The Nez Percé (;

autonym Autonym may refer to: * Autonym, the name used by a person to refer to themselves or their language; see Exonym and endonym * Autonym (botany), an automatically created infrageneric or infraspecific name See also * Nominotypical subspecies, in zo ...

Nez Perce language Nez Perce, also spelled Nez Percé or called Nimipuutímt (alternatively spelled ''Nimiipuutímt'', ''Niimiipuutímt'', or ''Niimi'ipuutímt''), is a Sahaptian language related to the several dialects of Sahaptin (note the spellings ''-ian'' vs. ...

: , meaning "we, the people") are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who are presumed to have lived on the

Columbia River Plateau The Columbia Plateau is a geologic and geographic region that lies across parts of the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. It is a wide flood basalt plateau between the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains, cut through by the Columbi ...

in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Thou ...

region for at least 11,500 years.Ames, Kenneth and Alan Marshall. 1980. "Villages, Demography and Subsistence Intensification on the Southern Columbia Plateau". ''North American Archeologist'', 2(1): 25–52." Members of the Sahaptin language group, the Nimíipuu were the dominant people of the

Columbia Plateau The Columbia Plateau is a geologic and geographic region that lies across parts of the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. It is a wide flood basalt plateau between the Cascade Range and the Rocky Mountains, cut through by the Col ...

for much of that time, especially after acquiring the horses that led them to breed the

appaloosa horse The Appaloosa is an American horse breed best known for its colorful spotted coat pattern. There is a wide range of body types within the breed, stemming from the influence of multiple breeds of horses throughout its history. Each horse's colo ...

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 Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

and

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

, the high plains of

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

, and the northern

Great Basin The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds, those with no outlets, in North America. It spans nearly all of Nevada, much of Utah, and portions of California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Baja California. It is noted fo ...

in southern

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Monta ...

and northern

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

. 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.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. Cut off from most of their horticultural sites throughout the Camas Prairie by an 1863 treaty (subsequently known as the "Thief Treaty" or "Steal Treaty" among the Nimiipuu), confinement to reservations in Idaho, Washington and Oklahoma

Indian Territory The Indian Territory and the Indian Territories are terms that generally described an evolving land area set aside by the United States Government for the relocation of Native Americans who held aboriginal title to their land as a sovereign ...

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.Colombi, Benedict. 2012. "Salmon and the Adaptive Capacity of Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) Culture to Cope with Change". ''American Indian Quarterly'', 36(1): 75–97. As a

federally recognized tribe This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the Unite ...

, the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho govern their Native reservation in

through a central government headquartered in Lapwai known as the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee (NPTEC).R. David Edmunds,
The Nez Perce Flight for Justice
, ''American Heritage'', Fall 2008. 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.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. Some still speak their traditional language, and the Tribe owns and operates two casinos along the Clearwater River (in Kamiah and east of Lewiston), health clinics, a police force and court, community centers, salmon fisheries, radio station, and other institutions that promote economic and cultural self-determination.

Name and history

Their name for themselves is ''Nimíipuu'' (pronounced ), meaning, "The People", in their language, part of the

Sahaptin The Sahaptin are a number of Native American tribes who speak dialects of the Sahaptin language. The Sahaptin tribes inhabited territory along the Columbia River and its tributaries in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Sahaptin-s ...

family.Aoki, Haruo. ''Nez Perce Dictionary''. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1994. . ''Nez Percé'' is an

exonym An endonym (from Greek: , 'inner' + , 'name'; also known as autonym) is a common, ''native'' name for a geographical place, group of people, individual person, language or dialect, meaning that it is used inside that particular place, group ...

given by

French Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fre ...

fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...

rs 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. This has also been spelled Nee-Me-Poo. The Lakota/ Dakota named them the ''Watopala'', or ''Canoe'' people, from ''Watopa''. However, 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). The Assiniboine called them ''Pasú oȟnógA wįcaštA'', the Arikara ''sinitčiškataríwiš''. 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 A diacritic (also diacritical mark, diacritical point, diacritical sign, or accent) is a glyph added to a letter or to a basic glyph. The term derives from the Ancient Greek (, "distinguishing"), from (, "to distinguish"). The word ''diacrit ...

. The original French pronunciation is , with three syllables. The interpreters Sacagawea and Toussaint Charbonneau of the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gr ...

