Sanpoil tribe
The Sanpoil (historical self-designation Sinpoelihuh, today Nesilextcl'n or short N'pooh -le ) are one of the 12 groups belonging to a recognized Indian tribe in the United States, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington. They originally lived on the eponymous Sanpoil River, which flows into the Columbia.
They include culturally to inland Salish and are closely related to the Nespelem who lived a few miles further down columbia.
Under Skolaskin, a prophet, they resisted against proselytizing and inclusion in today's Colville Reservation. Today the Sanpoil are largely mixed with the other Colville tribes, a separate Tribe no longer exists.
History
The Sanpoil represented a relatively large group that lived in numerous villages. In the oral tradition to find memories in a dispute with the neighboring Yakima, but also Salish groups, such as the Spokane and the Sinkiuse. The Sanpoil were regarded as particularly tenacious in defense of their freedom. Their number before the arrival of the first white men is estimated at 800-1700.
The fur trader Alexander Henry reported early 19th century that the strain described himself as " Spoil Ehieh ". They left only very rarely at her domain of Münung of Sanpoil River in the Columbia. The eastern edge of their territory formed the Spokane River fish. 1827 was estimated their number at only 218
In 1838 they were published by the Catholic missionaries Francois Blanchet and Modeste Demers at the Kettle Falls.
Similar to the closely related Nespelem joined the U.S. no contract with the Sanpoil, so that with them also not an Indian agent was active. When the Colville Reservation was set up, fought the two tribes in whose territory this should be done about it. They refused and denied annual payments include information on the number of tribesmen. Their opposition was also based on religion, because in them the Dreamer religion was widespread, occurring against the Catholic missionaries.
This religion was reinforced by the earthquake of 14 December 1872. On this day, a rock crashed into the Chelan River and accumulated on the water, so that the villages were flooded very fast. Skolaskin had predicted the disaster and now beset the traditional chiefs in the region. However, he had the salmon chiefs ( salmon chiefs ) who organized the villages during the fishing season, unmolested. He taught a new god, forbade dancing, fought against the consumption of alcohol, the game and the vanity. On Sundays, the faces were not to be painted, you could not even look at his reflection in the water. He trained missionaries and himself traveled down the Columbia, but had to preach while on horseback, he was greatly impaired mobility. He claimed to have made a journey to the afterlife and to have been saved by God; he believed in a near end of the world.
While the U.S. government negotiated their agents with the various tribes to set up a reserve for several of these groups, it was also about the religious decisions. Methow, some Spokane and Sanpoil preferred the Protestant denomination and therefore should get separated from the Catholic tribes a reservation. After the Whitman Massacre of 1847, the Protestant missionaries had disappeared from the region. From the Kettle Falls, a central fishing ground of inland Salish for salmon, extended the missionaries in 1853 their mission activity to the Sanpoil and inoculated them against smallpox. As the missionaries found that protection was against smallpox, which Catholics do not fall victim, while about non- christian remaining Spokane hundreds it died, a strong argument for a baptism. However, one of proselytizing groups of Kettle Falls brought the smallpox columbia upwards, and then renounced the Sanpoil to baptism, and also suggest to visit the mission station on the Kettle Falls at all.
Skolaskin led some 200 followers. The Sanpoil 1877 was consistently his followers, while the Nespelem were split. One of the Catholic missionaries reported from 40 " unfaithful " and 35 believers. During the uprising of the Nez Perce, the Skolaskin supporters kept their distance. They were even allowed to continue to acquire weapons and ammunition in Walla Walla. Given the high concentrations of troops of the U.S. Army, the tribes declared their agreement with the establishment of a reserve, the later Colville Reservation. In 1887, the government negotiated with the Nez Perce on their settlement in Nespelem Valley. Skolaskins supporters wanted this new group tolerate any more than before, the Chief of Moses. In negotiations on July 21, 1887 Skolaskin asked why the U.S. government attempted to settle hostile chiefs, as Chief Moses and Chief Joseph in his country.
On November 21, 1889 Skolaskin was arrested and sent to Alcatraz beginning in 1890. On April 10, 1891 San Francisco Chronicle published an article that the demands for return joined. Skolaskin returned back middle of next year. He had lost all power, and Chief Jim James led the Sanpoil.
Beginning of the 20th century understood the feds that Sanpoil and Nespelem were two separate tribes, which they had hitherto always considered as a tribe. Now they have been recognized as tribes, if only it was a reason that the Sanpoil still traditionally lived by hunting and fishing, while the Nespelem concentrated on agriculture. 1913 were counted only 202 Sanpoil. In 1959 there were 110 " Thoroughbred " Sanpoil within the reserve, a further 22 outside.