Name:________________________________________________
Nez Perce Research
EQ: How do people adapt to their physical environment? How did the Nez Perce use their environment to build shelter, collect
food, and make their clothing?
Go to the Cobb Digital Library and click on All Titles. Then choose online databases. Select World Book Kids. Type
in Nez Perce and click on the first article. Read this article to answer the following questions.
Using a green crayon or colored pencil, shade in the area where the Nez Perce originally lived.
What does the name Nez Perce mean?
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Close World Book Kids and click on Kids InfoBits. Type in Nez Perce in the search box. Under the section labeled
“Books”, click on the article titled Nez Perce: History. Read the first paragraph of the article to answer the
following questions.
Before the 1700’s, how did the Nez Perce get food? _________________________________________________________
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How did the introduction of horses change the Nez Perce way of life?
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Their rich grasslands allowed the Nez Perce to raise larger herds of __________________________________ than
other tribes.
What breed did the Nez Perce have the most success with?__________________________________________________
Close Kids InfoBits and click on PebbleGo Animals. Search Appaloosa Horse. Read about Appaloosas and watch the
video. Write down two interesting facts about Appaloosas below.
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Using information from PebbleGo, accurately color the picture of the Appaloosa below.
After reading the selection “Social Roles of the Nez Perce People” answer the following questions below.
List the responsibilities of the Nez Perce woman.__________________________________________________________
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List the responsibilities of the Nez Perce man._____________________________________________________________
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List the responsibilities of the Nez Perce child._____________________________________________________________
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How did elders pass on traditional knowledge to children?_________________________________________________
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What helped develop strong kinship ties within the Nez Perce community?__________________________________
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Based on what you have read, what do you think would happen if a Nez Perce child lost one of his or her parents?
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The Nez Perce believed in respect for elders. Do you think this is an important belief for modern people? Explain
your answer._________________________________________________________________________________________
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Read the article Nez Perce Foods. Use the information from the article to create a “Healthy Plate” for the Nez Perce.
Add the foods of the Nez Perce to the diagram below. If you do not recognize one of the Nez Perce foods, use the
Cobb Virtual Library resources to determine what it is.
Are the Nez Perce missing any components (parts) of a healthy diet? Look at the Choose My Plate diagram, are any
areas blank? If so, what? _______________________________________________________________________________
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Title:
NEZ PERCE DWELLINGS
The Nez Perce built several different types of homes, in Nez Perce "i nit." An early type of dwelling
was a circular semi-subterranean structure. A hole was dug about 2 to 3 feet into the ground and then a
pole frame was constructed above that. It was covered with a variety of materials, and entrance was gained
through the roof.
The winter home was large enough for many families and is referred to as the longhouse, "ku i het/ i
nit." This had a pole frame and was covered with a variety of materials. The longhouse could be made as
long as needed. An early cover consisted of mats made from tules. Tule (Bull Rush) is a plant that grew in
abundance along the rivers and streams and was used extensively for structure and floor coverings. Buffalo
hides started to replace the tule mats after the introduction of the horse which made it possible for larger
and heavier loads to be carried when traveling. Then later canvas, received in trading, was also used to
cover the pole frames.
When the Nez Perce were making their seasonal rounds hunting and gathering food they lived in a
structure very much like what is called a tipi today. Tipi is a Plains Indian word that means home and now
generally refers to any dwelling that is conical shaped. The tipi was a convenient type of home to travel with
because it was easy to transport, to put up and take down, and light weight.
From: Nch'i-Wana "The Big River" Mid-Columbia Indians and Their Land, by Eugene S. Hunn, with James Selam and Family, University of Washington Press,
1990.
Oregon Indians Culture, History and Current Affairs, by Jeff Zucker, Kay Hummel and Bob Hogfoss. Western Imprints, 1983.
Using the information above, can you label the following dwellings?