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, In his journals,

William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 – September 1, 1838) was an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. A native of Virginia, he grew up in pre-statehood Kentucky before later settling in what became the state of Miss ...

referred to the people as the Chopunnish , 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). By contrast, the ''Nez Perce Language Dictionary'' 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". Nez Perce

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and Culture, cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Traditio ...

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.

Language

The

, or Niimiipuutímt, is a Sahaptian language related to the several dialects of

. The Sahaptian sub-family is one of the branches of the Plateau Penutian family, which in turn may be related to a larger

Penutian Penutian is a proposed grouping of language families that includes many Native American languages of western North America, predominantly spoken at one time in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. The existence of a Penutian s ...

grouping.

Aboriginal territory

The Nez Perce territory at the time of Lewis and Clark (1804–1806) was approximately and covered parts of present-day

, and

, in an area surrounding the Snake (Weyikespe), Grande Ronde River, Salmon (Naco’x kuus) ("

Chinook salmon The Chinook salmon (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'') is the largest and most valuable species of Pacific salmon in North America, as well as the largest in the genus '' Oncorhynchus''. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other ...

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

latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north ...

s 45°N and 47°N. 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

, 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 An epidemic (from Greek ἐπί ''epi'' "upon or above" and δῆμος ''demos'' "people") is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of patients among a given population within an area in a short period of time. Epidemics of infectiou ...

, conflicts with non-Indians, and other factors. The tribe reports having more than 3,500 members in 2021. Like other

Plateau tribes Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Plateau, also referred to by the phrase Indigenous peoples of the Plateau, and historically called the Plateau Indians (though comprising many groups) are indigenous peoples of the Interior of British Columbi ...

, 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

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.

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 atingPeople"), 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 illage) 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 The Yakama are a Native American tribe with nearly 10,851 members, based primarily in eastern Washington state. Yakama people today are enrolled in the federally recognized tribe, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. Their Ya ...

bands (Lexéyuu), to the south lived the

Snake Indians Snake Indians is a collective name given to the Northern Paiute, Bannock, and Shoshone Native American tribes. The term was used as early as 1739 by French trader and explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, Sieur de la Verendrye when he describe ...

(various Northern Paiute (Numu) bands (Hey’ǘuxcpel’uu) in the southwest and Bannock (Nimi Pan a'kwati)- Northern Shoshone (Newe) bands (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 The Métis ( ; Canadian ) are Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples who inhabit Canada's three Canadian Prairies, Prairie Provinces, as well as parts of British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and the Northern United State ...

) 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)). 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 - " eople withPainted 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 The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. The Snake ...

Hells Canyon Hells Canyon is a canyon in the Western United States, located along the border of eastern Oregon, a small section of eastern Washington and western Idaho. It is part of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area which is also located in p ...

up to about 80 miles south of today's

Lewiston, Idaho Lewiston is a city and the county seat of Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States, in the state's north central region. It is the second-largest city in the northern Idaho region, behind Coeur d'Alene, and ninth-largest in the state. Lewiston is ...

(''Simiinekem'' – "confluence of two rivers" or "river fork", as the Clearwater flows into the Snake River here), in

Wallowa Mountains The Wallowa Mountains () are a mountain range located in the Columbia Plateau of northeastern Oregon in the United States. The range runs approximately northwest to southeast in southwestern Wallowa County and eastern Union County between the ...

and in the

Seven Devils Mountains The Seven Devils Mountains are notable peaks in the western United States, located in west central Idaho in the Hells Canyon Wilderness. They are above the east bank of the Snake River, which forms the Idaho-Oregon border. The Seven Devils are ...

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 Asotin is the county seat of the county of the same name, in the state of Washington, United States. The population of the city was 1,251 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lewiston, ID-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The name ...

) :**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 The North Fork Clearwater River is a major tributary of the Clearwater River in the U.S. state of Idaho. From its headwaters in the Bitterroot Mountains of eastern Idaho, it flows U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resoluti ...

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 Peck is a city in Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States. The population was 197 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lewiston, ID- WA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Many residents of Peck work in nearby Orofino, Idaho Orofino (''"fine gold ...

(''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 Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...

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") :Territories in northeastern Oregon and northwestern Idaho with tribal centre in the river valleys of the

Imnaha River The Imnaha River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 3, 2011 tributary of the Snake River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Flowing generally east near the headwaters a ...

