The Nimi'ipuu

What is the population of the Nez Perce Tribe?  And what was it at the time the white man first encountered the Nez Perce?

Currently (as of January 2002) the enrollment for the Nez Perce Tribe is 3,296.  As for the population at the time of the settlers, it is best if you look up in Lewis and Clark's journals - it states an estimate of the number of Nez Perce people.