Why is the name Flathead misleading for the Flathead people?

The name "Flathead" is misleading for the Flathead people because they never engaged in the practice of head flattening.1

While early accounts erroneously applied the term "Flathead" to all Salish-speaking tribes, the specific group now known by this name did not participate in the custom. Furthermore, in the 21st century, most members of this tribe prefer to refer to themselves simply as Salish, though this term is linguistically applied to a much broader grouping of Plateau Indian peoples.12