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Rapport de Spokane House, 1822-1823.
HBCA, B.208/e/1, fos. 1-5
Spokan House Report 1822/23
The Spokan district of the Columbia Department includes a a [sic] Large extent of Territory bounded on the North by the Columbia River and Rocky Mountains, on the East by the Blackfeet Lands and country round the head waters of the North branch of Missouri, on the South by the Lands of the Nez Percies and Kiusses and on the West by the Okinakan Lands. Throughout this vast extent of Country there is but one language spoken by the natives who inhabit it, if we except the Kutawee Nation, who understand the General language that is spoken, although they have a distinct language of their own.
The Natives however are divided into different tribes, each tribe being regulated by its own Chief or Chiefs, and are often at War one tribe with the other. The different tribes within the above described limits are distinguished by the names of the Kettle fall Indians, the Spokans the Cour d’Allines the Pin D’Aurelles, the Flatheads and the Kistanees
The Kettle Fall Indians may be said to inhabit the Banks of the Columbia from the Rocky Mountain Portage down to the Spokan River and from the best information I have received are supposed to amount to Four hundred families. The Spokans inhabit the banks of Spokan River, from its entrance into the Columbia up to the Cour D’Alline Lake and may be estimated at Two hundred and ten families. The Pin D’Aurelles inhabit the Country to the North of the Spokan lands situated between the Flatheads and the Columbia River and are estimated at three hundred families. The Cour D’Allines occupy the country to the Eastward of the Spokans situated between the Nez Percies and Flatheads and amount to about Twohundred [sic] families. The Flatheads inhabit the Country to the Eastward of the Pin D’Areills and Cour D’Alline Territories extending to the Headwaters of the North branch of Missourie and estimated at Ninty families. The Kutanees are situated to the Northward of the last mentioned tribe along the borders of the Rocky Mountains and are reckoned to amount to Onehundred [sic] & Twenty families. These tribes forming alltogether [sic] a population of Five thousand Two hundred Eighty souls reckoning four Persons to each family. Salmon with which all the Rivers on the Westside of the Rocky Mountains abound, form the Principal part of Food of the tribes mentioned above, if we except the Flatheads and Kootanees, whose lands are well stocked with Buffalo and other Animals of the Deertribes which afford them Food and Clothing.
In the month of June when the Salmon begin to come about in this part of the country, the Natives generally resort of certain parts of the different Rivers, which fall into the Columbia, where they form villages and employ themselves in catching and drying Salmon for Winter use. The methods they pursue in catching these Fish is by barring up the River with Stakes, which are ingeniously fixed to resist the force of the current, between these stakes which extend right across the River: a few openings are left at one end for the Salmon, which are always going up the River to get through. At the end where these openings are left, a square Place is enclosed with Stakes which arrests the Salmon in a kind of pond, where they are speared and taken out, but previous to the Indians spearing the Fish they shut up all the little openings that are left for them to come in at.
It is remarkable that none of the Salmon who come up this length ever return to the Sea, they continue going against the current, till they actually starve to death or die of disease. In the fall of the Year they are seen striving against the Stream, when they have almost lost all their fins and tails with large spots over their bodies. In this state however they are never rejected by the Natives, even after they die and have lain two or three weeks in the water, they are eagerly sought after and hung up in their natural state, to be used when necessity requires.
In addition to Salmon, these Indians also procure a quantity of wild roots, of different kinds, which they collect and dry in the Seasons when the Fisheries are over, which together with a species of black moss which grows on the branches of the Fir tree, which they have the art of fermenting, and mixing with some of their dried roots they form into a kind of cake which they eat with their Salmon.
Some of these roots which these Natives collect when made into Soup is very nourishing and palatable, particularly the Camass and the Spatlam: the former is a root that grows like an Onion, and is very sweet when boiled, and the latter, is a small white root resembling the wild Parsnip, when boiled in Water it becomes a thick glutinous substance like Sago and better to the taste.
There are few or no large Animals in this part of the District, where the Indians live chiefly on Fish, but there are three species of the smaller kinds of Deer, a few of which the Indians kill in the winter Season, when the Snow enables them to trace these animals, but they are too scarce to form any material part of the food of the Natives. Their skins are much esteemed by the natives, and when dressed form the principal part of their clothing. The Natives who depend on the Salmon for a livelyhood [sic] are but ill provided in clothing, indeed it is an article they seem to set little value on. Their principal dress is a kind of Robe which they wrap round the body, which with a pair of leather leggings when they can afford it forms the full dress: the Robe is composed of a Bear, Wolf, or Deer Skin, with the hair on, and sometimes a Buffalo robe which they purchase from their neighbours the Flatheads. A great many of their Robes are also composed of the muskrat skin, which they cut into thongs and net or wove into a kind of blanket which is very light and warm.
