This is the homeland of the Kalispel.

Their homeland once expanded much farther, including the mountains, rivers, lakes, and prairies from here to Montana, from the Salmo River to British Columbia. The Pend Oreille River connected Kalispel country for miles, and millennia, before EuroAmericans renamed it.

After explorer David Thomson opened a trading post in 1809 in Kalispel territory, epidemics,  pressure from white settlement, and desperation for survival forced the Kalispel to cede their lands and move onto reservations. By 1875, the tribe consisted of only 375 people. More of their land was settled on by white people, until the US established the Kalispel Tribal Reservation—a mere 4,695 acres, most of it unsuitable for development.

Through determination, innovation, and collaboration, the tribe has sustained itself, emerging as a leader in the broader indigenous community. They continue in their stewardship of the land and waters they have known for centuries, and in their commitment to preserving their values and culture.

We acknowledge this land is stolen land, and the Kalispel people were removed with force. Indigenous People are still here, are valued members of this community contributing to conservation, cultural preservation, sustainability, and a thriving, diverse world. We honor their resilience, and recognize the generational trauma caused by white settlement, greed, violence, and injustice. .