It means 'pierced nose,' but the Nez Perce people say that unlike some neighboring tribes, they have never had a tribal tradition of pierced noses. It comes from the French name for the tribe, Nez Percé (pronounced nay per-say.) Nobody knows why the French Canadian fur trappers called them this in the 18th century. Nez Perce is pronounced 'nezz purse' in English.
