the Cascade and Rocky Mountains. Separate Nez Perce bands once lived from Oregon's Wallowa Valley, up and down the Snake River Canyon, to the Clearwater Valley in Idaho. Their lands spread north and south along the Bitterroot Range, encompassing the rugged Lochsa and Selway drainages and the extensive Salmon River country. It was, and still is, a beautiful and abundant land, rich in wildlife, productive forests and lush meadows. Nez Perce ancestors thrived here for thousands of generations. The story of the Nez Perce conflict began with the arrival of white men in the early 1800s. The Nez Perce aided explorers Lewis and Clark, and they traded with early fur trappers. Christian missionaries lived among them. Early settlers knew and respected the Nez Perce as skillful horse breeders, hunters and warriors. For fifty years the Nez Perce and their new neighbors lived together, side by side. By 1855, increasing numbers of settlers looking for land and prosperity expanded into Nez Perce country. That year Washington Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens established a Nez Perce Reservation of nearly 12,000 square miles, preserving much of the tribe's native homeland. Just five years later, prospectors encroaching on Nez Perce land discovered gold, and the U.S. government demanded new treaty talks. In 1863 new negotiations led to a tenfold reduction in land for the Nez Perce. Several bands whose traditional lands were not included in the reservation refused to sign the treaty. They became known as the "Non-treaty" Nez Perce. Now divided, the Nez Perce Tribe became increasingly vulnerable to pressure from homesteaders and the U.S. Government. For over a decade, the non-treaty bands refused to leave their lands. But tensions mounted with growing numbers of settlers, and in 1877 the Army ordered the non-treaty Nez Perce to move on to the reduced reservation near Lapwai, Idaho. Of the 750 Nez Perce, most were women, children, or elderly. They took with them their 2000 horses and all their belongings. In the months before their departure, relations had grown tense between Nez Perce and neighboring settlers. Some settlers badly mistreated and even killed some Nez Perce. On the journey to the reservation, several young angry warriors sought justice for these unprosecuted murders and killed a number of settlers they believed were responsible. This set the stage for further bloodshed. Army troops and civilian volunteers led by General Oliver Otis Howard first confronted the Nez Perce at White Bird Canyon. Fighting broke out, and the troops retreated with heavy casualties. This was the first of nearly 20 battles and skirmishes. Even though many Americans were sympathetic to the Nez Perce, the policy of Manifest Destiny, the taming of the "wild west" and expansion of American commerce and civilization was still of prime importance in 1877. The rights of the non-treaty Nez Perce were largely ignored. From the Whitebird Battlefield, the Nez Perce fled northwest to the Salmon River, then east toward the Clearwater River. General Howard's troops attacked again, with little success. After the Clearwater battle, the Nez Perce camped at Weippe Prairie where leaders met to decide what to do next. The leaders included, among many others, Joseph, Whitebird, Toohoolhoolzote, Hahtalekin, Husishusis Kute, and Looking Glass. >> CHIEF JOSEPH: "What are we fighting for? Is it for our lives? No. It is for this land where the bones of our fathers lie buried. I do not want to take my women among strangers. I do not want to die in a strange land." Chief Joseph. >>NARRATOR: Chief Looking Glass had only recently joined the fleeing bands when his Clearwater River camp was destroyed by troops. Because of his knowledge of buffalo country, the chiefs agreed to follow Looking Glass from Idaho to Montana in search of allies. As they pursued the fleeing bands onto the Weippe Prairie, General Howard's troops intercepted Chief Redheart's band returning home from a buffalo hunt. Victims of bad timing, Redheart's band were captured and taken as prisoners of war to Fort Vancouver, Washington. They remained there until April of 1878. The fleeing Nez Perce followed the winding Lolo Trail up the Lochsa River and over the Bitterroot Mountains. The Lolo Trail was a well-known hunters' trail, but considered tortuous with dense forests, steep canyons and a 7000-foot summit. Across this rugged terrain the Nez Perce deftly outdistanced the pursuing army. Hoping to stop the Nez Perce at the east end of the Lolo trail, Army and volunteer forces hastily built a blockade near Lolo Creek in Montana. The Nez Perce easily outflanked the blockade, and the location became known as Fort Fizzle for the failed attempt. Traveling about twelve miles per day, the Nez Perce moved south through Montana's Bitterroot Valley to avoid Missoula and other settlements. They traded for supplies with wary settlers along the way. The Nez Perce crossed the Continental Divide at what is now called Gibbon's Pass and dropped into the Big Hole Valley. Believing the army was far away, they stopped to rest and gather tipi poles along the North Fork of the Big Hole River. Here, at the Big Hole National Battlefield, the National Park Service tells how the 7th Infantry, under the command of Colonel John Gibbon, surprised the resting tribe on the morning of August 9th. Gibbon described the attack. >> GIBBON: "Suddenly a single shot rang out in the clear morning air, followed quickly by several others, and the whole line pushed forward through the brush. A heavy fire was at once opened along the whole line of tepees, the startled Indians rushing from them in every direction, and for a few moments no shots were returned. Few of us will forget the wail of mingled grief, rage and horror which rose from the camp when the Indians returned to it and recognized their slaughtered warriors, women and children." >> RED WOLF: "The women, all scared when the soldiers charged the camp, ran into the water, the brush. Any place where they could hide themselves and children. Many were killed as they ran. They had no guns." Red Wolf, Nez Perce Warrior. >> NARRATOR: Nearly 90 Nez Perce, including many women and children, were killed at the battle of Big Hole. Twenty-nine soldiers and citizen volunteers also lost their lives. Nez Perce leaders suddenly realized the deadly reality of the conflict. Now led by Chief Lean Elk who knew these trails well, the Nez Perce rapidly, and often violently, fled pursuing troops. Wounded men, women and children were dying along the trail. Some, too weary to continue, chose to stay behind. The Nez Perce crossed back into Idaho at Bannock Pass. At Camas Meadows they delayed the pursuing army by raiding and scattering cavalry mules. The Nez Perce crossed Targhee Pass and escaped into Yellowstone National Park pursued closely by the army. Inside the five-year old National Park they captured several tourists. A few vengeful young warriors killed three. Leaders Lean Elk and Yellow Wolf intervened and the remaining tourists were given horses and food and released. General Howard was sure he had the fleeing Nez Perce trapped in the rugged Yellowstone country. He posted troops at every exit. The Nez Perce moved east into the Absaroka Mountains where a blockade of new troops from the 7th Cavalry waited to intercept them. But the Nez Perce baffled the army and escaped by choosing an arduous route through steep terrain. The Nez Perce traveled down the rugged Clark's Fork River canyon and on to the plains where they sought assistance from the Crow Tribe. Under pressure from military and Indian agents, the Crow refused to help their former friends and sided with the army instead. Now intent on reaching the Canadian border, the Nez Perce turned north and followed the Clark's Fork River back into Montana. The cavalry again caught the Nez Perce at Canyon Creek, but failed once more to halt their march. After a pitched battle the Nez Perce bands slipped away into the Buffalo Country. They spread out over the prairies to find game and water and continued their march north. Cow Island crossing was a supply depot and the most upstream point of steamboat navigation on the Missouri River in the fall. Pausing only briefly, Nez Perce warriers managed to take food and supplies from outnumbered and outgunned depot attendants. The fall weather turned bitterly cold. The Nez Perce had been constantly on the march for over four months covering more than 1100 miles. They were exhausted and starving. Assuming the army was far behind, Chief Lookinglass resumed leadership and slowed the pace to protect the weary people. They selected a camp on Snake Creek at the base of the Bear Paw Mountains, more for comfort than for defense. These miscalculations proved fateful. On September 30, Colonel Nelson Miles led 400 soldiers in a surprise attack on the Nez Perce camp. A brutal siege lasted six days, with heavy casualties on both sides. During the battle, Chief Whitebird and nearly 200 Nez Perce managed to escape to the safety of the Canadian border. Most other Nez Perce leaders were killed. On October 5th, to protect his wounded, freezing and starving people, Chief Joseph agreed to end the fighting. The Nez Perce National Historic Trail ends at the Bear Paw Battle Site, but the tragic story does not. The 431 Nez Perce survivors who had been told they would return to Idaho were taken instead down the Missouri River by flatboat to an unexpected exile, first at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, then Indian Territory, Oklahoma. There they were joined by other Nez Perce captured trying to return home from Canada to Idaho. Conditions in exile were extremely poor. Of nearly 500 Nez Perce sent to Oklahoma, only 301 survived. Many military officers and citizens throughout the country pleaded to have the Nez Perce returned to their reservation. In spite of these efforts, the Nez Perce remained in exile for eight years. Finally in 1885 the survivors were sent back to the Northwest. Chief Joseph and half the surviving Nez Perce were re-settled on the Colville Reservation in Washington State; the rest were returned to the reservation in Idaho. Chief Joseph was never permitted to live again at his ancestral home in the Wallowa Valley. [music] More than a century has passed. Nez Perce decendents of both treatyand non-treaty bands still live on or near traditional homelands and perpetuate the culture of their proud and once unified tribe. Much of the country once home to the Nez Perce has been parceled out in farms, ranches, and communities: but a significant portion is managed as public lands, by federal agencies like the Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 1170 mile Nez Perce, or Nimiipuu, National Historic Trail was established by Congress in 1986 to insure that the trail and significant sites will be preserved and appreciated by generations to come. The US Forest Service is responsible for managing the Nez Perce National Historic Trail. With this responsibility comes a commitment to preserve this important heritage. Many trail segments that wind through public land are amazingly undisturbed and have changed little. [music] The Nez Perce conflict touched many lives in 1877. It affected most directly those who fought to enforce the government's will and those who fought for their homeland. It still affects those who travel the trail today, more than a century later. To descendents of both treaty and non-treaty bands of Nez Perce this trail and its history are sacred. The trail speaks in many voices. The important battlefields have been preserved and interpreted. The trail continues to define all of us as people. The trail largely belongs to the future. The Nez Perce flight for freedom, played out over vast distances and varied terrain, can only be imagined today as one travels the trail. But the desire for homeland, that abiding sense of peace and harmony one feels when surrounded by familiar landscapes, is as real today as it was for the Nez Perce over one hundred years ago. [music] For more information, or copies, visit: http://fs.usda.gov/npnht

