History of Kalispel

Located in Washington, the Kalispel Indian community is a hardworking tribe of people. This federally recognized tribe of the indigenous people of the northwest plateau has been around for over a century now. With tribal headquarters in Cusick, Washington, a five-member tribal council, which is democratically elected, looks after the administrative activities for the village.

History of the market

The history of the Kalispel fresh market is relatively recent, as it started a few decades ago. The thought behind starting the market was to create a space where farmers and producers could get the best rates for their products, while buyers could get best products for reasonable prices. While the market started in a small way, it slowly picked up momentum, and today is one of the prominent places for people to come and make their purchases.

History of the tribe

The known history of this tribe is very interesting too, as it dates back to the 18th century. Believed to have originated from British Columbia, it is understood that in the 18th century, the Nitsitapis pushed them from the Great Plains towards the Pend Orielle River. Some records indicate that by 1875 the size of the population had shrunk to below 900. Over the next decade, lands that belonged to the tribe began to shrink, as white settlers started purchasing it. By the 1960s the tribe was barely existing on meagre sums of money, facing many economic hardships. The land was facing cultural crisis as well, as the native language of Salish was getting lost. It was around then that the pioneering efforts and hard work of the tribe came together to help them emerge from the hardships and overcome obstacles. Language programs were also put in place, to enable the community to learn speaking fluent Salish. With their core beliefs centered on nourishing, giving, sustaining and being honourable, the future for the tribe now is a hopeful one.