Nez Perce Early History
At one time the Nez Perce people occupied an area that covered North Central Idaho, Northeastern Oregon and Southeastern Washington. The 1855 Treaty reserved most of their ancestral homelands. The discovery of gold led to the Treaty Council of 1863, which reduced the reservation’s boundaries by seven million acres, leaving the Nez Perce with 757,000 acres.
Some of the Nez Perce refused to sign this treaty and the government attempted to force their compliance in 1877. The resulting war ended in surrender at Bear Paw, Mont., following a 1,700-mile, four-month fighting retreat by these Nez Perce toward Canada. Following this surrender, the Dawes General Allotment Act of 1877 distributed the remaining land within the tribe. Finally, an 1893 agreement declared all unallotted land “surplus” so that it could be sold for homesteading. This reduced the reservation to about 86,500 acres. In 1948, the Nez Perce Tribe became a self-governing body under an approved constitution and by-laws. The Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee is composed of nine members distributed geographically throughout the reservation.
Right: The Nez Perce traveled seasonally to the Columbia River to harvest salmon. The spearing, drying and distribution of salmon is a sacred act that continues to define the Nez Perce and their stewardship role toward the Inland Northwest environment. Recent court rulings have provided the Nez Perce with a significant voice in water and fishing rights issues that will have a lasting impact on the region.
