THIS IS OUR TRUE STORY

Until the mid-1800’s, our forefathers, the ancestors of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation, were nomadic: following the seasons and sources of food and moving from place to place to occupy fishing sites and to harvest berries and native plants. In their travels, our ancestors met other indigenous native people of different speech and cultural practices.

know that many times the geographical locations of our ancestors changed depending on their needs and living conditions and moving from summer to winter camps was a way of life.

The nomadic lifestyles of our ancestors have always perplexed non-Indian historians who insist on identifying indigenous native people by specific geographical locations. Our forefathers knew no boundaries until the invasion of Europeans, other than those established by some tribes in certain areas.

Our ancestors were not known to maintain farming communities.

We know that from 1807 when the first trading post was established on the Columbia River to 1820 when Kettle Falls, the famous trading center of our ancestors, was occupied by the Hudson Bay Company, trade with indigenous native people was often conducted by non-Indians from the northern territories. They came from Canada.

Many of our own people lived to the north and they were eventually forced to stay in Canada when the Canadian border became a reality.

Settlers, squatters and trespassers began their great migration west in the mid-1800’s and competed with the Canadians for trade with the indigenous native people. Trading furs and other native goods for commodities and services became a way of life for many natives.

Yes! The course of our history changed forever with the influx of foreign traders and missionaries.

The fight was on for the territories of the West with the new Americans and Great Britain both claiming the Oregon Territory until the Treaty of 1846 established U.S. ownership, fixing the boundary line at the 49th parallel with England taking Vancouver Island.

The indigenous native people living in those valuable territories were considered non-entitled but the United States, England and other foreign interests still wanted their trade.