Sanpoil (tribe)
Encyclopedia
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- For other references, see Sanpoil (disambiguation)Sanpoil (disambiguation)Sanpoil may also refer to:* Sanpoil , a Salish Native American tribe* Sanpoil River, a tributary of the Columbia River in Washington State* Sanpoil Watershed...
.
- For other references, see Sanpoil (disambiguation)
The Sanpoil (or San Poil) is one of 12 aboriginal
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation
Colville Indian Reservation
The Colville Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Washington, inhabited and managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, which is recognized by the United States of America as an American Indian Tribe...
. The name Sanpoil comes from the Okanagan
Colville-Okanagan language
Colville-Okanagan is a Salish language which arose among the inhabitants of the Okanagan River Basin and spread into the Columbia River Basin. Following British, American, and Canadian colonization during the 1800s and the subsequent repression of all Salishan languages, the use of...
[snpʕwílx], "gray as far as one can see". It has been folk-etymologized as coming from the French sans poil, "without fur". The Yakama people know the tribe as Hai-ai'-nlma or Ipoilq. The Sanpoil call themselves Nesilextcl'n, .n.selixtcl'n, probably meaning "Salish speaking," and N'pooh-le, a shortened form of the name. The Sanpoil had a semi-democratic system of government with various chiefs representing each community within the tribe. Heredity was not a requirement for chiefs. In later years, United States government officials began recognizing one chief at a time.
The last four officially recognized chiefs of the San Poil Tribe were Que Que Tas (b.1822-d.1905), his son Nespelem George (b. 1863-d. Jan. 29, 1929), Skolaskin, and Jim James. The mother of Que Que Tas was a woman chief who met Lewis and Clark on the great plateau when they came through on the Pacific Northwest Expedition.
Ethnography
Since the 17th century the Sanpoil flourished with a large number of villages along the Sanpoil RiverSanpoil River
The Sanpoil River is a tributary of the Columbia River, in the U.S. state of Washington. The term Sanpoil is from the Okanagan term [snpʕʷílx], meaning "people of the gray country", or "gray as far as one can see".-Course:...
and Nespelem River
Nespelem River
The Nespelem River is a northern tributary of the Columbia River, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is completely contained within Okanogan County and the Colville Indian Reservation....
, tributaries of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
Later, the tribe was placed on Sanpoil and Colville Reservations in Washington state
Washington State
Washington State may refer to:* Washington , often referred to as "Washington state" to differentiate it from Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States* Washington State University, a land-grant college in that state- See also :...
.
The San Poil Tribe was incorporated into the Colville Confederation by Executive Order from the President of the United States after strong recommendation from the Indian agents noting the San Poil's relatively peaceful nature toward others (especially European settlers).
The Sanpoil are considered Interior Salish
Interior Salish
The Interior Salish languages are one of the two main subgroups of the Salishan language family, the other being Coast Salish. It can be further subdivided into Northern and Southern Interior Salish...
Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, a designation that also includes the Okanagan
Okanagan people
The Okanagan people, also spelled Okanogan, are a First Nations and Native American people whose traditional territory spans the U.S.-Canada boundary in Washington state and British Columbia...
, Sinixt
Sinixt
The Sinixt are a First Nations People...
, Lakes, Wenatchee, Nespelem, Spokan, Kalispel
Kalispel
Kalispel may refer to:* Pend d'Oreilles , a tribe of Native Americans* Kalispel-Pend d'Oreille, the language of the Pend d'Oreilles tribe* Kalispell, Montana, a city in the United States...
, Pend d'Oreilles
Pend d'Oreilles (tribe)
The Pend d'Oreilles, also known as the Kalispel, are a tribe of Native Americans who lived around Lake Pend Oreille, as well as the Pend Oreille River, and Priest Lake although some of them live spread throughout Montana and eastern Washington...
, Coeur d'Alene
Coeur d'Alene Tribe
The Coeur d'Alene are a Native American people who lived in villages along the Coeur d'Alene, St. Joe, Clark Fork and Spokane Rivers; as well as sites on the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene, Lake Pend Oreille and Hayden Lake, in what is now northern Idaho, eastern Washington and western Montana.In...
