Old Missoula

3.2.3 Cultural Tradition and Medicine Trees of the Bitterroot Salish and Pend d’ Oreille

by Dean Sonneah Nicolai

The Bitterroot Salish, having an intimate connection to their landscape gained over thousands of
years from living in one place, timed the cycles of the camas and bitterroot plants, the ripening of
berries and the return of the bison in the east. Fahey (1974:8-9) mentions the importance of the
life cycle and that the Salish, while seeking their primary food source (bison) had to supplement
their diets by timing the gathering of roots and berries. “The yearly cycle of the Salish and Pend
d’Orielle people was based on a deep spiritual connection to the land, on a finely honed ability to
care for and harvest its bounty, and on an intimate knowledge of its fluctuating cycles across
seasons and years and even centuries” (Salish and Pend d’Orielle C.C, 2005:32). The Missoula
and the Bitterroot valleys were favorite gathering places of the Bitterroot Salish and knowledge
of these cycles were necessary for the survival of the people (Salish and Pend d’Orielle C.C,
2005:19-22).

Salish world view and ways of knowing are equally ingrained with spirituality and traditional
knowledge, and are carried and passed down through oral tradition. The Salish people believe
that they have occupied their homelands from the beginning of time, sometimes referred to as
“Time Immemorial”. Their creation is attributed to Amotken, “the big spirit above”, the creator
of the sun and everything on earth. Amotken, however, did not create a perfect world. They
believe their world was once full of monsters and giants, also known as “people-eaters”, little
people and animals (Salish and Pend d’Orielle C.C., 2005:7). Left behind today are the remnants
and reminders of these giants and monsters and of past events that tie the Salish people to their
landscape (Clark, 1966:64-70). Coyote is a principle character in most Salish oral creation stories
and the protector of the Salish people. Coyote was to be Amotken’s special helper, and who
would rid the world of giants and monsters. “Coyote made the world safe for the people who
were yet to come. He prepared the land and made it good. He showed us how to live, and the
consequences of both good and bad behaviors” (Salish and Pend d’ Orielle C.C., 2005:7). These
creation stories tell of Coyote, who travels from the Jocko Valley and south to the Missoula and
Bitterroot Valleys, where he rids them of the giants and monsters along the way. The stories of
Coyote and other animal people teach about traditional ways of hunting and fishing, places for
gathering foods and medicines, making tools and weapons, music, proper ways of raising
children, relationships between people, spiritual dimensions of the world, and relationships with
animals and nature (Salish and Pend d’Orielle C.C., 2005:7). These stories tell of Salish origins
and how the people are tied to particular places on the landscape and hold traditional place
names (Salish and Pend d’Orielle C.C., 2005:7). “Coyote stories, in short, are both the great
spiritual literature of the Salish and Pend d’Orielle people, and also a reflection of the length and
depth of the collective tribal memory, which reaches back to the distant beginnings of the
people’s history” (Salish and Pend d’Orielle C.C., 2005:8). These creation stories speak of a
tenure extending back to the last glacial event in North America that created what is known as
Glacial Lake Missoula where, “In many of the tribal creation stories, we find uncanny parallels
with the findings of scientists regarding the end of the last ice age” (Salish and Pend d’Orielle
C.C., 2005:8). Although this tenure has been disputed in many cases by the scientific
community, new evidence of continued occupational site locations have been recorded in areas
like the confluence of the Flathead and Clark’s Fork rivers, and in lithic scatters along the known
shoreline of Glacial Lake Missoula (Salish and Pend d’Orielle C.C., 2005:8-9); as discussed
below, the hypothesis that Salish and Pend d’Orielle origins in the region could date to the
Pleistocene is receiving increased attention by archaeologists.