These Robes serve them for coverings by night as well as by day, and tho’ some of them are so short as only to cover the hips when standing, an Indian can cover his whole body with it when he lays down.
The Natives within this district are brave and independent, their wants are few and easily supplied, and they live constantly on what Nature bestows, without giving themselves much trouble to improve their state which industry might enable them to do. They live together during the Winter Season in little Societies or villages, which are formed near where they lay up their Stocks of Salmon. Their Tents or huts are composed of Poles, set up in forms of the rafters of a house, which are covered with a kind of mat made of Grass called flags.
Each camp or village has an old Man or two in it, who assumes the Name of Chief or Chiefs, and who pretend to regulate the conduct of the community, but who in fact have very little command over them. These Natives pass their time during Winter in gambling and dancing parties going from one village to the other in order to variegate the Scene. in their Games which are very Simple they sometimes play very high, at times one village gaining from the other all the horses and valuable property belonging to it, and it sometimes happens that these Games terminate in serious quarrels.
Spokan House which is the only permanent Post within this district is situated on a flat point on the banks of the Spokan River, distance about fifty miles to the Southward of where it falls into the Columbia: As this little River is not navigable for loaded Craft, all the Property has to be conveyed by land on Horseback from the Columbia, and the returns of the District, has to be conveyed back by the same tedious and expensive mode of Conveyance.
This Post was established about thirteen Years ago, its centrical Situation at that time marked it out as a desirable spot to settle on, however experience has shown that this was the only advantage in its favour, as it is a wretched Situation for procuring Food, there being few or no animals, in this part of the countrty, that are eatable, if we except Horses, which the first traders who came here were obliged principally to live upon.
This circumstance has reduced the number of Horses very much, and consequently enhanced the Price so that now we cannot afford to eat horse flesh, if we were ever so much inclined; there are such numbers of the Natives who resort to the principal fishing places in the Spokan River during the Salmon season whose existence depend upon them, that we can never get any stock to purchase from the Natives, nor will they allow us to catch any quantity ourselves, so as to lay up a stock for Winter, so that we are dependent on Fort George for the principal part of the Food that is consumed here as well as on the journey up and down the Columbia. Indian Corn imported from the United States is found to be the cheapest food we can procure, and this with a small proportion of grease or tallow is what constitutes the principal part of the food of the Servants of this district.
There is a temporary Post established in the Flathead Country from where we procure a good deal of dried Buffalo meat and some Grease which is a great addition to our Comfort in the way of living in this poor Country, but this Post can never produce half enough to supply the demands of the District, as the provisions purchased there is procured at a great distance from the Post and the Natives have a long way to carry it by land, before it is brought to Market, and as all the property from this place to the Flathead post, and the returns back again has to be carried half the distance over land, it enhances the price of this provision and causes a great expenditure before it reaches the Spokan house.
The expense and inconvenience of carrying the principal Part of our Provisions from Fort George, operates much against the Profits on the trade of this district, and if from the little experience I have had I might presume to give an opinion on the Subject, I should think that this branch of expense might be lessened if not done away with alltogether [sic] by establishing a Post at the kettle falls on the Columbia River, instead of this place, there Salmon might be procured in greater abundance, and the Soil which appears to be much better than it is at Spokane might produce plenty of vegetables particularly Potatoes which would render us independent on the Score of Provisions with very little supplys [sic]from Fort George. Another advantage that would be derived by having the principal Post at the kettle falls instead of this Place is, that it would do away with a great part of our land carriage, and save the expense of keeping a number of Horses, or hiring them from Indians which we are now obliged to do. When it is considered that the Flathead post can be as easily supplied from the kettle falls, if not more so than it is from Spokan, and that the Trade which is got here would be as easily procured at the kettle falls I see no reason, why the Post should not be changed
The Spokans are a lazy indolent tribe who do not bring us One hundred Skins in the course of the Year, they think us much beholden to them for allowing us to remain on their lands, and as the[y] generally reside near the House, we are at a great expense on their account by keeping an open House for them to smoke in constantly, besides supplying them gratis with Tobacco to smoke in their lodges.
This Season there is not less than Sixty Familys [sic] who form a Village within half a mile of the House, who are not only expensive in the article of Tobacco, but also in Provisions, ammunition &c, which they are always begging from the House, and if we are slow in complying with their requests, they demand it as a right
In this Village there are three chiefs who are generally clothed once a year, a tribute which they look upon as their right for allowing us to remain on their lands, besides the Village stationed here, there are a number of other Villages along the River, parties of which are constantly paying us visits, wanting Tobacco, ammunition and Medicines, which in order to keep upon good terms with them, we are obliged to supply then for nothing. There are few or no Beaver in this part of the country now, so that if the Indians were inclined to work we have little or nothing to expect from them, and this is another reason why I think that a Post at the kettle falls would be much more beneficial to the Company.