, the

Minam River The Minam River is a tributary of the Wallowa River, long, in northeastern Oregon in the United States. It drains a rugged wilderness area of the Wallowa Mountains northeast of La Grande. It rises in the Wallowas in the Eagle Cap Wilderness ...

and the

Wallowa River The Wallowa River is a tributary of the Grande Ronde River, approximately long, in northeastern Oregon in the United States. It drains a valley on the Columbia Plateau in the northeast corner of the state north of Wallowa Mountains. The Wallowa ...

(''Wal'awa'' – "the winding river"). Their territory extended into the Blue Mountains (already claimed by the Cayuse) in the west, to the

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 part of the

Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation is the federally recognized tribe that controls the Colville Indian Reservation, which is located in northeastern Washington, United States. It is the government for its people. The Confederate T ...

. :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 Zumwalt Prairie is a grassland area located in Wallowa County in northeast Oregon, United States. Measuring , much of the land is used for agriculture, with some portions protected as the Zumwalt Prairie Preserve owned by The Nature Conservancy. ...

) :*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 The Potlatch River is in the state of Idaho in the United States. About long, it is the lowermost major tributary to the Clearwater River, a tributary of the Snake River that is in turn a tributary of the Columbia River. Once surrounded by ar ...

(above its mouth into the Clearwater River)", not to confused with the

peoples) :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 Juliaetta is a city in Latah County, Idaho, United States. The population was 579 at the 2010 census. History The area was originally called Schupferville for Rupert Schupfer, an original homesteader in the area. The town was named in 1882 by th ...

(''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 Walla Walla (), Walawalałáma ("People of Walula region along Walla Walla River"), sometimes Walúulapam, are a Sahaptin indigenous people of the Northwest Plateau. The duplication in their name expresses the diminutive form. The name ''Walla ...

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 The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation are the federally recognized confederations of three Sahaptin-speaking Native American tribes who traditionally inhabited the Columbia River Plateau region: the Cayuse, Umatilla, and ...

. ; Pelloatpallah Band 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

. ; Weyiiletpuu (Wailetpu) Band 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

. They called themselves by their Nez-Percé name as ''Weyiiletpuu'' ("Ryegrass People"); today most Cayuse are enrolled into the

, some as

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs is a recognized Native American tribe made of three tribes who put together a confederation. They live on and govern the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in the U.S. state of Oregon. Tribes The confeder ...

Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho The Nez Percé (; autonym in Nez Perce language: , meaning "we, the people") are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who are presumed to have lived on the Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest region for at least 11,500 years.Ames, K ...

Culture

The semi-sedentary Nez Percés were

Hunter-gatherer A traditional hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living an ancestrally derived lifestyle in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local sources, especially edible wild plants but also insects, fung ...

without agriculture living in a society in which most or all food is obtained by

foraging Foraging is searching for wild food resources. It affects an animal's fitness because it plays an important role in an animal's ability to survive and reproduce. Foraging theory is a branch of behavioral ecology that studies the foraging behavi ...

(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:

or "''nacoox''" ( Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) were eaten the most, but other species such as

Pacific lamprey The Pacific lamprey (''Entosphenus tridentatus'') is an anadromous parasitic lamprey from the Pacific Coast of North America and Asia. It is a member of the Petromyzontidae family. The Pacific lamprey is also known as the three-tooth lamprey and ...

(Entosphenus tridentatus or Lampetra tridentata), and chiselmouth were eaten too. Other important fishes included the

Sockeye salmon The sockeye salmon (''Oncorhynchus nerka''), also called red salmon, kokanee salmon, blueback salmon, or simply sockeye, is an anadromous species of salmon found in the Northern Pacific Ocean and rivers discharging into it. This species is a ...

( Oncorhynchus nerka), Silver salmon or ''ka'llay'' ( Oncorhynchus kisutch), Chum salmon or dog salmon or ''ka'llay'' ( Oncorhynchus keta),

Mountain whitefish The mountain whitefish (''Prosopium williamsoni'') is one of the most widely distributed salmonid fish of western North America. It is found from the Mackenzie River drainage in Northwest Territories, Canada south through western Canada and ...

or "''ci'mey''" (

Prosopium williamsoni The mountain whitefish (''Prosopium williamsoni'') is one of the most widely distributed salmonid fish of western North America. It is found from the Mackenzie River drainage in Northwest Territories, Canada south through western Canada and ...

