THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 97 



Kev. H. H. Spalding founded the Nez Perce mission in 1838 near 

 Lapwai, Idaho, and spent more than thirty years in charge of it. He 

 is buried at Lapwai. 



FLATHEADS AND NEZ PERCE. 



Mr. Catlin wrote the following in 1832 from information: 



These are a very numerous people, inhabiting the shores of the Columbia River, 

 and a vast tract of country lying to the south of it, and living in a country which is 

 exceedingly sterile and almost entirely, in many parts, destitute of game for the 

 subsistence of the savage ; they are mostly obliged to live on roots, which they dig 

 from the ground, and fish which they take from the streams ; the consequences of 

 which are, that thuy are generally poor and miserably clad, and in no respect equal 

 to the Indians of whom I have heretofore spoken, who live on the east of the Rocky 

 Mountains, in the ranges of the buffaloes, where they are well fed, and mostly have 

 good horses to ride, and materials in abundance for manufacturing their beautiful and 

 comfortable dresses. 



The people generally denominated Flatheads are divided into a great many bands, 

 and although they have undoubtedly got their name from the custom of flattening the 

 head, yet there are but very few of those so denominated who actually practice that 

 extraordinary custom. 



The Nez Perce's who inhabit the upper waters and mountainous parts of the Colum- 

 bia are a part of this tribe, though they are seldom known to flatten the head like 

 those lower down and about the mouth of the river. 



See Nos. 145 and 14G for portraits of Nez Perce, and Nos. 146 and 

 147 for Nez Perce" and Chinook. (Catlin's Eight Years, page 108, vol. 2.) 



The Indians denominated Flatheads, at present at the Flathead 

 Agency in Montana, numbering 133, are not probably the Indians Mr. 

 Catlin referred to in 1832. In 1854-'55 he met some of this tribe and 

 describes them, at above Fort Walla Walla, Washington Territory : 



Flatheads we were now in the midst of, and for the time I had my work to do. The 

 Klatsops, the Chiuooks, the Clickatats, the Walla Wallas, and the Nez Percys and 

 Spokans constituting the principal bands of the Flathead family. I was there in the 

 midst of them and had enough to do. Some of these flatten the head and others do 

 not ; yet all speak the Flathead language, or dialects of it. The tribe occujjy the 

 whole country about the Lower Columbia, including the island of Vancouver. The 

 tribe is divided into something like thirty bands, speaking nearly the same language. 



He continues, writing of the country in which they live, after saying 

 that it is almost all a canoe race, " living in a country where there is little 

 else than fish to live upon" (G-. C, " Last Kainbles," 1868, pages 146-148) : 



SAHAPTINS. 



The Sahaptin family inhabit the country south of the Salish, between the Cascade 

 and Bitter Root Mountains, reaching southward, in general terms, to the forty-fifth 

 parallel, but very irregularly bounded by the Shoshone tribes of the California group. 

 Of its nations, the Nez Perce's, or Sahaptins proper, dwell on the Clearwater and its 

 branches, and on the Snake about the forks. The Palouse occupy the region north 

 of the Snake, about the mouth of the Palouse ; the south banks of the Columbia and 

 Snake, near their confluence, and the banks of the Lower Walla Walla, are occupied 

 by the Walla Wallas. The Yakimas and Klikitats inhabit the region north of the 

 Dalles, between the Cascade Range and the Columbia. The natives of Oregon, east 

 of the Cascade Range, who have not usually been included in the Sahaptin family, 

 are divided somewhat arbitrarily into the Wascoes, extending from the mountains 

 eastward to John Day River, and the Cayuses from this river across the Blue Mount- 

 ains to the Grande Ronde — G. C. 

 6744 7 



