Palouse people


The Palouse or Palus are a Sahaptin tribe and an Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Plateau living in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
They are signatories of the Treaty of 1855 with the United States along with the Yakama. It was negotiated at the [Walla Walla Council (1855)|1855 Walla Walla Council]. Today, they are primarily enrolled in the federally recognized Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, and some are enrolled in the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Umatilla Indian Reservation">Umatilla people">Umatilla Indian Reservation and Nez Perce Tribe.

Ethnography

The people are one of the Sahaptin-speaking groups of Native Americans living on the Columbia Plateau in eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, and North Central Idaho: these included the Nez Percé, Cayuse, Walla Walla, Umatilla and the Yakama.
The Palouse territory extends from the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers in the east to the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers in the west. It encompassed the Palouse River Valley up to Rock Lake in the north and stayed north of the Touchet River Valley in the south. To the north, their territory bordered the Sinkiuse-Columbia, Spokane, and Coeur d'Alene; to the east, their territory bordered the Nez Perce; to the south, the Cayuse and Walla Walla; and to the west, they bordered the eastern boundary of the Yakama and Wanapum territories. The Palouse lived in three main regional bands, composed of several village-based groups:
  • Upper Palouse Band: often formed bilingual village communities with the Almotipu Band and Alpowna Band of the Nez Perce people, the Lewis and Clark Expedition referred to them as Chopunnish , their villages along the Clearwater River Pinăwăwi/Pinawa’wi , Witkispe , Wawawi/Wawáwi , Alamotin/Alamo’tin and Alpo’wa were identified by Americans and in treaties as "Nez Percé villages" and therefore their lands were included into the Nez Perce Indian Reservation; today part of the "Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation" and "Nez Perce Tribe". The "Pinăwăwi/Pinawa’wi Palouse" were identified as Pinewewixpu Nez Perce Band, the "Witkispe Palouse" as Witkispu Nez Perce Band, the "Wawawi/Wawáwi Palouse" as Wawawipu Nez Perce Band, the "Alamotin/Alamo’tin Palouse" as Almotipu Nez Perce Band, and the "Alpo’wa Palouse" as Alpowna Nez Perce Band.
  • Lower Palouse Band: lived along the Lower Snake River to its confluence with the Columbia River near the present-day Tri-Cities metropolitan area; the Lewis and Clark Expedition referred to them as "Sokulks" and "Chymnapums"; later historians also identified them as "Nez Percé," now part of the "Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation".
The ancestral people were nomadic, following food sources through the seasons. The Palus people gathered with other native peoples for activities such as food-gathering, hunting, fishing, feasting, trading, and celebrations that included dancing, sports and gambling. They lived near other groups including the Nez Perce, Wanapum, Walla Walla, Umatilla and Yakama peoples.
The present tribal designation probably derives from the proper designation of the most populous of the three regional bands of the Palouse/Palus people - the ″Middle Palouse/Palus Band″ as Palúšpam - "people of Pa-luš-sa/Palus ", the neighboring Nez Percé also called them Pa-loots-poo/Pelú`cpu/Peluutspu and the Yakama Palúuspam/Pelúuspem both meaning "people of Pa-luš-sa/Palus", their proper autonym was Naxiyamtama or Naha’ámpoo/Naha'u'umpu'u - “the river people”.
The people were expert horsemen. The term Appaloosa is probably a derivation of the term "A Palouse horse." They bred the horses for their distinct markings. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, the United States Army captured and slaughtered hundreds of tribal horses to cripple the tribe during the Indian Wars.

History

In October 1805, Lewis and Clark met with the tribe, although most were away from the area for fall food-gathering and hunting. Lewis and Clark presented one of the expedition's silver peace medals to paramount Chief Kepowhan. The Diaries of the Corps of Discovery describe the people as a separate and distinct group from the Nez Percé.
After Kepowhan, during the decades 1830', 1840', 1850, Wattaiwattaihowlis, Kahlotus, Soei, Nehtalekin, Tilcoax, Hinmahtutekekaikt alias "James", were the leaders until the Isaac I. Stevens Treaty in 1855, when the Palouse refused to take part but sent, as observers, Kahlotus, Tilcoax and Slyotze; "Old" Hathalekin and Tilcoax led the Palouse warriors against the U.S. troops during the Cayuse's uprising in 1847–1848, defeating col. Cornelius Gilliam and his "Oregon Volunteers" on the Tucannon Creek. In 1858 Tilcoax led again the Palouse warriors in the "Skitswish War": in May 1858 the Palouses succeeded in taking possession of a herd of Army's horses, but, on September 8, 1858, their own herd of 800 horses was slaughtered by col. George Wright's soldiers, and they surrendered.
Husishusis Kute, chief of the Wawawai Palouse, and "Young" Hathalekin, war-chief, led a small Palouse band as allies of the last free Nimiipu of Heinmot Tooyalaket alias "Chief Joseph"; "Young" Hathalekin died fighting on August 9, 1877, at Big Hole; Husishusis Kute surrendered with Heinmot Tooyalaket on October 5, 1877.

Notable historical Paulous leaders

  • Tilcoax led the Palouse warriors during the Skitswish war in 1858, fighting against Maj. Steptoe and Col. Wright troops.
  • Husishusis Kute, was leader and tooat — Medicine man or Shaman, or Prophet — of the Wawawai Band. Its territory was along the Snake River below Lewiston, 50 miles up the Snake River from where the Palouse enters it.
  • Hahtalekin, chief of the Palus Band, who lived at the confluence of the Snake and Palouse rivers. His band were all of the buffalo-hunter-class. During the flight with the Nez Perce, his following was made up of 16 men.