Yuki
The Yuki are an Indigenous group from Northern California, specifically associated with the Round Valley area. They spoke various dialects of the Yuki language and organized their communities into small village units, each led by a chief. Traditionally, the Yuki lived in conical bark dwellings and sustained themselves through hunting, gathering, and fishing, with salmon and acorns being staple foods. They engaged in trade primarily with neighboring tribes, such as the Pomo and Huchnom, exchanging food products for seafood and shell beads.
The Yuki faced significant challenges after their first contact with settlers in 1856, which led to attempts to exterminate their population. Despite this, they resisted encroachment and participated in cultural movements, including the Ghost Dance. By the 1960s, the Yuki community continued to navigate issues related to sanitation and health care while maintaining their cultural identity. As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 569 individuals who identified as Yuki, reflecting their ongoing presence and resilience within the broader landscape of California Tribes.
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Yuki
Category: Tribe
Culture area: California
Language group: Yuki
Primary location: Upper Eel River, northwestern California
Population size: 569 (2010 U.S. Census)
The Huchnom, Yuki, and Coast Yuki each spoke a dialect of the Yuki language. They all had tribelets, with the village constituting the main socioeconomic unit, presided over by a chief. They lived in conical dwellings of bark, banked with earth. Subsistence was acquired through hunting, gathering, and fishing; salmon and acorns were their main foods. Trade was primarily with the Pomo and Huchnom, and it involved the exporting of food products in exchange for seafood and various types of shell beads. Dress was minimal, though the women wore a fringed leather apron. Deerskin caps were worn in winter.
The Yuki Nation's first contact with settlers was in 1856, when the Nome Cult Indian Farm, essentially a reservation, was established in Round Valley. Settlers attempted to exterminate the Yuki, who resisted White encroachment and depredation. They recognized and participated in the two waves of the early 1870s Ghost Dance movement. By the 1960s, all Round Valley Indians were leading a rural life; problems included sanitation, water supplies, and health care. Yukis continue to live in the Round Valley area in the twenty-first century.
According to the 2010 United States Census, 569 people reported that they were Yukis, one of fifteen tribes within the California Tribes tribal grouping. These population totals include individuals who reported multiple tribe or tribal grouping affiliations, and those who reported being American Indian and Alaska Native alone or with any combination of other races.
Bibliography
Dugas, Michael, et al. “Yuki Settlement on the Black Butte River Revisited.” Proceedings of the Society for California Archaeology, vol. 28, 2014, pp. 26–42. America: History and Life with Full Text. www.californiaprehistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Proceedings.28Dugas1.pdf. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.
Lowery, Linda. Native Peoples of California. N.p.: Lerner, 2017. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 7 Sept. 2016.
Madley, Benjamin. “California’s Yuki Indians: Defining Genocide in Native American History.” Western Historical Quarterly, vol. 39, no. 3, 2008, pp. 303–32. Humanities Source. doi.org/10.1093/whq/39.3.303. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.
"Tribal Territory Since Time Began." Round Valley Indian Tribes, 2023. www.rvit.org/. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.
"American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes in the United States and Puerto Rico: 2010 (CPH-T-6)". US Census Bureau, 8 Oct. 2021. www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/cph-series/cph-t/cph-t-6.html. Accessed 22 Mar. 2023.