Nez Perce Tribe

Alternate Names: Nimi'ipuu, Chopuunish, Sahaptin

Tribal Headquarters
Nez Perce Tribe P.O. Box 305 Lapwai, ID 83540 Phone: 208-843-2253 Website

History
The first reported contact with non-indigenous people occurred in 1805 when the Lewis and Clark Expedition explored the area. The Nez Perce, 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.

Interaction with missionaries began in 1836 when a Presbyterian mission was established by Henry Harmon Spalding and his wife, Eliza. Father Joseph Cataldo was the first Catholic missionary, and the St. Joseph Catholic mission was established in 1874.

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. On March 6, 1856 the Nez Perce tribe furnished horses to the Oregon Mounted Volunteers. The tribe was later reimbursed in a treaty signed June 9, 1863.



When the federal government wanted to further confine the tribe to the Idaho portion of the reservation in 1877, Chief Joseph and his followers who did not want to be restricted to the new boundaries of the reservation, 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 about 40 miles short of his goal, surrounded by U.S. soldiers, and forced to surrender in October of 1877. Their flight had taken several months of evading a pursuing army and had covered approximately 1700 miles. Chief Joseph and his followers were sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and thence to the Ponca Reservation in Indian Territory. In 1885, they were allowed to return to the Pacific Northwest, but were confined to the Colville Reservation in Washington.

The remainder of the Nez Perce who had not resisted being restricted to a smaller reservation, remained at the Nez Perce Reservation in north-central Idaho.

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

Brief Timeline

 * 1805: Contact between the Nez Perce and the Lewis and Clark expedition
 * 1836: Henry Harmon and Eliza Spalding establish a Presbyterian mission among the Nez Perce
 * 1855: Nez Perce Reservation established by treaty.
 * 1855: Treaty October 17, with the Blackfeet
 * 1855: Treaty June 11, at Camp Stevens in Walla Walla Valley
 * 1861: Nez Perce Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs was established
 * 1863: June 9,a treaty (Thief Treaty) was signed at Lapwai Valley, Washington Territory
 * 1868: August 13, at council ground in Lapwai Valley in Washington Territory
 * 1868: Father Joseph Cataldo's first Catholic missionary efforts among the Nez Perce
 * 1874: St. Joseph's Catholic mission established
 * 1877: The "Nez Perce War," led by Chief Joseph, occurred. (Flight of the Nez Perce, 1,700 miles)


 * Battles: Clearwater Creek in Idaho, Big Hole Valley in Montana, Camas Creek in Idaho, Canyon Creek and Cow Island in Montana, and Bear Paw in Montana. Leading the U.S. forces was General Oliver Howard - (Formed Howard University - ed. African Americans; he had one arm)1877:October, Chief Joseph 87 warriors, 84 women, and 147 children surrendered near Bear Paw, Montana. November the Nez Perce Tribe sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas


 * 1878-79: The tribe was under the jurisdiction of the Quapaw Agency in Indian Territory
 * 1878: The part of the tribe that followed Chief Joseph was sent to Indian Territory in Oklahoma
 * 1879-80: The tribe was under the jurisdiction of the Ponca Agency in Indian Territory
 * 1885: Chief Joseph and his followers were sent to the Colville Reservation in Washington
 * 1904: Chief Joseph died at the Colville Reservation

Reservations
The principal reservation for the Nez Perce is the Nez Perce Reservation in central Idaho. Small groups of Nez Perce also live on the Colville Reservation in northeastern Washington and with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe in northern Idaho.

Leaders
Chief Joseph

Additional References to the History of the Tribe

 * 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.
 * Additional details are given in John Swanton's The Indian Tribes of North America.
 * Francis Haines. The Nez Perces, Tribesmen of the Columbia Palteau. Norman, Ok. University of OK. Press 1955.

Records
The majority of records of individuals were those created by the agencies. Some records may be available to tribal members through the tribal headquarters.They were (and are) the local office of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and were charged with maintaining records of the activities of those under their responsibility. Among these records are:


 * Allotment records
 * Annuity rolls
 * Census records
 * Correspondence
 * Health records
 * Reports
 * School census and records
 * Vital records

Agency Records
Agencies maintain records for the tribe and tribal members. Search for records in all the agencies that your ancestor may have come in contact.

