A tribe famous for their horsemanship, generosity, and commitment to their culture, the Nez Perce tribe has touched American history through several vital chapters. From their initial interactions with the first settlers to the Gold Rush, read on to learn more about the Nez Perce and their legacy.
Origins of the Name “Nez Perce”
The name “Nez Perce” was given to the Native American tribe by French explorers and fur trappers when they encountered the Nez Perce for the first time. The name means “pierced nose” in French. However, only the Chinooktribe practiced nose piercing in that region, so this name was wrongly applied to the Nez Perce. The tribe refers to itself as Nimiipuu, which means “we, the people.”
Historical Habitat of the Nez Perce
Nez Perce Native Americans have lived in the Columbia River Plateau for generations. Their traditional land spanned parts of present-day Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Montana. In 1805, the Nez Perce were the largest tribe in the region, boasting 6,000 members. However, due to white settlers and injustices, their land and influence would soon diminish.
Encounters With Outsiders
The Nez Perce tribe had little relationship with outsiders before 1805 when Lewis and Clark met the tribe on their exploration. Lewis and Clark were exhausted and needed supplies, and the Nez Perce helped them recharge and prepare for the rest of their travels. The men left their horses with the Nez Perce for safekeeping.
By the 1810s-1840s, fur traders, trappers, and missionaries had arrived in Nez Perce territory. Settlers followed these groups, and issues over land quickly arose. The Walla Walla Treaty in 1855 ensured that the Nez Perce would keep 7.5 million acres of land.
However, the Gold Rush in the 1860s caused the government to go back on its promise, as it did with many tribes. A new treaty was created in 1863 that shrunk the Nez Perce lands by 75%. The continued encroachment of settlers and resource theft led to the Nez Perce War of 1877.
Nez Perce Tribe Culture
Nez Perce Homes
The Nez Perce lived in over 70 permanent villages ranging from 30 to 200 people, depending on the season. They were semi-nomadic hunter-gatherers, and their homes included communal lodges covered in reeds or skins. They also lived in movable teepees, which made traveling to hunt easier.
Nez Perce Food
This Native Tribe depended on salmon as their primary food source but also ate other fish, such as trout. Nez Perce also ate camas root and kouse root. Women would gather and store these reeds as well as fruit, which helped the Nez Perce survive the winter.
Nez Perce Clothing
Women in the Nez Perce tribe wore knee-length dresses decorated with many colors and designs. The men in the tribe wore leggings and war shirts made from animal skins like deer and mountain sheep.
Nez Perce Beliefs
The Nez Perce are very spiritually connected. They believed in spirit guides called Weyekins. These guides were discovered through meditation and journeying into the wilderness alone. It was said that some attributes of the spirit guide would be gifted to the Nez Perce individual, such as speed from a deer. Each person’s Weyekin was personal and relatively private to them.
Nez Perce Horses
The Nez Perce acquired horses in the early 1700s, which dramatically changed their lives—having horses allowed them to travel east of the Rocky Mountains to hunt bison. It also enabled them to trade with the Plains Indian tribes.
Soon after incorporating horses into their lives, the Nez Perce began selectively breeding horses, creating the Appaloosa breed. Due to their interactions with the Plains Indians, the Nez Perce started participating in war dances and other Plains Tribe traditions and customs like teepees.
They built up one of the largest horse herds of any Native American tribe, with horses becoming a status symbol and primary mode of transportation for the tribe.
Nez Perce Language
Nez Perce Indians traditionally spoke Niimiipuutímt, a Sahaptian language. Sahaptian is part of the Plateau Penutian language family. It may be related to a larger grouping of these languages, as it includes several dialects of Sahaptin.
The Nez Perce had no written form of the language before European contact. In the 1820s, Christian missionaries created the first Nez Perce writing system using the Latin alphabet. This work led to missionaries translating the Bible into written Niimiipuutímt.
Even with a written system, the tribe continued to orally pass down their beliefs, stories, and traditions. Over time, the number of native Niimiipuutímt speakers has declined. Efforts are underway to revitalize the language through education programs, and teaching youth the Nez Perce language remains an integral part of preserving cultural heritage.
Preservation Efforts and Contemporary Resilience: Where Are the Nez Perce Today?
Despite centuries of adversity, the Nez Perce endure as stewards of their cultural heritage and ancestral lands. Today, the Nez Perce Reservation spans 1,195 square miles across four counties in Idaho, serving as a stronghold of tribal sovereignty and cultural resurgence. Vital initiatives aimed at language revitalization and youth education underscore the tribe’s unwavering commitment to preserving their rich legacy for future generations.
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