In 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant issued an executive order establishing the Colville Reservation for the Salish-speaking Indian nations in north central Washington. These tribes had traditionally occupied the tributaries of the upper half of the Columbia River. The people spoke closely related Interior Salish languages, with the Lakes, Colvillles, Sanpoils, Nespelems, southern Okanogans, and Met-hows forming on dialect chain and the Chelans, Entiats, Peskwaws (Wenatchis), and Columbians forming a second dialect chain.
The name for the new reservation came from Fort Colville, a trading post established by the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) and named for Andrew Colville one of HBC’s London governors.
The Cashmere Museum in Cashmere, Washington has a series of exhibits about some of these tribes. Shown below is the exhibit on the Entiat and Chelan Indians.
With regard to the Chelan, the display states:
“They spoke the Wenatchee dialect of the Interior Salish language. They occupied the lands around Lake Chelan and crossed the Cascade Mountains to travel down the Skagit River to trade with the affluent people of the Puget Sound. Tradition has it that in early times the Chelans and western peoples engaged in combat. Traditions were similar to the Wenachi and Moses Columbia tribes with who they joined for many activities.”
More Plateau Indian museum exhibits
Indians 101: A display of Colville Indian artifacts (museum tour)
Indians 101: Plateau Indian Cradleboards (Photo Diary)
Indians 101: Methow Indian Exhibit (photo diary)
Indians 101: The Chinook Indians (Photo Diary)
Indians 101: Wasco homelife (museum exhibit)
Indians 101: Wenatchi Indians (museum exhibit)
Indians 101: Plateau Indian Baskets (Photo Diary)
Indians 101: Hall of Plateau Indians (Photo Diary)