Colville Indian Reservation
Colville Indian Reservation | |
|---|---|
Outline of the Colville Reservation | |
| Tribe | Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Okanogan County, Washington and Ferry County, Washington |
| Headquarters | Nespelem |
| Area | |
• Total | 11,430 km2 (4,410 sq mi) |
| Website | Colville Tribes |
The Colville Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation located in Washington state, U.S. It is inhabited and managed by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, which are federally recognized.
Established in 1872, the reservation currently consists of 2,825,000 acres (4,410 sq mi; 11,430 km2). It includes the southeastern part of Okanogan County and the southern half of Ferry County. The reservation's name is taken from that of Fort Colville, which was named by British colonists for Andrew Colville, a London governor of the Hudson's Bay Company.
The Confederated Tribes have 8,700 descendants from twelve aboriginal tribes. The tribes are known in English as: the Colville, Nespelem, Sanpoil, Lakes (after the Arrow Lakes of British Columbia, or Sinixt), Palus, Wenatchi, Chelan, Entiat, Methow, southern Okanagan, Sinkiuse-Columbia, and Nez Perce of Chief Joseph's Band. Some members of the Spokane tribe also settled the Colville reservation after it was established.
The most common of the indigenous languages spoken on the reservation is Colville-Okanagan, a Salishan language. Other tribes speak other Salishan languages, with the exception of the Nez Perce and Palus, who speak Sahaptian languages.