The Nez Perce are an Indigenous people of the Plateau who still live on a fraction of the lands on the southeastern Columbia River Plateau in the Pacific Northwest. This region has been occupied for at least 11,500 years.
No Horn on His Head, a Nez Perce man painted in 1832 by George Catlin
Nez Perce baby in cradleboard, 1911
A traditional Nez Perce beaded shirt
Nez Perce encampment, Lapwai, Idaho, ca. 1899
Nez Perce, also spelled Nez Percé or called nimipuutímt, is a Sahaptian language related to the several dialects of Sahaptin. Nez Perce comes from the French phrase nez percé, "pierced nose"; however, Nez Perce, who call themselves nimiipuu, meaning "the people", did not pierce their noses. This misnomer may have occurred as a result of confusion on the part of the French, as it was surrounding tribes who did so.
Nez Perce chiefs