Name and history

Their name for themselves is nimíipuu (pronounced [nimiːpuː]), meaning, "The People", in their language, part of the Sahaptin family.^[23]

Nez Percé is an exonym given by French Canadian fur traders who visited the area regularly in the late 18th century, meaning literally "pierced nose". English-speaking traders and settlers adopted the name in turn. Since the late 20th century, the Nez Perce identify most often as Niimíipuu in Sahaptin.^[23] This has also been spelled Nee-Me-Poo. The Lakota/ Dakota named them the Watopala, or Canoe people, from Watopa. After Nez Perce became a more common name, they changed it to Watopahlute. This comes from pahlute, nasal passage, and is simply a play on words. If translated literally, it would come out as either "Nasal Passage of the Canoe" (Watopa-pahlute) or "Nasal Passage of the Grass" (Wato-pahlute).^[24] The Assiniboine called them Pasú oȟnógA wįcaštA, the Arikara sinitčiškataríwiš.^[25] The tribe also uses the term "Nez Perce", as does the United States Government in its official dealings with them, and contemporary historians. Older historical ethnological works and documents use the French spelling of Nez Percé, with the diacritic. The original French pronunciation is [ne pɛʁse], with three syllables.

The interpreters Sacagawea and Toussaint Charbonneau of the Lewis and Clark Expedition mistakenly identified this people as the Nez Perce when the team encountered the tribe in 1805. Writing in 1889, anthropologist Alice Fletcher, who the U.S. government had sent to Idaho to allot the Nez Perce Reservation, explained the mistaken naming. She wrote,

It is never easy to come at the name of an Indian or even of an Indian tribe. A tribe has always at least two names; one they call themselves by and one by which they are known to other tribes. All the tribes living west of the Rocky Mountains were called "Chupnit-pa-lu", which means people of the pierced noses; it also means emerging from the bushes or forest; the people from the woods. The tribes on the Columbia river used to pierce the nose and wear in it some ornament as you have seen some old fashioned white ladies wear in their ears. Lewis and Clark had with them an interpreter whose wife was a Shoshone or Snake woman and so it came about that when it was asked "What Indians are these?" the answer was "They are 'Chupnit-pa-lu'" and it was written down in the journal; spelled rather queerly, for white people's ears do not always catch Indian tones and of course the Indians could not spell any word.^[26]

In his journals, William Clark referred to the people as the Chopunnish /ˈtʃoʊpənɪʃ/, a transliteration of a Sahaptin term. According to D.E. Walker in 1998, writing for the Smithsonian, this term is an adaptation of the term cú·pŉitpeľu (the Nez Perce people). The term is formed from cú·pŉit (piercing with a pointed object) and peľu (people).^[27] By contrast, the Nez Perce Language Dictionary^[28] has a different analysis than did Walker for the term cúpnitpelu. The prefix cú- means "in single file". This prefix, combined with the verb -piní, "to come out (e.g. of forest, bushes, ice)". Finally, with the suffix of -pelú, meaning "people or inhabitants of". Together, these three elements: cú- + -piní + pelú = cúpnitpelu, or "the People Walking Single File Out of the Forest".^[29] Nez Perce oral tradition indicates the name "Cuupn'itpel'uu" meant "we walked out of the woods or walked out of the mountains" and referred to the time before the Nez Perce had horses.^[30]

Language

The Nez Perce language, or Niimiipuutímt, is a Sahaptian language related to the several dialects of Sahaptin. The Sahaptian sub-family is one of the branches of the Plateau Penutian family, which in turn may be related to a larger Penutian grouping.

Aboriginal territory

Original Nez Perce territory (green) and the reduced reservation of 1863 (brown)

The Nez Perce territory at the time of Lewis and Clark (1804–1806) was approximately 17,000,000 acres (69,000 km²) and covered parts of present-day Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho, in an area surrounding the Snake (Weyikespe), Grande Ronde River, Salmon (Naco’x kuus) ("Chinook salmon Water") and the Clearwater (Koos-Kai-Kai) ("Clear Water") rivers. The tribal area extended from the Bitterroots in the east (the door to the Northwestern Plains of Montana) to the Blue Mountains in the west between latitudes 45°N and 47°N.^[31]

In 1800, the Nez Perce had more than 70 permanent villages, ranging from 30 to 200 individuals, depending on the season and social grouping. Archeologists have identified a total of about 300 related sites including camps and villages, mostly in the Salmon River Canyon. In 1805, the Nez Perce were the largest tribe on the Columbia River Plateau, with a population of about 6,000. By the beginning of the 20th century, the Nez Perce had declined to about 1,800 due to epidemics, conflicts with non-Indians, and other factors.^[32] The tribe reports having more than 3,500 members in 2021.^[1]

Like other Plateau tribes, the Nez Perce had seasonal villages and camps to take advantage of natural resources throughout the year. Their migration followed a recurring pattern from permanent winter villages through several temporary camps, nearly always returning to the same locations each year. The Nez Perce traveled via the Lolo Trail (Salish: Naptnišaqs – "Nez Perce Trail") (Khoo-say-ne-ise-kit) as far east as the Plains (Khoo-sayn / Kuseyn) ("Buffalo country") of Montana to hunt buffalo (Qoq'a lx) and as far west as the Pacific Coast (’Eteyekuus) ("Big Water"). Before the 1957 construction of The Dalles Dam, which flooded this area, Celilo Falls (Silayloo) was a favored location on the Columbia River (Xuyelp) ("The Great River") for salmon (lé'wliks)-fishing. The Columbia Basin Initiative aims to improve salmon-fishing for the tribe.

