Nespelem tribe
The Nespelem (also Nespelim or Nespilim ) 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 Nespelem River, which flows into the Columbia.
They include culturally to inland Salish and are closely related to the Sanpoil who lived on a few kilometers upstream of columbia. The name is a given name and means " wide open meadow ", " barren hills " or " open prairie ".
Under Skolaskin, a prophet, they resisted against proselytizing and inclusion in today's Colville Reservation. Today the Nespelem are largely mixed with the other Colville tribes, a separate Tribe no longer exists.
History
As Nespelem villages Haimisahun, a summer settlement of Suspiluk on the northern Columbia River, approximately 800 m upstream of the confluence of the Nespelem, then Masmasalimk, a settlement of Smasmasalimkuwa, about 2.5 km above SKIK apply. The Snekuktshiptimuk lived in Nekuktshiptin today Condon 's Ferry, also on the north bank of the Columbia. In Nspilem the Snspiluk, between the Falls and the mouth of the Nespelem sat. In Salkuahuwithl lived Salkuahuwithlau, compared to today's Barry. About one kilometer above was SKIK where the group of that name lived. There were also fishing grounds, as Skthlamchin where the Salkuahuwithlau fished opposite the mouth of the Grand Coulee.
In the oral tradition, the eruption of Mount St. Helens from 1800 has received as a heavy ash fall.
Similar to the closely related Sanpoil joined the U.S. no contract with the Nespelem, 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.
The indigenous 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, fighting the sins of alcohol consumption, 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 and at least once destroyed the believers their fishing equipment.
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. The Indian agent suggested that about six leaders of the Indian religion to banish. That would spread enough terror, for an Indian fear nothing more than of home and family to be separated. Although chief Quetalikin was a good man, but I lost its influence in the Prophet Skolaskin. Skolaskin now began to build an ark in which the tribe would survive the expected deluge. This ark should measure more than 20 x 50 m, but was never completed. The necessary tools are acquired from cattle and gold, but did not buy at the Colville Reserve Management because Skolaskin wanted nothing to do with the U.S. government.
Vehemently defended himself Skolaskin against the mission, especially the Catholics, who worked in the region since 1838, a year before the birth of the Prophet. 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. A preacher named Slaybebtkud had after 1850, preached for the first time against the evil that would bring the whites. Another, also a member of the Upper Skagit, Haheibalth, preached in the 60s and 70s. 1872 Skolaskin now prevailed for several decades at the Nespelem, the Spokane however were skeptical.
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. 1887 negotiated with the Nez Percé the government about 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 wanted 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.
Beginning of the 20th century also understood the feds that Sanpoil and Nespelem were two separate tribes, they had however always been considered until then 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. They therefore were considered as " enterprising " or " diligent " ( " industrious " ), indicating the strong influence of Qui Qui Sha or Nespelem George was probably due ( 1863-1929 ). He was the leader of one of the two families who lived at Nespelem; the second Johnny Frank was. The influence of Nespelem George was so great that one of the last Indians, who tended to be completely different way of life and religion, Skolaskin, though wanted to be baptized in the basement in 1918 by Father Celestine Caldi, the Jesuits of St. Rose 's Church, but his long hair should cut Nespelem George personally. Skolaskin died on 30 March 1922.
As early as 1892 it was one of only 62 Nespelem, 1905 only 41, five years later 46, 1913 Nespelim turn 43. 1959 were only 25 people as "pure" Nespelem, of which 17 were living within the reserve.