Who Are the Coeur d'Alene?
The Coeur d'Alene (Schitsu'umsh) are an indigenous people of the Inland Northwest, with approximately 2,400 enrolled members in the Coeur d'Alene Tribe (federally recognized). Their self-designation Schitsu'umsh means "The Discovered People" or "Those Who Are Found Here." French traders named them "Coeur d'Alene" ("Heart of an Awl")—referring either to their sharp trading skills or the shape of the surrounding mountains. They speak Coeur d'Alene, an Interior Salish language with fewer than 10 fluent first-language speakers remaining. Their homeland centers on Coeur d'Alene Lake and the Coeur d'Alene River in the Idaho Panhandle.
Lake and River
Coeur d'Alene Lake—25 miles long in the Idaho Panhandle—was the center of Coeur d'Alene life. Villages along its shores harvested fish, waterfowl, and aquatic plants. The surrounding Palouse hills provided camas roots—a staple food gathered at communal digging grounds. Deer, elk, and small game supplemented the diet. Unlike coastal peoples, interior Salish relied less on salmon; water potato, bitterroot, and other plants were crucial. Seasonal rounds took people from winter villages to spring root grounds, summer fishing sites, and fall berry patches. This intimate knowledge of place shaped Schitsu'umsh identity.
Mining Pollution
The Coeur d'Alene River Basin became one of America's worst Superfund sites. Silver mining (1880s-present) released massive quantities of heavy metals—lead, zinc, cadmium, arsenic—into waterways. Tailings and waste rock cover floodplains; contaminated sediments fill Coeur d'Alene Lake. The tribe lost traditional food sources; health effects persist. EPA cleanup, ongoing for decades, has cost over $2 billion with decades more required. The Coeur d'Alene Tribe sued mining companies for damages to natural resources; landmark settlements fund restoration. This environmental justice struggle demonstrates tribes' role as environmental stewards forced to confront others' pollution.
Contemporary Coeur d'Alene
Modern Coeur d'Alene have built economic success while addressing environmental crisis. The tribe operates the Coeur d'Alene Casino Resort, one of Idaho's largest employers, generating revenue for tribal programs. They purchased farmland to expand the 345,000-acre reservation and restore cultural connections to land. Language revitalization programs, including the Coeur d'Alene Language Curriculum, work to save the critically endangered language. Environmental programs restore wetlands and monitor contamination. The annual Julyamsh powwow brings together tribes from across the region. How the Coeur d'Alene balance economic development, environmental restoration, and cultural preservation shapes this discovered people's future.
References
- Frey, R. (2001). Landscape Traveled by Coyote and Crane: The World of the Schitsu'umsh (Coeur d'Alene Indians)
- Palmer, G. (1998). \"Coeur d'Alene\" (Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 12)
- EPA. (2020). Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex Superfund Site (Reports)