How is life in and around Kamiah? (Lewiston, Orofino: crime rate, motel)

[deputy dawg]

Somebody just answer a simple question... is quality of life an improvement in Kooskia/Kamiah? Just recently purchased acreage in the area to retire to. It seemed people were friendly, the air was clean, the water not polluted, not dreadfully hot, etc., etc., etc.. Want to retire there and get away from the trashy non American people here in South Florida. It is harder and harder to find English speaking people here. Will I have problems? I just want to live and let live!!!

[crystaljones29]

Hello,
For everyone curious about Kamiah Idaho, well it is a great place to live for retirement. I have lived here since I was 4 years old and I am 22 almost 23. I have 2 kids and married. Its not great for jobs. The people can be stuck up but not always. It is 88 percent whites here who do have problems with the Nez Perce who live here. Therefore its only 8 percent native here which is hard to accept since it is the nez perce reservation. The teachers in school are very racist people and its alot of white thinking here. I myself live in tribal housing and it was very hard at first. They do not like people coming here with light skin but that is more of the younger generations thinking. There are alot of sweet natives that I have met in my life, but the ones here do alot of druggin and drinking. They mainly stay out of your way to dodge confrontation. I mean come on can you blame them for being so angry? They lived here for at leat 10,000 years in peace and harmony before the whites showed up. This is for the ones who were talking on page one. Yes they need money to support the tribe since it is very poor. If you lived the life I di you would keep your mouth shut about the natives. They were the first people here and were very open to the new comers. Then what did the whites do?? They slaughtered the women and children in the dead of night.
Anyway, back to is Kamiah a nice place to live, yes it is. If you like the country its not too hard to find a country house. I can strike up a conversation with most anyone I come across. MOst are really friendly but do have their beliefs and most tend to be very racist. Bit if you do not get on that topic then things will be just fine.

[lawhite]

Obviously everyone has a different experience wherever they go, just because they take their own personalities and expectations with them.
I have never experienced unfriendliness, anti-Indian feeling or other racist atmosphere. There is much anti-government feeling here, however, and they blame a lot of regulations on environmentalists, even though most of the people live here because of the beautiful environment. The logging industry employs the greatest number of people, and they are often at loggerheads with environmentalists. (Don't mention spotted owls here!) They also don't like Californians who come in and buy up land that the rest of them can't afford, driving up the prices still higher.
Kamiah has one of the lowest crime rates in the nation.
It doesn't seem to have a higher fundamentalist atmosphere than other places. There is no Mormon church around here, and they arn't big for numbers or influence.
The neo-Nazis gave this area a bad rep, but that is in the past. Most people don't support their kind of thinking. There is, however, a high interest in independence and self-sufficiency, and the anti-government thing...all of which they had in common with the Bo Gritz people. I haven't met one person who is the Bo Gritz anti-racist type.
I don't think the schools are bad in Kamiah, although they have had to cut out many peripheral programs. Levys usually do not pass.
The Indian casinos are not like ones you find in Vegas. They do not serve alcoholic drinks and the one in Kamiah does not have table games...just slot machines. I see few Indians gamble in the one in Kamiah...they are too smart for that, as the machines don't pay out well and they know that. The casinos is the best thing ever to happen for the tribe, as they rake in millions to use for health and welfare programs. They do not foster crime any more than a bowling alley would.
The Nez Perce are not unfriendly, in my experience, far from it. Their standards of living arn't much less than the non-Indians, although the pay here is low for everyone. I don't think you can make blanket statements about the Nez Perce except that they have a high incidence of alcoholism. Outside of Lapwai, Kamiah has the highest percentage of tribal members, (still only about 8%), but like I said, Kamiah has one of the lowest crime rates in the nation. This does not speak negatively about tribal members.

[lawhite]

"Is quality of life an improvement in Kooskia/Kamiah?"
Absolutely.
It is a beautiful place, free from most stresses, free from crime, a place to relax and just enjoy life. It doesn't have any cultural strengths, but most who live here don't miss it. You can travel to Lewiston for cultural activities. If that is what you are interested in, might as well move somewhere else. The big outdoors is why most live here.

