How did the Nez Perce build their homes?
Originally, the Nez Perce lived in settled villages of earth houses. They made these homes by digging an underground room, then building a wooden frame over it and covering the frame with earth, cedar bark, and tule mats.
What did the Nez Perce wear in their teepees?
Both the teepees and the longhouses had holes in the center of them which served as a light source, a chimney and gave air flow into their homes. The Nez Perce women wore dresses that covered them from their neck to a little below their knee.
What is the Nez Perce culture like?
Like other members of this culture area, the Nez Percé domestic life traditionally centred on small villages located on streams having abundant salmon, which, dried, formed their main source of food. They also sought a variety of game, berries, and roots.
What did the Nez Perce trade with the other tribes?
The Nez Perce were allies of the Coeur d'Alene , Yakama, and Salish tribes. These allies often fought together against the Shoshone and Crow tribes. They also traded goods with each other. The Nez Perce were especially friendly with the Flathead Salish, and these two tribes often hunted buffalo together. What are Nez Perce arts and crafts like?
What did the Nez Perce homes look like?
During the winter, they lived in more permanent homes called longhouses. Longhouses had A-shaped roofs and floors that were dug a few feet into the ground for warmth. In the summer, some Nez Perce would follow the bison herds and live in teepees. Teepees were easy to move as they could be set up and taken down quickly.
Where did the Nez Perce Indians make their home?
The Nez Perce tribe was historically nomadic, traveling with the seasons from buffalo hunting in the Great Plains to salmon fishing at Celilo Falls. 17 million acres in what is now Idaho, Oregon, Washington and Montana made up the tribe's homeland.
Did Nez Perce live in longhouses?
The Nez Perce still lived in large multi-family long houses, as big as 15 feet wide by 150 feet long, made of mats and thatch. Important councils, however, were held in a Plains-style buffalo hide tipi.
What was the Nez Perce environment?
The climate in the Clearwater Plateau is arid to semi-arid with hot dry summers and moderately cold winters. Winters are dominated by cool air masses from the Gulf of Alaska and summers by a stationary high-pressure zone over the Pacific Northwest coast.
How do I pronounce Nez Perce?
0:101:06How to Pronounce Nez Perce? (CORRECTLY) Meaning ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThis is normally pronounced as nay percy or nay per se.MoreThis is normally pronounced as nay percy or nay per se.
What meat did the Nez Perce eat?
Elk, deer, moose, mountain sheep, and smaller animals were plentiful. Various roots, berries, and other plants provided food, medi- cine, and materials used in daily Nez Perce life. Usual- ly, men did the hunting and fishing, while women gathered roots and berries, prepared the food, and took care of camp 1i fe.
Why did longhouses have holes in the roof?
Holes were made above the hearth to let out smoke, but such smoke holes also let in rain and snow. Ventilation openings, later singly dubbed as a smoke pipe, were positioned at intervals, possibly totalling five to six along the roofing of the longhouse.
How long is a longhouse?
Iroquois longhouses ranged in length from 30 to several hundred feet. Archeologists have found the post hole patterns of two longhouses that were 364 feet and 400 feet long: longer than a football field, and even longer than a city block! However, a typical Iroquois longhouse was 180 to 220 feet long.
Which tribe used longhouses for their houses?
The Iroquois lived in longhouses, large houses up to 100 feet in length usually made of elm bark. As many as 20 families shared the longhouse, with dozens of individuals and their dogs occupying the space.
What kind of houses did the Nez Perce live in?
teepeesThe Nez Perce and other tribes called their beautiful portable homes "tipis." You will often see the word spelled tepees or teepees, but the correct spelling is tipi. It means "living place." Tipis were made from buffalo skins held up by poles.
How many Nez Perce are alive today?
Today, the Nez Perce Tribe is a federally recognized tribal nation with more than 3,500 citizens.
What was unique about the Nez Perce?
The Nez Percé built up one of the largest horse herds on the continent. They were almost unique among Native Americans in conducting a selective breeding program, and they were instrumental in creating the Appaloosa breed.
Where did the Nez Perce used to live?
Nez Percé, self-name Nimi'ipuu, North American Indian people whose traditional territory centred on the lower Snake River and such tributaries as the Salmon and Clearwater rivers in what is now northeastern Oregon, southeastern Washington, and central Idaho, U.S. They were the largest, most powerful, and best-known of ...
Where did the Nez Perce live?
Who We Are. The Nimiipuu people have always resided and subsisted on lands that included the present-day Nez Perce Reservation in north-central Idaho. Today, the Nez Perce Tribe is a federally recognized tribal nation with more than 3,500 citizens.
Why did the Nez Perce tribe leave their land?
The treaty of 1863 — called the Thief Treaty and Steal Treaty in Nez Perce country — forced the Nez Perce off 90% of their lands reserved in the treaty of 1855 following the discovery of gold by settlers.
How long had the Nez Perce lived on their homelands?
The Nez Percé (/ˌnɛzˈpɜːrs/; autonym in Nez Perce language: Nimíipuu, 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.
What did the Nez Percé do?
