Hupa
The Hupa people, also spelled Hoopa, are an Indigenous group residing in northwestern California, primarily along the Trinity River. Their population was recorded as 2,959 in the 2021 U.S. Census American Community Survey. Historically, the Hupa have a rich cultural heritage, with their ancestors believed to have migrated south approximately 1,300 years ago. They traditionally relied on natural resources like acorns and salmon, employing specialized fishing techniques during migratory runs. Key aspects of Hupa spirituality include significant ceremonies such as the Jumping Dance and White Deerskin Dance, which serve to renew their connection to the land and its resources.
The Hupa engaged in woodworking and basket weaving, which were important for social status, and utilized traditional wealth items like dentalium shell money and obsidian blades in various social transactions. Their first sustained contact with European settlers occurred in the 1850s, leading to significant population decline due to disease. Today, the Hupa Valley Tribe works to preserve their cultural traditions while promoting economic development through enterprises like the Lucky Bear Casino and the Hoopa Tribal Museum, which acts as a resource for cultural education. They also focus on sustainable practices, including forest management, to protect their environment and heritage.
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Hupa
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: California
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Athabaskan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Northwestern California
- POPULATION SIZE: 2,959 (2021 US Census American Community Survey)
Little is known of Hupa prehistory (also spelled Hoopa), but their language indicates that they came from the north about thirteen hundred years ago. Living along the Trinity River in twelve villages, in an area of dense vegetation, their primary subsistence orientation was toward acorns and fish, particularly salmon, which they caught during spring and fall migratory runs with specialized fishing technology. Hupa religious life was centered on two world-renewal and wealth-display ceremonies, the Jumping Dance and White Deerskin Dance, rituals to ward off famine and natural disaster and ensure an abundance of resources. The autumn Acorn Feast and spring First Salmon ceremonies were also important.
Woodworking and basket weaving were important status skills. Possession of traditional forms of wealth such as dentalium shell money, scarlet-feathered woodpecker scalp capes, obsidian blades, and albino deerskin was used for a number of purposes. These included paying a bride price, resolving conflicts, and paying a shaman’s fee. Social control was achieved through consensus, the threat of witchcraft or sorcery, and complex dietary and behavioral taboos.
The first European American contact was with fur trappers in the 1840s. Contact became sustained in the 1850s when Chinese and White gold miners prospected the Hoopa Valley, some taking up permanent residence. An estimated Indigenous population of 1,800 was reduced in half by 1870, mostly from introduced diseases. Fort Gaston was established in 1858, and by 1864, Congress had authorized nearly the entire Hupa territory for a reservation (87,000 acres). Gradually, the Hupa took to agriculture and lumbering. Though they knew of the Ghost Dance, they never participated in the messianic movement as did their neighbors, the Karuk and Yurok. A government boarding school and hospital were established on the reservation.
By the 1990s, much of Hupa income was from employment in numerous mills owned mostly by Whites. The wage economy adopted after World War II virtually ended all stock raising and farming. In the twenty-first century, the Hupa, known as the federally recognized Hoopa Valley Tribe, continued to work on preserving their cultural traditions and promoting economic development. They held traditional ceremonies such as the White Deerskin Dance and Jump Dance, provided language classes, and offered educational programs about Hupa traditions. The nation operated the Lucky Bear Casino, along with other businesses including Roads Aggregate and Ready-Mix, a construction materials company, and the Tsewenaldin Inn Motel. Additionally, the nation managed the Hoopa Tribal Museum, which showcased artifacts and provided insight into Hupa culture. The Hupa also participated in forest management practices to protect timber resources.
Bibliography
Boulé, Mary Null. California Native American Tribes Hupa. Merryant, 1992.
Cassar, Claudine. "Exploring the History and Culture of the Hupa Tribe." Anthropology Review, 10 Oct, 2024, anthropologyreview.org/anthropology-archaeology-news/hupa-tribe-history-culture/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
"Hoopa Tribal Museum." Hoopa Valley Tribe, www.hoopa-nsn.gov/departments/1490-2/museum. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
"Lucky Bear Casino." Hoopa Valley Tribe, www.hoopa-nsn.gov/enterprises/lucky-bear-casino. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.
"My Tribal Area." US Census Bureau, 2021, www.census.gov/tribal/?aianihh=1490. Accessed 327 Oct. 2024.
Nelson, Byron. Our Home Forever: The Hupa Indians of Northern California. Howe Brothers, 1978.
Sommerfeld, Samantha. "The Hoopa Valley Tribe: The Importance of Acorns." University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, www3.uwsp.edu/forestry/StuJournals/Pages/NA/sommerfeld.aspx. Accessed 327 Oct. 2024.
"Tribal Businesses (Enterprises)." Hoopa Valley Tribe, www.hoopa-nsn.gov/enterprises/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2024.