History of the Chewelah Tribe

The Catholic Church in Chewelah with the
mountains in the background.
Copyright © 2006 Barry G. Moses

Driving through Chewelah, Washington three days a week carries my mind back to matters of personal family history. Many of my ancestors came from the Chewelah Band of Indians, which some historians claim was really an off-shoot from the Kalispel Tribe of Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Western Montana. Alice Sherwood Abrahamson of the Chewelah Band gave a fascinating history of her tribe, with a direct connection to my family tree.

Alice Sherwood Abrahamson recounts the story of her grandfather Paul Sheshetah and his immediate family members. He lived with his parents, three brothers, and one sister on the banks of the Pend Orielle River near modern day Cusick, Washington. By the time she committed her story to writing, she had already forgotten the names of Sheshetah’s family; or perhaps she never knew the names to begin with. We may never know for sure.

Apparently one of Sheshetah’s brothers was mistaken as the offender in an incident involving a young woman, and the other young men of the tribe killed him before the family could bring the matter to council. The brothers intended to seek revenge, but Sheshetah’s father removed his family before the matter escalated into further violence. They left the Cusick area and settled in a swampy valley to the west, the site of present day Chewelah, Washington. They were among the first people to settle in the area.

Originally, Sheshetah was known only by his Indian name, but on September 24, 1841 Father Jean Pierre DeSmet established a mission nearby and baptized many of the local people. Sheshetah received the Christian name Paul. While he adopted the Catholic religion, he apparently continued to practice many of the ancient indigenous forms of spirituality. Alice said he had a song and held healing rituals at winter ceremonies. She said he was also a Blue Jay, but claimed no memory of the meaning behind the ritual.

Old Man Camille and Paul Sheshetah

The final resting place of Sophia and Paul Sheshetah.Copyright © 2006 Barry G. Moses

Alice went on to explain many other details of daily life among the Chewelah Indians, and even described many of the families living among her people. She mentioned my ancestors Steven and Joseph Moses, among others; however, she never explicitly offered a direct link between her family and mine.

I discovered the link between our families several years after I first read Alice’s family history.

The Spokane Agency of the Bureau of Indian Affairs maintains a record of real estate transactions from the founding of the Spokane Indian Reservation in the 1880s to the present. It especially keeps track of the original allotments given under the Dawes Act. Most tribal members died without leaving any kind of last will and testament, so the real estate records almost always ended up in probate court to determine any and all eligible heirs to the original allotments. These records are an untapped genealogical treasure.

Some years ago, I spent the afternoon at the BIA looking up case files from those of my ancestors I had already identified. Many times I found nothing of interest in the files, but sometimes I found written documentation of “new” ancestral lines. The Ellen Moses file (#241) was perhaps the most exciting of all, and provided the missing link between Alice Abrahamson and my family line.

According to documents found in her file, Ellen Moses described her husband’s family tree through a translator to the probate judge (her husband was my ancestor Joseph Moses). Joseph’s grandfather was named Ch-oll-kin. He had five children: Sol-low-stew (Joseph’s father), Stutlemetz, Sheshetah (who married Sophia), Ch-a-sal-ea-wha, and Quil-quil-cha-a-nee.

It took a moment for this new information to really sink in. I knew from documents I had already received from Father Connolly that Joseph’s father was named Sulustu (Sol-low-stew). I also knew from Alice Abrahamson’s family record that Sheshetah indeed married a woman named Sophia. Suddenly I realized I found the link. The whole family Alice described in her paper was in fact MY family! Even the number and genders of the children match.

Of course, this new information explained why my family lived among the Chewelah Band of Indians. We were originally Kalispel and only later absorbed into the Spokane Tribe (this was common in those days).

As I put the pieces together, I realize my ancestor Sulustu most likely received baptism the same day as Paul Sheshetah and was named Moses by Father DeSmet.

So as I drive through Chewelah, I remember my family history, and I realize how much I still need to do to make this information available to my family. This entry is my first attempt in this direction.