Don Addison Photo by Larry Johnson

Nimiipuu

Arlie Neskahi:
Welcome back to Wisdom of the Elders.

Don Addison:
Halito! I'm Don Addision and this is Speaking Native.

Nimiipuu is a member of the Sahaptian language family. Located in Idaho and eastern parts of Washington and Oregon. The relationship between Nimiipuu and its cousins like Yakama and Umatilla was noticed by Lewis and Clark who recorded the languages in 1805. Butterflies abound in Lapwai, Idaho, a town on the Nez Perce Reservation. The word “ lapwai ” comes from non-Native attempts to pronounce the Nimiipuu word for butterfly, khlaphlap.

Until next time, yakoke !

Old World Swallowtail. Photo by J. Ebner. Butterflies of Nez Perce County, Idaho. Courtesy of USGS Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center. http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/chklist/states/counties/id_69.htm