The name “Kalispel” probably means “camas,” one of the most significant root food sources in the Pend Oreille River valley. Each spring Kalispel Indians moved to gather important root foods like camas, wild onions, Indian potatoes, parsnips, and carrots. They were frequently joined by neighboring Spokane, Coeur d’Alene, and Colville women. In the summer and fall, Kalispel men fished on Colville territory at Kettle Falls on the Columbia River until the falls were drowned in 1941 by Grand Coulee Dam.
Description of hunting and gathering practices among the Kalispel