White sturgeon White sturgeon (''Acipenser transmontanus'') is a species of sturgeon in the family Acipenseridae of the order Acipenseriformes. They are an anadromous fish species ranging in the Eastern Pacific; from the Gulf of Alaska to Monterey, California. ...

(

Acipenser transmontanus White sturgeon (''Acipenser transmontanus'') is a species of sturgeon in the family Acipenseridae of the order Acipenseriformes. They are an anadromous fish species ranging in the Eastern Pacific; from the Gulf of Alaska to Monterey, California. ...

), White sucker or "''mu'quc''" ( Catostomus commersonii), and varieties of trout – West Coast steelhead or "''heyey''" ( Oncorhynchus mykiss),

brook trout The brook trout (''Salvelinus fontinalis'') is a species of freshwater fish in the char genus ''Salvelinus'' of the salmon family Salmonidae. It is native to Eastern North America in the United States and Canada, but has been introduced elsewhere ...

or "''pi'ckatyo''" ( Salvelinus fontinalis),

bull trout The bull trout (''Salvelinus confluentus'') is a char of the family Salmonidae native to northwestern North America. Historically, ''S. confluentus'' has been known as the " Dolly Varden" (''S. malma''), but was reclassified as a separate speci ...

or "''i'slam''" ( Salvelinus confluentus), and

Cutthroat trout The cutthroat trout is a fish species of the family Salmonidae native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean, Rocky Mountains, and Great Basin in North America. As a member of the genus '' Oncorhynchus'', it is one of the Pacific t ...

or "''wawa'lam''" (

Oncorhynchus clarkii The cutthroat trout is a fish species of the family Salmonidae native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean, Rocky Mountains, and Great Basin in North America. As a member of the genus ''Oncorhynchus'', it is one of the Pacific trou ...

). Prior to contact with Europeans, the Nez Perce's traditional hunting and fishing areas spanned from the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

in the west to the Bitterroot Mountains in the east. 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

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

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. 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 ''Lomatium'' is a genus in the family Apiaceae. It consists of about 100 species native to western Northern America and northern Mexico. Its common names include biscuitroot, Indian parsley, and desert parsley. It is in the family Apiaceae and t ...

especially

Lomatium cous ''Lomatium cous'' (cous biscuitroot) is a perennial herb of the family Apiaceae. The root is prized as a food by the tribes of the southern plateau of the Pacific Northwest. Meriwether Lewis collected a specimen in 1806 while on his expedition.S ...

), 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. Women were primarily responsible for the gathering and preparing of these root crops. Camas bulbs were gathered in the region between the

Salmon Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus '' Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Onco ...

and Clearwater river drainages. Techniques for preparing and storing winter foods enabled people to survive times of colder winters with little or no fresh foods. Favorite fruits dried for winter were serviceberries or "''kel''" ( Amelanchier alnifolia or

Saskatoon berry ''Amelanchier alnifolia'', the Saskatoon berry, Pacific serviceberry, western serviceberry, western shadbush, or western juneberry, is a shrub with an edible berry-like fruit, native to North America. Description It is a deciduous shrub or sma ...

), black huckleberries or "''cemi'tk''" (

Vaccinium membranaceum ''Vaccinium membranaceum'' is a species within the group of Vaccinium commonly referred to as huckleberry. This particular species is known by the common names thinleaf huckleberry, tall huckleberry, big huckleberry, mountain huckleberry, square ...

), 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 Dogbane, dog-bane, dog's bane, and other variations, some of them regional and some transient, are names for certain plants that are reputed to kill or repel dogs; "bane" originally meant "slayer", and was later applied to plants to indicate tha ...

or "''qeemu''" (

Apocynum cannabinum ''Apocynum cannabinum'' (dogbane, amy root, hemp dogbane, prairie dogbane, Indian hemp, rheumatism root, or wild cotton) is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows throughout much of North America—in the southern half of Canada and throughou ...

or Indian hemp),

tule ''Schoenoplectus acutus'' (syn. ''Scirpus acutus, Schoenoplectus lacustris, Scirpus lacustris'' subsp. ''acutus''), called tule , common tule, hardstem tule, tule rush, hardstem bulrush, or viscid bulrush, is a giant species of sedge in the p ...

s or "''to'ko''" ( Schoenoplectus acutus var. acutus), and western redcedar or "''tala'tat''" (

Thuja plicata ''Thuja plicata'' is an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to western North America. Its common name is western redcedar (western red cedar in the UK), and it is also called Pacific redcedar, giant arborvitae, w ...

