Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes facts for kids
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) of the Flathead Reservation (Montana Salish: Séliš u Ql̓ispé, Kutenai: k̓upawiȼq̓nuk) are a federally recognized tribe in the U.S. state of Montana. The government includes members of several Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Oreilles tribes. Most tribe members live on the Flathead Indian Reservation.
The people of this area were named Flathead Indians by European travelers. Explorers and settlers gave the Flathead Indians their name because the heads of the Salish peoples were flatter than those of other nearby tribes.
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Early days of the Salish
The early Salish (Flatheads) lived east of the Continental Divide and established their headquarters near the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains. Sometimes hunting parties hunted in the mountains, but they did not go west of the Bitterroot Range.
The two tribes who lived north of the Flatheads, the Salis-Tunaxe and the Kutenai-Tunaxe (Kootenai-Tunaxe), shared a common enemy: the Blackfoot. The Pend d'Oreille lived on the territory around Flathead Lake to the west of the Rocky Mountains. The Semteuse lived in a small area south of the Pend d'Oreille. The Shoshone semi-surrounded the Salish from northeast to southwest.
After the Salish got horses from the Shoshone, their hunting and homes changed. Horses allowed the Salish to hunt the American bison for meat and skins. Before they were able to get as many skins from bison, the women wove tule mats and used them in layers to cover cone-shaped tents. The tipi replaced these homes.
Forced west of the divide
The Blackfoot and smallpox almost killed both the Salish-Tunaxe and the Semteuse tribes. Some of the survivors took refuge among the Salish. Between 1700 and 1750, though, Blackfoot warriors forced them and the Kutenai-Tunaxe out of the bison range and west of the Continental Divide.
History
The first written record of the tribes is thought to be from the Lewis and Clark Expedition (September 4, 1805), when the Flatheads lived now between the Cascade Range and Rocky Mountains. The Flatheads also appear in the records of the Roman Catholic Church at St. Louis, Missouri, and Sula, Montana.
The tribes negotiated the Hellgate treaty with the United States in 1855. From the beginning, there was confusion because of translation problems. Tribal people came to the meeting thinking they were making a friendship formal. Non-tribal people wanted to claim native land and resources. Isaac Stevens, the new governor and superintendent of Indian affairs for the Washington Territory, wanted ownership of the Bitterroot Valley and more than twenty million acres (81,000 km2) of land from the Salish. Chief Victor (Many Horses) put his "X" mark on the document, believing that the agreement would not require his people to leave their homeland. The Salish did not find out until fifteen years later that the Bitterroot Valley was not theirs anymore.
The 1864 gold rush brought more settlers and government attention to the Montana Territory. Chief Victor died in 1870, and his son, Chief Charlot (aka Charlo, Claw of the Little Grizzly) became chief. In 1871, President Ulysses S. Grant issued an executive order declaring that the Jocko (Flathead) Reservation was a better place for the Salish to live. When Congressman James Garfield arrived to move the Salish people in 1872, Charlot ignored the order, even when threats became violent. U.S. officials then forged Chorlot's "X" onto the agreement that was sent to the Senate.
In the late 1880s, the U.S. built the Missoula and Bitter Root Valley Railroad directly through the tribe's lands without permission from or payment to the native owners. In October 1891, troops from Fort Missoula forced Charlot and the Salish out of the Bitterroot and roughly marched the small band sixty miles to the Flathead Reservation. The three main tribes moved to the Flathead Reservation were the Bitterroot Salish, the Pend d'Oreille, and the Kootenai. The Bitterroot Salish and the Pend d'Oreille tribes spoke dialects of the same Salish language.
The House concurrent resolution 108 of the U.S. federal Indian termination policy started the process of the U.S. government no longer recognizing the Flatheads as tribes. The Flathead Tribes resisted the government's plans to end their tribal relationship in Congressional hearings in 1954.
Demographics
As of 2013, the tribe tribe has about 6,800 members with approximately 4,000 tribal members living on the Flathead Reservation and 2,800 tribal members living off the reservation. 1,100 Native Americans from other tribes and more than 10,000 non-Native Americans also live on the reservation.
Their main religion is is Roman Catholicism.
Economy
The tribes are the biggest employers on the reservation. In 2011, they provided 65% of all jobs.
The tribes are the first Indian nation in the United States to own a hydroelectric dam. It is called alled Séliš Ksanka Ql'ispé Dam. They own and operate other businesses as well, including the only local electricity provider Mission Valley Power, S&K Electronics, S&K Technologies, the KwaTaqNuk Resort & Casino, and Gray Wolf Peak Casino.
Geography
Aboriginal lands
The peoples of these tribes originally lived in the areas of Montana, parts of Idaho, British Columbia (Canada), and Wyoming. The original territory consisted of about 22 million acres (89,000 km2) at the time of the 1855 Hellgate treaty.
Reservation lands
The Flathead Reservation in northwest Montana is over 1.3 million acres (5,300 km2) in size.
The Tribal Council represents eight districts:
- Arlee District
- Dixon District
- Elmo District
- Hot Springs District
- Pablo District
- Polson District
- Ronan District
- St. Ignatius District
During World War II, a 422-foot (129 m) Liberty Ship, the SS Chief Charlot, was named in his honor and built in Richmond, California, in 1943.
Culture
- Languages
- Historical Sites
- Archaeology
Notable people
- Corwin Clairmont, artist and educator
- Marvin Camel, boxer, WBC & IBF Cruiserweight Champion
- Debra Magpie Earling, author
- Terese Marie Mailhot, author
- D'Arcy McNickle (1904 – 1977), noted writer, Native American activist and anthropologist
- Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, artist
Interesting facts about the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes
- In the spring, the Salish would gather roots, vegetables, and medicines for the entire year.
- In the summer, as berries and other fruits began to ripen, they would gather them as well.
- During the fall, the Salish would hunt for meat that would eventually be dried for the winter months.
- The Flathead reservation is home to 65% of enrolled Flathead tribal members.
- Land owned by the Salish used to reach from Montana to the Pacific Coast.
- The Salish call themselves "Sqelixw," the Kootenai call themselves "Ktunaxa," and the Pend d'Oreille call themselves "Qæispé."
- The Salish made bows of hardwood gathered in very early spring and bow string from twisted sinew.
- The Salish Longhouse is an important center of tribal cultural life.
- The Kootenai were divided into two main groups. One band lived to the northeast and had a lifestyle based on bison hunting. The other band lived in the mountainous west and had a lifestyle focused on rivers and lakes.
- Every year in July, the Flathead reservation celebrates the Standing Arrow Pow Wow and the Arlee Pow Wow.
See also
In Spanish: Tribus confederadas salish y kutenai de la nación flathead para niños
