Last Updated on July 20, 2014 by
Kalispel Indians (popularly known as Pend d’Oreilles, ‘ear drops’). A Salish tribe around the lake and along the river of the same name in the extreme north part of Idaho and north east Washington. Gibbs divided them into the Kalispelms or Pend d’Oreilles of the Lower Lake and the Slka-tkml-schi or Pend d’Oreilles of the Upper Lake, and according to Dr. Dart the former numbered 520 in 1851, the latter 480 1 . McVickar 2 made three divisions: Upper Pend d’Oreilles, Lower Pend d’Oreilles, and Micksucksealton. Lewis and Clark estimated their number at 1,600 in 30 lodges in 1805. In 1905 there were 640 Upper Pend d’Oreilles and 197 Kalispel under the Flathead agency, Mont., and 98 Kalispel under the Colville agency, Wash. The subdivisions, being seldom referred to, are disregarded in the synonymy.
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