Since the late 19th Century, the Nez Perce have lived in a 39,000 acre reservation in northern Idaho. While the Nez Perce has its own government, it is struggling to preserve its history and dying language which is spoken by only a handful of…Read More

Since the late 19th Century, the Nez Perce have lived in a 39,000 acre reservation in northern Idaho. While the Nez Perce has its own government, it is struggling to preserve its history and dying language which is spoken by only a handful of tribal elders. Like many other native tribes, the Nez Perce has to deal with several issues that plague them. There is widespread alcoholism that dates from the time of Lewis and Clark. The white people introduced them to alcohol and would trade it for Nez Perce beads and blankets. The Nez Perce were decimated in the 19th Century by smallpox and other diseases brought by the white settlers. The Nez Perce did not have any immunity to the diseases and suffered horribly.

Today, the Nez Perce deal with diabetes, heart conditions, and obesity due to poor diet and exercise. Several Nez Perce die at a young age from these conditions. Also, many Nez Perce have allergies to cow's milk and other dairy products and lack the calcium needed for strong bones. Some Nez Perce have to rely on goat's milk for calcium in order to survive.

I have no idea how much longer the Nez Perce will be here in Idaho. I hope that with proper medical care and help, they will be able to rebuild the tribe and survive forever.

White Bird Canyon and the town of White Bird, Idaho (pop. 106 people) is located on Highway 95 and is about 100 miles north of Boise . White Bird Canyon was the site of one of the most important battles between the Nez Perce and…Read More

White Bird Canyon and the town of White Bird, Idaho (pop. 106 people) is located on Highway 95 and is about 100 miles north of Boise . White Bird Canyon was the site of one of the most important battles between the Nez Perce and the US Army in 1876. It was also the beginning of the end of the nomadic life of the Nez Perce tribe, who were scattered all over northern Idaho and parts of Washington State and Oregon.

By 1876, the Nez Perce lands were slowly shrinking because of army and white encroachment and settlement. Many of the Nez Perce grew angry and disgruntled at the army's treatment of the tribe and several minor skirmished occurred between the two groups in the past 20 years. In June 1876, the Nez Perce led by Chief Looking Glass and several other Nez Perce Warriors locked horns with the US Army at White Bird Canyon. After two days of bloody battle, the US Army was defeated and withdrew to regroup.

The battle led to the Nez Perce and its leader Chief Joseph to flee Idaho and try to go to safety in Canada. The US Army pursued Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce and caught up with them in Montana in the Fall of 1876, only about 40 miles from the Canadian border and freedom. Tired, starved, and decimated by disease and the weather, Chief Joseph uttered his famous phrase, "I will fight no more forever." and surrendered to the US Army and was sent to a reservation in Washington State. Chief Joseph constantly petitioned the government in Washington to return to his beloved lands in Idaho, but the government refused to let him return, and Joseph died of a broken heard in 1904.

Today, White Bird Canyon is an Idaho state historical area and can be visited by the public. To get there, take Idaho Route 95 North towards Moscow. Route 95 goes through the canyon, and the State Historical area is located on the right side of the highway facing north. If you decide to hike the canyon, you enter through the town of White Bird. It is advisable for you to wear good hiking boots and long pants, especially in the summer, because the hard, dry, and prickly cheet grass that grows throughout the canyon can be a nuisance.

When you are driving around the Nez Perce Reservation and its surrounding areas, you will see names like Kamiah and Camas. Camas root is a root indigenous to the Palouse area of Northern Idaho and Washington State. The small, unattractive looking root was…Read More

When you are driving around the Nez Perce Reservation and its surrounding areas, you will see names like Kamiah and Camas. Camas root is a root indigenous to the Palouse area of Northern Idaho and Washington State. The small, unattractive looking root was and is still used by the Nez Perce tribe in many things. It is ground into flour for breads and other baked goods. Camas is also considered medicinal by the Nez Perce in curing many ailments. The Nez Perce and many other tribes also burn sage to cure illness and to relax. It, and pejote, has been mistaken for marijuana, and many colleges and universities will not allow Native American students to burn sage because they consider it a narcotic.   Close