Not surprisingly, the Nez Perce's name for themselves was Nee-me-poo, or "the People." This is perhaps the most common self-designation of aboriginal? peoples the world over.
The Nez Perce territory at the time of Lewis and Clark was approximately 17 million acres. It covered parts of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The Nez Perce, as many western Native American tribes, were migratory and would travel with the seasons, according to where the most abundant food was to be found at a given time of year. They were known go as far east as the [Great Plains]?, hunting buffalo and fishing for salmon at [Celilo Falls]? on the Columbia River.