Nez Perce is a misnomer given by the interpreter of the Lewis and Clark expedition team of 1805. The French translate it as "pierced nose." This is untrue as the Nee-me-poo did not practice nose piercing or wearing ornaments. The "pierced nose" people lived on the lower Columbia River and throughout other parts of the Northwest.

The Nez Perce territory was approximately 17 million acres. This covered portions of Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. The Nez Perce would travel with the seasons. The seasons would guide the Nez Perce where to locate foods. At times, they would go as far east as the Great Plains to hunt buffalo and fish for salmon at Celilo Falls on the Columbia River. The Nez Perce were well known to breed the Appaloosa horse.