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There were many natural resources that were abundant to this area. Fish including salmon and white fish were caught in the many rivers. In addition to fish, they ate a variety of meats, seeds, nuts, and fruits. 

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There were many natural resources that were abundant to this area. Fish including salmon and white fish were caught in the many rivers. In addition to fish, they ate a variety of meats, seeds, nuts, and fruits. 

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The location of the Nez Perce Indians is in current day North central Idaho.  This location is characterized physical features including  rivers, mountains, trees, lakes, ponds, creeks, water falls, rain forests, the Columbia river Plateau and snow toped mountains. The climate of this region changes with the seasons, mild summers and cold winters. 

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The location of the Nez Perce Indians is in current day North central Idaho.  This location is characterized physical features including  rivers, mountains, trees, lakes, ponds, creeks, water falls, rain forests, the Columbia river Plateau and snow toped mountains. The climate of this region changes with the seasons, mild summers and cold winters. 

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This article contains interesting facts, pictures and information about the life of the Nez Perce Native American Indian Tribe of the Columbia River Plateau region.

The Nez Perce Tribe
Summary and Definition: The semi-nomadic Nez Perce tribe were fishers, hunter gatherers and traders of the Plateau cultural group. The Nez Perce, a Sahaptian speaking tribe, lived in parts of present-day Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Montana. . The names of the most famous chiefs of the Nez Perce tribe included Chief Joseph and Chief Looking Glass.

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Facts about the Nez Perce Native Indian Tribe
This article contains fast, fun facts and interesting information about the Nez Perce Native American Indian tribe. Find answers to questions like where did the Nez Perce tribe live, what clothes did they wear, what did they eat and who were the names of their most famous leaders? Discover what happened to the Nez Perce tribe with facts about their wars and their history.

The explorers of the Lewis and Clark expedition referred to the tribe as the Chopunnish. The name Nez Perce, meaning "pierced nose" was incorrectly provided by French fur traders who were generalizing about the customs of the tribes the Corps of Discovery would next meet, such as the Did the Nez Perce have pierced noses? No
Chinook in the Northwest Pacific coast, who favored nose rings.

What was the lifestyle and culture of the Nez Perce tribe?
The Nez Perce tribe were one of the most numerous and powerful tribes of the Plateau Culture area. They lived a semi-nomadic lifestyle fishing, hunting, or gathering wild plants for food. They lived in pit houses in the winter and tule-mat lodges in the summer. The introduction of the horse in the 1700's brought about a change in lifestyle and many of the people traveled to the Great Plains to hunt buffalo. They adopted some of the ideas of the Great Plains native Indians including the use of the tepee which were covered with buffalo hides and some items of clothing made from buffalo hides. The rich grasslands of the Nez Perce territory enabled the tribe to become horse breeders and traders and they raised some of the largest horse herds of any Native American Indian group. They are famous for breeding the sturdy, spotted horses now called Appaloosas, that were named after the Palouse tribe. The Lewis and Clark expedition encountered the Nez Perce during their explorations and Meriwether Lewis described the Appaloosa in his journal dated February 15, 1806 "Their horses appear to be of an excellent race. They are lofty, elegantly formed, and durable".

Where did the Nez Perce tribe live?
The Nez Perce are people of the Plateau Native American cultural group whose territories covered hundreds of miles from the Bitterroot Mountains of Idaho, west to the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and further westward to the state of Washington and eastwards to Montana. The location of the Nez Perce tribal homelands are shown on the map. The geography of the region in which they lived dictated the lifestyle and culture of the Nez Perce tribe.

The Nez Perce lived along the lower courses of the Snake, Salmon, and Clearwater Rivers and their tributaries

Land: Fast flowing rivers, lakes, forests and prairies

Climate: Warm summers and cold, snowy winters

Animals: The animals included elk, deer, bear, mountain goat, groundhog, coyote, raccoon, fox, porcupine, weasel, beaver and hare

Fish: Salmon, steelhead trout

Natural Resources: Berries such as blackberries, strawberries, huckleberries, bulbs, bitterroots, onions, nuts and seeds

Map showing location of the
Plateau Native Indian Tribes

What did the Nez Perce tribe live in?
The Nez Perce were semi-nomadic and needed shelters that were easy to set up and take down. The Nez Perce lived in one of three shelters, depending on the season. The types of shelters were a semi-subterranean pit house, a tepee or a tule-mat lodge.

Pit houses were winter shelters that were built with logs and sealed for insulation with dirt and grasses. Pit houses were built below ground with an entrance and ladder at the top and were generally used during the cold, winter months.

The summer shelters, the tepee and tule-mat lodge, were above ground. Tepees were covered with animal skins but the tule-mat lodge was covered with mats of strong, durable, tule reeds (bulrushes).

