Yakama

The Yakama have lived, worked, and traveled on the Columbia Plateau for thousands of years. One of a number of Sahaptin-speaking Native communities living on the Columbia Plateau, the Yakama lived principally on the western edges of this geographic region. The Yakama homeland stretched over large portions of the Columbia Plateau. The western boundary reached into the Cascade Mountains. Mount Adams and Mount Rainier, both part of a chain of dormant volcanoes, were important places for the Yakama people, both spiritually and economically. The Yakama hunted game and gathered roots and plants in the Cascade Mountains. To the east Yakama territory extended well into the Columbia Plateau, nearly to the Walla Walla, Snake, and Palouse Rivers. The southern boundary of Yakama territory was formed by the Columbia River, where the Yakama maintained extensive fishing sites. Most Yakama lived in semipermanent villages and towns located mainly along streams and rivers in the region, in particular the Yakima Valley. The Yakama people were divided into two principal groups, the Lower and Upper Yakama. The Lower Yakama lived in the lower portion of the Yakima Valley. They formed the largest portion of the population. The Upper Yakama, sometimes called the Kittitas, occupied the upper valley, living in seven villages. During a large part of the year, the Yakama moved from place to place exploiting food sources such as camas, khouse, berries, salmon, deer, elk, and a number of other plants and animals found on the Columbia Plateau.

The Columbia Plateau is a unique geographic region, principally known for its aridity and undulating hills cut through by the Columbia River. This region was not particularly suited to consistent human habitation, yet many Native peoples, including the Yakama, survived and thrived in the region. Donald Meinig, author of one of the most influential studies on the Columbia Plateau, noted that the landscape and climate of the region shaped the human geography of the area. The lack of large game animals, like the buffalo, and the minimal small game and plant life made subsistence on the plateau very difficult. The one source of consistent food lay in the rivers of the region like the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Annually these rivers carried millions of salmon to their spawning grounds and provided Native peoples in the region with one of their most important sources of food. Life on the plateau created a situation in which Native peoples like the Yakama used the region in a seasonal pattern. Wintering on the fringes of the plateau, where there was less snow and the temperatures were warmer, the Yakama prepared for the seasonal round that occurred during the spring, summer, and fall months.

The seasonal round, as practiced by the Yakama and other Columbia Plateau communities, formed the basis for survival and activity throughout the year. Each season required strenuous effort in order for [Page 722]communities to survive during the winter. With the arrival of spring, generally marked by the first Chinook salmon run, Yakama people moved from their villages to fishing sites located mainly along the Columbia River, harvested the fish, and then moved on to other sites where women could harvest spring roots for eating and storage. Among the favorites were camas, bitterroot, khouse, wild carrot, and wild onion. The concentration of these roots in specific locations led to the interaction of many different Indian communities. Yakama, Nez Perce, Umatilla, and other communities met to gather roots and interact on a social, political, and cultural basis. Horse racing, gambling, games, storytelling, arranging of weddings, and many other activities occurred during these times.

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