Enemies and allies

The Nez Perce had many allies and trading partners among neighboring peoples, but also enemies and ongoing antagonist tribes. To the north of them lived the Coeur d’Alene (Schitsu'umsh) (’Iskíicu’mix), Spokane (Sqeliz) (Heyéeynimuu/Heyeynimu - "Steelhead [Eating] People"), and further north the Kalispel (Ql̓ispé) (Qem’éespel’uu/Q'emespelu, both meaning "Camas People" or "Camas Eaters"), Colville (Páapspaloo/Papspelu - "Fir Tree People") and Kootenay / Kootenai (Ktunaxa) (Kuuspel’úu/Kuuspelu - "Water People", lit. "River People"), to the northwest lived the Palus (Pelúucpuu/Peluutspu - "People of Pa-luš-sa/Palus [village]") and to the west the Cayuse (Lik-si-yu) (Weyíiletpuu – "Ryegrass People"), west bound there were found the Umatilla (Imatalamłáma) (Hiyówatalampoo/Hiyuwatalampo), Walla Walla, Wasco (Wecq’úupuu) and Sk'in (Tike’éspel’uu) and northwest of the latter various Yakama bands (Lexéyuu), to the south lived the Snake Indians (various Northern Paiute (Numu) bands (Hey’ǘuxcpel’uu) in the southwest and Bannock (Nimi Pan a'kwati)-Northern Shoshone (Newe) bands^[33] (Tiwélqe/Tewelk'a, later Sosona') in the southeast), to the east lived the Lemhi Shoshone (Lémhaay), north of them the Bitterroot Salish / Flathead (Seliš) (Séelix/Se'lix), further east and northeast on the Northern Plains were the Crow (Apsáalooke) (’Isúuxe/Isuuxh'e - "Crow People") and two powerful alliances – the Iron Confederacy (Nehiyaw-Pwat) (named after the dominating Plains and Woods Cree (Paskwāwiyiniwak and Sakāwithiniwak) and Assiniboine (Nakoda) (Wihnen’íipel’uu), an alliance of northern plains Native American nations based around the fur trade, and later included the Stoney (Nakoda), Western Saulteaux / Plains Ojibwe (Bungi or Nakawē) (Sat'sashipunu/Sat'sashipuun - "Porcupine People" or "Porcupine Eater"), and Métis) and the Blackfoot Confederacy (Niitsitapi or Siksikaitsitapi) (’Isq’óyxnix/Issq-oykinix - "Blackfooted People") (composed of three Blackfoot speaking peoples – the Piegan or Peigan (Piikáni), the Kainai or Bloods (Káínaa), and the Siksika or Blackfoot (Siksikáwa), later joined by the unrelated Sarcee (Tsuu T'ina) and (for a time) by Gros Ventre or Atsina (A'aninin) (H'elutiin)).^[34] The feared Blackfoot Confederacy and the various Teton Sioux (Lakota) (Iseq'uulkt - "Cut Throats") and their later allies, the Cheyenne (Suhtai/Sutaio Tsitsistas) (T'septitimeni'n - "[People with] Painted arrows"), were the main enemies of the Plateau peoples when entering the Northwestern Plains to hunt buffalo.

Historic regional bands, bands, local groups, and villages

Almotipu Band

Territories along Snake River in Hells Canyon up to about 80 miles south of today's Lewiston, Idaho (Simiinekem – "confluence of two rivers" or "river fork", as the Clearwater flows into the Snake River here), in Wallowa Mountains and in the Seven Devils Mountains in Oregon and Idaho. Their fishing and hunting grounds were also used by the Pelloatpallah Band (comprising the "Palus (or Palus proper) Band" and "Wawawai Band" of the Upper Palus Regional Band), who formed bilingual Palus-Nez-Percé bands due to many mixed marriages.

several village based bands are counted among them:

the Nuksiwepu Band
the Palótpu Band (their village Palót was on the north bank of the Snake River – about 2 to 3 miles above Sáhatp)
the Pinewewixpu (Pinăwăwipu) Band (their village Pinăwăwi was located at Penawawa Creek)
the Sahatpu (Sáhatpu) Band (their village Sáhatp was located on the north bank of the Snake River, above Wawáwih)
the Siminekempu (Shimínĕkĕmpu) Band (their village Shimínĕkĕm – "confluence", was located in the area of present-day Lewiston)
the Tokalatoinu (Tukálatuinu) Band (along the Tucannon River (Took-kahl-la-toin), a tributary of the Snake River)
the Wawawipu Band (their village Wawáwih was located at Wawawai Creek, a tributary of the Snake River)

Alpowna (Alpowai) Band or Alpowe'ma (Alpoweyma/Alpowamino) Band ("People along Alpaha (Alpowa) Creek" or "People of ’Al’pawawaii, i.e. Clarkston")

Territories along the South and Middle Fork of the Clearwater River downstream to the city of Lewiston (and south of it) in eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle. They also spent much time east of the Bitterroot Mountains and camped along the Yellowstone River, their main meeting place and one of the most important fishing grounds was the area of Kooskia, Idaho (Leewikees). Their fishing and hunting grounds were also used by the "Wawawai Band" of the Upper Palus Regional Band, who lived directly to the west and formed a bilingual Palus-Nez-Percé Band due to many intermarriages. They were the third largest Nez Percé regional group and their tribal area was one of the four centres for the large regional groups of the Nez Percé.

several village based bands are counted among them:

the Alpowna (Alpowai) Band or Alpowe'ma (Alpoweyma/Alpowamino) Band (largest and most important band, along the Alpaha (Alpowa) Creek, a small tributary of the Clearwater), west of Clarkston, Washington ('Al'pawawaii = People of a "place of a plant called Ahl-pa-ha")
the Tsokolaikiinma Band (between Lewiston and Alpowa Creek)
the Hasotino (Hăsotōinu) Band (their settlement Hasutin / Hăsotōin was an important fishing ground at Asotin Creek (Héesutine – "eel river") on the Snake River in Nez Perce County, Idaho, directly opposite the present town of Asotin, Washington)
- the Heswéiwewipu/Hăsweiwăwihpu local group (their village Hăsweiwăwih was also located opposite Asotin, along a small creek whose upper reaches were called Heswé/Hăsiwĕ)
- the Anatōinnu local group (their village Ánatōin was located at the confluence of Mill Creek and the Snake River)
the Sapachesap Band
the Witkispu Band (about 3 miles below Alpowa Creek, along the eastern bank of the Snake River)
the Sálwepu Band (at the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River, about 5 miles above present-day Kooskia, Idaho, Chief Looking Glass Group)

Assuti Band ("People along Assuti Creek" in Idaho, joined Chief Joseph in the war of 1877.)
Atskaaiwawipu Band or Asahkaiowaipu Band ("People at the confluence, People from the river mouth, i.e. Ahsahka")

Territories from their winter village Ahsahka/Asaqa ("river mouth" or "confluence") up to the Salmon Ridge along the North Fork Clearwater River up to its mouth into the Clearwater River, hunted sometimes near Peck, Idaho (Pipyuuninma) in the territory of the Painima Band. An important fishing ground was Bruce Eddy in Clearwater County, Idaho, which was traditionally owned by the Atskaaiwawipu (Asahkaiowaipu), but was shared by neighboring bands upon invitation: the Tewepu Band, the Ilasotino (Hasotino) Band, the Nipihama (Nipĕhĕmă) Band, the Alpowna (Alpowai) Band and the Matalaimo ("People further upstream", a collective term for bands that had their center around Kamiah).

