Pend d'Oreilles

The name Pend d’Oreille (), which means "hangs from ear", was attributed to them by French-speaking colonists and traders in reference to the large shell earrings worn by these people. The name Kalispel is an anglicization of their name in their own language '''''' (), which means "Camas people". Camas is a flower bulb that was a staple of their diet. ==Language==

Their language, Kalispel-Pend d’Oreille, is a Southern Interior Salish language. It is also known as Flathead-Kalispel. ==Reservations==

The Pend d'Oreille people have two reservations: the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana and the Kalispel Indian Reservation in Washington. Also, a small number of Kalispel people live on the Colville Indian Reservation in Washington. The main part of the Kalispel Reservation is northwest of Newport, Washington, in central Pend Oreille County. The main reservation is an strip of land along the Pend Oreille River, west of the Washington–Idaho border. There is also a small parcel of land in the western part of the Spokane metropolitan area in the city of Airway Heights, with a land area of . This is the site of Northern Quest Resort & Casino, which is operated by the tribe. The total land area of the Kalispel Indian Reservation, located at in Pend Oreille County, is . The nearest outside community is Cusick, near the south end of the reservation. ==History==

, part of the traditional Kalispel homeland The Pend d'Oreille people are believed to have migrated south from British Columbia. In 1809, the North West Company established a trading post in their territory, calling it Kullyspell House. These people made their weapons and tools from flint, and many other things were shaped with rocks. For housing, the Pend d’Oreille lived in tipis in the summer, as well as lodges in the winter time. These houses were all built out of large cattails, which were in abundance where the people lived. These cattails were woven into mats called “tule mats”, which were attached to a tree branch frame to form a hut. Today a large community building on the Kalispel reservation bears the name “Tule Hut” in reference to this traditional housing. The tribe traded bison hides for horses and other useful goods. They traditionally made clothing from rabbit pelts and deer hides. included ceremonies, dancing and traditional stick games. The pow wows in Sandpoint were discontinued in the early 1950s. Since 1975, the Kalispel Tribe has held an annual pow wow at its Usk, Washington, reservation in July or August. The events are open to the public and include a dance contest, traditional foods, stick games and others. ==See also==