THE KOOTENAI TRIBE

Which part of Idaho did they live in?
They lived in the far North-Eastern corner of Idaho.

What did they eat and rely on to survive?
A huge assortment of berries, deer, fish, geese, goats, seeds and nuts, and wild vegetables like onions.

What type of shelter did they build?
They built wickiups made of bark, branches, mud, logs.

Were they nomadic or did they have permanent settlements?
They moved around a lot, they didn't stay in one spot.

Was their tribe in other states or just in Idaho?
They lived around the border areas in Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia.

What did they wear? What was it made out of?
Women wore buckskin dresses. Men wore caps or headbands decorated with feathers. Made clothes out of skins, plant fiber, and bark fiber.

In "The Frog and the Antelope Legend" the frog used his wits to win a race.

Are these Indians still in Idaho?
They are still in Idaho. They are now located at a reservation in Bonners Ferry in northern Idaho.

INTERESTING FACTS

• The Kootenai tribe was originally called the Ksunka tribe.
• They lived in British Columbia, Canada for about 3,000 years
• The Kootenai bands occupied territories along the Kootenai River.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

• Where was most of the Kootenai tribe's land?
• What states or places did they own territory in?
• Why would they write a story about a frog and an antelope racing?