Hatweme (Hatwēme) Band or Hatwai (Héetwey) Band ("People along Hatweh Creek", a tributary of the Clearwater River, about four to five miles east of Lewiston)
Hinsepu Band (lived along the Grande Ronde River in Oregon.)
Kămiăhpu Band or Kimmooenim Band ("People of Kămiăhp", "People of the Many Rope Litters Place, i.e. Kamiah")

Their main village Kămiăhp was located on the south side of the Clearwater River and the confluence of Lawyer Creek near today's Kamiah, Idaho ("many rope litters") in the Kamiah Valley. They used with other bands the important fishing grounds near Bruce Eddy in Clearwater County, Idaho, which was in the territory of the Atskaaiwawipu (Asahkaiowaipu) Band. Other Nez Perce bands often grouped them under the collective name Uyame or Uyămă; the closely related and neighboring Atskaaiwawipu (Asahkaiowaipu) Band referred to all bands around Kamiah as Matalaimo ("People further upstream"). Their tribal area was one of the four centers for the major regional groups of the Nez Percé.

several village based bands are counted among them:

the Kămiăhpu (Kimmooenim) Band (was the biggest and most important band of the Kamiah Valley area)
the Tewepu Band ("People of Téewe, i.e. Orofino, Idaho" at the confluence of Orofino Creek and Clearwater River)
the Tuke'liklikespu (Tukē'lĭklĭkespu) Band (near Big Eddy on the north bank of the Clearwater River, some miles upstream from Orofino)
the Pipu'inimu Band (at Big Canyon Creek in Camas Prairie, which flows into the Clearwater River north of today's Peck; they were therefore direct neighbours of the southern Painima Band),
the Painima Band (near present-day Peck, Idaho (Pipyuuninma) in Nez Perce County, on the Clearwater River in Idaho)

Kannah Band or Kam'nakka Band ("People of Kannah (along Clearwater River)" in Idaho)
Lamtáma (Lamátta) Band or Lamatama Band ("People of a region with little snow, i.e. Lamtáma (Lamátta) region")

Territories were between the Alpowai Band in the north and downstream in the northwest the Pikunan (Pikunin) Band and extended in the Idaho Panhandle north along the Upper Salmon River (Naco'x kuus – "Salmon River") and one of its tributaries, the White Bird Creek, and to the Snake River in the southwest, and also included the White Bird Canyon (deeper than the Grand Canyon) in the southwest of the Clearwater Mountains and southeast of the Camas prairie. Their tribal area and band name is derived from Lamtáma (Lamátta) ("area with little snow") and refers to its excellent climatic conditions, which were particularly suitable for horse breeding. They were the second largest Nez Percé regional group; also called Salmon River Band.

the Esnime (Iyăsnimă) Band (along Slate Creek ('Iyeesnime) and Upper Salmon River, therefore often simply called Slate Creek Band or Upper Salmon River Indians)
the Nipihama (Nipĕhĕmă) Band (from Lower Salmon River to White Bird Creek)
the Tamanmu Band (their settlement Tamanma was located at the mouth of the Salmon River in Idaho)

Lapwai Band or Lapwēme Band ("People of the Butterfly Place, i.e. Lapwai")

Territories along Sweetwater Creek and Lapwai Creek up to its confluence with the Clearwater River near today's Spalding, Idaho. One of their traditional settlements (as well as an important meeting place for neighbouring bands) was on the site of today's Lapwai, Idaho (Thlap-Thlap, also: Léepwey – "Place of the Butterflies"), the tribal and administrative centre of the Nez Percé Tribe of Idaho. Their tribal area was one of the four centers for the major regional groups of the Nez Percé.

Mákapu Band ("People from Máka/Maaqa along Cottonwood Creek (formerly: Maka Creek"), a tributary of the Clearwater River, Idaho.)
Pikunan (Pikunin) Band or Pikhininmu Band ("Snake River People")

Territories encompassed the vast mountain wilderness between the Snake River in the south and the Lower Salmon River in the north until it met the Snake River, were direct neighbours of the Wallowa (Willewah) Band on the opposite bank of the Snake River in the west and the Lamtáma (Lamátta) Band living further southeast of them. They could be classified as buffalo hunters, but they were also true mountain dwellers, also called the Snake River tribe.

Saiksaikinpu Band (on the upper portion of the Southern Fork Clearwater; their immediate neighbors downstream was the Tukpame Band)
Saxsano Band (about 4 miles above Asotin, Washington, on the east side of Snake River.)
Taksehepu Band ("People of Tukeespe/Tu-kehs-pa APS, i.e. Ghost town Agatha")
Tukpame Band (on the lower portion of the Southern Fork Clearwater; their immediate neighbors upstream was the Saiksaikinpu Band.)
Wallowa (Willewah) Band or Walwáma (Walwáama) Band ("People along the Wallowa River" or "People along the Grand Ronde River")^[35]^[36]^[37]

Territories in northeastern Oregon and northwestern Idaho with tribal centre in the river valleys of the Imnaha River, the Minam River and the Wallowa River (Wal'awa – "the winding river"). Their territory extended into the Blue Mountains (already claimed by the Cayuse) in the west, to the Wallowa Mountains in the southwest, to both sides of the Grande Ronde River (Waliwa or Willewah) and its confluence with the Snake River in the north, and almost to the Snake River in the east. Their area was widely known as an excellent grazing ground for the large herds of horses and was therefore often used by the neighbouring and related Weyiiletpuu (Wailetpu) Band ("Ryegrass People, i.e. the Cayuse people). They were often grouped under the collective name Kămúinnu or Qéemuynu ("People of the Indian Hemp"). They were the largest Nez Percé group and their tribal area was one of the four centers for the major regional groups of the Nez Percé. Today most are part of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

several village based bands are counted among them:

the Wallowa (Willewah) Band (the largest band with several local groups, in the Wallowa River Valley and Zumwalt Prairie)
the Imnáma (Imnámma) Band (lived with several local groups isolated in the Imnaha River Valley)
the Weliwe (Wewi'me) Band (their settlement Williwewix was located at the mouth of the Grande Ronde River)
the Inantoinu Band (in Joseph Canyon – known as saqánma ("long, wild canyon") or an-an-a-soc-um ("long, rough canyon") – and along Lower Joseph Creek to its mouth into the Grande Ronde River)
the Toiknimapu Band (above Joseph Creek and along the north bank of the Grande Ronde River)
the Isäwisnemepu (Isawisnemepu) Band (near the present Zindel, at the Grande Ronde River in Oregon)
the Sakánma Band (several local groups along the Snake River between the mouth of the Salmon River in the south and the Grande Ronde River in the north, the name of their main village Sakán and the band name Sakánma refers to an area where the cliffs rise close to the water – this could be Joseph Canyon (Saqánma))

Yakama Band or Yăkámă Band ("People of the Yăká River, i.e.Potlatch River (above its mouth into the Clearwater River)", not to confused with the Yakama peoples)^[38]

Territories along the Potlatch River (which was called Yăká above its mouth into the Clearwater River) in Idaho.

several village based bands are counted among them:

the Yakto'inu (Yaktōinu) Band (their village Yaktōin was located at the mouth of the Potlatch River into the Clearwater River)
the Yatóinu Band (lived along Pine Creek, a small right tributary of the Potlatch River)
the Iwatoinu (Iwatōinu) Band (their village Iwatōin was located on the north bank of the Potlatch River near today's Kendrick in Latah County)
the Tunèhepu (Tunĕhĕpu) Band (their village Tunĕhĕ was located at the mouth of Middle Potlatch Creek into the Potlatch River, near Juliaetta, Idaho (Yeqe))

Because of large amount of inter-marriage between Nez Perce bands and neighboring tribes or bands to forge alliances and peace (often living in mixed bilingual villages together), the following bands were also counted to the Nez Perce (which today are viewed as being linguistically and culturally closely related, but separate ethnic groups):

Walla Walla Band: These were the Walla Walla people which lived along the Walla Walla River and along the confluence of the Snake and Columbia River rivers, today they are enrolled in the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
Pelloatpallah Band or Palous Band: These were the Palus (or Palus proper) Band and Wawawai Band of the Upper Palus Band, which constituted together with the Middle Palus Band und Lower Palus Band – one of the three main groups of the Palus people, which lived along the Columbia, Snake and Palouse Rivers to the northwest of the Nez Perce. Today the majority is enrolled in the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and some are part of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
Weyiiletpuu (Wailetpu) Band or Yeletpo Band: These were the Cayuse people which lived to the west of the Nez Perce at the headwaters of the Walla Walla, Umatilla and Grande Ronde River and from the Blue Mountains westwards up to the Deschutes River, they oft shared village sites with the Nez Perce and Palus and were feared by neighboring tribes, as early as 1805, most Cayuse had given up their mother tongue and had switched to Weyíiletpuu, a variety of the Lower Nez Perce/Lower Niimiipuutímt dialect of the Nez Perce language. They called themselves by their Nez-Percé name as Weyiiletpuu ("Ryegrass People"); today most Cayuse are enrolled into the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, some as Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs or Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho.

