Highlights of Cultural Heritage- IDAHO Kooskia NFH

Chief Looking Glass' Village

Looking Glass is my chief. I bring you his words. He does not want war! He came here to escape war. We do not want trouble with you whatever! - Peo Peo Tholekt

The air was cool and crisp the morning of July 1, 1877. The Looking Glass Band had settled at their traditional seasonal village, called Kam’-nak-ka, to demonstrate neutrality and avoid becoming involved in the conflict escalating between non-treaty Nez Perce bands and the U.S. Government.

At daybreak, soldiers appeared on the hillside across Clear Creek. As Peo Peo Tholekt, a young envoy, delivered a message of peace from Chief Looking Glass, an anxious Army volunteer fired a shot into the camp, wounding a Nez Perce man. Other soldiers began firing and the troops stormed down the hillside into the camp, looting the village and burning it to the ground.

Terrified, the people fled for safety - some up into the hills, others along the riverbank. One young woman with her baby strapped to her back attempted to cross the Clearwater River on horseback, but the current was swift and they were drowned. Enraged by the unprovoked attack, Chief Looking Glass and his people joined Chief Joseph and other non-treaty bands on a fateful journey to find freedom that lasted four months and covered 1300 miles. A powerful and respected leader, Chief Looking Glass was killed in Montana at Bear Paw, the final battle of the Nez Perce War.

Today the site of Kam’-nak-ka is part of Kooskia National Fish Hatchery, established in 1969 to enhance fishing and to mitigate losses of spring Chinook salmon due to federal dams and other water development projects in the Columbia Basin.

A trail has been constructed at the Hatchery along the Middle Fork of the Clearwater River. It tells the story of Chief Looking Glass’ village as well as the stories of people who have lived on this land before and since that fateful day in history.

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