Most of the original records created by agents of the Bureau of Indian Affairs remain in the Agency Office in Lapwai, Idaho. However, some have been transferred to the National Archives in Washington, DC or to the Regional Archives of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) in Seattle, Washington.

The following agencies of the Bureau of Indian Affairs had jurisdiction over the Crow for the time periods indicated. BIA agencies were responsible to keep such records as census rolls, allotment (land) records, annuity rolls, school records, correspondence, and other records of individuals under their jurisdiction. For details, see the page for the respective agency.


 * Nez Perce Agency, 1861-1902
 * Ponca and Quapaw Agencies in Oklahoma, 1878-1879 (Chief Joseph's Band)
 * Colville Agency, 1879-present (Chief Joseph's Band and their descendants)
 * Fort Lapwai Agency, 1902-1933
 * Coeur d'Alene Agency, 1933-1938
 * Northern Idaho Agency, 1938-present

Superintendencies
Idaho Superintendency

Oregon Superintendency

Washington Superintendency

Census Records
The Bureau of Indian Affairs compiled annual Indian Census Rolls on many of the reservations from 1885 to 1940. They list the names of individuals, their age, and other details about each person enumerated. For more information about these records, click here.

The following table lists the census rolls for the Nez Perce:

Church Records
Two churches were particularly active among the Nez Perce. The earliest missionary effort among the tribe was established in 1836 by the Presbyterian Church by Henry Harmon Spalding and his wife, Eliza. Records of this effort are included in the holdings of the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia. A later effort was made by the Catholic Church by Father Joseph Cataldo and was known at the St. Joseph's or Slickpoo Mission. The St. Joseph's Mission records are a part of the holdings of Washington State University in Pullman and of the Pacific Northwest Tribes Mission Collection of the Oregon Province Archives of The Society of Jesus, 1853-1960, housed at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Some of the are also on microfilm at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Many of the converts to Catholicism are buried in the Slickpoo Cemetery near St. Joseph's.

Correspondence Records
There are several sets of correspondence between the supervising offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the local offices -- agencies, subagencies, etc. The correspondence is often historical in nature, including reports of the conditions among local groups of Native Americans, hostilities, plans for building facilities, activities of traders or missionaries, etc. Occasionally, there will be names of individuals but little detail about them. For more information about American Indian correspondence, click here.

The following table lists some correspondence relating to the Nez Perce:

Land Records
Included with the standard county land records of Idaho County, Idaho are Indian patents, 1895-1909, mostly for some of the Nez Perce.

Treaties
During the latter part of the 18th Century and most of the 19th Century, treaties were negotiated between the federal government and individual Indian tribes. The treaties provide helpful information about the history of the tribe, but usually only include the names of those persons who signed the treaty. For more information about treaties, click here.

Treaties to which the Nez Perce were a part were:


 * 1855 October 17, with the Blackfeet
 * 1855June 11, at Camp Stevens in Walla Walla Valley
 * 1863 June 9, at Lapwai Valley in Washington Territory
 * 1868 August 13, at council ground in Lapwai Valley in Washinton Territory

Tribal Office Records
The Tribal Office is responsible for enrollment records, vital records, tribal police records, tribal court records, employment records and many others. They are an entirely different set of records from those kept by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Most of them remain in the Tribal Office. For details, contact that office at the address for the Tribal Headquarters listed above.

Vital Records
Prior to the Indian Reorganization Act, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, through their agencies, may have recorded some vital events. Some were recorded on health forms, such as the "Sanitary Record of Sick, Injured, Births, Deaths, etc." Others were recorded as supplements to the "Indian Census Rolls." Some were included in the unindexed reports and other correspondence of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Some vital records for the Nez Perce include:


 * Colville Agency, M595,

Births and deaths 1920-1938,

Important Websites

 * Darlene Gadley's Nez Perce Genealogy Page
 * Idaho County, Idaho -- Indian Misc. records
 * Nez Perce Tribal Web Site
 * 1999 Revised Constitution and Bylaws of the Nez Perce Tribe
 * Nez Perce Wikipedia