History
history
The first evidence of spotted horses on the Columbia Plateau can be found in the journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of February 15, 1806.
[Lewis] Saturday, February 15, 1806; The horse is predominantly withheld from the nations that inhabit the great prairies of Columbia, stretching from the 40th to the 50th parallel north and the landing line between the Rocky Mountains and several mountains that run along the Columbia River to the Make Great Falls from longitude 116-121. This vast area, which is basically unforested, is inhabited by the following natives: Sosone or Snake Indians, Chopunnish, Sokulks, Cutssahnims, Chymnapums, E [c] helutes, Eneshuh and Chilluckkittequaws. All of them enjoyed the benefit of the meek, noble, and precious animal, the horse, and all of them but the last three had immensely large herds. Their horses appear to be of excellent breed, lofty, elegantly formed, active and enduring animals; In short, many of them look like the fine English coarsers (thoroughbreds) and cut a fine figure in every country. Some of these horses are pided (variegated, spotted) with large white, irregularly spaced spots mixed with black, brown, bay or some other dark color. Most of them, however, are monochrome with a star, snip and white feet, or in other words, similar to our best thoroughbred horses in Virginia. They are also similar to them in speed, shape and color. The natives keep them in great numbers on the prairies and the grass that grows there is their only livelihood and their owners don't bother to stockpiling them for the winter, but with little work they stay with the dry grass of the prairie during the Winter fat. (Lewis and Clark Journals - RG Thwaites 1904)
This reference was the first reference to spotted horses in the plateau area and probably the first written reference to M'amin horses. For the ApHC historian, Dr. Francis Haines, it was clear that this evidence confirmed the abundance of horses and Appaloosas among the Nez Perce herds. But if you pay closer attention to the advice from Lewis and Clark and examine the great plains of Columbia between the stated longitudes 116 - 121 of Columbia, it quickly becomes apparent that the majority of the horse population, according to Lewis and Clark, was in the area of the Palouse Nation. It should also be noted that the early explorers and explorers knew little about tribal territories. Lewis and Clark called the Upper (Upper) Palouse Chopunnish (Nez Perce), the Middle (Middle) Pelloat pallahs and the Lower (Lower) Palouse, who lived near Pasco, as Sokulks and Chymnapums. Researchers after them, like Elliott, identified the Sokulks in turn as Nez Perce (Glover 1962: 376).
What is known today about the tribal territories is that these people were Palouse and the lower Palouse shared the area around Pasco with the Walulas and Yakamas. (WCSturtevant, Volume 12: 349)
What is known today about the tribal territories is that these people were Palouse and the lower Palouse shared the area around Pasco with the Walulas and Yakamas. (WCSturtevant, Volume 12: 349)
According to (Slickpoo and Walker 1973: 2) the Palouse were the founders of selective horse breeding. They developed a particular fondness for spotted horses, which they called M'amin, creating their own outstanding breed that developed from the Spanish stock.
Or from a Russian. There is much evidence that the Appaloosa evolved from Russian horses. See also the legend of the Ghost Wind Stallions.
The Palouse Chief, T'si-yi-ak, whose son was the great Yakama Chief, Kamiakin, stated that he did not move to bison hunting because such ventures were risky and the material gain was not the risk, time or effort could compensate. Instead, he stayed at home and focused on breeding horses that made him rich.
T'si-yi-ak's three sons - Show-o-way, Kamiakin and Skloom, followed suit their father and also devoted themselves to breeding horses at home instead of hunting bison. (Going to Buffalo, The Magazine of Montana History, Helena, Nos 53 (Winter 2003) and 54 (Spring 2004).