There are a great many Indians along the Columbia who are yet little known to the Traders in this quarter, particularly those above the Kettle Falls, who seldom or never visit any of our trading posts. It is well known that that part of the Country is rich in Beaver particularly near the Borders of the Rocky mountains, and by being nearer to those Indians, which we would, if a Post was established at the Kettle falls we would have a better opportunity of acquiring an intercourse with them, and by introducing our Goods amongst them, it might be the means of making them look after Beaver, instead of passing their time idly – half starved and half naked as they do now, at least there is a much better prospect of succeeding in a Country, where there is Beaver to be caught than where there is none.
The Custom of giving out Debts to the Natives has not yet been introduced in this District. The Furs procured from them being generally paid for as they are presented for Trade; we are in the habits of advancing large Supplies to freemen, who are old Canadians and Iroquois most of whom are old Servants, who have been worn out in the Service, many of them having large families, wander about like Indians and adopt their manner of life. These People generally pass their Summer in the Snake Indian Country, a large extent of territory to the Southward of the Flathead and Nez Percies Lands, some parts of which are well stored with Beaver, and the Buffalo being near, they are induced to go there on account of getting food for their Families as well for procuring Beaver to enable them to pay their debts.
The Beaver procured from these People form the Major part of our returns, but they are of a very bad quality and purchased at a dear Rate. These freemen are supplyed [sic] with Goods at a much lower price than the Natives and they are allowed a greater price for their Furs, which are taken from them by the pound weight instead of per Skin, and this circumstance they turn to their advantage, by leaving a good deal of Flesh on the Skins of the Beaver, which drys [sic] on it and considerably adds to the weight, add to this the greater part of their Skins are killed our of Season ill stretched and hastily dryed [sic] and it often happens that many of them lay a year after they are killed, as they are too indolent to bring them to the Fort at the Season they ought to do, and the consequence is in addition to their other bad Qualities many of them are rotten before we receive them.
At this time there is about Seven hundred Skins remaining in the Snake Indian Country, which were killed last Spring by a party of Freemen who are heavily indebted to the Company, these fellows absolutely refuse to come in with them, altho’ they were strongly pressed to do so by Michell Bourdon a young man who was employed by the Company to conduct them, he did every thing in his Power to try and persuade them to accompany him to the Fort with their Furs, but his persuasions had no effect upon them.
In order to endeavour to secure the Furs which have lain over year, as well as what may be killed the ensuing Season, I have fitted out Mr Finan McDonald, who very readily volunteered his Service to accompany Michell Bourdon and the Freemen who go from the Flat head post this Spring to the Snake Country, and I hope by this means to get all the Furs here by next Fall that are procured in that quarter.
It occurs to me that most of these Freemen would be much more advantageously employed up the Columbia near the Borders of the Rocky Mountains, where they would be more in our Power, and the Furs are of a much better Quality: if this Plan was approved of, we could adopt such measures as would induce them to go there next Season, as by keeping Supplys [sic] from them we could prevent their going to the Snake Country. A Post established at this end of the Rocky Mountain portage to supply their wants would enable them to explore a Country, that is but little known, and that is supposed to be rich in Beaver. The Natives about the Lakes or upper part of the Columbia, wish to have a Post there and the principal Chief in that Quarter to whom I have spoken on the Subject says, that the Beaver are numerous, and that he and his young Men would exert themselves to procure them, provided we would establish a Post there to supply them with their wants. The only obstacle to a Post being established in that quarter, is the fear of not being able to procure a Sufficient supply of Provisions, but where it is considered that we are obliged to keep five or Six Men at Spokan or the Flathead post more than is absolutely required in Winter, and that these Men are mostly fed on Provisions brought from Fort George, it occurs to me that these spare men might as well eat their Corn at the Rocky Mountain Portage, where they would be much more usefully employed than they can be at either of the other two places, and I am of opinion that where the resources of that part of the country are known, that a few Men, might live on the Borders of the Rocky Mountains independant [sic] of any Supplys [sic] from Fort George.
I shall conclude this report with a List of the Freemen belonging to this district, who are now in the Snake Country, including those who did not come out last year, as well as those that accompanied Mr Finan McDonald and Michell Bourdon to that quarter this Spring; their Names are as follows…
I am
Sir,
Your most obedient Servant
Signed Alexander Kennedy
