Methow people
The Methow or Mitois are a tribe of so-called in the United States Native Americans ( Indians) in the state of Washington. They originally lived on the Methow River, which flows into the Columbia at Pateros. The Methow designated the river as Buttlemuleemauch ( "River of Salmon Falls "). They lived in the area around Winthrop.
Linguistically, they are most closely related to the Sinkiuse Columbia and the Wenatchi. They belong to the family of languages of the Salish, their dialect is one of the Okanogan - dialects. Traditionally, however, they belonged to the group of Columbia Wenatchi dialects and their dialect was nselxcin. Culturally, they are among the inland Salish.
History
According to the mythology of the neighboring Chelan, the Methow emerged from the heart of the Great beaver.
In 1908 they discovered human remains at Winthrop. 1910, she arrived in Seattle from Burke Museum ( Burke ACCN. No.. 242). Since the Methow later lived in this area, they are considered descendants of the deceased and may apply for burial. Make more discoveries suggest that the region has been inhabited for about 9,000 years.
David Thompson of the North West Company was looking to the Methow in 1811 to bargain for them furs. He called them " Smeathhowes ", and said that they knew little downriver from Columbia. When three years later, his colleague Alexander Ross with them anknüpfte contacts, he called her " bat- le -mule - emauhs ". Both dealers they described as very friendly.
In the early 1870s it was estimated their number at 300, but the actual number remains unclear, since other groups had been factored in here. At that time she had small farms and planted corn and potatoes. Around 1870, traveled Methow a group to Walla Walla to buy agricultural equipment. Even with whites in Ellensburg, Kittitas Valley in the far south, they traded.
1872, the Colville Indian Reservation was established in 1879, the Moses Columbia Reservation, moved to the Methow many. This reserve was established in 1886 but abandoned already, and the assembled groups had to move to the Colville Reservation. A group that Chilowhist or Chilliwist, split off and had their winter villages on the Okanogan River between Sandpoint and Malott, between two Sinkaietk groups ( called bands ).
1883 accepted many Methow the reserve supply, to accept 640 acres of land on the terms of the Moses Agreement of 7 July of the year. Other Methow recognized the leadership of Chief Moses and settled in Nespelem Valley in the Colville Reservation. 1886 their home was opened to white settlers who first studied there for gold.
In 1907 there were 324 Methow. Around this time there were at Lake Creek north of Winthrop in the summer still 32 tipis.
Today, the majority of the Methow lives because they belong to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in the Colville Indian Reservation. There they tried to save their dialect language courses.