Siuslaw
The Siuslaw people are an Indigenous group located in southwestern Oregon, primarily along the Siuslaw River and its surrounding creek and river valleys. Traditionally, they lived off the land through hunting, gathering, and fishing, with salmon being a crucial food source. The Siuslaw are classified as speakers of a dialect from the Penutian language family, although there are ongoing debates within the community regarding this classification. Their way of life was largely disrupted in the 1800s due to the influx of White settlers, leading to significant loss of land and cultural heritage.
In 1855, the Siuslaw formed a political confederation with neighboring tribes—the Coos and Lower Umpqua—but were subsequently forced onto a reservation. Despite facing adversity, their tribal identity has persisted, and they regained federal recognition in 1984. The Siuslaw people, now part of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, work to maintain their cultural traditions and languages while engaging in economic ventures that include casinos and a golf course. Today, they continue to navigate the challenges of modern life while honoring their rich heritage.
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Siuslaw
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Northwest Coast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Penutian Language Family (Siuslawan or Yakonan)
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Southwestern Oregon
- POPULATION SIZE: 1,314 (The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians; 2024; Oregon Blue Book); 23 (Total Population Siuslaw, 2020 US Decennial Census)
The Siuslaw people live in the creek and river bottoms draining into the Siuslaw River along the southern Oregon coast. The temperate maritime rain forest is mild in climate and rich in resources. They are classified as speakers of a dialect from the Penutian language family of Yakonan genetic stock, though such classifications are disputed by some members of the group.
Prior to contact with White settlers, the Siuslaw lived a relatively isolated lifestyle in the Northwest Coast cultural area, where they focused on hunting, gathering, and fishing. Salmon was a primary food source. Large and small game, migratory waterfowl, many kinds of fish, shellfish, and marine mammals, as well as an abundance of plant life, provided them with many other foods. There was no need for farming. Life was relatively simple.
After contact, the Siuslaw were rapidly forced to the margins of their environment as White settlers poured into the coastal river valleys in the middle and late 1800s in search of gold and farmland. They entered into a political confederation with their neighbors to the south, the Lower Umpqua and the Coos, in 1855. In spite of this, the Siuslaw were forced to move onto a reservation on the Siletz River with the Siletz and other Indigenous groups.
Their numbers declined, and they became federal wards. They attempted to make treaties in good faith, but their lands were taken over by settlers, and their property was looted or burned. They lost their property, their way of life, and much of their unique Indigenous cultural heritage and political legacy. In 1984, the Indigenous group's federal recognition was restored, and in 1987, the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw created a constitution, consolidating leadership among the Indigenous groups. The Siuslaw endure in the twenty-first century, though according to the 2020 US Census, their specific numbers had dwindled to around twenty. However, the Indigenous groups in The Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians worked to keep their cultural traditions and languages alive and preserve their Indigenous lands. The Indigenous group also operated businesses such as casinos and a golf course.
Bibliography
Beck, David. Seeking Recognition: The Termination and Restoration of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, 1855–1984. University of Nebraska Press, 2009.
“A Brief History of the Coos, Lower Umpqua & Siuslaw Indians.” Oregon.gov, 2019, www.oregon.gov/lcd/Commission/Documents/2019-11‗Item‗1‗A‗CTCLUSI‗brief‗history.pdf. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
“Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI).” Oregon Blue Book, sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/national-tribes-coos.aspx. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
"History." Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, ctclusi.org/history. 6 Dec. 2024.
"History of Native Americans in the Umpqua Region." Oregon Explorer, oregonexplorer.info/content/history-native-americans-the-umpqua-region?topic=167&ptopic=140. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
Phillips, Patricia Whereat. Ethnobotany of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians. Oregon State University Press, 2016.
Ruby, Robert H., et al. A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest. 3rd ed., University of Oklahoma Press, 2014.
"Siuslaw and Kuitsh: Native Americans of the Oregon Coast." Lane Community College Library, 13 Nov. 2024, libraryguides.lanecc.edu/siuslaw. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.
“2020 Decennial Census: Siuslaw Total Popuation.” US Census Bureau, data.census.gov/table?q=siuslaw. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.