Culture

The semi-sedentary Nez Percés were Hunter-gatherer without agriculture living in a society in which most or all food is obtained by foraging (collecting wild plants and roots and pursuing wild animals). They depended on hunting, fishing, and the gathering of wild roots and berries.

Nez Perce people historically depended on various Pacific salmon and Pacific trout for their food: Chinook salmon or "nacoox" (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) were eaten the most, but other species such as Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus or Lampetra tridentata), and chiselmouth were eaten too.^[39] Other important fishes included the Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), Silver salmon or ka'llay (Oncorhynchus kisutch), Chum salmon or dog salmon or ka'llay (Oncorhynchus keta), Mountain whitefish or "ci'mey" (Prosopium williamsoni), White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus), White sucker or "mu'quc" (Catostomus commersonii), and varieties of trout – West Coast steelhead or "heyey" (Oncorhynchus mykiss), brook trout or "pi'ckatyo" (Salvelinus fontinalis), bull trout or "i'slam" (Salvelinus confluentus), and Cutthroat trout or "wawa'lam" (Oncorhynchus clarkii).^[40]

Prior to contact with Europeans, the Nez Perce's traditional hunting and fishing areas spanned from the Cascade Range in the west to the Bitterroot Mountains in the east.^[41]

Historically, in late May and early June, Nez Perce villagers crowded to communal fishing sites to trap eels, steelhead, and chinook salmon, or haul in fish with large dip nets. Fishing took place throughout the summer and fall, first on the lower streams and then on the higher tributaries, and catches also included salmon, sturgeon, whitefish, suckers, and varieties of trout. Most of the supplies for winter use came from a second run in the fall, when large numbers of Sockeye salmon, silver, and dog salmon appeared in the rivers.

Fishing is traditionally an important ceremonial and commercial activity for the Nez Perce tribe. Today Nez Perce fishers participate in tribal fisheries in the mainstream Columbia River between Bonneville and McNary dams. The Nez Perce also fish for spring and summer Chinook salmon and Rainbow trout/steelhead in the Snake River and its tributaries. The Nez Perce tribe runs the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery on the Clearwater River, as well as several satellite hatchery programs.

Nez Perce encampment, Lapwai, Idaho, ca. 1899

The first fishing of the season was accompanied by prescribed rituals and a ceremonial feast known as "kooyit". Thanksgiving was offered to the Creator and to the fish for having returned and given themselves to the people as food. In this way, it was hoped that the fish would return the next year.

Like salmon, plants contributed to traditional Nez Perce culture in both material and spiritual dimensions.^[42]

Aside from fish and game, Plant foods provided over half of the dietary calories, with winter survival depending largely on dried roots, especially Kouse, or "qáamsit" (when fresh) and "qáaws" (when peeled and dried) (Lomatium especially Lomatium cous), and Camas, or "qém'es" (Nez Perce: "sweet") (Camassia quamash), the first being roasted in pits, while the other was ground in mortars and molded into cakes for future use, both plants had been traditionally an important food and trade item.^[42] Women were primarily responsible for the gathering and preparing of these root crops. Camas bulbs were gathered in the region between the Salmon and Clearwater river drainages.^[43] Techniques for preparing and storing winter foods enabled people to survive times of colder winters with little or no fresh foods.^[42]

Favorite fruits dried for winter were serviceberries or "kel" (Amelanchier alnifolia or Saskatoon berry), black huckleberries or "cemi'tk" (Vaccinium membranaceum), red elderberries or "mi'ttip" (Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa), and chokecherries or "ti'ms" (Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa). Nez Perce textiles were made primarily from dogbane or "qeemu" (Apocynum cannabinum or Indian hemp), tules or "to'ko" (Schoenoplectus acutus var. acutus), and western redcedar or "tala'tat" (Thuja plicata). The most important industrial woods were redcedar, ponderosa pine or "la'qa" (Pinus ponderosa), Douglas fir or "pa'ps" (Pseudotsuga menziesii), sandbar willow or "tax's" (Salix exigua), and hard woods such as Pacific yew or "ta'mqay" (Taxus brevifolia) and syringa or "sise'qiy" (Philadelphus lewisii or Indian arrowwood).^[42]

Many fishes and plants important to Nez Perce culture are today state symbols: the black huckleberry or "cemi'tk" is the official state fruit and the Indian arrowwood or "sise'qiy", the Douglas fir or "pa'ps" is the state tree of Oregon and the ponderosa pine or "la'qa" of Montana, the Chinook salmon is the state fish of Oregon, the cutthroat trout or "wawa'lam" of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, and the West Coast steelhead or "heyey" of Washington.

"The Heart of the Monster", described in the Nez Perce origin story

The Nez Perce believed in spirits called weyekins (Wie-a-kins) which would, they thought, offer a link to the invisible world of spiritual power".^[44] The weyekin would protect one from harm and become a personal guardian spirit. To receive a weyekin, a seeker would go to the mountains alone on a vision quest. This included fasting and meditation over several days. While on the quest, the individual may receive a vision of a spirit, which would take the form of a mammal or bird. This vision could appear physically or in a dream or trance. The weyekin was to bestow the animal's powers on its bearer—for example; a deer might give its bearer swiftness. A person's weyekin was very personal. It was rarely shared with anyone and was contemplated in private. The weyekin stayed with the person until death.

Helen Hunt Jackson, author of "A Century of Dishonor", written in 1889 refers to the Nez Perce as "the richest, noblest, and most gentle" of Indian peoples as well as the most industrious.^[45]

The museum at the Nez Perce National Historical Park, headquartered in Spalding, Idaho, and managed by the National Park Service includes a research center, archives, and library. Historical records are available for on-site study and interpretation of Nez Perce history and culture.^[46] The park includes 38 sites associated with the Nez Perce in the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington, many of which are managed by local and state agencies.^[46]

History

European contact

In 1805 William Clark was the first known Euro-American to meet any of the tribe, excluding the aforementioned French Canadian traders. While he, Meriwether Lewis and their men were crossing the Bitterroot Mountains, they ran low of food, and Clark took six hunters and hurried ahead to hunt. On September 20, 1805, near the western end of the Lolo Trail, he found a small camp at the edge of the camas-digging ground, which is now called Weippe Prairie. The explorers were favorably impressed by the Nez Perce whom they met. Preparing to make the remainder of their journey to the Pacific by boats on rivers, they entrusted the keeping of their horses until they returned to "2 brothers and one son of one of the Chiefs." One of these Indians was Walammottinin (meaning "Hair Bunched and tied," but more commonly known as Twisted Hair). He was the father of Chief Lawyer, who by 1877 was a prominent member of the "Treaty" faction of the tribe. The Nez Perce were generally faithful to the trust; the party recovered their horses without serious difficulty when they returned.^[47]

