The Umpqua people are an umbrella group of several distinct tribal entities of Native Americans of the Umpqua Basin in present-day south central

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The area south of Roseburg is now known as the Umpqua Valley. At least four tribal groups have historically lived in the Umpqua River Basin: the Southern Molalla, the Lower Umpqua tribe, the Upper Umpqua tribe, and the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Native Americans. Before European settlement in the region, the tribes spoke several different languages, including Siuslaw (Lower Umpqua), Yoncalla (Southern Kalapuya), Upper Umpqua,

Takelma The Takelma (also Dagelma) are a Native American people who originally lived in the Rogue Valley of interior southwestern Oregon. Most of their villages were sited along the Rogue River. The name ''Takelma'' means "(Those) Along the River". His ...

, and the Molalla language. Archaeological evidence indicates that the Native American settlement in the Umpqua region began at least 8,000 years before the arrival of European settlers. The name "Umpqua" likely derives from a Tolowa word for "a place along the river." Other theories report that "Umpqua" means "thundering water," "dancing water" or "bring across the river."

Overview

Lower Umpqua

The Lower Umpqua (Kuitsh) tribe spoke the Lower Umpqua (Kuitsh/Quuiič) dialect of the Siuslaw language. Their self-designation was Kuitsh, Quuiič or Quuiich (″The Southern People″, probably derived from the words ''qiiuu'', ″south″, and ''hiich'', ″people″). Prior to European settlement, the Lower Umpqua (Kuitsh) lived on the coast from Siltcoos River south to Tenmile Creek. Today, the ''Lower Umpqua (Kuitsh) people'' are represented by the following tribes: *

Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians The Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians of Oregon are a federally recognized Native American tribe of Hanis Coos, Miluk Coos, Lower Umpqua (or Kuitsh), and Siuslaw people in Oregon.Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in the United States is a federally recognized confederation of more than 27 Native American tribes and bands who once inhabited an extensive homeland of more than 20 million acres from northern Califo ...

, and * Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon

Upper Umpqua

The Upper Umpqua people lived mostly on the South Umpqua River, near present Roseburg, Oregon and the Umpqua River upstream of the head of tide (present-day

Scottsburg, Oregon Scottsburg is an unincorporated community in Douglas County, Oregon, United States. It is along the Umpqua River and Oregon Route 38, and is about from the Pacific Ocean. It was once a growing town but after a large flood in December 1861 the tow ...

). Their self-designation was Etnemitane, Tl'uu-dv-nee-yu (literally "prairie people") or simply Dv-nee-yu / Dv-ne ("people").ILDA - Indigenous Languages Digital Archive
/ref> The now-extinct Upper Umpqua language formed with three other closely related languages the ″Oregon Athabaskan cluster″ of the

Pacific Coast Athabaskan languages Pacific Coast Athabaskan is a geographical and possibly genealogical grouping of the Athabaskan language family. California Athabaskan : 1. Hupa (dining'-xine:wh, a.k.a. Hoopa-Chilula) :: dialects: ::* Hupa ::* Tsnungwe ::: - tse:ning-xwe ::: - ...

. By neighboring Athapascan-speaking peoples they were known as ″Umpqua River People″—in the original languages: :* Tututni and (Upper) Coquille-Tututni: Ci-cta-́qwût-mê ́ t̟ûn-nĕ :* Chasta Costa-Tututni: Ci-stá-qwŭt dv-nee-yu :* Naltunne-Tututni: Cac-taⁿ-́qwût me-́t̟ûn-nĕ :* Chetco-Tolowa: Ûm-́kwa-me (origin of the English word ''Umpqua'') Today, the ''Upper Umpqua people'' are represented by the following tribes: * Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon *

Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians The Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians in the United States is a federally recognized confederation of more than 27 Native American tribes and bands who once inhabited an extensive homeland of more than 20 million acres from northern Califo ...

, and *

Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, known to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) as the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Indians of Oregon is a federally recognized Native American tribal government based in Roseburg, Oregon, United States. T ...

Cow Creek Band of Upper Umpqua

Originally a band of the

Takelma people The Takelma (also Dagelma) are a Native American people who originally lived in the Rogue Valley of interior southwestern Oregon. Most of their villages were sited along the Rogue River. The name ''Takelma'' means "(Those) Along the River". His ...

along the South Umpqua River, Myrtle Creek, and Cow Creek, the Cow Creek people were called Cow Creek Takelma, or The Cow Creek Band. Today, the ''Cow Creek Band of Upper Umpqua'' are represented by the following tribes: *

Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Native Americans Cattle (''Bos taurus'') are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved, herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus ''Bos''. Adult females are referred to as cows and adult mal ...

is one of nine federally recognized indigenous Tribal Governments in the State of Oregon. They were the first tribes in the Oregon Territory to sign a treaty with the US government, on September 19, 1853. As a result of the treaty, the Cow Creek Tribe became a landless tribe, ceding more than 800 square miles of Southwestern Oregon to the United States. The Cow Creek Tribe never received the reservation their treaty promised, but even without a reservation, the people remained in their homelands.

Southern Molalla

The Molala were living along the Deschutes River. They later moved to the headwaters of the

Umpqua River The Umpqua River ( ) on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west ...

and Rogue River. Today, the ''Molalla people'' are represented by the following tribes: * Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (with 141 of the 882 members in the 1950s claiming Molalla descent) *

, and *

History

The Native Americans who lived in the Umpqua region prior to European settlement

were highly dependent on the annual cycle of nature. Their cultures were rich and complex, with distinct rituals, rites and responsibilities. In winter, the people lived in cedar plank houses in permanent villages. Here they made baskets, clothing, tools, and weapons, and recounted a wide variety of stories including creation stories and tales of a magical time when animals and humans shared the same language. In the spring, summer, and fall, they went to seasonal camps to take advantage of seasonally-abundant food resources.

The first known contact with whites was with fur trappers in the late 1700s. In the 1820s, the

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...

began intensive trapping of beavers and regular trade with the Native Americans in the Umpqua Basin.

Relations with fur trappers were generally good, although there were occasional skirmishes. An especially notorious conflict occurred in 1828 between the Lower Umpqua Indians and a party of fur traders led by Jedediah Smith. Due perhaps to inappropriate advances of Smith's men toward Indian women, or due perhaps to the alleged theft of an ax by a young Native American, a Lower Umpqua man was killed by Smith's party, for which the Lower Umpquas retaliated and killed 15 of the 19 of Smith's men.

Footnotes

External links

Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians homepageConfederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw homepageConfederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon homepageConfederated Tribes of Siletz Indians homepage
{{authority control Native American tribes in Oregon Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians