Native American languages
Native American culture
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Nespelem Indian Language
The Nespelem Indians are a small Salishan tribe of Washington state, relatives of the
Okanagan Indians
and speakers of an Okanagan dialect. Their name has also been spelled Nespelim or Nespilim.
In the 1800's, many other native tribes of Oregon were moved onto Nespelem land by the
US government, eventually becoming the intertribal
Colville Reservation,
where most Nespelem descendants still live today. One of the three Colville tribal districts, as
well as an important tribal town, bear the name "Nespelem" today.
Sponsored Links
MultiTree: Nespelem Dialect:
Theories about Nespelem's language relationships compiled by Linguist List.
Okanagan Language:
Our resources about the Okanagan language, including Nespelem.
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation:
Homepage of the Colville Tribes, where most Nespelem people live today.
Sanpoil/Nespelim History:
Article on the Sanpoil and Nespelem tribes from the Indian Tribes of North America.
The Nespilim Tribe:
Curtis' early 20th-century ethnography of the Nespelem Indians.
Nespelem People:
Wikipedia article on the Nespelem Indians.
Books for sale on the Nespelem Indians
Our organization earns a commission from any book bought through these links
The Sanpoil and Nespelem: Salishan Peoples of Northeastern Washington:
Ethnography of the Nespelem and other Interior Salish tribes of Washington state.
A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest:
Book on the history of the Northwest Coast tribes, including a section on the Nespelem.
Raven Speaks:
A collection of articles about the culture and history of the Colville Confederated Tribes.
Links, References, and Additional Information
Die Nespelem:
Information about the Nespelems and their language in German.
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