FDI - Kootenai

The Kootenai were a nation of the northern Plains. They were active traders. They were divided into two major divisions, one primarily hunters, the other depended primarily on fishing. Their range included southeastern British Columbia, northwestern Montana, and the northern tip of Idaho.

Their primary enemies were the Blackfeet and the plains Athapaskans. Their territories were divided by the international boundary, thus dividing their nation.

The Kutenai language is an isolate, not related to any other. Early linguists believed that an Algonquian connection existed in the language but this is no longer the case.

Aboriginal Locations (Subdivisions)

BC (3), ID (1), MT (3)

Year	*History*
	Formerly lived east of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, driven west and south by the Athapaskans
1780	Known to Hudson Bay traders
1784	Blackfeet initiated relentless war against Kootenai
1807	David Thompson established Kootenay House on Columbia River
1840	First missionizing began under Jesuit Fr. de Smet
1841	Beginning of influx of
1846	International boundary divided Kootenai lands
1855	Montana Kootenai confederated with Flathead and Kalispel tribes after Hell Gate Treaty
1947	Idaho tribe adopted constitution
1957	Idaho Kootentai declared war against U. S., bloodless war lasted three days, resulted in tribe receiving federal recognition and reseervation

Year	Total Population	AB	BC	ID	MT	Source
Arrival;	1,200	1,200
1700	1,200		450	150	600	NAHDB calculation
1780	1,200					Mooney estimate
1800	1,200		450	150	600	NAHDB calculation
1900	1,100		500	50	100	NAHDB calculation
1905	1,107					Official US and Canada
1989	900					BIA estimate, US only
2000	2,500		500	150	1,850	NAHDB calculation
2004				165		IHC
2005	2,800		500			InfoPlease

Kootenai Sites:

American Indian Heritage Month Poster http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/id/winning_poster.htm

Char-Koosta News http://www.charkoosta.com/

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes http://www.cskt.org/

Gambling: Kootenai Folk Tale http://www.angelfire.com/id/newpubs/thinker.html

Idaho's Forgotten War http://www.uidaho.edu/idahonatives/kootenai/

Kootenai http://www.snowwowl.com/peoplekootenai.html

Kootenai http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0828097.html

Kootenai http://www.boisestate.edu/history/issuesonline/fall2004_issues/kootenai.html

Kootenai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ktunaxa

Kootenai Constitution http://www.tribalresourcecenter.org/ccfolder/kootenaiconst.htm

Kootenai Falls http://www.libby.org/homepage/KFalls/

Kootenai Indians http://www.angelfire.com/id/newpubs/kootenai.html

Kootenai Indians http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08711a.htm

Kootenai Indian Tribe http://www.rootsweb.com/~idbounda/kindex.htm

Kootenai Tribe http://www.omaha.lib.ne.us/transmiss/congress/kootenai.html

Kootenai Tribe of Idaho http://www.isc.idaho.gov/kootenai.htm

Kootenai Tribe of Idaho http://www.kootenai.org/

Kootenay Indian Language http://www.native-languages.org/kootenai.htm

Kootenay Indians http://www.nelsonbc.ca/pages/directorypages/history/kutenai_indians.html

Kootenay, Kootenai, A Note About Names http://www.greatcanadianlakes.com/british_columbia/kootenay/culture-home.html

Kootenay Language http://www.ydli.org/langs/kootenai.htm

Kutenai Language http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=KUN

Kutenai Linguistic Lineage http://www.ethnologue.com/14/show_lang_family.asp?code=KUN

Language Preservation Efforts ... http://www.turtletrack.org/Issues02/Co10052002/CO_10052002_KootenaiLanguage.htm

Life of David Thompson http://www.northwestjournal.ca/V1.htm

Owl's Eyes and Seeking a Spirit (Legend) http://www.his.state.mt.us/pub/press/owlseyes.asp

People's Center http://www.peoplescenter.net/index.htm

Recognizing the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho http://www.ruralnorthwest.com/artman/publish/article_9138.shtml

Salish and Kootenai Authors http://www.ipl.org/div/natam/bin/browse.pl/t87

Salish, Kootenai, and Pend d'Orielle http://www.ldb.org/vl/ai/salish.htm

Salish Kootenai College http://www.skc.edu/

S & K Technologies http://www.sktcorp.com/AboutSKT/SalishandKootenaiTribes/tabid/141/Default.aspx

Success Stories: Kootenai River http://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/stories/kootenai.htm

Taking Care of His People ... http://www.uidaho.edu/idahonatives/kootenai/gary.html

Thompson, David, Canadian Map Maker ... http://www.thefurtrapper.com/david_thompson.htm

Thompson, David Timeline http://www.davidthompsonthings.com/Thomplsontime.htm

Treaty of Hell Gate - 1855 ftp://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/wa/indians/treaties/hellgate.txt

*Ethnie:*	KOOTENAI (KUTENAI, KOOTENAY)
*Language:*	Kutenai (Isolate)
*Family:*	Kutenai
*Stock:*	Kutenai
*Phylum:*	Kutenai
*Macro-Culture:*	Northwest Plateau