The Nez Perce tribe and the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Lewis and Clark encountered the Nez Perce tribe in October 1805. They used new dugout canoes built with the help of the friendly Nez Perce Native American Indians. The canoes enabled the expedition to float downstream from the Clearwater River Idaho, the Snake River into the Columbia River in the state of Washington.

The Nez Perce War
The Nez Perce War was fought between June - October 1877. It was led by Looking Glass Chief Joseph, his brother Ollikut, White Bird and Chief . The Nez Perce fought a series of battles and skirmishes with General Howard and later, Colonel Nelson A. Mileson in a fighting retreat that covered 1,170 miles. The Nez Perce stopped at the Bear Paw Mountains in Montana, about 40 miles from the Canadian border. It was here that they fought a 5 day battle against Colonel Miles's troops. On October 5, 1877, Chief Joseph, leader of the Nez Perce, was forced to surrender to the US forces and the short, ill-fated Nez Perce War came to an end.

What weapons did the Nez Perce use?
The weapons used by the Nez Perce were spears, knives, bows and arrows and clubs.

What clothes did the Nez Perce women wear?
The Nez Perce women during the 1700's wore large basket hats they wove out of dried leaves and plant fibers. The women of the tribe wore long dresses that covered them from the neck to their mid calves. The women also wore knee length moccasins during the winter. The Nez Perce made a large bag called a parfleche to store and carry their food and clothing. Parfleche were made from tough hides, and were often beautifully decorated. Nez Perce Clothes were decorated with beads made from a variety of materials that included shells, bones, pebbles, claws, nuts, seeds, porcupine quills, horns, pieces of metal and bird talons.

What was the religion and beliefs of the Nez Perce tribe?
The religion and beliefs of the Nez Perce tribe was based on Animism that encompassed the spiritual or religious idea that the universe and all natural objects animals, plants, trees, rivers, mountains rocks etc have souls or spirits. The Nez Perce believed they had a personal link with nature in the form of a guardian spirit, or wyakin, that protected them from harm and provided assistance during their life.

Who were the most famous leaders and chiefs of the Nez Perce tribe?
The most famous leaders and chiefs of the Nez Perce tribe included Chief Joseph and Chief Looking Glass who both fought in the Nez Perce War (June - October 1877) against the US Government. They led the following battles in the Nez Perce war including the Battle of Clearwater Creek in Idaho, the battle at Big Hole Valley in Montana, Camas Creek in Idaho, Canyon Creek and Cow Island in Montana, and the battle at Bear Paw in Montana.
Nez Perce History Timeline

1750's: The Nez Perce acquire the horse and their lifestyle is changed

1805: Contact was made between the Nez Perce and the Lewis and Clark expedition

1812: A trading post known as Spokane House was built near the confluence of Spokane and Little Spokane Rivers

1825: The Hudson's Bay Company established Fort Vancouver as a trading post

1836: Henry Harmon and Eliza Spalding established a Presbyterian mission among the Nez Perce Native Indians

1843: The first major migration along the Oregon Trail took place in 1843 which led to violent conflicts with the white settlers who traveled along the Oregon trail in wagon trains.

1853: Washington Territory was established, dividing the Nez Perce homeland in two parts

1855: Isaac Stevens (March 25, 1818 - September 1, 1862) , governor of Washington Territory, negotiated the Walla Walla treaty with the Nez Perce reserving 7,000,000 acres of Idaho, Montana, Washington and Oregon for the tribe

1855: The Yakima War (1855-1858) erupted, fought by members of the Native Indian alliance including the Yakama led by Chief Kamiakin and the Walla Walla, Umatilla, and Cayuse tribes

1860: The discovery of gold in Pierce, Idaho prompted an influx of white prospectors on the Nez Perce territory

1861: Nez Perce Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs was established

1861: More than 1000 gold prospectors arrived in Pierce, Idaho.

1862: An estimated $7-10 million in gold was taken from Nez Perce lands by more than 15,000 gold prospectors

1862: A new treaty was negotiated and the Lapwai reservation was established

1873: President Ulysses S. Grant signs an executive order granting half the Wallowa Valley to the Nez Perce people

1877: President Grant opens the Nez Perce homeland to more settlers and demanded that all roaming Nez Perce bands move onto the Lapwai reservation in present-day Idaho

1877: The forced removal of the Nez Perce led to the killing of several settlers and the short-lived Nez Perce War began

1877: The Nez Perce War (June - October 1877) led by Chief Joseph

1877: October 5, 1877, Chief Joseph was forced to surrender.

1877: Chief Joseph was assured that the Nez Perce would be permitted to return to their home country in Lapwai, Oregon however the promise was broken and they were sent to the Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma

1879-80: The Nez Perce tribe was under the jurisdiction of the Ponca Agency in Indian Territory

1885: Some of the Nez Perce were allowed to return to the Lapwai Reservation in Idaho, but Chief Joseph and a few others were sent to the Colville Reservation in north eastern Washington

1904: Chief Joseph died on 21 September 1904 and was buried in Nespelem, Washington

The Story of Nez Perce
For additional facts and information refer to the legend and the Story of the Nez Perces and the Poncas and the Story of Chief Joseph .

