Chief Twisted Hair of the Nez Perce

The Nez Perce name for the Chief who Lewis and Clark called Twisted Hair is Walamottinin. In Nez Perce the name refers to carelessly tied hair (Pinkham, 2003). He was the brother of another Chief , Wearkkoomt, otherwise known as Flint Necklace.

William Clark first learned of Chief Twisted Hair on September 21st, 1805 after his difficult passage over the Bitterroot Mountains. Relying on directions given to him by another Chief , Clark reached Twisted Hair’s village late that night. Located on the Clearwater River’s “Fishing Island”, the spot was ideal for salmon fishing (Moulton V.7, 228). Clark wrote:

A fine morning Sent out all the hunters in different directions to hunt deer, I myself delayd with the Chief to prevent Suspission and to Collect by Signs as much information as possible about the river and Countrey in advance. The Chief drew me a kind of chart of the river, and informed me that a greater Chief than himself was fishing at the river half a days march from his village called the twisted hare, … we did not arrive at the Camp of the Twisted hare but oppost, untill half past 11 oClock P M. found at the Camp five Squars & 3 Children. my guide called to the Chief who was Encamped with 1 others on a Small Island in the river, he Soon joind me, I found him a Chearfull man with apparant Siencerity, I gave him a medal and Smoked untill 1 oClock a. m. and went to Sleep... (Clark, from Moulton V.5, 226-7)

The following day, on September 22nd, 1805, Lewis and the rest of the party arrived at Twisted Hair’s village. Lewis described it in his journal:

...on our approach to the village which consisted of eighteen lodges most of the women fled to the neighbouring woods on horseback with their children, a circumstance I did not expect as Capt. Clark had previously been with them and informed them of our pacific intentions towards them and also the time at which we should most probably arrive. the men seemed but little concerned, and several of them came to meet us at a short distance from their lodges unarmed. (Lewis, from Moulton V.5, 229)

On the same day, September 22nd, 1805, the party was in desperate need of rest, nourishment and directions. Clark wrote of how these needs were met by Twisted Hair and his people:

I got the Twisted hare to draw the river from his Camp down which he did with great cherfullness on a white Elk Skin, from the 1s fork which is a few seven miles below, to the large fork on whith the So So ne or Snake Indians fish, is South 2 Sleeps; to a large river which falls in on the N W. Side and into which the Clarks river empties itself is 5 Sleeps from the mouth of that river to the falls is 5 Sleeps at the falls he places Establishments of white people and informs that great numbers of Indians reside on all those foks as well as the main river; one other Indian gave me a like account of the Countrey... (Clark, from Moulton V.5, 229-30)

On September 23rd, the party gave gifts to the Chiefs they had met, including a flag and a shirt to Twisted Hair. Clark then reported that “twisted hare envited Capt Lewis & myself to his lodge which was nothin more than Pine bushes & bark, and gave us Some broiled dried Salmon to eate...” (Clark, from Moulton V.5, 232).

In the spring of 1806, on their return from the Pacific Ocean, the party met Twisted Hair’s brother. On May 6th, 1806, Lewis wrote: “...the brother of twisted hair and Wearkkoomt with 10 or 12 others encamped with us this evening” (Lewis, from Moulton V.7, 217) .

Lewis and Clark met Chief Twisted Hair again on their journey back East. This time the Chief helped them obtain horses. On May 11th, 1806, Clark wrote: “The twisted hair brough Six of our horses all in fine order...” (Clark from Moulton V.7, 244)

The next day, on May 12th, 1806, Lewis reported:

...we are anxious to procure some guides to accompany us on the different routs we mean to take from Travellers rest; for this purpose we have turned our attention to the Twisted hair who has several sons grown who are well acquainted as well as himself with the various road in those mountains. we invited the old fellow to remove his family and live near us while we remained; he appeared gratifyed with this expression of our confidence and promissed to do so... (Lewis, from Moulton V.7, 249)

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