[lawhite]

The so-called xenophobia found in the usual small towns isn't all that great in Kamiah because many people who live here are new. Again, it depends on whether you are friendly or not...people respond to your attitude. It is safe to say that they do not like progressive city types or those who treat us like we are country hicks. You cannot waltz in dressed in high heeled knee high designer boots, a nose ring, suggestive clothing, and orange streaks in your hair and still expect to be welcomed. You cannot come in spouting liberal welfare ideas or running a petition for anti-gun laws and expect to be tolerated. Men cannot wear earrings if they don't want looks of contempt. You cannot look at land with the stated purpose of building another housing development or more parking lots if you don't want to be run out of town. It's a conservative place more than it is xenophobic.

[lawhite]

There are a lot of remarks here about the casinos and a lot of preconceptions that arn't true. Again, don't think they are like the ones in Vegas or Reno. People pull levers on slot machines if they have some extra money to waste or while waiting for their food to cook (the casinos here have great sandwiches). There is no drinking in any Indian casino. No crime as the result of the casinos. No one gambling away their welfare money. No card sleuths. (I don't think Indian casinos are licensed for card games.) No Mafia. Just slot machines, cheap cigarettes, and reasonably priced food. People come here on their lunch hour or just to see if their friends are there to chat over a cup of coffee. They might drop a dollar in the slots while they are there or spend a few hours for entertainment there.
The casinos are real blessings for the tribe and, indirectly, to the community at large. The profit goes to the tribe in health and social programs, not to some Vegas mafia types. The tribe also contributes to community causes from these same profits. The casinos also employ many, both Indian and non-Indian, which is a major benefit in an area where logging, the major industry, is laying off more workers all the time.
It has much benefit and no harm.

[lawhite]

There are very few, if any, compulsive gamblers in the casino in Kamiah.
No, an Indian casino does not serve liquor.

[Trace_Rinaldi]

Originally Posted by jpineda

I'd say about 75 percent maybe a little more, full blooded mexicans, do it. And I really LOVE to put out there the fact that I am a full blooded mexican and am really proud of it. Everyone should be proud of where they come from. Mexicans, in my opinion, just show it more.

Oh ya, I'M MEXICAN! (LOL)

Thats easy to say for you, but try being white and saying your proud of it... You get labled RACIST pretty damn fast..

[lawhite]

Originally Posted by wildberries61

I didn't say anything wrong with the Nez Perce except for the casino's and gambling!! I don't even feel this is good for the white,blacks or brown people. This causes more problems with alcoholic's,divorce, money problems etc. If you and others support this then, you may want to look at all the destroyed families.

There's a lady in Kamiah who is a Nez Perce Indian and has spoke out many times through talks at schools and the paper on the fall of the people due to the existence of the casino's and the divorce rate.

With comments like that above about the white people you are down grading whites so, this must make it fair. Plenty of whites these days do not hate the culture. When I have been up that way their own people speak against the issue so, how is this racist on my part???

They are not stuck on the reservation are they??? You can go were you want in the U.S. and be what you want in life if you have the ambition. Unless, you are told your whole life the white man destroyed you. We are way past that time in life and everyone needs to move and support each other and have respect. But, to build something that ruins people and marriages and families is not the answer!!!

That's such crap. You have a picture of the Las Vegas strip when you speak of casinos. The two casinos owned by the Nez Perce tribe are a god-send to the tribe and communities around them. They do not serve alcohol and do not promote crime or divorce. They do promote jobs and funding for important programs. I have not seen one family destroyed by casinos here, but many are helped through their funding. Best thing that ever happened to the reservation.

Why would the Nez Perce want to go anywhere else when they have a heaven on earth here on their own land? I count these beautiful people my friends, and that's exactly what I get back from them. If you are experiencing anything else, ask yourself what YOU are putting out that attracts that attitude back to you. They (and most others) give back what they get.

[millagerobert]

I have lived all over the country looking for that perfect place, and then returned to my home town realizing it was as close to perfect for me as this country contains. Great people, low crime, outstanding Outdoor opportunities, good schools, and much more. If you like big city culture it may not be for you, but if you like peace and solitude, having and clear river flowing through town to fish and boat in, millions of acres of public ground to hike, hunt, and pursue your passions in, this is the place for you. If you worry how the people will be towards outsiders, just remember as someone posted previous that you will reap what you sow. Treat them like they are below you they will return the favor, treat them as equals and with respect, and you will have all the friends you could want.