The Nez Perces

A sedentary fishing tribe in the plateau and mountain country of central Idaho, northeastern Oregon, and southeastern Washington, the Nez Percés were transformed by the acquisition of the horse into a tribe that hunted on the plains and assimilated much of the buffalo culture. In the mountains their traditional enemies were the Shoshonis; on the plains they fought the Sioux and were allied with the Crows. They were outstanding horsemen, and perhaps their most notable accomplishments were in horse breeding and in their development, through selective breeding, of that famous spotted horse, the Appaloosa.