414 INDIAN TRIBES OF WASHINGTON TERRITORY. 



become extinct, and their places were filled by people from the adjoining bands. The smallpox 

 had as yet made no great inroads on this band ; its general course seemingly having been up the 

 eastern side of the Columbia. One case had, however, occurred at the time of our arrival. On 

 the route from Fort Colville to Wallah-Wallah the party passed the old Chernakane mission, the 

 former station of Messrs. Walker and Eels. The house was still standing, and occupied by an 

 American. This is the country of the Spokanes, who are next to be noticed. 



The Spokehnish, or Spokanes, lie south of the Schwoyelpi, and chiefly upon or near the 

 Spokane river. The name applied by the whites to a number of small bands, is that given by the 

 Coeur d Alenes to the one living at the forks. They are also called Sinkoman by the Kootenaies. 

 These bands are eight in number: the Sin-slik-hoo-ish, on the great plain above the crossings of 

 the Coeur d Alene river; the Sintootoolish, on the river above the forks; the Sma-hoo-men-a-ish, 

 (Spokenish.) at the forks; the Skai-schil-t nish, at the old Chemakane mission; the Ske-chei-a- 

 mouse, above them on the Colville trail; the Schu-el-stish ; the Sin-poil-schne, and Sin-spee-lish, 

 on the Columbia river ; the last-named band is nearly extinct. The Sin-poil-schne (N pochele, 

 or Sans Puelles) have already been included among the Okinakanes, though, as well as the Sin- 

 spee-lish below them, they are claimed by the Spokanes. The three bands on the Columbia all 

 speak a different language from the rest. Most of the Indians, at the time of our visit, were 

 absent on their hunt, and we had no opportunities of estimating their number by inspection. 

 Judging from those that we saw, and the inibrmation received from various sources, they probably 

 amount, excluding those enumerated at Okinakane, to four hundred and fifty. They were a wilder- 

 looking race than the tribes to the westward. The men are generally spare, even when young, 

 and soon become withered. 



Their principal chief is Spokane Garry, whose name was bestowed upon him by Governor 

 Sir George Simpson, by whom he was sent, when about twelve years old, to the Red river for 

 education, where he spent five years. Garry is now about forty-two years of age, is very intel 

 ligent, and speaks English fluently. He bears an excellent character, and is what he claims to 

 be, and what few are among these tribes, a chief. Of petty chiefs there are, besides, an abun 

 dance, each band having two or three. Garry himself accompanied us to the forks of the Spo 

 kane, where his band usually reside. A few lodges, chiefly of old men and women, were there 

 at the time. His own, in neatness and comfort, was far beyond any we had seen. His family 

 were dressed in the costume of the whites, which in fact now prevails over their own. Many of 

 the Spokanes, besides their intercourse with the fort, visit the American settlements, where they 

 earn money by occasional work, most of which is spent in clothing, blankets, &c. The chief 

 offered us the hospitality of his house with much cordiality a cup of tea or coffee and bread. 

 The &quot; Spokane House,&quot; which is a landmark upon all the maps of this country, was an old 

 Hudson s Bay fort, situated at his village, but has long since been destroyed. 



This tribe claim as their territory the country commencing on the large plain at the head of the 

 Slawntehus the stream entering the Columbia at Fort Colville ; thence down the Spokane to 

 the Columbia, down the Columbia half-way to Fort Okinakane, and up the Spokane and Coeur 

 d Alene, to some point between the falls and the lake, on the latter. There is in this direction a 

 question of boundary between them and the Cosur d Alenes, which appears to be as complicated 

 as some of those between more civilized nations. No resort to arms has, however, occurred, and 

 the territory continues under joint occupation. An additional source of coolness between them 

 arises from a difference in religion the Spokanes being Protestants, or of the &quot;American reli 

 gion,&quot; and the Coeur d Alenes Catholics. The latter taunt the former as heretics, whose faith is 

 worthless. Garry narrated to us the evils arising from this state of feeling, with a forbearance 

 and Christian spirit of toleration which would have honored any one. This tribe have at present 

 no missionary among them, but they seem to have been consistent to what they learned under 

 the tuition of Messrs. Walker and Eels, of the Chemakane mission. The country of the Spo- 