, and Flathead
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation are the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai and Pend d'Oreilles Tribes. The Flatheads lived between the Cascade Mountains and Rocky Mountains. The Salish initially lived entirely east of the Continental Divide but established their...
peoples.
Ross classifies Nespelem as one of the Okanagan tribes, while Winans classifies them as part of the Sanpoil. There is little cultural and linguistic difference between the San Poil and the Nespelem.
In 1905, the United States Indian Office counted 324 Sanpoil and 41 Nespelem. In 1910, the Census counted 240 and 46. In 1913, after a survey, the Office of Indian Affairs counted 202 and 43.
Language
The Sanpoil were Salish speaking Plateau IndiansPlateau Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Plateau, also referred to by the phrase Indigenous peoples of the Plateau, and historically called the Plateau Indians are indigenous peoples of the Plateau or Intermontane region of Western Canada and the United States, whose territories are located in the...
belonging to the inland division of the Salishan languages
Salishan languages
The Salishan languages are a group of languages of the Pacific Northwest...
, and related most closely to Salishan languages' eastern section.
Contemporary Language Issues
Nesilextcl'n, the dialect of Salish spoken by the San Poil, is no longer taught in schools or spoken by the younger generations. While a few fluent speakers remain, all are senior citizens. Without language preservation efforts, the dialect will be lost to the San Poil people and to the world.Legends and stories
- Chipmunk and meadowlark- Sanpoil legend about two children attacked by a monster
- Coyote becomes chief of the salmon- Sanpoil legend about the adventures of coyote.
- Coyote's salmon- Coyote teaches the Sanpoil to harvest salmon.
- Five wolves- Sanpoil story about a boy who turned into a chickadee
- How the cold lost its power- Sanpoil story about the origin of the seasons
- Origin of different languages- Sanpoil story about a quarrel between tribes
- Rolling stone- Sanpoil story about coyote getting in trouble with a grasshopper family
- Tick and the deer- Sanpoil story about the origin of the wood tick.
- Woodpecker and the theft of fire- Sanpoil legend about the origin of fire
List of Sanpoil villages
- Enthlukaluk, about 1.5 miles (2 km) north of the mouth of the river.
- Hahsulauk, home of the Shahsulauhuwa, near Plum.
- Hulalst, home of the S-hulalstu, at Whitestone, about 8 miles (13 km) above Npuiluk.
- Hwatsam, a winter camp, about 3 miles (5 km) above Snukeilt.
- Kakamkam, on the islands in the Sanpoil River a short distance above the mouth.
- Kathlpuspusten, home of the Kathlpuspustenak, about a mile above Plum, on the opposite side of the river.
- Ketapkunulak, on the banks of the Columbia just east of the Sanpoil River.
- Naak, home of the Snaakau, about a mile below Plum but on the north side of the river.
- Nhohogus, fishing grounds of the S-hulalstu.
- Npokstian, a winter camp, about 2 miles (3 km) above Hwatsam.
- Npuiluk, home of the Snpuiluk, at the mouth of Sanpoil River, made up of the following camps:
- Snkethlkukwiliskanan, near the present landing of the Keller ferry;
- a branch of the last called by the same name, several hundred yards north of the first between the cliff and the Sanpoil River, on the west side;
- Kethltselchin, on the first bench above the Columbia, west of the Sanpoil River.
- Nthlahoitk, a winter camp of the Snpuiluk, about halfway between Skthlamchin and Naak.
- Saamthlk, home of the Saamthlk, on the opposite side of the river from Kathlpuspusten.
- Skekwilk, on the west side of Sanpoil River about a mile above the mouth.
- Snputlem, on the east bank of Sanpoil River, about 15 miles (24.1 km) above the mouth.
- Snukeilt, home of the Snukeiltk, on the west side of Columbia River about 2 miles (3 km) above the mouth of Spokane River.
- Tkukualkuhun, home of the Stkukualkuhunak, at Rodger's Bar just across the river from Hunters.
- Tsaktsikskin, a winter camp of the Snpuiluk, about a half mile below Naak. Wathlwathlaskin, home of the Swathlwathlaskink, 3 miles (5 km) up the river from Nthlahoitk.