). The most important industrial woods were redcedar,

ponderosa pine ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...

or "''la'qa''" (

Pinus ponderosa ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is the ...

Douglas fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three v ...

or "''pa'ps''" ( Pseudotsuga menziesii), sandbar willow or "''tax's''" (

Salix exigua ''Salix exigua'' (sandbar willow, narrowleaf willow, or coyote willow; syn. ''S. argophylla, S. hindsiana, S. interior, S. linearifolia, S. luteosericea, S. malacophylla, S. nevadensis,'' and '' S. parishiana'') is a species of willow native to m ...

), and hard woods such as

Pacific yew ''Taxus brevifolia'', the Pacific yew or western yew, is a species of tree in the yew family Taxaceae native to the Pacific Northwest of North America. It is a small evergreen conifer, thriving in moisture and otherwise tending to take the form ...

or "''ta'mqay''" ( Taxus brevifolia) and syringa or "''sise'qiy''" ( Philadelphus lewisii or Indian arrowwood). 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 This is a list of U.S. state, federal district, and territory trees, including official trees of the following of the states, of the federal district, and of the territories. Table See also * List of U.S. state, district, and territorial insign ...

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. HeartOfTheMonsterByPhilKonstantin

The Nez Perce believed in spirits called ''

weyekin Weyekin or wyakin is a Nez Perce word for a type of spiritual being. According to Lucullus Virgil McWhorter, everything in the world - animals, trees, rocks, etc. - possesses a consciousness. These spirits are thought to offer a link to the invi ...

s'' (Wie-a-kins) which would, they thought, offer a link to the invisible world of spiritual power". 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 Helen Hunt Jackson (pen name, H.H.; born Helen Maria Fiske; October 15, 1830 – August 12, 1885) was an American poet and writer who became an activist on behalf of improved treatment of Native Americans by the United States government. She de ...

, author of "

A Century of Dishonor ''A Century of Dishonor'' is a non-fiction book by Helen Hunt Jackson first published in 1881 that chronicled the experiences of Native Americans in the United States, focusing on injustices. Jackson wrote ''A Century of Dishonor'' in an attempt t ...

", written in 1889 refers to the Nez Perce as "the richest, noblest, and most gentle" of Indian peoples as well as the most industrious. The museum at the Nez Perce National Historical Park, headquartered in Spalding, Idaho, and managed by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...

includes a research center, archives, and library. Historical records are available for on-site study and interpretation of Nez Perce history and culture. 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.

History

European contact

In 1805

was the first known Euro-American to meet any of the tribe, excluding the aforementioned French Canadian traders. While he,

Meriwether Lewis Meriwether Lewis (August 18, 1774 – October 11, 1809) was an American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery, wit ...

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 Lolo can refer to: Places United States * Lolo, Montana, a census-designated place * Lolo Butte, a summit in Oregon * Lolo Pass (Idaho–Montana) * Lolo Pass (Oregon) * Lolo National Forest, Montana * Lolo Peak, Montana Elsewhere * Lolo, Cam ...

, he found a small camp at the edge of the camas-digging ground, which is now called

Weippe Prairie Weippe Prairie is a "beautiful upland prairie field of about nine by twenty miles of open farmland bordered by pine forests" at 3,000 feet elevation in Clearwater County, Idaho, at Weippe, Idaho. Camas flowers grow well there, and attracted ...

. 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. 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.

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

), which signed the Treaty of Walla Walla. Under pressure from the

European Americans European Americans (also referred to as Euro-Americans) are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes people who are descended from the first European settlers in the United States as well as people who are descended from more recent E ...

, 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 Ollokot (Ollikut álok'at) (born 1840s – died 30 September 1877), was a war leader of the Wallowa band of Nez Perce Indians and a leader of the young warriors in the Nez Perce War in 1877. Early life Ollokot was the son of Tuekakas or Old J ...

