The Coeur d’Alenes

The French appellation Coeur d’Alene literally translates ‘heart of an awl’ but its history and meaning remain speculative when applied to the indigenous nation. The people called themselves, Skitswish (Schitsu’umsh). This may have referred to a single band, a village site, or perhaps meant ‘the discovered people.’ Historical spellings include “Skeetsomish, Skitswish, Skeetshoo, Skeetshues, Sketsui, Sketch Hue, Sketch Hughe, Skitsuish, Schizuumsh, Skee-cha-way, Skeelsomish, Skeetsonish, Sketsomish, Skit-mish, Skitsaih, Skitsaish, Skitsamuq, Skítsui, Skítwish, Skitawish, Stchitsui, Stiel Shoi, and Stietshoi.”^[2]Gary Palmer, Handbook of North American Indians: Plateau Vol. 12, ed. Deward E. Walker, Jr. (Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, 1998), 325; Robert H. Ruby, John A. Brown, and Cary C. Collins, … Continue reading

The Skitswish traditionally lived along rivers and streams flowing into and from today’s Lake Coeur d’Alene. The present-day Coeur d’Alene Tribe recently regained possession of the southern third of their namesake lake. Some streams on which they resided and hunted were tributary to the Clearwater River, and interaction—mostly peaceful—with the Nez Perces flowed along those riverine courses. Such an occurrence happened on 6 May 1806, when Lewis and Clark met three Coeur d’Alene men at the mouth of the Potlatch River, named Colter’s Creek in the journals.

Lewis noted the people’s culture was much the same as the Nez Perces, but that their language was entirely different. They told him of a large lake receiving a river with a falls a short distance below the lake. The geographical information received was interpreted by the captains to be Clarks Fork, Lake Pend d’Oreille, and Kettle Falls on the Columbia. The three Skitswish men may have been describing their home area, the St. Joseph and Coeur d’Alene rivers, Coeur d’Alene Lake, and Spokane Falls.