The story of the Ram’s Head Medicine Tree illustrates just one of these creation stories. In the
oral tradition, Coyote encounters a Ram that has been terrorizing anyone who attempts to pass
his way.  Through the Coyote’s superior intellect and the help of Meadowlark, he is able to trick
the Ram into charging him. At the last moment Coyote moved and the Ram struck the tree where
he was incased for all time (Salish and Pend d’Orielle C.C., 2005:73-74). The spiritual
importance of this story forever connects the Rams Head Medicine Tree and that place to the
Salish People. The importance of the tree and the story tells the Salish how they should treat that
place (Clark, 1966:78-81).

The Ram’s Head Medicine Tree is a point on the landscape located at the very southern end of
the Bitterroot Valley in which the Salish have passed on their journeys to the east to hunt bison,
always leaving an offering for safe passage and success. The consequences of how the Salish
acted in that place, they believe severely affected the outcome of their journeys. The Nez Perce,
who were allies of the Bitterroot Salish, also knew of the Medicine Tree and often treated it with
the same respect as the Salish. In one story a Nez Perce warrior who was traveling with the
Salish on their way to hunt bison fired a rifle ball into its trunk. Once they had reached the
eastern plains, the Nez Perce warrior while running alongside the bison fell on his horse and was
killed. The Salish say that he spoiled his luck by mistreating the Ram’s Head Tree (Weisel,
1951:8).

The Bitterroot Medicine Tree has had other mishaps throughout its life time. H.W. Lord of
Darby, Montana says that the reason the ram’s head is not visible today is because of some
“vandal” who cut off the exposed part of the head (Weisel, 1951:9). Some dispute the location of
the tree itself, but those who have been visiting the tree for many years contest the idea and recall
many events of visiting themselves or hearing their relatives tell stories of the Ram’s Head Tree.
Ellen Bigsam recalls visiting the Medicine Tree as a child and hanging her hair on it for luck
(Weisel, 1951:9).

The example of the Ram’s Head Tree is instructive, because it was a common practice of the
Bitterroot Salish to recognize certain trees as powerful. Other Medicine trees have disappeared
with little knowledge of their precise locations, but the oral traditions have survived and tell of
the importance of these places. One story tells of the importance of possessing medicine or what
the Salish call in their language, Sumesh. The story tells of a medicine tree in Hellgate Canyon
just east of the current city of Missoula, called Medicine Tree Hill. This canyon was known as a
passage to the east and was often used by the Blackfeet to ambush travelers, hence the name
Hellgate Canyon. The story tells of a warrior being outnumbered and pursued by the enemy. He
went up the hill to get away and rest. He hung his medicine necklace on a tree and soon fell
asleep. He awoke to hear the war cries of the enemy who had discovered his hiding spot. A battle
commenced and to the surprise of the Salish warrior and the enemy (Blackfeet), no arrow had
touched his body; they even seemed to fly away from him. This was discouraging to the
Blackfeet warriors and every arrow shot by the Salish warrior killed an enemy. One of the
Blackfeet observed the events and saw the medicine necklace hanging on the tree. The enemy
warrior scrambled up the hill and grabbed the powerful necklace. The very next arrow shot by
the enemy struck the Salish warrior and killed him. Afterwards, young men who passed by this
location left something personal on the tree so as to avoid consequences and gain strong
medicine and safe passage. The tree was eventually cut down and the location lost to memory
(Weisel, 1951:13).

Another story tells of a Medicine Tree located south of Ravalli Montana and North of Arlee.
This was a large pine tree where the Salish left offerings for success. They would cross this area
when traveling in either direction. Those who would pass would shoot arrows into the upper part
of the tree, sticking them into it. At one time one could see hundreds of arrows stuck in the tree.
When the reservation was opened for homesteading in 1910 the man who owned the property cut
it down and today the location is a mystery (Weisel, 1951:12). Another important medicine tree
was located on the west slope of Mount Jumbo on the outskirts of present day Missoula
Montana. The locals called it Sentinel Pine and recall that during stick games and horse races the
natives would visit the tree for good luck. Both winners and losers would climb and give thanks
for success or ask for it. It was not uncommon for someone to stay for days or until they received
their medicine (Weisel, 1951).