Kalispel
Kalispel, also known as the Pend d'Oreilles, are a Native American group situated in the Columbia River basin, primarily in northern Idaho and western Montana. They are recognized as part of the Plateau Indians and are divided into two main groups: the Upper Pend d'Oreille, residing near Flathead Lake in Montana, and the Lower Pend d'Oreille, located along the Clark Fork River and Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho. Traditionally, the Kalispels relied on gathering roots, berries, and fishing, maintaining a lifestyle that emphasized their native food sources, unlike some neighboring tribes that adapted to new hunting practices due to European contact.
The Kalispels first interacted with European Americans in the early 19th century through fur traders and Jesuit missionaries, who were welcomed by the tribe. Significant treaties in the mid-1800s led to the cession of land and the forced relocation of some Upper Kalispels to the Flathead Reservation, where they faced challenging conditions initially. Meanwhile, the Lower Kalispels remained near their ancestral lands, ultimately receiving a smaller reservation in 1914. Today, the Kalispel Indian Community operates with a limited economy focused on grazing leases and various claims for lost territory. The community continues to navigate the complexities of their history while preserving their cultural identity.
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Kalispel
Category: Tribe
Culture area: Plateau
Language group: Salishan
Primary location: Idaho, Montana
Population size: 672 (Kalispel Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, WA; 2017-2021 American Community Survey)
The Kalispels, also known as the Pend d’Oreilles, are among the groups that make up the Plateau Indians. Their land base covers part of the Columbia River basin, their location in northern Idaho and western Montana placing them on the eastern boundaries of the Plateau tribes. As European American contact pushed the Plains Indians farther west, the Kalispels were also affected, being pushed even farther west by tribes such as the Blackfoots.
The Kalispels comprised two groups: the Upper Pend d’Oreille, or Upper Kalispel, who lived below Flathead Lake in northwestern Montana; and the Lower Pend d’Oreille, or Lower Kalispel, who occupied areas along the Clark Fork River and Lake Pend Oreille in northern Idaho. They had contact with other tribes throughout the area, including the Spokanes (or Spokans), the Kutenais (now more commonly spelled Kootenais), and the Flatheads (or Salish). Their economy depended on gathering roots and berries and fishing. Unlike tribes such as the Nez Perce, whose culture greatly changed with use of horses and firearms (they began to hunt buffalo), the Kalispels continued to rely on traditional food sources and live a traditional Plateau lifestyle.
Initial Kalispel contact with European Americans began with fur traders. In the early 1820s, Alexander Ross of the Hudson’s Bay Company managed the Flathead House (near present-day Missoula, Montana) and traded with the Kalispels, Flatheads, Kutenais, and Nez Perce. Further contact with European Americans occurred with the arrival of Jesuit missionaries. Similar to the Flatheads, who welcomed the arrival of the “Black Robes,” the Kalispels (both Upper and Lower) also gave a kind reception to the Jesuits. According to legend, by the time a missionary arrived at the Lower Kalispel camp in 1842, the people already were well versed in Christianity, having sent one of their members the previous year to the Flathead tribe to learn the faith. Many of the Upper Kalispels were later baptized. In 1844, Saint Ignatius Mission was established among the Kalispels.
Traffic across their area increased, and by 1845 settlers had begun moving into the territory. In July 1855, Washington territorial governor and territorial superintendent of Indian affairs Isaac I. Stevens met with the Flathead, Kalispel, and Kutenai tribes on the Hellgate River (now part of the Clark Fork River) to negotiate a treaty. In the final Treaty of Hellgate, the tribes ceded 25,000 acres to the federal government, and the Flathead chief, Victor, became head of the combined tribes. The three tribes were to be removed to the Jocko or Flathead Reservation, which covered 1,280,000 acres, near Flathead Lake. Two problems ensued. First, of the Kalispel tribe, only the Upper Kalispels signed the treaty; the Lower Kalispels were unable to travel to the negotiations because of the Yakima War. Later, most would not move to the Flathead Reservation. Second, the Flathead tribe split over the issue of removal, and many of its members remained in the Bitterroot Valley for almost forty years before accepting removal.
For the Upper Kalispels who conceded their claims and consented to removal, life during the first years on the Flathead Reservation was very poor and very difficult, with little federal support. In more recent times, the situation has improved; the reservation now derives income from tourist activities, timber, grazing leases, and a hydropower lease. The tribes have also been successful with several claims filed with the Indian Claims Commission. Under the Indian Reorganization Act, the tribes organized in 1935 and today are known as the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation.
The Lower Kalispels who refused to move to the Flathead Reservation continued to live in the area surrounding Lake Pend Oreille and the Pend Oreille River. White settlement in the area persisted. Finally, in 1914, the remaining Lower Kalispels were granted a reservation of almost 5,000 acres on the Pend Oreille River. The tribe organized in 1939 and is known as the Kalispel Indian Community of the Kalispel Reservation. Their numbers are very small, and the economy is limited. Income is derived from grazing leases and some industry. The tribe has been successful in its claims with the Indian Claims Commission for lost territory.
Bibliography
Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford UP, 2000.
Ruby, Robert H., et al. A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest. 3rd ed. U of Oklahoma P, 2014.
"2010 Census CPH-T-6. American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2010." Census.gov. US Census Bureau, Dec. 2013. www.census.gov/history/pdf/c2010br-10.pdf. Accessed 25 Mar. 2023.