The Kootenai Indians
The Kootenai Indians lived in the Northwest for the last 10,000 years and are considered aboriginal to the Flathead Valley. The Kootenais occupied an aboriginal territory of southeastern British Columbia and the adjacent parts of Idaho and Montana. They were aware of the Atlantic Ocean and familiar with the Columbia River route to the Pacific Ocean.
The Kootenais hunted small game, fished and hunted wild berries and roots. Throughout the spring and summer months and occasionally in the winter, the Kootenais would hunt buffalo on the Plains. The introduction of horses to the Kootenais by the Shoshones in the 1700s facilitated both the hunting of buffalo and the transporting of the meat and hides.
The Kootenai people were of taller stature than neighboring tribes. Their language was "isolate'', meaning that it had no correlation to the languages of adjoining tribes. An important Kootenai value was to live on the earth without leaving a lasting mark.
The Kootenai lodges or teepees were constructed of pole framework covered with rush (reed) mats and skins. The people dressed in buckskin and wore their hair full length, either braided or flowing.
Whitefish Lake, Rivers and Streams of the Kootenai Territory
The rivers, lakes and streams were both an important source of food and means of transportation. The Kootenais used distinctive sturgeon nosed canoes that were designed to travel in shallow rivers as well as lakes. They dried large quantities of whitefish, trout, salmon and sturgeon for winter. The Kootenais used basket traps, made of willows, hooks and barbs made of bone, small nets, weirs and spears to harvest their catch. Currently, the Kootenai live in the Flathead and Bonner's Ferry reservations in the U.S. and several small reservations in British Columbia.
Sponsored by the
Stumptown Historical Society and the Whitefish Community Foundation
From the plaque at the building