Chasta Costa
Chasta Costa, also known as Shasta Costa, is a historically significant Native American tribe located in the mountainous region of southwestern Oregon, primarily within the Rogue River and Chasta Costa Creek drainages. This tribe is part of the Athabaskan language group and has a rich cultural heritage characterized by a socially stratified structure led by polygamous chiefs. These leaders maintained their positions through consensus and exhibited strong oratorical skills. The Chasta Costa engaged in diverse subsistence practices, including fishing, hunting, and gathering, while employing controlled burning techniques to manage their resources effectively.
Historically, the tribe traded with neighboring groups such as the Upper Coquille and coastal Tututni. However, post-contact events, including diseases introduced by gold seekers and the destructive Rogue River War, significantly affected their population and territorial rights, leading to their relocation to the Siletz Reservation. In 1977, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, which includes the Chasta Costa among other Indigenous groups, gained federal recognition. Today, the tribe actively pursues economic development and engages in cultural revitalization efforts, providing social services to enhance the well-being of its over 5,000 members.
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Chasta Costa
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Northwest Coast
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Athabaskan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Rogue River and Chasta Costa Creek drainages, Oregon
Living in a mountainous area throughout their history, the socially stratified Chasta Costa, sometimes referred to as Shasta Costa, were dependent upon trading with the Upper Coquille, the Galice to their southeast, and the coastal Tututni. These patrilineal groups were headed by polygamous chiefs whose position was maintained through consensus of opinion, oratorical skills, and leadership. The groups had complex ceremonies and engaged in warfare, primarily for status and for acquiring enslaved peoples. Subsistence was diversified through fishing, hunting land and sea mammals, and gathering roots, tubers, berries, nuts, and acorns. Annual controlled burning improved resource areas, and deer hunting areas were burned over every five years. Permanent winter dwellings were of split cedar planks, and the size of the structure was determined by one’s status.
In April 1792, Robert Gray began to trade with people of this area, but little ethnographic information was recorded. These nations were devastated by post-contact diseases brought by gold seekers. The Rogue River War (1855-1856) was also destructive, as Chasta Costa were moved from their traditional territories. Following the Rogue River War, the Chasta Costa and other Indigenous nations were moved to what became the Siletz Reservation, where they formed a unified Indigenous nation. In 1977, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians received federal recognition as an Indigenous nation. In the twenty-first century, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians comprise twenty-seven Indigenous American groups and bands. The over 5,000 members pursue economic development opportunities, such as gaming and commercial real estate. The nation is actively engaged in cultural revitalization and provides social services to its members.
Bibliography
"Culture & Language." Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, ctsi.nsn.us/culture-language. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
"Introduction." Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, ctsi.nsn.us/introduction. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Lewis, David. "Athapaskan Indians." Oregon Encyclopedia, 13 Nov. 2023, www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/athapasca‗indians/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
Ruby, Robert H., et al. A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest. University of Oklahoma Press, 2013.
"State of Oregon: Blue Book - Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians." Oregon Secretary of State, sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/Pages/national-tribes-siletz.aspx. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.