SKITCHWICH INDIANS IN IDAHO

THESE FOLKS ARE ALSO KNOWN AS THE ONES WHO WERE FOUND HERE, OR THE COUER D ' ALENE TRIBE. THEY WERE HISTORICALLY KNOWN AS THE SKITSWISH. THEY LIVED IN THE PANHANDLE OF IDAHO. IT WAS A LANDSCAPE OF 4 MILLION ACRES OF FORESTED MOUNTAINS AND ROLLING HILLS AND PRAIRIE. THEIR TERRITORY WENT TO THE BITTEROOT RANGE OF MONTANA. LAKE COUER D' ALENE WAS THE HEART OF THEIR REGION WHICH SUPPORTED 5000 NATIVES. THEY WERE ORGANIZED INTO 3 LOOSELY STRUCTURED BANDS CORRESPONDING TO THE WINTER VILLAGE. THE CORE OF ONE BAND WAS LOCATED ON THE NORTHEASTERN END OF THE LAKE. THE OTHER TWO WERE ALONG THE SPOKANE RIVERS. EACH BAND HAD SEVERAL VILLAGES. THEY HAD INTERTRIBAL RELATIONS WITH SALISH SPEAKING TRIBES. THEY HAD INTERTRIBAL RELATIONS. THEY TRAVELED TO DISTANT FISHING SPOTS FOR SALMON. THESE INDIANS SOUGHT SPIRITUAL RELEASE BY SINGING AND DANCING. THEY LIVED IN PERMANENT VILLAGES NEAR THE LAKE AND ON THE PRAIRIE. IN 1873 COUER D'ALENE RESERVATION WAS ESTABLISHED. IT INCLUDED ORIGINALLY ALL OF THE LAKE. BY A SERIES OF TREATIES IT WAS REDUCED IN SIZE. THEY OCCUPY A FRACTION OF THEIR ORIGINAL TERRITORY OF $600,000 ACRES. THEY HAD A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TRIBES OF CANADA. TODAY NO INDIANS ARE EMPLOYED. THEY LIVE IN FRAME HOUSES AND ARE FARMERS. BOYS ARE TAUGHT SHOE MAKING AND CARPENTRY WHILE THE GIRLS ARE TAUGHT HOUSEHOLD CHORES, SEWING, AND COOKING. WIKIPEDIA.ORG IDAHOGENEOLOGY