TRADITION, FRIENDSHIP and KINSHIP
How Two Families Came Together
Pierre Adams (1875-1951) t̓at’?ayaqn Séliš (Bitterroot Salish) was born in the Stevensville area about 1875 and moved to Arlee when the Séliš were removed from the Bitterroot Valley. Later he would move further up the valley to South Crow creek, just across Highway 93. Pierre had several wives over his lifetime, his third being Adeline RedSky Sundown, the daughter of Jackson Sundown, a World Champion Bronc Rider. They were married in 1933. It was said that Pierre himself was a great bronc rider and that he broke as many as 25 horses in a single week. Bud Cheff, Jr. says of Pierre, “When you saw him coming you knew who he was because he sat so strait and proud on a horse.” Bud Cheff Jr. was good friends with Pierre’s youngest son, Pat (photo below).
Pierre was the leader of one of the Salish bands, here in the Valley, Bud Jr. recalls. Bud’s father told him about going to the mountains when he was about 9 and camping with Eneas Conko, a family friend and leader of another Salish band, and Pierre’s band would often meet up and camp with them in the mountains until the horses ran out of feed. One time, Bill (Pierre’s son) told Bud’s father (they were both 9 and good friends) that he was going to get a whistle to call after Louise (Eneas’ daughter) and marry her one day. And wouldn’t you know it, he did! They were married in 1934, creating a union between the Conko and Adams family.
Pierre was very intelligent and spoke English very well which was not common for his time. He was well known and respected by several western tribes and “was the type of man who would have won the right to be called Chief through his deeds in the warrior and hunting days…” (from his obituary). He was also on the Tribal council for a short time before his passing in 1951.
It was the Cheff family relationship with the Conko family that was the inspiration for starting the Ninepipes Museum.