Recollecting the Nez Perce encounter with the Lewis and Clark party, in 1889 anthropologist Alice Fletcher wrote that "the Lewis and Clark explorers were the first white men that many of the people had ever seen and the women thought them beautiful." She wrote that the Nez Perce "were kind to the tired and hungry party. They furnished fresh horses and dried meat and fish with wild potatoes and other roots which were good to eat, and the refreshed white men went further on, westward, leaving their bony, wornout horses for the Indians to take care of and have fat and strong when Lewis and Clark should come back on their way home." On their return trip they arrived at the Nez Perce encampment the following spring, again hungry and exhausted. The tribe constructed a large tent for them and again fed them. Desiring fresh red meat, the party offered an exchange for a Nez Perce horse. Quoting from the Lewis and Clark diary, Fletcher writes, "The hospitality of the Chiefs was offended at the idea of an exchange. He observed that his people had an abundance of young horses and that if we were disposed to use that food, we might have as many as we wanted." The party stayed with the Nez Perce for a month before moving on.^[48]

Flight of the Nez Perce

The Nez Perce were one of the tribal nations at the Walla Walla Council (1855) (along with the Cayuse, Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Yakama), which signed the Treaty of Walla Walla.^[49]

Under pressure from the European Americans, in the late 19th century the Nez Perce split into two groups: one side accepted the coerced relocation to a reservation and the other refused to give up their fertile land in Washington and Oregon. Those willing to go to a reservation made a treaty in 1877. The flight of the non-treaty Nez Perce began on June 15, 1877, with Chief Joseph, Looking Glass, White Bird, Ollokot, Lean Elk (Poker Joe) and Toohoolhoolzote leading 750 men, women and children in an attempt to reach a peaceful sanctuary. They intended to seek shelter with their allies the Crow but, upon the Crow's refusal to offer help, the Nez Perce tried to reach the camp in Canada of Lakota Chief Sitting Bull. He had migrated there instead of surrendering after the Indian victory at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

The Nez Perce were pursued by over 2,000 soldiers of the U.S. Army on an epic flight to freedom of more than 1,170 miles (1,880 km) across four states and multiple mountain ranges. The 250 Nez Perce warriors defeated or held off the pursuing troops in 18 battles, skirmishes, and engagements. More than 100 US soldiers and 100 Nez Perce (including women and children) were killed in these conflicts.^[50]

A majority of the surviving Nez Perce were finally forced to surrender on October 5, 1877, after the Battle of the Bear Paw Mountains in Montana, 40 miles (64 km) from the Canada–US border. Chief Joseph surrendered to General Oliver O. Howard of the U.S. Cavalry.^[51] During the surrender negotiations, Chief Joseph sent a message, usually described as a speech, to the US soldiers. It has become renowned as one of the greatest American speeches: "...Hear me, my chiefs, I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever."^[52]

Chief Joseph went to Washington, D.C. in January 1879 to meet with the President and Congress, after which his account was published in the North American Review.^[53]

The route of the Nez Perce flight is preserved by the Nez Perce National Historic Trail.^[54] The annual Cypress Hills ride in June commemorates the Nez Perce people's attempt to escape to Canada.^[55]

Horse breeding program

In 1994 the Nez Perce tribe began a breeding program, based on crossbreeding the Appaloosa and a Central Asian breed called Akhal-Teke, to produce what they called the Nez Perce Horse.^[56] They wanted to restore part of their traditional horse culture, where they had conducted selective breeding of their horses, long considered a marker of wealth and status, and trained their members in a high quality of horsemanship. Social disruption due to reservation life and assimilationist pressures by Americans and the government resulted in the destruction of their horse culture in the 19th century. The 20th-century breeding program was financed by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the Nez Perce tribe, and the nonprofit called the First Nations Development Institute. It has promoted businesses in Native American country that reflect values and traditions of the peoples. The Nez Perce Horse breed is noted for its speed.

Current tribal lands

Nez Perce Indians with Appaloosa horse, around 1895

The current tribal lands consist of a reservation in North Central Idaho at 46°18′N 116°24′W / 46.300°N 116.400°W / 46.300; -116.400, primarily in the Camas Prairie region south of the Clearwater River, in parts of four counties.^[57] In descending order of surface area, the counties are Nez Perce, Lewis, Idaho, and Clearwater. The total land area is about 1,195 square miles (3,100 km²), and the reservation's population at the 2000 census was 17,959.^[58]

Due to tribal loss of lands, the population on the reservation is predominantly white, nearly 90% in 1988.^[59] The largest community is the city of Orofino, near its northeast corner. Lapwai is the seat of tribal government, and it has the highest percentage of Nez Perce people as residents, at about 81.4 percent.

Similar to the opening of Native American lands in Oklahoma by allowing acquisition of surplus by non-natives after households received plots, the U.S. government opened the Nez Percé reservation for general settlement on November 18, 1895. The proclamation had been signed less than two weeks earlier by President Grover Cleveland.^[60] Thousands rushed to grab land on the reservation, staking out their claims even on land owned by Nez Perce families.^[61]^[62]^[63]

The Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland^[64] at Wallowa in northeast Oregon is in the historic territory of the large Wallowa Band. The Homeland has owned 320 acres (130 ha) and a visitor center since 2000, to "enrich relationships among the descendants of indigenous people and the contemporary inhabitants of the Wallowa Valley ... [and to] preserve and celebrate the customs and culture of the indigenous inhabitants." A Methodist church was established in Wallowa in 1877, and in 2021 the United Methodist Church returned a small parcel of land and the church building to the Nez Perce Tribe.^[65]

Annual cultural events

The Tamkaliks Celebration is a powwow named after the Nez Perce word for where you can see the mountains. It began in 1991 to welcome the Nez Perce back home to the Wallowa Valley.^[66]

Communities

In addition, the Colville Indian Reservation in eastern Washington contains the Joseph band of Nez Percé.

