| Tribe - Kalispel
History
The homeland of the Camas People, also known as the "River/Lake Paddlers", extended across more than two-million acres of land in what is now eastern Washington, northern Idaho, western Montana and north into Canada. Once numbering in the thousands, the remnants of the Camas People include the 373 members of the Kalispel Tribe.
In 1855, the Upper Band of Kalispels, along with the Flathead and Kootenai bands, signed the Hells Gate Treaty relocating all three groups to the present day Flathead Reservation in Montana. Despite the constant pressure and land seizures by settlers, many of our people refused to relocate and continued living in villages along the Pend Oreille River, Pend Oreille Lake and the lower Clark Fork River. In 1914 an Executive Order signed by President Woodrow Wilson granted the Tribe 4,629 acres along the eastern bank of the Pend Oreille River near Usk, Washington on the site of one of our largest ancestral villages.
The Kalispels filed claim with the Indian Claims Commission and finally received compensation in 1963 for the 2,247,000 acres taken from us. In 1996, the Tribe added 40 acres of trust land in Airway Heights. Since then, we have acquired additional lands for habitat preservation, housing and economic development. Now, the tribal land base totals 7,614 acres in Washington and Idaho.
Gaming
Gaming is an inherent part of the Kalispel culture; stick game celebrations could last for days in times past. It was an entertaining way for the community to gather and celebrate. Today that tradition continues at Northern Quest, our Tribe's Casino and Entertainment Center located in Airway Heights, WA, ten minutes west of downtown Spokane.
Guests enjoy a wide variety of games and food venues, including a sports bar and 24-hour restaurant, an entertainment venue featuring the hottest acts around, plus 24-hour gaming on the weekends.
Kalispel Natural Resource Department (KNRD)
Established in 1992, in the Kalispel Natural Resource Department is hailed by several federal agencies as an environmental and preservation leader in Washington and throughout the Northwest. The department oversees the Kalispel Tribal Fish Hatchery, a one-of-a-kind largemouth bass hatchery specializing in warm water fisheries.
During spring and summer, dozens of interns and volunteers work side-by-side with KNRD staff within our reservation preserving our pristine lands for our young people. Our staff is one of the largest in the area and we participate in cooperative land management in northeastern Washington, north Idaho, and western Montana.
Linguistics, fisheries, forestry, wildlife, biology, water quality and archaeology are some of the programs we administer with an annual budget exceeding threemillion dollars. For more information on the Kalispel Natural Resource Department and its programs please visit our website at www.knrd.org.
Kalispel Case Line (KCL)
Originally founded in 1974 as Kalispel Aluminum Products, Kalispel Case Line is one of the nation's leading manufacturers of high quality aluminum casing. We use only marine grade, .080-gauge aluminum for strength and appearance. Each case is measured and cut to exact specifications and heli-arc welded for strength and endurance.
We use only military spec hardware to assure the highest degree of performance and security. Kalispel Case Line has expanded business by more than 200% in the last three years and has recently added Tactical Storage Systems and Easy Hit USA to our line of products.
Located in the Cusick Commerce Park, Kalispel Case Line continues to expand and assist in the economic development of our Tribe. Visit us and see our product first hand! www.kalispelcaseline.com 1- 800-398-0338
Camas Institute
In 1999, the Kalispel Tribe chartered the Camas Institute to provide programs and resources that encourage personal growth and foster physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. The Tribe envisions a strong, healthy and empowered membership symbolized by the harmony and balance of the Medicine Wheel, a world-view that recognizes the interconnectedness of all things, animate and inanimate.
The purpose of Camas Institute is to assist the Tribe in fulfilling this vision. To date, Camas Institute has helped 78 tribal members attend college or specialty schools and provides services ranging from suicide prevention to problem gambling counseling. To learn more please visit our website at www.camasinstitute.com.
Agricultural Program
The Kalispel Tribe manages a 100-head buff alo herd on tribal lands near tribal Headquarters. Although this program is an economic enterprise, the primary purpose is to provide traditional subsistence to tribal members and to symbolically preserve remnants of a culture eloquently represented by the refusal of a few American Bison to become extinct.
Dry Falls
From Coulee Dam, go south on Hwy 155 for 30 miles to Coulee City and follow the signs to Dry Falls. Th is beautiful rugged landscape-like almost no other in the world-was created by a massive fl ood in one cataclysmic event. As the name suggests, Dry Falls no longer carries water, but is the remnant of what was once the largest waterfall known to have existed on earth. Th ere is a good interpretive center at the site. Driving Distance: 30 miles/ Driving Time: 40 minutes.
Grand Coulee Dam
The Grand Coulee Dam, the largest concrete structure in the United States, is truly magnifi cent to behold. The base of the dam is almost four times as large as the Great Pyramid built by the Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops). Accommodations are available if you want to stay for the laser shows that run nightly from Memorial Day Weekend through September 30.
Call 1-800-268-5332 for more information.
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