The Nez Perce tribe refer to themselves as "Ne-mee-poo" /nimi-pu/, which means "we the people,"
or "the real people." /nimi/ only occurs with the morpheme /pu/, which means 'people'. Another
variation holds that 'Ne-mee-poo' actually consists of the morphemes nun 'we' and
pu 'people' causing the translation of 'we people.'
(Aoki 1970:1)
The French Canadians were the first to refer to the 'Ne-mee-poo' as Nez Perce,which has been
variably translated as "Pierced Noses," or "Flat Nose." There is some evidence that the Nez
Perce Indians used to practice the custom of wearing a dentalium shell through the septum of
the nose, although if the practice did occur, it died out in the early 1800's, leaving many to
conclude that the "Pierced Noses" label is a misnomer.
(Aoki 1970:2)
This page was last updated on Friday, February 7, 1997 7:59:55 PM
