Siletz
The Siletz, a band of Salish-speaking Tillamook people, traditionally inhabited the Siletz River area in northwestern Oregon. They are recognized as the southernmost group within the Salishan language family, and before European contact, they lived autonomously in familial and culturally cohesive communities, relying on fishing, hunting, and gathering from the region's rich natural resources. In the mid-19th century, following colonization, many Indigenous groups from the Oregon coast were relocated to the Siletz Reservation, which led to a blending of various languages and cultures. This reservation now serves as the home for nearly thirty different Indigenous Nations, all of which are part of the federally recognized Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon. Cultural revitalization efforts include projects aimed at preserving the Siletz language, with initiatives like the Siletz Dee-Ni Online Talking Dictionary and educational grants supporting language curriculum development. The community also operates the Chinook Winds Casino Resort, which plays a significant role in their economy. Governance is maintained through an elected council, reflecting a commitment to self-determination and community representation.
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Siletz
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Northwest Coast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Salishan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Oregon coast
- POPULATION SIZE: 577 on the Siletz Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, OR (2018-2022 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates)
The Siletz are the band of Salish-speaking Tillamook people who traditionally lived along the river of the same name in northwestern Oregon. This band is generally thought to be the southernmost branch of the Salishan language family in the Northwest Coast culture area.
Before contact with European American peoples, the Siletz existed, as did most of the peoples of the Oregon coast, in a quiet, relatively isolated autonomy. The Siletz lived in bands and villages around the mouth of, and inland along, the Siletz River and were related by close familial and cultural bonds. Their lifestyle was based on fishing, hunting, and gathering of the abundant local maritime, estuarine, riverine, and woodland resources. They are related to the Nehalem, Nestucca, and River of Salmon Peoples (Karuk, Shasta, Konomihu, and Nez Perce).
After contact with colonizing Americans, most Indigenous coastal peoples in Oregon were removed to a reservation in upriver Siletz territory around 1855. The Siletz reservation became the home for a wide variety of previously unrelated peoples for many years, and much mixing of languages and cultures occurred. Among the people and cultures represented on the Siletz reservation were the Athapaskan language family, Yakonan language family, Kusan, Takelman, Shastan, and Sahaptian from all over the coastal northwest. In 2006, the Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages unveiled the Siletz Dee-Ni Online Talking Dictionary Project, aiming to document and preserve the Indigenous language. In 2008, the Administration for Native Americans authorized the Siletz people a grant to support preservation efforts and the development of a Siletz language curriculum. The Siletz Tribal Language Project has also contributed to these efforts.
The Siletz peoples are now identified as part of the federally recognized Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, which comprise nearly thirty Indigenous Nations living together in and around what was once the traditional territory of the Siletz peoples alone. Together, the Nations operate the Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City, Oregon. Nine tribal council members are elected to three-year terms to serve the community.
Bibliography
"About the Siletz Tribal Language Project." Siletz Tribal Language Project, www.siletzlanguage.org/about-siletz-tribal-language.php. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
"History." Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, www.ctsi.nsn.us/introduction. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
"Our Heritage." Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, ctsi.nsn.us/heritage. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Pigsley, Delores. Interview. "Delores Pigsley. Delores Pigsley, Chairman of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon." National Museum of the American Indian, 13 Sept. 2018, ictnews.org/archive/delores-pigsley-president-nmais-meet-native-america-series. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Ruby, Robert H., et al. A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest. 3rd ed., U of Oklahoma P, 2010.
Wilford, John Noble. "Languages Die, but Not Their Last Words." New York Times, 19 Sept. 2007, www.nytimes.com/2007/09/19/science/19language.html. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.