Nez Perce

Interesting Facts and information about the way the people lived

The clothes worn by men and women

Description of the homes and the type of food the Nez Perce would eat

Fast Facts and info about the Nez Perce

Names of famous chiefs and leaders

Interesting Homework resource for kids on the history of the Nez Perce Native American Indians

Nez Perce tribe - Kids - Cool, Fun Facts - Lives - Location - Nez Perce History - Clothes - Clothing - Food - Tribe - Kids - Info - Information - Kids - Children - Nez Perce Teaching resource - Social Studies - Lifestyle - Culture - Teachers - Nez Perce Native Indians - Kids - Interesting Facts - Nez Perce Clothes - Nez Perce Clothing - Nez Perce Food - Info - Information - Pictures - Reference - Guide - Studies - Homework - Nez Perce Facts

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Check out this site for interesting facts and information about the Nez Perce tribe. Food, clothing, homes, weapons and culture of the Nez Perce Plateau Native Indians. Information and interesting facts about the Nez Perce nation.

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Kids learn about the Nez Perce Native Americans including their traditional history, language, clothing, food, government, facts, and where they got their name.

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Facts about the Nez Perce Tribe. Information including how they fought against the U.S. Army who pushed them out of their homeland.

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The climate of this region changes with the seasons, mild summers and 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. Temperature and precipitation vary significantly across the plateau due to differences in elevation and topography

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The Nez Perce houses were built out of wood and sticks. This impacts their environment and climate because it provides less trees for the Indians. The houses were covered with reeds, grasses, or skins. This affects the environment because in order to collect skins, they are killing animals for the skin. The tipis were made from deer or buffalo skin and were wrapped around rods on the tipis. 

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The Nez Perce houses were built out of wood and sticks. This impacts their environment and climate because it provides less trees for the Indians. The houses were covered with reeds, grasses, or skins. This affects the environment because in order to collect skins, they are killing animals for the skin. The tipis were made from deer or buffalo skin and were wrapped around rods on the tipis. 

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Our tribe's housing can be divided into two sections, traditional types and tipis. Traditional types include subterranean housing, long lodges and mat-covered summer shelters. These types were used primarily before the Nez Perce acquired the horse and changed their lifestyle to be more like the Plains Indians. After that happened, the tipi became the major type of housing. 

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Our tribe's housing can be divided into two sections, traditional types and tipis. Traditional types include subterranean housing, long lodges and mat-covered summer shelters. These types were used primarily before the Nez Perce acquired the horse and changed their lifestyle to be more like the Plains Indians. After that happened, the tipi became the major type of housing. 

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Bridget

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It was normal cold since   the lived in the mountains. Men wore breech clothes legging,shirts, robes and moccasins on their feet made from shredded ceder bark, buffalo,deer skin or rabbit skin.
Women wore long dresses and knee high moccasins in the winter. They also made bags called Parfleche that were normally beautifully decorated.
Nez perce tribe were decorated with beads made from variety of materials that included shells, bones, pebbles, claws, nuts, seeds, porcupine quills, horns, pieces of metal and bird talons.https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/nez-perce-tribe.htm

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OZrQf-BLIE

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There were two styles of Nez Perce earth houses: oval-shaped longhouses, which could be as long as 150 feet, and smaller round houses. Dozens of families lived together in a longhouse, while only one family lived in a round house.    (http://www.bigorrin.org/nez_kids.htm)

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nez perce shelter and housing - Bing video

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Nez Perce Longhouse Model Nez Perce What They Eat Nez Perce Dance Nez Perce Pow WoW Nez Perce Hunting Nez Perce Indians Nez Perce Clothing Nez Perce Environment Nez Perce Housing Kwakiutl Shelter Nez Perce Homes Nez Perce Foods They Ate Nez Perce Longhouses Nez Perce Indian Tools Hopi Shelter Nez Perce Tribe Location Nez Perce Weapons

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a way of life that was destroyed more than a century ago

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They had their own laws police and government

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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.
The longhouses were made from wood or sticks and covered with reeds, grasses or skins. 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. 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.    (http://thenezperceofnorthamerica.weebly.com/homes-and-clothing.html)

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Men were responsible for  hunting, fishing and protection of their communities as well as the performance of these activities. Men made up the governing bodies of villages which were composed of a council and headman.

Nez Perce women in the early contact period were responsible for maintaining the household which included the production of utilitarian tools for the home. Women also regularly participated in politics due to their responsibilities to their families and medicine gathering, they did not hold office.

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Nez Perce Indians used bows and arrows, war spears and leather shields as their weapons. Knives, tomahawks and war clubs were also used as weapons by the Native American tribes

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Garrett

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Joey

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Greta

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Ava