After they acquired horses early in the 18th century, life for the Nez Percé began to change dramatically, at least among some groups. Horse transport enabled them to mount expeditions to the eastern slope of the Rockies, where they hunted bison and traded with Plains peoples. Always somewhat warlike, the Nez Percé became more so, adopting many war honours, war dances, and battle tactics common to the Plains, as well as other forms of equestrian material culture such as the tepee. The Nez Percé built up one of the largest horse herds on the continent. They were almost unique among Native Americans in conducting a selective breeding program, and they were instrumental in creating the Appaloosa breed.
What are the Nez Percé people?
As inhabitants of the high plateau region between the Rocky Mountains and the coastal mountain system, the Nez Percé are considered to be Plateau Indians. Historically, as one of the easternmost Plateau groups, they also were influenced by the Plains Indians just east of the Rockies. Like other members of this culture area, the Nez Percé domestic life traditionally centred on small villages located on streams having abundant salmon, which, dried, formed their main source of food. They also sought a variety of game, berries, and roots. Their dwellings were communal lodges, A-framed and mat-covered, varying in size and sometimes housing as many as 30 families.
What do the French call the Nimi'ipuu?
They call themselves the Nimi’ipuu but were known by various names by other groups. The French called them the Nez Percé (“Pierced Nose”), having mistakenly identified individuals whom they saw wearing nose pendants as members of the Nimi’ipuu, though the Nimi’ipuu do not pierce their noses. Nez Percé man, c. 1905.
How many Nez Percé soldiers died?
During the campaign, more than 260 soldiers and more than 230 Nez Percé, including women and children, died. The tribe was then assigned to malarial country in Oklahoma rather than being returned to the Northwest as promised.
Where is the Nez Percé reservation?
In the early 21st century the Nez Percé tribal nation, located on its reservation in north-central Idaho, had more than 3,500 citizens. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Jeff Wallenfeldt, Manager, Geography and History.
Where did the Nez Percé live?
Nez Percé, self-name Nimi’ipuu, North American Indian people whose traditional territory centred on the lower Snake River and such tributaries as the Salmon and Clearwater rivers in what is now northeastern Oregon, southeastern Washington, and central Idaho, U .S. They were the largest, most powerful, and best-known of the Sahaptin-speaking peoples.
What is an encyclopedia editor?
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. ...
What is the name of the Nez Perce?
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.
How many miles did the Nez Perce travel?
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.
What is the Nez Perce Tribe?
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). 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.
How many acres were there in the Nez Perce?
The Nez Perce territory at the time of Lewis and Clark (1804–1806) was approximately 17,000,000 acres (69,000 km 2) 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.
What is the Chopunnish?
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). 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 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.
What treaty cut off the Camas Prairie?
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 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.
Where did the Nez Perce hunt buffalo?
The Nez Perce traveled via the Lolo Trail (Salish: Naptnišaqs – "Nez Perce Trail") (Khoo-say-ne-ise-kit) 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").
What was the main source of sustenance for the Nez Perce?
The rivers that run through Nez Perce country provided sustenance and served as virtual highways to neighboring villages and enabled the vast Nez Perce trade network stretching from the Great Plains to the Pacific Ocean. Until the arrival of the horse in the early 1700s, allowing Nez Perce hunting parties to pursue game, in particular Buffalo, the rivers provided the Nez Perce with their chief form of sustenance - salmon. Depending upon the time of year, salmon were caught from the late spring through the fall and dried for use during the sparse winter months.
Where did the Nez Perce live?
The Nez Perce had a presence at the confluence of Lapwai Creek for thousands of years. Unlike other peoples who moved into an area after being dislocated from another, evidence suggests that the Nez Perce and their ancestors have been in this region for a long time. The large flat areas that cropped up along the river valleys are known as benches and were the preferred sites for permanent villages and temporary camps. The size and location of the river bench at Spalding suggests that it saw continuous occupation for 10,000 years.
What were teepees made of?
The teepees were made from deer or buffalo skin that wrapped around long poles. These were set up almost identical to the longhouses but generally had less room in them with fewer living together. Both the teepees and the longhouses had holes in the center of them which served as a light source, a chimney and gave air flow into their homes.
What were the homes of the Nez Perce?
The Nez Perce used two different kinds of homes, one the wigwams or longhouses, that were more permanent residences and second, teepees that served as homes in the hunting grounds and were more easily taken down and moved.
What did the Nez Perce women wear?
The Nez Perce women wore dresses that covered them from their neck to a little below their knee. This dress was similar to the style before 1820 and shows how they loved to decorate the clothes they wore with colors and designs. The clothes were made of animal skins and in the winter they wore buffalo hides over this as a coat or used them blankets.
How many people were in a teepee?
They were typically very large and housed anywhere from 20- 40 people inside. The homes were also where they hung meat to dry, typically using one side for the drying meat and other food stores, while sleeping and living on the other side. The teepees were made from deer or buffalo skin that wrapped around long poles.
Overview
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 t…
Name and history
Their name for themselves is Nimíipuu (pronounced [nimiːpuː]), meaning, "The People", in their language, part of the Sahaptin family.
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 ce…
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
The Nez Perce territory at the time of Lewis and Clark (1804–1806) was approximately 17,000,000 acres (69,000 km ) 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 extende…
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 / Koo…
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 "Pal…
History
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 edg…