Many of the photographs in the collection were collected by Jerome Peltier (1911-2004). Peltier was a Minnesota native, but moved to the Spokane/Coeur d'Alene area in 1925. Over the course of 35 years, he collected many materials about the area's history, and also wrote 15 books on Western history. Peltier, along with his wife Amanda, owned and operated Clark's Old Book Store in Spokane, parlaying his love of history into a livelihood. He belonged to historical societies including the Spokane Corral of Westerners and Westerners International, and was a founding member of the Museum of Native American Culture, Pacific Northwest Indian Center, and Fort Wright Museum. In 1985, Peltier was awarded the Distinguished Author of History Award, solidifying his role in the preservation and dissemination of regional history.
This collection has a series of photos of the 1925 Indian Congress that took place in Spokane Washington between October 30th and 31st in 1925. In 1924, the Indian Citizenship Act gave native peoples the right to vote. This event led to a series of gatherings including the 1925 Indian Congress in Spokane, Washington. During the congress, three thousand delegates representing thirty-four tribes gathered in downtown Spokane to bring attention to draw media attention and further the rights of native peoples. Teepees and lodges were set up in Glover Stadium and on streets throughout Spokane, and many events were held, including a parade, beauty contest, stick games, and a teepee building contest. The congress was repeated in 1925, and was then abandoned because the tribes decided that although the congress brought attention to native life, it was a marketing ploy that did little to further native rights.
This collection contains photographs of Indians from the Spokane/Coeur d'Alene area, including members of the Spokane, Sinkiuse-Columbia, Columbia, Colville, Nez Perce, and Yakama tribes. The collection contains a combination of portraits, pictures of daily life, special events, and locations associated with the tribes of the region. Various locations are shown in the photographs including city scenes (probably of Spokane), images of Indian camps, locations associated with the Battle of Four Lakes, grave sites of prominent tribal leaders, churches and missions in the Spokane area, and the fur trading post Spokane House. Includes photographs by Clair Hunt who lived in the Spokane area and worked for a time on the Colville Reservation. He photographed Spokane and Colville Indians.
The entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries' Digital Collections website. Permission is required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Part of the Jerome Peltier Collection, acquired by Russell Books.
Source: Russell Books on October 8, 2011.
Processed by Mark Mulder, 2014. Processed by Melanie Kay, 2018.
Accessioned as PH2017-040.
Too-Lah is known for riding twenty-five miles to warn white miners that Indians were going to attack white settlers during the Shoshone Wars.
Chief Spokane Garry died in 1892.
Stonema was the wife of Smoychee (John Stevens).
Stonema is third from the left in the top row. Smoychee is on the left on the bottom row.
Written on verso: Son of Old Lot. Identified by Jynace Camille, daughter of F.N. Spokane with Jackel.
Mary Moses was the wife of Chief Moses.
Written on verso: Fort Simcoe - 30 miles from Yakima on Yakima Indian Reservation near Mt. Adams.
Chief Moses was the chief of the Sinkiuse-Columbia Tribe, and Louis Erwin was an Indian Agent. Chief White Swan (Mee-nah-tsee-us or Joe Stwire) was the Chief of the Yakama Tribe.
Written on verso: Andrew Seltice, died at age of 92 years. Born 1810, died 1902, April 13. Married to Julia 1829, first marriage. Julia died 1860. Married to Julia Sol Louis, 1875 second marriage. My mother Julia Sol Louis, died at age of 82, of the last 11 children I was the youngest, my mother died Sept. 4th, 1932. Andrew Seltice is my father. Julia Sol Louis, is my mother. I, Joseph Seltice, the youngest of 23 children, am the father of 5 full grown children, am the grandfather of 6 beautiful youngsters. Yours truly, Joseph Seltice.
Nat Salsbury was an actor and co-owner of Buffalo Bill's Wild West show.
The identification of the men in the photographs is based in part on photographs in the Smithsonian Learning Lab (https://learninglab.si.edu/resources/view/398992). However, various repositories have conflicting identification of the men in the photograph. From Princeton University Special Collections: “Bill Cody, Chief Joseph, The Chief’s Half Brother, the Interperater [sic], 1897.” The Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture identifies the Native Americans as follows: "The man in the middle is Robert Johnson (Pit-Pelaikt) uncle of Frank B. Andrews." A Buffalo NY history website identifies them as "George Hungry, Pretty Soldier, Joe Custer next to Cody," citing "American Memory - Library of Congress" which cannot be verified. The white man behind the group is possibly John Burke, publicist for the Wild West Show. [S. Fitch 12/2024]
Written on verso: Buffalo Bill, Chief Joseph, Yellow Wolf, Annie Oakley(?) [sic], Nat Salisbury [sic].
Johnny George was a member of the Colville Tribe, and was from Keller Washington. Ferdinand Peter Dan Moses was a member of the Sinkiuse-Columbia Tribe, and was from Nespelem, Washington.
Jeannette Finlay Whitford is the great granddaughter of Jaques (Jaco) Finlay. Jaques Finlay built the original Spokane House, which was a fur-trading post.
Written on verso: Indians fishing in old ancestral site
Written on photo: Home of Chief Joseph at Nespelem, Wash.
Joe Moses is in the center. Joe Moses and two other men are wearing long feather headdresses.
Cattle can be seen in the background, so the man may be standing inside a cattle enclosure.
