About Nez Perce Tribe
The Nimiipuu people have always resided and subsisted on lands that included the present-day Nez Perce Reservation in north-central Idaho. Today, the Nez Perce Tribe is a federally recognized tribal nation with more than 3,500 citizens.
The Nez Perce, who call themselves NiMiiPuu, have resided in what is now northcentral Idaho, southeastern Washington, and northeastern Oregon for thousands of years. Until the mid-1800s, the Nez Perce Tribe's aboriginal territory included over 13 million acres. The territory centered on the middle Snake and Clearwater rivers and the northern Salmon River.
The Nez Perce Nez Perce Tribe is governed by the Nez Perce Constitution and By-laws established in 1948 and revised in 1961. The constitution established the Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee and a council of all adult tribal members, known as Tribal General Council. The Executive Committee, consisting of nine members, has the authority to represent the Nez Perce Tribe in negotiations, promote and protect the health, education, and general welfare of Tribal members, administer unrestricted Tribal funds, and set rules governing Executive Committee nominations and elections.
