Nez Perce << nehz PURS >> are a Native American people of north-central Idaho. The rich farmlands and forests in the area form the basis for the chief industries of the Nez Perce—agriculture and lumber. Many Nez Perce also make a living by fishing, by hunting, and by gathering wild plants. According to the 2020 United States census, there are about 3,400 Nez Perce.
The name Nez Perce means pierced nose. In 1805, a French interpreter gave the people that name after seeing some of them wearing shells in their noses as decorations. But few of them ever pierced their noses. The people kept the name, but they do not use the French form of the name, Nez Percé << nay pehr SAY >>.
The Nez Perce originally lived in the region where the borders of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington meet. Prospectors overran the Nez Perce reservation after discovering gold there in the 1860’s.
Some of the Nez Perce resisted the efforts of the United States government to move them to a smaller reservation. In 1877, fighting broke out between the Nez Perce and U.S. troops. Joseph, a Nez Perce chief, tried to lead his band into Canada. But he surrendered near the United States-Canadian border.
