The Tiny Calispell Lake on the Also Tiny First Nations Pend d’Oreilles Reservation

in #photography7 years ago

This vibrant, lush ambrosial green oasis is the tiny Calispell Lake located across the river from the also tiny First Nations “Pend  d’Oreilles” (also known as the Kalispel) Reservation. 


Here is a link to google maps for the location of this beautiful place.   


An ancient North American Indigenous peoples of the Northwest Plateau, whose traditional ancestral territory was located around Lake Pend Oreille, as well as the Pend Oreille River, and Priest Lake.

Today they live in small communities along the Montana and eastern Washington  border. The primary ancestral tribal range was known by the name “Kaniksu”   and covered roughly the area around the plains in eastern Montana, and westward along the Clark Fork River, Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho, and the  Pend Oreille River in eastern Washington and also into British Columbia (Canada).

Originally called “Ql̓ispé” (Salish pronunciation: [qəˀlispe], which means "Camas People”, French trappers and traders a few hundred years ago bestowed upon them the name “Pend d’Oreille” ( which meant "hangs from ears") referring to the large shell earrings they commonly wore. The modern name “Kalispel” comes from an Anglicization of the name;“Ql̓ispé”.

The nearest outside community is Cusick, near  the south end of the  reservation. I lensed this image of Calispell Lake with the Calispell River running out of the Pend Oreille River, (to right of the photo) and flowing south through the watershed wetlands and running out the south end of the small lake. 

I love how all the vibrant colors from algae and other plant life grows abundantly along the lake shoreline.  

The main part of the Kalispel Reservation is northwest of Newport, Washington, in central Pend Oreille County. The main reservation area is a mere 18.638 square kilometres (7.196 sq mi) strip of land along the Pend Oreille River, west of the Washington–Idaho border.  
(Research Source


This image is from my ongoing project in which I am trying to raise awareness of the 47% of the USA and 90% of Canada that remain unpopulated wilderness.  

Where Eagles Fly - The American Wilderness Expedition is my personal mission to introduce people to these amazing locations that surround us.  

If you like what you see here upvote then resteemit so that others may experience these wondrous places as well. And if you'd like these images to be part of your feed then follow me. 

Yehaw!!   

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That’s gorgeous! These are things that I would never be able to see if not for you @skypilot

Thank you!

Really beautiful! Curious where you flew into when you explored this area? I'm familiar with the little Bonners Ferry airport. If you ever make it up this way again, I'd love to meet you. I've got family with an airplane, and it might be fun to chat.