Wenatchi
The Wenatchi, or Wenatchee, are a Native American group belonging to the Salishan language family, historically residing along the Wenatchee River in Washington State. Their name, derived from the Yakama word for "river issuing from a canyon," reflects their deep connection to the land and waterways of their region. Traditionally, the Wenatchi were semi-nomadic hunters and gatherers, heavily relying on salmon and seasonal foraging for sustenance. Despite their proximity to other Indigenous groups, they were generally peaceful and did not engage in prolonged conflicts.
With European contact in the 19th century, the Wenatchi faced significant challenges, including disease and pressure to abandon their ancestral lands. They signed the 1855 Yakima Treaty, which established a reservation for them, but subsequent agreements and settler encroachment hindered their land rights. By the mid-20th century, the Wenatchi were incorporated into the Colville Indian Agency. Legal battles in recent years have sought to reaffirm their rights to fishing, hunting, and recognition of traditional lands, although their population has dwindled. As of the 2010 US Census, only twelve individuals identified as full-blooded Wenatchi, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by this community in preserving their heritage and rights.
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Wenatchi
- CATEGORY: Tribe
- CULTURE AREA: Plateau
- LANGUAGE GROUP: Salishan
- PRIMARY LOCATION: Washington State
- POPULATION SIZE: 12 alone; 32 alone or in combination (2010 US Census)
The Wenatchi (or Wenatchee) people, a part of the Salishan language family, lived along the Wenatchee River, a tributary of the Columbia River in Washington. Their earliest known homeland was farther inland, perhaps as far east as western Montana. Their name, and the name of the river that was their home, is from the Yakama word winätshi (“river issuing from a canyon”). The Wenatchi were probably closely related to the Pisquow. Another smaller group, the Chelan, spoke the same dialect as the Wenatchi and may have once been a part of the tribe. The Wenatchi lived in villages of varying sizes. Because these Plateau Indigenous Americans relied on hunting and fishing—salmon was a chief staple of their diet—as well as on gathering roots and berries, they moved throughout the year to find food in different seasons. The Wenatchi were involved in no protracted struggles with their neighbors. The Wenatchi had no continuous contact with White people until the nineteenth century, when they started to feel pressure to vacate their lands. Contact also brought diseases to which the Wenatchi had no immunity, and many died.
The 1855 Yakima Treaty, to which the Wenatchi were also signatories, granted them a reservation at the Wenatshapam Fishery, the juncture of Icicle Creek and the Wenatchee River. However, the encroachment of the railroad and White settlers continued. In 1894, the US government ratified a formal agreement with the Wenatchi that was supposed to guarantee them allotments along the river in exchange for the highland reservation that had been set aside for them. However, those allotments were never granted. By the middle of the twentieth century, the Wenatchi were part of the confederated Colville Indian Agency.
In 2002, the Wenatchi unsuccessfully attempted to reclaim land in the nearby national forest, some of which was traditionally used for sacred burial sites. They later won an important legal battle in 2010 when a federal district court recognized the Wenatchi and Yakama had equal rights to fish at the Wenatshapam Fishery. The Wenatchi also pursued claims to hunting and gathering rights as well as the right to their own reservation.
The 1990 US Census reported that there were twenty-six Wenatchi people left in the country. By the 2010 US Census, the number of self-identified full-blooded Wenatchi was only twelve. However, when those of mixed Indigenous ancestry were taken into account, a total of thirty-two people reported Wenatchi heritage. Moreover, there were 8,114 self-identified full-blooded members of the confederated Colville Reservation (of which the Wenatchi are a part) and 10,549 members, including those of mixed heritage. In 2025, the population of the Colville Reservation numbered over 7,000, although it was unknown what amount were full-blooded Wenatchi.
Bibliography
“Colville Reservation.” Census Reporter, 2023, censusreporter.org/profiles/25200US0760R-colville-reservation. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.
False Promises: The Lost Land of the Wenatchi. Directed by Rustin Thompson, White Noise Productions, 2002.
"John Harmelt: The Last Chief of the Wenatchi." Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, www.wenatcheevalleymuseum.org/2011/john-harmelt-the-last-chief-of-the-wenatchi. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.
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.
Scheuerman, Richard D., editor. The Wenatchi Indians: Guardians of the Valley. Ye Galleon, 1982.
"United States v. Confederated Tribes of Colville Indian Reservation (2010)." FindLaw, caselaw.findlaw.com/us-9th-circuit/1525561.html. Accessed 1 Jan. 2025.