Umatilla
The Umatilla are a group of Indigenous peoples recognized as Plateau Indians who traditionally inhabited the Columbia Plateau region. Their language, a variant of Sahaptin, belongs to the Plateau Penutian language family. For over ten thousand years, the Umatilla thrived in the Columbia Basin, characterized by a stable culture that involved seasonal migrations to winter villages, with a subsistence economy primarily focused on salmon fishing and gathering local resources. The introduction of horses brought changes to their lifestyle but did not drastically shift their subsistence patterns compared to other tribes, such as the Nez Perce.
The impact of European American settlement began to be felt in the 1840s, leading to significant events such as the Cayuse War and the establishment of the Umatilla Reservation in 1855, initially comprising 245,699 acres. Over time, the Umatilla, along with other tribes in the region, faced land losses due to various legislations, including the General Allotment Act of 1887. In the latter half of the 20th century, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation actively sought to reclaim lost lands and fishing rights through legal avenues, achieving notable successes in some cases. Today, the Confederated Tribes, which include the Umatilla, Cayuse, and Walla Walla peoples, maintain a presence on the reservation and continue to engage in traditional practices while also relying on agriculture and grazing for their economy.
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Umatilla
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Plateau
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Sahaptin
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Oregon
- POPULATION SIZE: 3,100 (2024, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation)
The Umatilla are recognized as Plateau Indigenous Americans who traditionally inhabited the Columbia Plateau. The Umatilla language is a variety of Sahaptin, itself part of the Sahaptin division of the Plateau Penutian language family.
The Umatilla, part of the larger Columbia Plateau culture, existed for ten thousand years in the Columbia Basin before the coming of European Americans. During this period, their culture remained relatively stable, with seasonal moves to winter villages; there were rich salmon fishing resources on the Columbia River, as well as roots and berries that were gathered. By the time of European American contact, the horse was part of Umatilla culture. Horses changed Umatilla subsistence patterns, but not to the extent that the horse changed the Nez Perce. Perhaps because of the plenitude of their resources, particularly salmon, the Umatilla economy still consisted primarily of fishing and gathering, whereas some Plateau Indigenous groups began to hunt bison with the arrival of the horse.
Although there is evidence of epidemics, such as smallpox brought by trading ships, occurring in the Columbia Plateau as early as 1775, White settlement did not directly affect the Umatilla until the 1840s. Their villages were near the Emigrant Road, or Old Oregon Trail. When the Cayuse War broke out after the Whitman Massacre in 1848, some Umatilla took part. In 1855, the Walla Walla Council, led by Washington Territory governor Isaac Stevens, had an immediate impact on the Umatilla in that the Umatilla ceded lands in return for the Umatilla Reservation, an area originally established with 245,699 acres. In the mid 2020s, the reservation comprised 172,000 acres. It is home to the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, which consists of the Umatilla, Cayuse, and Walla Walla peoples. The reservation is also home to around three hundred Indigenous Americans from other groupings.
The Umatilla, like many other Indigenous American peoples, lost land after the General Allotment Act of 1887. Earlier, they had lost lands under the Donation Land Law, which allowed settlers to homestead lands in Oregon before the American Indians rescinded their right to the land. Beginning in 1951, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation began filing claims with the Indian Claims Commission to recover lost lands or a financial settlement in lieu of land. Other lawsuits concerned lost fishing rights. In the case, Maison v. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation (1958), Indigenous American fishing rights were recognized. Other suits involved lost water rights on the Umatilla River as a result of dam construction. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation received several monetary compensations for these claims.
In the mid 2020s, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation had 3,100 tribal members, with over half living on or near the reservation. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation relied on an economy of grazing and farming, particularly wheat, with limited industry. Some aspects of traditional life were still evident, as some members practiced the Waashat religion and could speak the Indigenous language.
Bibliography
“About Us.” Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, ctuir.org/about. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.
“The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.” Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, critfc.org/member-tribes-overview/the-confederated-tribes-of-the-umatilla-indian-reservation. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Pritzker, Barry M. "Umatilla." A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford University Press, 2000, pp. 284–86.
Ruby, Robert H., John A. Brown, and Cary C. Collins. A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest. 3rd ed. University of Oklahoma Press, 2010.
"Sahaptin." Endangered Languages Project, www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/3368. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.