Transcript THE NEZ PERCE TRIBE - Salmon River High School

By Jacob Clute
6/3/09
 THE NEZ PERCE lived in IDAHO with family and
friends and chief Joseph
 They used to live in the north west now they live in
western Montana
 The Nez Perce language is called sahapatian
 Lakes flowed through the Nez Perce land
 They went on vision quests
 They got spirits called wayyakins
 They thought of earth as their mother
 They liked dancing and singing
 Hunted elk, buffalo, deer and bears
 Fished for salmon and trout
 Mostly ate buffalo and trout
 They hardly hunted bears
 Lived in longhouses
 Lived in dome-shaped houses that they loved to live
in.
 Lived in wigwams too
 They also lived in teepees
 Wore buffalo skin robes
 Wore moccasins
 They decorated their clothes with beads and elk teeth
plus porcupine quills
 Made crafts like baskets
 They made their own clothes
 They made sleds for the kids
 They made these things called issaptakays
 Children were very important
 Loved their family a lot it was very, very important
 They played a pinecone game
Contact with Europeans
 Europeans gave the Nez Perce clothes to wear instead
of buffalo skin robes and elk and bear fur.
 The Nez Perce loved the new clothes
 300 Nez Perce were killed in war
 Chief surrendered
 Chief lost and US government won
Nez Perce Myths/Legends
 Coyote killed a monster with a knife
 He threw pieces of the monster to make people.
 But no people on coyote’s land…
 When he washed his hands water fell…
 People came out of the water!
 Coyote named them the NEZ PERCE
 It means the real people
 Jackson Sundown was a horse man
 Chief Joseph loved his nation so much
 Jackson was a champion at horse riding , Chief died in
the 1900s!
 They perform dances today
 They still live in Idaho
 Always still love salmon and trout and buffalo
 Gray-KanaTiosh, Barbara. Nez Perce. ABDO
Publishing Company, 2004.
 http://www.bigorrin.org/nez_kids.htm
http://www.nezperce.org/History/MainHistory.html