Notable people

Archie Phinney (1904–1949), scholar and administrator who studied under Franz Boas at Columbia University and produced Nez Perce Texts, a published collection of Nez Perce myths and legends from the oral tradition^[67]
Chief Joseph (hinmatóoyalahtq'it – "Thunder traveling to higher areas") (1840–1904), also known as Young Joseph, the best-known leader of the Nez Perce, who led his people in their struggle to retain their identity, with about 60 warriors, he commanded the greatest following of the non-treaty chiefs.
Chief Lawyer (Hallalhotsoot, Halalhot'suut) (c. 1796–1876), son of a Salish-speaking Flathead woman and Twisted Hair, the Nez Perce who welcomed and befriended the exhausted Lewis and Clark Expedition in the September 1805. His father's positive experiences with the whites greatly influenced him, leader of the treaty faction of the Nez Percé, and signed the 1855 Walla Walla Treaty and controversial 1863 treaty.^[68] He was called the Lawyer by fur trappers because of his oratory and ability to speak several languages. He defended the actions of the 1863 Treaty which cost the Nez Perce nearly 90% of their lands after gold was discovered because he knew it was futile to resist the US government and its military power. He tried to negotiate the best outcome which still allowed the majority of Nez Perce to live in their usual village locations. He died, frustrated that the U.S. government failed to follow through on the promises made in both treaties, even making a trip to Washington, D.C. to express his frustration.^[68] He is buried at the Nikesa Cemetery at the Presbyterian church in Kamiah.^[68]
Claudia Kauffman, a politician in Washington state
Eagle from the Light,^[69] (Tipiyelehne Ka Awpo) chief of the non-treaty Lam'tama band, that traveled east over the Bitterroot Mountains along with Looking Glass' band to hunt buffalo, was present at the Walla Walla Council in 1855 and supported the non-treaty faction at the Lapwai Council, refused to sign the Treaty of 1855 and 1866, left his territory on Salmon River (two miles south of Corvallis) in 1875 with part of his band, and did settle down in Weiser County (Montana), joined with Shoshone Chief's Eagle's Eye. The leadership of the other Lam'tama that rested on the Salmon River was taken by old chief White Bird. Eagle From the Light didn't participate in the War of 1877 because he was too far away.
Elaine Miles, actress best known from her role in television's Northern Exposure
Ellis (c. 1810–1848) was the first united leader of the Nez Perce. He was the grandson of the leader Hohots Ilppilp (also known as Red Grizzly Bear), who met with Lewis and Clark.
Five Wounds (Pahkatos Owyeen), wounded in right hand at the Battle of the Clearwater and killed in the Battle of the Big Hole
Jack and Al Hoxie, silent film actors; mother was Nez Perce
Jackson Sundown, war veteran and rodeo champion
Lily Gladstone, actress; her mother is white and her father is Blackfeet and Nez Perce^[70]
Looking Glass (younger) or ’Eelelimyeteqenin’ (also: Allalimya Takanin – "Wrapped in the wind") (c. 1832–1877), leader of the non-treaty Alpowai band and war leader, who was killed during the tribe's final battle with the US Army; his following was third and did not exceed 40 men.
Michael Wasson, poet
Old Chief Joseph (Tuekakas), (also: tiwíiteq'is) (c. 1785–1871), was leader of the Wallowa Band and one of the first Nez Percé converts to Christianity and vigorous advocate of the tribe's early peace with whites, father of Chief Joseph (also known as Young Joseph).
Ollokot, (’álok'at, also known as Ollikut) (1840s–1877), younger brother of Chief Joseph, war chief of the Wallowa band, was killed while fighting at the final battle on Snake Creek, near the Bear Paw Mountains on October 4, 1877.
Peo Peo Tholekt (piyopyóot’alikt – "Bird Alighting"), a Nez Perce warrior who fought with distinction in every battle of the Nez Perce War, wounded in the Battle of Camas Creek.
Poker Joe, warrior and subchief; chosen trail boss and guide of the Nez Percé people following the Battle of the Big Hole, killed in the Battle of Bear Paw; half French Canadian and Nez Perce descent
Rainbow (Wahchumyus), war leader of a non-treaty band, killed in the Battle of the Big Hole
Red Owl (Koolkool Snehee), war leader of a non-treaty band
Timothy (Tamootsin, 1808–1891), leader of the treaty faction of the Alpowai (or Alpowa) band of the Nez Percé, was the first Christian convert among the Nez Percé, was married to Tamer, a sister of Old Chief Joseph, who was baptized on the same day as Timothy.^[71]
Toohoolhoolzote, was leader and tooat (medicine man (or shaman) or prophet) of the non-treaty Pikunan band; fought in the Nez Perce War after first advocating peace; died at the Battle of Bear Paw
White Bird or Piyóopiyo x̣ayx̣áyx̣ (also: Peo-peo-hix-hiix or Peo peo Hih Hih; more correctly Peopeo Kiskiok Hihih – "White Goose") (d.1892), also referred to as White Pelican was war leader and tooat (Medicine man (or Shaman) or Prophet) of the non-treaty Lamátta or Lamtáama band, belonging to Lahmatta ("area with little snow"), by which White Bird Canyon was known to the Nez Perce, his following was second in size to Joseph's, and did not exceed 50 men
Wrapped in the Wind (’elelímyeté'qenin’/ háatyata'qanin)
Yellow Bull or Cúuɫim maqsmáqs (also: Chuslum Moxmox), war leader of a non-treaty band
Yellow Wolf or Hiímiin maqs maqs / Himíin maqsmáqs (also: He–Mene Mox Mox or Hemene Moxmox, wished to be called Heinmot Hihhih or In-mat-hia-hia – "White Lightning", c. 1855, died August 1935) was a Nez Perce warrior of the non-treaty Wallowa band who fought in the Nez Perce War of 1877, gunshot wound, left arm near wrist; under left eye in the Battle of the Clearwater

Chief Lawyer, c. 1861
Peo Peo Tholekt (Bird Alighting), a Nez Perce warrior who helped capture the mountain howitzer at the Battle of the Big Hole
Yellow Wolf, December 30, 1909

Eponymy

The Triassic gastropod Cryptaulax nezperceorum Nützel & Erwin, 2004, found on the land of the Nez Percé tribe, has been named in their honour.^[72]

