Nez Perce

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Nez Perce

• Native Americans
• of the Plateau

"All men were made brothers. The earth is the
mother of all people, and all people should
have equal rights upon it. Chief Joseph 1840 -
1904
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• SS4H1 The student will describe how early Native
  American cultures developed in North America. b.
  Describe how the Native Americans used
• their environment to obtain food, clothing,
• and shelter.
• EQ How did the Nez Perce Indians survive in the
  environment of the Plateau Region?

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Their environment was the plateaus and valleys of
parts of present-day Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and
Washington.
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FOOD

• The Nez Perce were fishing and hunting people.
  Nez Perce men caught salmon and other fish, and
  also hunted in the forests for deer, elk, and
  other game.
• Once they acquired horses, the Nez Perce tribe
  began to follow the buffalo herds like their
  Plains Indian neighbors. Nez Perce women also
  gathered roots, fruits, nuts and seeds to add to
  their diet.

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Think about it

• What natural resources did the Nez Perce Indians
  depend on for food?
• Why might they depend on different types of food
  throughout the year?
• Why did they need horses in order to hunt buffalo?

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SHELTER

• Originally, the Nez Perce lived in settled
  villages of earth houses. They made these homes
  by digging an underground room, then building a
  wooden frame over it and covering the frame with
  earth and bark.
• There were two styles of Nez Perce earth houses
• - Oval-shaped longhouses could be up to 150
  feet. Many families lived together in a
  longhouse
• - Only one family lived in a smaller round house.

Originally, the Nez Perce lived in settled
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SHELTER

• Once the Nez Perce began hunting the buffalo,
  they began to use tipis like the Plains tribes.
  Tipis, or teepees, are tall, cone-shaped
  buffalo-hide houses.
• Since Nez Perce hunters moved frequently to
  follow the buffalo, a tipi was carefully designed
  to set up and break down quickly, like a modern
  tent.

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Think about it

• What natural resources did the Nez Perce Indians
  depend on for shelter?
• Why did the type of shelter they lived in change
  over time?
• What might have caused the Nez Perce to become a
  tribe that hunted buffalo?

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CLOTHING

• Nez Perce women wore long deerskin dresses. Nez
  Perce men wore breechcloths with leather leggings
  and buckskin shirts. Both men and women wore
  moccasins on their feet. A Nez Perce lady's dress
  or warrior's shirt was fringed and often
  decorated with beadwork, shells, and painted
  designs.

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• Nez Perce Indian leaders did sometimes wear
  feather headdresses

A Warriors Shirt
A Ladys Dress
Chief Joseph and Red Cloud
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Think about it

• What natural resources did the Nez Perce depend
  on for clothing?
• Why do some pictures show them wearing very
  little clothing, while others show them wearing
  heavier clothing?
• What purpose do you think the feathered head
  dresses served?