Tribes of the Flathead Nation: Salish and Kootenai

History of the Flathead Nation

            The Bitterroot Salish and Kootenai tribes are part of the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana, along with a third tribe, the Pend d’Oreille.  The people of the Flathead Nation first dwelled in areas of western Montana, parts of Idaho, British Columbia and Wyoming.  After the signing of the Treaty of Hellgate in 1855, the Flathead Reservation was then located in the area of western Montana.  The Treaty of Hellgate was signed on July 16, 1855 by eighteen Flathead leaders, and consequently the tribes were assigned this reservation against their wishes.  Isaac Ingalls Stevens, the governor of the Washington Territory at this time, was said to be the main negotiator of the Treaty with the Flatheads.  It is also said that Stevens, along with other non-Native peoples, were intent on the acquisition of the Bitterroot Valley from the Salish located in southwestern Montana because of the land’s potential agricultural value. 

            The Treaty of Hellgate was problematic for a number of reasons, mainly because of the intently confusing language integrated by Governor Stevens.   Stevens also left ambiguous notions in the treaty such as reservation borders and also lead the Flatheads to believe they were signing off on land for two reservations which was not the case. 

            Eventually, after many attempts from the United States government, the Flatheads were finally were forced out of the Bitterroot Valley in October of 1891 by government troops and taken sixty miles to the Flathead Reservation the government deemed fit.  By signing over their land unwilling to the United States government, the Salish people forfeited over twenty million acres of land. 

            Currently, the Flathead Reservation consists of approximately 6,800 members—4,000 of whom live on the reservation and 2,800 tribal members living off the reservation. 

Cultural and Linguistic Aspects

            Important to the Salish and Kootenai cultures is the preservation of the traditional ways of their people.  The Salish and Kootenai hold a high regard for practices of oral tradition, the elder people of their community and the passing of their gifts.  The Salish believe their elders were given the gifts of vision, knowledge, wisdom, song, and words by the Creator, from Mother Earth, and from the Grandfather.  The Salish preserve these traditions by passing these gifts on to their young people, teaching them the respect for these traditional values.

            Along with the preservation of these gifts is also the important preservation of the language of these tribes.  The Salish and Kootenai each have their own unique language and are also known as endangered languages.  The Salish language is particularly known for its heavy integration of constant clusters.  The Kootenai language, on the other hand, is known as an isolate language, not directly relatable to any other languages but is hypothesized to be distantly related to Salish languages. 

            As a means to preserve the Salish language, members of the Salish tribe are currently working with linguists so as to write, document, and publish remnants of the language as well as teaching Salish sounds at culture camps held yearly. 

The Salish and Kootenai are also actively involved in the Salish and Kootenai College (founded in 1977) and have an official news publication of the Flathead Nation titled, Char-Koosta News.

 

 
 
 Works Cited

“Char-Koosta News.” <http://www.charkoosta.com/classifieds.html>. 19 September 2007.

“Official Website of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.” <http://www.cskt.org/>.

19 September 2007

Puisto, Jaako.  In the Name of the Salish and Kootenai Nation: The 1855 Hell Gate Treaty and

the Origin of the Flathead Nation.  Pablo, MN.  Salish Kootenai College Press, 1996.