Sahaptin Family

Condition of the Idaho Indians in 1890

U.S. Indian Agent and Party on Fort Hall Reservation

In 1890, the Indian population in Idaho was summarized across various reservations, reflecting a complex mix of tribes and their current living conditions. The Bannocks and Shoshones, primarily at Fort Hall, were intermarried and faced challenges in adapting to farming and ranching. The Nez Percé, largely Presbyterian, cultivated their lands but contended with white cattle intrusions. The Coeur d’Alene tribes were more assimilated, living in frame houses and attending church. Each group exhibited varying degrees of adaptation and socio-economic stability amidst ongoing struggles with cultural preservation and external pressures.

Sahaptin Family

The Sahaptin family resides in the region south of the Salish, spanning between the Cascade and Bitter Root Mountains and extending to the forty-fifth parallel. Key nations include the Nez Percé along the Clearwater and Snake rivers, the Palouse near the Snake’s mouth, the Walla Walla by the Columbia and Snake confluence, and the Yakima and Klikitat north of the Dalles. Additionally, the Wasco and Cayuse tribes, located in eastern Oregon, are often associated with but not traditionally included in the Sahaptin family.