Choppunish Camp

Photo:  Wayside marker, Kamiah, Idaho.  Idaho Historical Society. 

For nearly a month, from May 14 to June 10, 1806, the Corps of Discovery settled into a camp along the Clearwater River in today’s Idaho County, Idaho, to wait for the high-country snows to melt. The captains viewed this location as a perfect spot defensively, as it had once been a Nez Perce village – it was about four feet below surrounding ground and rimmed by earthworks. Close to the river for the soon-to-arrive salmon, the site was near plenty of excellent horse pasture.

This camp wasn’t specifically named by the journal writers, but later became known as either Camp Chopunnish, Long Camp, or Camp Kamiah. You’ll find the site on the east side of the Clearwater about two miles below the mouth of Lawyer Creek, just outside Kamiah, Idaho. It is now part of the Nez Perce National Historic Park.

"Chopunnish" (pronounced Chop-PUN-ish) was the name Lewis and Clark mis-heard when the Native people of this area referred to themselves. They are the Nez Perce, or the “Nimiipuu” which means “the people.” The name nez perce´(pierced nose) came from French Canadian fur traders in the 18th century, an erroneous identification because nose piercing was never practiced by the people.