, 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 A crow is a bird of the genus '' Corvus'', or more broadly a synonym for all of ''Corvus''. Crows are generally black in colour. The word "crow" is used as part of the common name of many species. The related term "raven" is not pinned scientifica ...

but, upon the Crow's refusal to offer help, the Nez Perce tried to reach the camp in Canada of Lakota Chief

Sitting Bull Sitting Bull ( lkt, Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake ; December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader who led his people during years of resistance against United States government policies. He was killed by Indian agency police on the Standing Rock ...

. He had migrated there instead of surrendering after the Indian victory at the

Battle of the Little Bighorn The Battle of the Little Bighorn, known to the Lakota and other Plains Indians as the Battle of the Greasy Grass, and also commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an armed engagement between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, No ...

The Nez Perce were pursued by over 2,000 soldiers of the

U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

on an epic flight to freedom of more than 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. 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, from the Canada–US border. Chief Joseph surrendered to General

Oliver O. Howard Oliver Otis Howard (November 8, 1830 – October 26, 1909) was a career United States Army officer and a Union general in the Civil War. As a brigade commander in the Army of the Potomac, Howard lost his right arm while leading his men against ...

of the

U.S. Cavalry The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army by an act of Congress on 3 August 1861.Price (1883) p. 103, 104 This act converted the U.S. Army's two regiments of dragoons, one r ...

. 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." 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 The ''North American Review'' (NAR) was the first literary magazine in the United States. It was founded in Boston in 1815 by journalist Nathan Hale and others. It was published continuously until 1940, after which it was inactive until revived at ...

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

Horse breeding program

In 1994 the Nez Perce tribe began a breeding program, based on crossbreeding the

Appaloosa The Appaloosa is an American horse breed best known for its colorful spotted coat pattern. There is a wide range of body types within the breed, stemming from the influence of multiple breeds of horses throughout its history. Each horse's colo ...

and a Central Asian breed called

Akhal-Teke The Akhal-Teke ( or ; from Turkmen ''Ahalteke'', ) is a Turkmen horse breed. They have a reputation for speed and endurance, intelligence, and a distinctive metallic sheen. The shiny coat of the breed led to their nickname, "Golden Horses". ...

, to produce what they called the Nez Perce Horse. 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 United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...

, the Nez Perce tribe, and the nonprofit called the

First Nations Development Institute First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) is a nonprofit organization that assists Native American tribes, their communities, and Native nonprofits in economic development by providing technical assistance, training, policy, and the awa ...

. 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

The current tribal lands consist of a

reservation __NOTOC__ Reservation may refer to: Places Types of places: * Indian reservation, in the United States * Military base, often called reservations * Nature reserve Government and law * Reservation (law), a caveat to a treaty * Reservation in India, ...

in North Central Idaho at , primarily in the Camas Prairie region south of the Clearwater River, in parts of four counties. In descending order of surface area, the counties are Nez Perce,

Lewis Lewis may refer to: Names * Lewis (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Lewis (surname), including a list of people with the surname Music * Lewis (musician), Canadian singer * "Lewis (Mistreated)", a song by Radiohead ...

, and Clearwater. The total land area is about , and the reservation's population at the 2000 census was 17,959. Due to tribal loss of lands, the population on the reservation is predominantly white, nearly 90% in 1988. 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 Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...

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 Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

. Thousands rushed to grab land on the reservation, staking out their claims even on land owned by Nez Perce families. The Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland at

Wallowa Wallowa may refer to: Places * Wallowa, Oregon *Wallowa County, Oregon *Wallowa Lake * Wallowa Lake State Park *Wallowa Mountains *Wallowa River Other *'' Acacia calamifolia'', a shrub or tree *'' Acacia euthycarpa'', a shrub or tree * '' The ...

in northeast Oregon is in the historic territory of the large Wallowa Band. The Homeland has owned 320 acres and a visitor center since 2000, to "enrich relationships among the descendants of indigenous people and the contemporary inhabitants of the Wallowa Valley ... nd topreserve 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.

Communities

* Craigmont * Culdesac *

Ferdinand Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

* Kamiah * Kooskia * Lapwai * Nezperce * Orofino * Peck * Reubens * Stites * Sweetwater *

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

In addition, the

Colville Indian Reservation The Colville Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in the northwest United States, in north central Washington, inhabited and managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, which is federally recognized. Established ...

in eastern Washington contains the

Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the m ...

band of Nez Percé.