References

^ ^a ^b "Nez Perce Tribe". Retrieved April 23, 2021.
^ Aoki, Haruo. 1994. Nez Perce Dictionary. Berkeley: University of California Press.
^ ^a ^b Ames, Kenneth and Alan Marshall. 1980. "Villages, Demography and Subsistence Intensification on the Southern Columbia Plateau". North American Archaeologist, 2(1): 25–52."
^ "Map: Distribution of North American Plateau Indians".
^ "Encyclopædia Britannica: Nez Perce People".
^ Hunn, Eugene and James Selam. 2001. Nch’i-wána, 'the Big River': Mid-Columbia Indians and Their Land. Seattle: University of Washington Press. p. 4.
^ "Stern, Theodore. 1998. 'Columbia River Trade Network,' Pp. 641–652 in Handbook of North American Indians: Volume 12, Plateau. Deward E. Walker, Jr., Volume Editor. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution."
^ ^a ^b Slickpoo, Allen P., Sr. 1973. Noon Nee-Me-Poo (We, The Nez Perces): Culture and History of the Nez Perces, Vol. 1. Lewiston, Idaho: The Nez Percé Tribe of Idaho.
^ "The Treaty Period". Nez Perce National Historical Park. National Park Service. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
^ "Map: Shrinkage of the Nez Perce lands after 1855".
^ Colombi, Benedict. 2005. "Dammed in Region Six: The Nez Perce Tribe, Agricultural Development, and the Inequality of Scale". American Indian Quarterly, 29(3&4): 560–589.
^ Colombi, Benedict. 2012. "Salmon and the Adaptive Capacity of Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) Culture to Cope with Change". American Indian Quarterly, 36(1): 75–97.
^ Colombi, Benedict. 2012. "The Economics of Dam Building: Nez Perce Tribe and Global-Scale Development". American Indian Culture and Research Journal, 36(1): 123–149.
^ Hormel, Leontina M. 2016. "Nez Perce Defending Treaty Lands in Northern Idaho". Peace Review: A Journal of Social Justice, 28(1): 76–83.
^ "Nez Perce Tribe official website".
^ R. David Edmunds, "The Nez Perce Flight for Justice", American Heritage, Fall 2008.
^ "Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries & Resources Management". Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
^ Landeen, Dan and Allen Pinkham. 1999. Salmon and His People: Fish and Fishing in Nez Perce Culture. Winchester, Idaho: Confluence Press.
^ Nez Perce Tribe (2003). Treaties: Nez Perce Perspectives. The Nez Perce Tribe Environmental Restoration & Waste Management Program, in association with the United States Department of Energy. Lewiston, Idaho: Confluence Press.
^ Abrams, Joan (August 21, 1996). "Casino countdown is on". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1A.
^ Tuchscherer, Tara (March 10, 1998). "Nez Perce at a crossroads (part 2)". Lewiston Morning Tribune. (Idaho). p. 1A.
^ "Official Home of the Nez Perce Tribal Web Site". www.nezperce.org. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
^ ^a ^b Aoki, Haruo. Nez Perce Dictionary. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994. ISBN 978-0-520-09763-6.
^ Buechel, Eugene & Manhart S.J., Paul "Lakota Dictionary: Lakota-English / English-Lakota, New Comprehensive Edition" 2002.
^ "AISRI Dictionary".
^ "Selections from WITH THE NEZ PERCES Alice Fletcher in the Field, 1889–92 by E. Jane Gay". PBS. Retrieved September 20, 2017.
^ Walker, Deward (1998). Plateau. Handbook of North American Indians v. 12. Smithsonian Institution. pp. 437–438. ISBN 0-16-049514-8.
^ University of California Press, 1994
^ Aoki, Haruo (1994). Nez Perce Dictionary. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 52, 527, 542. ISBN 978-0-520-09763-6.
^ "Since Time Immemorial". Lewis & Clark Rediscovery Project. Nez Perce Tribe. Archived from the original on April 3, 2016. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
^ Spinden, Herbert Joseph (1908). Nez Percé Indians. Memoirs of the American Anthropological Association, v.2 pt.3. American Anthropological Association. p. 172. OCLC 4760170.
^ Walker, Deward E. Jr.; Jones, Peter N. (1964). he Nez Perce. Seattle: University of Washington Press.
^ Paiute-speakers (i.e. Bannocks) called themselves Pan a'kwati/Panákwate – ″on the water side or on the west side″ and their Shoshone kin within the mixed Bannock-Shoshone bands as Wihínakwate – ″on the knife side or on the iron side″ (the equivalent Shoshone words are WihiN'naite and Bannaite)
^ "Nimipuutímt Volume 3 Names of Tribes" (PDF).
^ Wallowa Valley, Oregon, to Kooskia, Idaho – Discover the Nez Perce Trail (PDF)
^ Thomas E. Churchill: Inner Bark Utilization: A Nez Perce Example. (PDF) Oregon State University, Commencement June 1984
^ "Home – Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland". www.wallowanezperce.org.
^ The North American Indian. Volume 8 – The Nez Perces. Wallawalla. Umatilla. Cayuse. The Chinookan tries. Classic Books Company. ISBN 978-0-7426-9808-6, page 158 – 160 (Source for regional bands, bands and villages)
^ Landeen, Dan; Pinkham, Allen (1999). Salmon and His People: Fish & Fishing in Nez Perce Culture. Lewiston, Idaho: Confluence Press. p. 1. ISBN 1881090329. OCLC 41433913.
^ "Nez Perce National Historical Park (Source for Nez Perce names for Fishes, Animals and Plants".
^ Landeen (1999), Salmon and His People, p. 92
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: "Plants – Nez Perce National Historical Park". U.S. National Park Service.
^ Kephart, Susan. "Camas". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
^ Hoxie, Frederick E.; Nelson, Jay T. (2007). Lewis & Clark and the Indian Country: the Native American Perspective. Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. pp. 66–67. ISBN 978-0252074851. OCLC 132681406.
^ Jackson, Helen Hunt (January 1, 2001). A Century of Dishonor. Digital Scanning Inc. ISBN 9781582182896.
^ ^a ^b "Research Center". Nez Perce National Historic Park. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
^ Josephy, Alvin (1971). The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest. Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-01494-5.
^ "Selections from WITH THE NEZ PERCES Alice Fletcher in the Field, 1889–92 by E. Jane Gay". PBS. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
^ Trafzer, Clifford E. (Fall 2005). "Legacy of the Walla Walla Council, 1955". Oregon Historical Quarterly. 106 (3): 398–411. doi:10.1353/ohq.2005.0006. ISSN 0030-4727. S2CID 166019157. Archived from the original on January 5, 2007.
^ Josephy, Jr., Alvin M. The Nez Perce and the Opening of the Northwest. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1965, pp. 632–633.
^ "Letters and Quotations of the Nez Perce Flight". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
^ "Chief Joseph Surrenders". Great Speeches. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
^ Joseph, Young, and William H. Hare. “An Indian's Views of Indian Affairs.” The North American Review, vol. 128, no. 269, 1879, pp. 412–433. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25100745. Accessed August 19, 2020.
^ "Maps of the Nez Perce National Historic Trail". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
^ Praharenka, Gail; Niemeyer, Bernice. "Nez Perce Ride to Freedom". Archived from the original on May 17, 2008.
^ "Nez Perce horse culture resurrected through new breed". Idaho Natives. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
^ "The Nez Perce Reservation with a Map Insert of Idaho" (PDF). Nez Perce Tribe. Geographic Information Systems. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
^ "Nez Perce Reservation Census of Population". United States Census Bureau. 2000.
^ Popkey, Dan (October 29, 1988). "Nez Perce Tribe battling whites over economics". Idahonian. Moscow. Associated Press. p. 10A.
^ Hamilton, Ladd (June 25, 1961). "Heads were popping up all over the place". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 14.
^ Brammer, Rhonda (July 24, 1977). "Unruly mobs dashed to grab land when reservation opened". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 6E.
^ "3,000 took part in "sneak" when Nez Perce Reservation was opened". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. November 19, 1931. p. 3.
^ "Nez Perce Reservation". Spokesman-Review. December 11, 1921. p. 5.
^ "Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland". Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
^ Caldwell, Kristen (May 6, 2021). "Oregon-Idaho Conference Returns Church to the Nez Perce". United Methodist Insight. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
^ Sierra, Antonio (August 13, 2022). "The Nez Perce tribe resumes annual powwows after pandemic hiatus". NPR News. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
^ Rigby, Barry (July 3, 1990). "Archie Phinney was a champion of Indian rights". Lewiston Morning Tribune. Idaho. p. 4-Centennial.
^ ^a ^b ^c Ruark, Janice (February 23, 1977). "Lawyer led Nez Perce in peace before war". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Washington. p. 3.
^ McCoy, Robert R. (2004). Chief Joseph, Yellow Wolf and the Creation of Nez Perce History in the Pacific Northwest. Indigenous Peoples and Politics. New York: Routledge. pp. 103–109. ISBN 0-415-94889-4.
^ https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a43978462/who-is-lily-gladsone/
^ "The Treaty Trail: U.S.-Indian Treaty Councils in the Northwest". Washington State Historical Society. Archived from the original on May 24, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2012.
^ Nützel, Alexander; Erwin, Douglas H. (October 1, 2004). "Late Triassic (Late Norian) gastropods from the Wallowa Terrane (Idaho, USA)". Paläontologische Zeitschrift. 78 (2): 361–416. doi:10.1007/BF03009231.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nez Perce.

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Nez Percés".

Official tribal site.
Friends of the Bear Paw, Big Hole & Canyon Creek Battlefields.
Nez Perce Horse Registry.
Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission – member tribes include the Nez Perce.
Nez Perce National Historic Park.
Nez Perce National Historic Trail.
The Nez Perce Essay by Deward E. Walker, Jr. and Peter N. Jones – University of Washington Digital Collection

v t e Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest
Archaeological sites	Bald Point Site Fort Rock Cave Kennewick Man Marmes Rockshelter Paisley Caves X̱á:ytem
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Towns and villages	Skedans Ninstints Cumshewa Masset Skidegate 'Yalis (Alert Bay) Lax Kw'alaams Lax Ksiluux 'Ksan Ging̱olx Kitwanga X̱wemelch'stn Kiix-in Yuquot Opitsaht Old Man House
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v t e Municipalities and communities of Clearwater County, Idaho, United States
County seat: Orofino
Cities	Elk River Orofino Pierce Weippe	Map of Idaho highlighting Clearwater County
Unincorporated communities	Ahsahka Cavendish Dent Greer Headquarters
Indian reservation	Nez Perce Reservation‡
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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v t e Municipalities and communities of Idaho County, Idaho, United States
County seat: Grangeville
Cities	Cottonwood Ferdinand Grangeville Kamiah‡ Kooskia Riggins Stites White Bird	Map of Idaho highlighting Idaho County
CDP	Elk City
Unincorporated communities	Burgdorf Clearwater Dixie Fenn Golden Greencreek Harpster Lowell Lucile Pollock Syringa Warren
Ghost towns	Florence Joseph Joseph Plains Mount Idaho
Indian reservation	Nez Perce Reservation‡
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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v t e Municipalities and communities of Lewis County, Idaho, United States
County seat: Nezperce
Cities	Craigmont Kamiah‡ Nezperce Reubens Winchester	Map of Idaho highlighting Lewis County
Unincorporated community	Fletcher Slickpoo
Indian reservation	Nez Perce Reservation‡
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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v t e Municipalities and communities of Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States
County seat: Lewiston
Cities	Culdesac Lapwai Lewiston Peck	Map of Idaho highlighting Nez Perce County
CDP	Sweetwater
Unincorporated communities	Gifford Lenore Spalding
Indian reservation	Nez Perce Reservation‡
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
Idaho portal United States portal

This page was last edited on 17 April 2024, at 18:34

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Name and history

Language

Aboriginal territory

Enemies and allies

Historic regional bands, bands, local groups, and villages

Culture

History

European contact

Flight of the Nez Perce

Horse breeding program

Current tribal lands

Annual cultural events

Communities

Notable people

Eponymy

References

Further reading

External links