42 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 1 10 



Pelchimo, a Flathead Chief (Plate 14) 



Koilt-koi-imp-ty (Indian name) 



Spoken of by Father De Smet as "Pelchimo", (by which name he is generally 

 known,) as a good and brave Indian. He is a great favorite of all the whites 

 who know him, for his honesty and good sense. 



The modem Flathead remember him by both his Indian name and 

 by the name "Palchina." They could not translate his Indian name 

 exactly, because it is an obsolete form, referring to a blanket with 

 some black on it. 



Pelchimo was a brother of one of the Indians of the ill-fated third 

 deputation (1837), the members of which were killed by the Sioux 

 while en route to St. Louis to seek a priest. (Chittenden and Richard- 

 son, 1905, vol. I, p. 292; Palladino, 1894, p. 30.) As "Palchinah" 

 he signed the Blackfoot Treaty in the fall of 1855. His name does 

 not appear among the signers of the Flathead Treaty. 



Pelchimo was one of the heroes in the battle with the Blackfoot in 

 1840, in which Ambrose also distinguished himself. In this battle the 

 Flathead, though greatly outnumbered, withstood their opponents for 

 5 days and finally forced them to retreat, leaving many killed and 

 wounded on the battlefield. The Flathead lost but a single man, who 

 died of wounds received in the battle. Pelchimo won honors in this 

 fight by saving the Flathead horses from capture by the enemy. 

 (Chittenden and Richardson, 1905, vol. i, pp. 319-320.) 



Pelchimo was a great friend of Major Owen. Owen frequently 

 referred to him as "Palchina" in his Journals. In 185 1 he accom- 

 panied Owen to Fort Loring on Snake River. They traveled together 

 to The Dalles in the spring of 1855, and to Fort Benton in the sum- 

 mer of 1858. (Owen, 1927, vol. i, p. 28-35.) 



Owen considered Palchina the best veterinary in the region, and 

 employed him to doctor his own favorite horses. He also had Palchina 

 break his horses and permitted him to use the horses during the sum- 

 mer buflfalo hunt in return for "getting them gentle." (Ibid., pp. 

 127-128.) 



On April 4, 1863, Owen received a report that 70 horses had been 

 stolen from Palchina's camp while en route home from the buffalo 

 hunt on the plains. Two days later he was informed that Palchina had 

 been killed by the party of Bannock horse thieves from whom Palchina 

 sought to recover his stolen property. On hearing of Palchina's death, 

 Owen paid high tribute to the man's character as one of the best 

 Indians, brave when danger called, inoffensive but firm and exacting 

 in his rights. (Ibid., pp. 278-279.) 