Clair Hunt (1865-1937) was born in Iowa, and moved to Spokane, Washington in 1887. He worked a variety of jobs before working becoming a surveyor and allotting agent for the Indian Service on the Colville Reservation beginning in 1898. In his time in this position, Hunt created maps of the Colville Reservation and took many photos of the Spokane, Wenatchee, Sinkiuse-Columbia, and Colville Indians. Hunt held the positions of United States Deputy Surveyor between 1903 and 1905, Stevens County Surveyor between 1905 and 1908, and Stevens County Commissioner between 1908 and 1920. While working these positions, Hunt continued making photographs. President Harding nominated Hunt to the Senate for the position of Surveyor General, a title which he held between 1921 and 1925, when the position was eliminated. By 1930, Hunt was a proprietor of a mortgage loan business in Olympia. Clair died on January 18, 1937.
War ses-pum or Julie Yer-Cox-Tschin, sister of So-hul-Sulho or Kawe-sal-ulkin.
Various furs, headdresses, and leathers can be seen hanging in the teepee to the left of the boy.
Joe Moses was the son of Chief Moses of the Sinkiuse-Columbia Tribe.
This photo was developed by The Little Art Studio in Spokane, Washington
This photo was developed by The Little Art Studio in Spokane, Washington
A sign on and in front of the teepees read: Blackfeet Indians, Glacier Nat'l Park.
Written on verso of second photo: Harold L. Durst, N. 5924 Stevens.
Written on verso: behind Monaghan Statue. Touraine Hotel & Sun Life Assurance Co.
Indians' names and tribes are printed on photo. Copy print.
This event was the largest intertribal meeting of Indian chiefs, elders, medicine men, and other representatives ever filmed. There were eighteen official participants, including representatives from a dozen different tribes and language groups from the Plains, Plateau, and Basin cultural areas.
Written on verso: "Pioneers of the Northwest" Written and directed by Mrs. Anna L. Martin for the dedication of a Mullan Road Monument at Glenrose. Presented by the Glenrose Woman's Club and Mr. Bruce Carich of Spokane Co. Library. Per. Mrs. E.G. Peterson.
Various monuments were erected on Mulland Road to commemorate the efforts of Lieutenant John Mullan and his part in creating the road, which was meant to be instrumental in westward expansion.
Plante's Ferry is the location of many noteworthy events such as the establishment of the first residence in Spokane (Antoine Plante's cabin) in 1849, the construction of Plante's ferry in 1851, a visit from governor Isaac Stevens in 1853, the signing of a peace treaty, and number of other historical events.
Written on verso: George Nanamkin, Lige Williams, Thor Wilson, Wesley Cleveland Kamiah (child), Ned Cleveland Kamiah, George Friedlander (Moses own costume), per Annie, per Jackel.
Written on verso: Lige Williams, Joe Red Thunder, per Annie, per Jackel.
The Battle of Four Lakes was a battle in the .r of 1858. This war consisted of series of battles between the allied Native American tribes of the Coeur d'Alene, Spokane, Palouse and Northern Paiute against United States Army forces in Washington and Idaho. The war was a response to the breaking of treaties. Isaac Stevens, who became to Governor of Washington Territory, promoted the idea of a transcontinental railroad. In the process of planning for the railroad, Stevens negotiated with tribes to create treaties that would give tribe members annuities and prevent white settlers from trespassing on tribal-designated land. The discovery of gold in 1855 brought an influx of miners to the area, and the promises of protection of tribal land from white settlement were not honored, leading to violence. The Battle of Four Lakes occurred on September 1, 1858.
Written on accompanying paper: This event took place many years after the battle took place.
Written on page: Monument ten miles west of Spokane where began the battle of the Spokane Plains.
Written on page: Monument thirteen miles east of Spokane on Appleway Highway, where 800 Indian ponies were shot by order of Colonel Geo. Wright Sept. 10-11, 1858.
Colonel Wright killed the horses to keep them from being used by tribes in battle.
Written on page: Monument Spokane Council Site, Hangman Creek, Where Qualchan was Hanged, with Six other Indians, by Col. Wright 1858.
Qualchan was a Yakama chieftain. In 1855, Qualchan and others warned the U.S. against further settlement of the area, and killed six settlers. After an Indian agent was killed, Qualchan was accused of leading the group that killed him, and was hanged along with six other men.
Writing on monument reads: In memory of Chief Tam-Mu-Tsa (Timothy) and the Nez Perce Christian Indians rescuers of the Steptoe Expedition.
Steptoe and his troops were defeated in the Battle of Pine Creek in May of 1858.
Written on page: Spot to the left of picture is place where Indians were buried following their hanging in 1858 by Wright's Men. Tom Beall showed Tum Morris the above location. To right is hanging site.
Written on page: To right is hanging site.
Written on page: Battle butte in distance. Site of Battle of Four Lakes? W.T. 1858.
Written on page: Gap in distance thru which Wright marched at close of Battle of Spokane Plains, Sept. 1858. 2 miles N.W. of Present Fort Geo. Wright.
Many Indians are gathered in the cemetery. This might have been taken during a powwow or other meeting.
Chief Garry was the chief of the Middle and Upper bands of the Spokane Indians.
Written on verso of first photo: First & Second grave of Chief Spokane Garry. Picture taken before his remains were moved.
Spokane House was a fur trading post founded by the British-Canadian North West Company in 1810.
Father Cataldo was an Italian-American Jesuit priest who ministered to Spokane and Nez Perce Indians beginning in 1865. He also founded Gonzaga University in 1887.
The petroglyphs were formerly located on the Brinkley property.
Written on verso of both photos: Ruins of St Paul's Mission located on the brow of a hill near old Fort Colville. Established by Fr. De Smet in 1845, closed in 1858.