Nez Perce“nezz purse“

French for "pierced nose"

Nez Perce Native Americans lived in what is today known as Idaho, Oregon, and Washington state.

Most Nez Perce people live in Idaho today. This area is referred to as the

Clearwater Plateau. In 1805 The Lewis and Clark Expedition encountered the

Nez Perce as they completed their crossing of the Bitterroot Mountains on the Lolo Trail used by Nez Perce

hunting parties.

What type of climate did the Nez Perce

people live in?

What type of plants grew in this region?

The climate in the Clearwater Plateau is arid to semi-arid with hot dry summers

and moderately cold winters.

The Nez Perce depended on gathering plants for more than half of their diet.

This included roots, berries, wild plants, and weeds.

What types of food did the Nez Perce Native

Americans eat?

The Nez Perce Diet

The Nez Perce hunted deer, elk and other wild animals for meat to eat and hides for making clothing and building shelters. They also fished

for salmon.After they acquired horses the Nez Perce also began to hunt buffaloThe primary plants in their diet were wild roots, fruits, nuts and

seeds.

Where did the Nez Perce people live?

The Nez Perce Native American’s originally constructed villages of “earth houses”. Earth

houses were made by digging an underground room, then building a wooden frame over it and covering it with earth and

bark to make a “roof”.Earth houses were oval or round in shape. Many families groups shared these large

homes with their extended family.As the Nez Perce began to hunt buffalo and became migratory they began to build tipis. The tipi was easier to move as they followed

the animal herds

Today the people of the Nez Perce tribe live on a reservation of land that they control and

own.They have their own government, laws and police on the reservation. The reservation functions like a small country of its own, however they still must obey American

national and state laws.At one time the reservation still upheld the tradition of having a tribal chief who was

elected by a tribal council. This practice has since been replaced with the election of tribal council members. The council members are

elected by vote.

What type of clothing did the Nez Perce Native American’s

wear?

Women wore long deerskin dresses while men wore breechcloths or leather leggings and

buckskin shirts .Women’s dresses and warrior shirts were

decorated with fringe beads and shells. The Nez Perce also painted designs on their

clothing using dyes made from plants, fruits and berries. Shoes were moccasins. Leaders wore feather headdresses. Both men and

women had long hair which was sometimes put in single and double braids. The Nez Perce traditionally painted their faces during special

occasions.

“I will fight no more forever.”

Chief JosephMarch 3, 1840 – September 21, 1904Wallowa Valley in what is now Oregon

“Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our Chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead, Ta Hool Hool Shute is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led on the young men is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are - perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. 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 - Thunder Traveling to the Loftier Mountain Heights - 1877

• http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lewisandclark/record_tribes_013_12_17.html

• http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/joseph.htm

• http://www.pbs.org/lewisandclark/native/nez.html