Notable people

* 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

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. 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. He is buried at the Nikesa Cemetery at the Presbyterian church in Kamiah. * 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). * 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. * Chief Joseph (''hinmatóoyalahtq'it'' – "Thunder traveling to higher areas") (1840–1904), 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. (also known as Young Joseph) *

, (''’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. * 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. * Eagle from the Light, (''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. * 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. * 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 In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the ...

) 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 * Toohoolhoolzote, was leader and ''tooat'' ( medicine man (or shaman) or

prophet In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the ...

) of the non-treaty Pikunan band; fought in the Nez Perce War after first advocating peace; died at the

Battle of Bear Paw The Battle of Bear Paw (also sometimes called Battle of the Bears Paw or Battle of the Bears Paw Mountains) was the final engagement of the Nez Perce War of 1877. Following a running fight from north central Idaho Territory over the previous f ...

* 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 * Yellow Bull or Cúuɫim maqsmáqs (also: ''Chuslum Moxmox''), war leader of a non-treaty band * Wrapped in the Wind (''’elelímyeté'qenin’/ háatyata'qanin'') * Rainbow (''Wahchumyus''), war leader of a non-treaty band, killed in the

Battle of the Big Hole The Battle of the Big Hole was fought in Montana Territory, August 9–10, 1877, between the United States Army and the Nez Perce tribe of Native Americans during the Nez Perce War. Both sides suffered heavy casualties. The Nez Perce wit ...

* Five Wounds (''Pahkatos Owyeen''), wounded in right hand at the Battle of the Clearwater and killed in the

* Red Owl (''Koolkool Snehee''), war leader of a non-treaty band * 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

; half

and Nez Perce descent * 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. *

Archie Phinney Archie Phinney (September 4, 1904 – October 29, 1949) was a Nez Perce Indian and an anthropologist. Biography Born in Culdesac, Idaho, to Fitch Phinney, Archie Phinney was five-eighths Nez Perce, but was also proud to claim William Craig as his ...

(1904–1949), scholar and administrator who studied under

Franz Boas Franz Uri Boas (July 9, 1858 – December 21, 1942) was a German-American anthropologist and a pioneer of modern anthropology who has been called the "Father of American Anthropology". His work is associated with the movements known as historical ...

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and produced ''Nez Perce Texts'', a published collection of Nez Perce myths and legends from the oral tradition *

Elaine Miles Elaine Miles (born in Pendleton, Oregon) is an American actress known for her role as Marilyn Whirlwind in the television series ''Northern Exposure''. Biography Elaine Miles was born in Pendleton, Oregon, of Cayuse/Nez Perce ancestry, and ...

, actress best known from her role in television's ''

Northern Exposure ''Northern Exposure'' is an American Northern comedy-drama television series about the eccentric residents of a fictional small town in Alaska that ran on CBS from July 12, 1990, to July 26, 1995, with a total of 110 episodes. It received 57 ...

'' * Jack and Al Hoxie, silent film actors; mother was Nez Perce *

Jackson Sundown Jackson Sundown (1863 – December 18, 1923), born Waaya-Tonah-Toesits-Kahn (meaning Blanket of the Sun),Roadside History of Oregon, Gulick, Bill, 9780878422524, Mountain Press Publishing, 1991 was a Native American rodeo rider who has become a ...

, war veteran and rodeo champion *

Claudia Kauffman Claudia G. Kauffman (born July 15, 1959) is an American politician who is a member of the Washington State Senate representing the 47th district. A member of the Democratic Party, she is the first Native American ( Nez Perce) woman elected to t ...

, a politician in

state *

Michael Wasson Michael Wasson (born 1990) is an American Nez Perce, Nimíipuu poet from the town of Lenore, Idaho, Lenore, Idaho on the Nez Perce Reservation. He currently lives in Fukuoka, Japan. Career Michael Wasson grew up on the Nez Perce reservation in ...

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

References

External links

Official tribal site

Friends of the Bear Paw, Big Hole & Canyon Creek Battlefields

Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
– member tribes include the Nez Perce.

Nez Perce National Historic Trail

– University of Washington Digital Collection {{authority control Federally recognized tribes in the United States History of the Northwestern United States Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Plateau Native American tribes in Idaho Native American tribes in Montana Native American tribes in Oregon Native American tribes in Washington (state)