Why are Indians called flatheads?
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Asked by: Maria Bork
The peoples of this area were named Flathead Indians by Europeans who came to the area. The name was originally applied to various Salish peoples, based on the practice of artificial cranial deformation by some of the groups, though the modern groups associated with the Flathead Reservation never engaged in it.
Why did other nations call the Salish flatheads?
The tribe never practiced head flattening, but instead, were called “flat head” because the tops of their heads were not pointed like those of neighboring tribes who practiced vertical head-binding. The Flathead called themselves Séliš (pronounced SEH-lish) which was anglicized as Salish, meaning “the people.”
Who were flatheads?
Summary and Definition: The Flathead Native Indians were not just one tribe. The term Flathead was the nickname given by Europeans to any Native Americans who intentionally changed the shape of their heads to a flat, elongated profile.
Did Native Americans flatten their heads?
Head flattening was practiced by a number of North, Central, and South American Indian tribes, particularly before European colonization.
