0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁The ▁Sp ok ane ▁tribe , ▁after ▁which ▁the ▁city ▁is ▁named ▁( the ▁name ▁meaning ▁" children ▁of ▁the ▁sun " ▁or ▁" sun ▁people " ▁in ▁Sal ish an ), ▁are ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁either ▁their ▁direct ▁descend ants , ▁or ▁descend ants ▁of ▁people ▁from ▁the ▁Great ▁Pla ins . ▁When ▁asked ▁by ▁early ▁white ▁expl or ers , ▁the ▁Sp ok anes ▁said ▁their ▁ancest ors ▁came ▁from ▁" up ▁North ." ▁Early ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁the ▁North west ▁Fur ▁Company ▁sent ▁two ▁white ▁fur ▁tra ppers ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁Rock y ▁Mountains ▁to ▁search ▁for ▁fur . ▁These ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁white ▁men ▁met ▁by ▁the ▁Sp ok anes , ▁who ▁believed ▁they ▁were ▁sacred , ▁and ▁set ▁the ▁tra ppers ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁Col ville ▁River ▁valley ▁for ▁the ▁winter . ▁ ▁Tr ading ▁post ▁The ▁expl orer - ge ograph er ▁David ▁Thompson , ▁working ▁as ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁North ▁West ▁Company ' s ▁Columbia ▁Department , ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁European ▁to ▁explore ▁the ▁In land ▁Empire ▁( now ▁called ▁the ▁In land ▁North west ). ▁Cross ing ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁Canada – US ▁border ▁from ▁British ▁Columbia , ▁Thompson ▁wanted ▁to ▁expand ▁the ▁North ▁West ▁Company ▁further ▁south ▁in ▁search ▁of ▁f urs . ▁After ▁establish ing ▁the ▁K ul ly sp ell ▁House ▁and ▁S ale esh ▁House ▁trad ing ▁posts ▁in ▁what ▁are ▁now ▁Id aho ▁and ▁Mont ana , ▁Thompson