Nez Perce Tribe

The Nez Perce Indians, also known as the Nimi'ipuu, have been known by other names, as well. Lewis and Clark called them the Chopuunish, and later writers called them the Sahaptin. At the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, they ranged from northeastern Oregon and western Washington, across north-central Idaho and as far east as the headwaters of the Missouri River in Montana.

By a Treaty of 1855, the tribe was confined to a reservation in the Wallowa Valley in Oregon and a large area of central Idaho. When the federal government wanted to further confine the tribe to the Idaho portion of the reservation, Chief Joseph and his followers resisted in what became known as the Nez Perce War. As a result of their defeat in this resistance, Chief Joseph led his followers on a march to try to reach Canada, but was stopped short of his goal, surrounded by U.S. soldiers and sent to Indian Territory and later to the Colville Reservation in Washington.

The Nez Perce now reside mostly on the reservation near Lapwai, Idaho, with a few descendants of the tribe still residing on the Colville Reservation and with the Coeur d'Alene Indians in northern Idaho.

Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, gave a more complete history of the Nez Perce tribe, with estimations of the population of the tribe at various time periods.

Nez Perce Reservation Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee Charles H. Hayes, Chairperson P.O. Box 305 Lapwai, ID 83540 Tel# (208) 843-2253, Fax# 843-7354

Important Web Sites:

Darlene Gadley's Nez Perce Genealogy Page

Idaho County, Idaho -- Indian Misc. records

Nez Perce Tribal Web Site