​SALISHAN, the name of a linguistic family of North American Indian tribes, the more important of which are the Salish (Flatheads), Bellacoola, Clallam, Colville, Kalispel, Lummi, Nisqually, Okinagan, Puyallup, Quinault, Sanpoil, Shushwap, Skokomish, Songeesh, Spokan and Tulalip. They number about 20,000, and live in the southern part of British Columbia, the coast of Oregon, and the north-west of Washington, Montana and Idaho.