Indigenous Peoples of Idaho

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= Tribes and Bands of Idaho =

Frederick Webb Hodge, in his Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico, identifies the following as names of tribes and bands, including alternative spellings of some of the major tribes listed above, who were somehow involved with what has become the present state of Idaho --

Cayuse, Colville, Cree, Flathead, Gosiute, Kalispel, Kitunahan, Kootennai, Lemhi, Numa, Paiute, Paloos, Salish or Flathead, Shahaptian, Sheep Eater, Shoshone (Northern and Western), Skitswish, Snakes, Spokan, Tukuarika (Sheep Eater), Uintah, Umatilla, Upper Pend O Reilles, Ute, and Northwestern Band of Shoshoni.

= Reservations =

As identified in the National Atlas of the United States of America, the following reservations are current federally-recognized reservations:

There are four federally-recognized Indian reservations in Idaho -- the Coeur d'Alene Reservation in northern Idaho, the Duck Valley Reservation on the border of Idaho and Nevada, the Fort Hall Reservation in eastern Idaho, and the Nez Perce Reservation in central Idaho.

Coeur d'Alene Reservation (created 1873)
The Coeur d'Alene Reservation is now located completely in Idaho, although it originally consisted of 4 million acres across eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana. Some of the towns located within the reservation include DeSmet, Plummer, Tensed, and Worley. The Old Mission Cataldo is also an important part of the history of this reservation. The tribe on the reservation is the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, also known as the Skitswish or Schee chu'umsch Tribe.

Duck Valley Reservation (created 1877)
The Duck Valley Reservation in located on the southern border of Idaho, in Owyhee County, and in northern Nevada. The reservation is 20 miles long and 17 miles wide and has only one major town -- Owyhee, Nevada -- the location of the agency headquarters. Two tribes are represented on the reservation -- the Western Shoshone and the Northern Paiute.

Fort Hall Reservation (created 1869)
The Fort Hall Reservation is located just north of Pocatello, Idaho in the eastern part of the state. The only major town on the reservation is Fort Hall, Idaho, which is also the site of the agency headquarters, a museum, and some tribal businesses. Two tribes are associated with this reservation -- the Shoshone and Bannock Tribes.

Nez Perce Reservation (created 1863)
The Nez Perce Reservation is located in central Idaho, along the Clearwater River. Several small towns are on the reservation, including Ahsahka, Craigmont, Culdesac, Ferdinand, Kamiah, Lapwai, Orofino, Spalding, Stites, and Winchester. When the reservation was originally formed in 1855, it took in parts of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The principal tribe on the reservation is the Nez Perce Tribe, also known as the Nimi'ipuu.

Other Reservations
Some of the Indians of Idaho were residents of other reservations of neighboring states. Some of these reservations may historically have included territory within Idaho. They include:


 * The Colville Reservation in Washington
 * The Flathead Reservation in Montana
 * The Jocko Reservation in Montana

Historically, there were two other reservations which no longer exist, but which existed for a time in Idaho:


 * Fort Lemhi Reservation (created 1875)
 * Kootenai Reservation

= Agencies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs =

Agencies were created as an administrative division of the federal government to manage Indian affairs with the tribes, to enforce policies, and to assist in maintaining the peace. The names and location of these agencies may have changed, but their purpose remained basically the same. Many of the records of genealogical value were created by these offices.


 * Coeur d'Alene Agency -- the administrative office on the Coeur d'Alene Reservation
 * Fort Hall Agency -- the administrative office on the Fort Hall Reservation
 * Fort Lapwai Agency -- the administrative office on the Nez Perce Reservation for a time.
 * Lemhi Agency -- the administrative office of the old Fort Lemhi Reservation; merged with Fort Hall
 * Nez Perce Agency -- the administrative office on the Nez Perce Reservation
 * Northern Idaho Agency -- the administrative office over the Nez Perce, Coeur d'Alene Indians, and other Northern Idaho Indians, subsequently divided.

= Indian Schools =

The Office of Indian Affairs (now the Bureau of Indian Affairs) established a network of schools throughout the United States, beginning with Carlisle Indian School, established in 1879. Some of these schools were day schools, usually focusing on Indian children of a single tribe or reservation. Some were boarding schools which served Indian children from a number of tribes and reservations.

In addition, other groups such as various church denominations established schools specifically focusing on American Indian children. (read more...)


 * Fort Lapwai School

= Other Field Offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs =

Superintendency
A Superintendent of Indian Affairs was an administrator, communicating and overseeing the agents who worked directly with individual tribes. It was the responsibility of the superintendent to see that the agents were following official government policy. (read more...)

Superintendencies with responsibility for agencies in Idaho included:


 * Idaho Superintendency of Indian Affairs 1863-1870 -- 3 films -- National Archives Microcopy #M-832 -- 1st film Family History Library microfilm #1580047

= Research Facilities =

National Archives and Their Regional Archives
Many of the records created by the various departments of the federal government relating to American Indians have been gathered by the National Archives in Washington, DC or by the Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). Records that are still actively used by current agencies, schools, and area offices may still be in the custody of those functioning offices.

Family History Library
The Family History Library in Salt Lake City has a large collection of American Indian sources, including:


 * Copies of many of the microfilmed records of the National Archives.
 * Copies of some records of agencies and other offices, obtained through their own records preservation program.
 * A book collection of histories, biographies, guides, etc. for American Indian research.

To determine the full extent of their holdings, search their catalog, using their Keyword Search, Place Search, and Subject Search, looking for names of tribes and offices. Many of their holdings are under the subject heading of Native Races.

Historical Societies and Archives
Idaho State Historical Society 2205 Old Penitentiary Road Boise, Idaho 83712 Phone 208-334-2682 Fax 208-334-2774

Other Facilities
= References =


 * American Indians: A Select Catalog of National Archives Microfilm Publications. Washington DC: National Archives Trust Fund Board, National Archives and Records Administration, 1998.
 * Hill, Edward E. (comp.). Guide to Records in the National Archives of the United States Relating to American Indians. Washington DC: National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, 1981.
 * Hill, Edward E. The Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1880: Historical Sketches. New York, New York: Clearwater Publishing Company, Inc., 1974.
 * Historical Sketches for Jurisdictional and Subject Headings Used for the Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1880. National Archives Microcopy T1105.
 * Hodge, Frederick Webb. Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of Ethnology, Bulletin #30 1907.
 * Preliminary Inventory No. 163: Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Washington DC: National Archives and Records Services. Available online
 * Swanton, John R. The Indian Tribes of North America ( http://www.accessgenealogy.com ) Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of American Ethnology Bulletin #145.

= See Also =

Idaho - Church

Idaho - History

Idaho - Military