Yaquina
The Yaquina are a patrilineal Indigenous group from the Northwest Coast culture area, primarily known for their strong connection to the sea and rivers, as well as their reliance on land resources. Their environment provided a variety of food sources, including tidal organisms, birds, and waterfowl. The Yaquina lived in rectangular, multifamily cedar plank houses within autonomous permanent villages. Their society exhibited stratification, with wealthier men often practicing polygamy, and marriage played a crucial role in establishing social status and facilitating trade. Traditional practices included slavery, often acquired through raids, which was a form of wealth in their culture. The Yaquina were noted for their advanced woodworking skills, shared with neighboring groups such as the Alsea. European contact began in 1788, but subsequent epidemics, particularly smallpox, severely reduced their population. By the mid-19th century, the remaining Yaquina and Alsea were relocated to a reservation, and their numbers dwindled significantly over the years.
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Yaquina
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Northwest Coast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Yakonan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Yaquina River and Yaquina Bay, Oregon
The patrilineal Yaquina of the Northwest Coast culture area were oriented toward the sea and rivers, but they were also dependent upon land animals and plants for food and needed by-products. Their environment provided numerous tidal foods, birds, and waterfowl. They lived in rectangular, multifamily, cedar plank winter houses in autonomous permanent villages. Yaquina society was stratified, and wealthy men were often polygamous. Marriage reinforced trading relationships, established status, and redistributed wealth. Enslaved peoples, one form of traditional wealth, were usually acquired by raids. They excelled, as did their southern neighbors, the Alsea, in woodworking skills.
The first European American contact in the area was by the American ship Columbia in 1788. Unfortunately, little is known of the Yaquina or Alsea people, whose numbers were greatly reduced by early epidemics, particularly smallpox. By 1856, the remaining Alsea and Yaquina had been placed on the Coast Reservation, a small portion of their original territory. The Coast Reservation was split in 1865, and in 1910, only nineteen people who identified themselves as Yaquina remained. In 1875, the remaining Yaquina were forced to abandon their homes and settle on the Siletz Reservation. In the twenty-first century, descendants of the Yaquina can be found in the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.
Bibliography
Alexander, Kathy. “Summary of Native American Tribes – X-Z.” Legends of America, May 2024, www.legendsofamerica.com/tribe-summary-x-z. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
“History.” Yakona Oregon, www.yakonaoregon.org/history. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
"Indigenous Presence." Friends of Otter Rock Marine Reserve, friendsofotterrock.org/stories/indigenous-presence/. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
“The Yaqo’n: The First People of Newport.” Discover Newport Oregon, www.discovernewport.com/post/the-yaqo-n-the-first-people-of-newport. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.