The Karuk people ()Andrew Garrett, Susan Gehr, Erik Hans Maier, Line Mikkelsen, Crystal Richardson, and Clare Sandy. (November 2, 2021) ''Karuk; To appear in The Languages and Linguistics of Indigenous North America: A Comprehensive Guide (De Gruyter Mouton), ed. by Carmen Jany, Marianne' Mithun, and Keren Ric

' are an

indigenous people of California Indigenous peoples of California, commonly known as Indigenous Californians or Native Californians, are a diverse group of nations and peoples that are indigenous to the geographic area within the current boundaries of California before and afte ...

, and the Karuk Tribe is one of the largest tribes in California. Karuks are also enrolled in two other

federally recognized tribes This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes are legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United States.

, the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria and the Quartz Valley Indian Community. Happy Camp, California, is located in the heart of the Karuk Tribe's ancestral territory, which extends along the

Klamath River The Klamath River (Karuk language, Karuk: ''Ishkêesh'', Klamath language, Klamath: ''Koke'', Yurok language, Yurok: ''Hehlkeek 'We-Roy'') is a long river in southern Oregon and northern California. Beginning near Klamath Falls, Oregon, Klama ...

from Bluff Creek (near the community of Orleans in Humboldt County) through Siskiyou County and into Southern Oregon.

Name

The name "káruk ," also spelled "Karok," means "upriver", or "upstream", whereas the word "yúruk" means "downriver". Thus, the term "káruk va’áraaras" refers to Karuk people, literally meaning "upriver people", whereas the exonym of the

Yurok The Yurok people are an Algic-speaking Indigenous people of California that has existed along the or "Health-kick-wer-roy" (now known as the Klamath River) and on the Pacific coast, from Trinidad south of the Klamath’s mouth almost to Cresc ...

people in English, is derived from Karuk language term "yúrukvâaras", meaning "downriver people. Historically, "káruk va’áraaras" referred to any people from upriver of a reference point or person speaking. Traditionally, Karuk people referred to themselves as "ithivthanéen’aachip va’áraaras", meaning "middle of the world people". Karuk people are called ''Chum-ne'' in the neighboring

Tolowa language The Tolowa language (also called Chetco-Tolowa, or Siletz Dee-ni) is a member of the Pacific Coast Athabaskan, Pacific Coast subgroup of the Athabaskan languages, Athabaskan language family. Together with three other closely related languages (Lo ...

Language

The Karuk people speak the Karuk language, a language isolate. The tribe has an active language revitalization program.

Population

Estimates for the population sizes of most Native groups before European arrival in California have varied substantially. Alfred L. Kroeber proposed a population for the Karuk of 1,500 in 1770. Sherburne F. Cook initially estimated it as 2,000, later raising this figure to 2,700. In 1910, Kroeber reported the surviving population of the Karuk as 800. According to the 2010 census, there were 6,115 Karuk individuals.

Culture

Since time immemorial, the Karuk resided in villages along the

, where they continue such cultural traditions as hunting, gathering, fishing, basketmaking and ceremonial dances. The Karuk were one among several California tribes to sow and harvest tobacco plants. The Brush Dance, Jump Dance and Pikyavish ceremonies last for several days and are practiced to heal and "fix the world," to pray for plentiful acorns, deer and

salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...

, and to restore social goodwill as well as individual good luck. The Karuk developed sophisticated usage of plants and animals for their subsistence. These practices not only consisted of food harvesting from nature, but also the use of plant and animal materials as tools, clothing and pharmaceuticals. The Karuk cultivated a form of tobacco, and used fronds of the Coastal woodfern as anti-microbial agents in the process of preparing eels for food consumption.

In film

* Andrew Chambers. 2008. Pikyáv (to fix it). Documentary film produced for the Truly California series. KQED Public Television and C. Buried Star Productions.

Notable Karuk people

* Rob Cabitto, author of a memoir about his struggles with identity and addiction. * Naomi Lang, figure skater; five time US Champion in ice dancing from 1999 to 2003. As a member of the 2002 US Olympic figure skating team, she was the first Native American woman to compete in the Winter Olympics. Her great-great-grandmother, Bessie Tripp, was a full blooded Karuk from Orleans/Salmon River. *

Buck Martinez John Albert "Buck" Martinez (born November 7, 1948) is an American former professional baseball catcher and manager, and is currently the television color commentator for the Toronto Blue Jays. He played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) ...

, former professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

player and current play-by-play broadcaster for the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...

.Baseball Assistance Team Director Profile: Buck Martinez.
MLB.com. Retrieved November 9, 2022. *Anthony Earl Numkena (

Hopi The Hopi are Native Americans who primarily live in northeastern Arizona. The majority are enrolled in the Hopi Tribe of Arizona and live on the Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona; however, some Hopi people are enrolled in the Colorado ...

/Karuk) (born 1942), actor, appeared in a number of films and television shows in the 1950s including being credited in '' Pony Soldier'' (1952) at the age of nine. His grandmother, Caroline Besoain, née Harrie, was three-quarters Karuk born in Somes Bar, California in 1899 and settled in Quartz Valley, California. * Jetty Rae, musician whose grandmother, Jetty Rae Thom, was a full-blooded Karuk.Carr, Tom
"Jetty Rae puts her own mark on music."
''Traverse City Record-Eagle.'' 25 Dec 2008. Retrieved November 9, 2022. * Cutcha Risling Baldy, associate professor Cal Poly Humboldt *Fox Anthony Spears, artist and printmaker who uses geometric designs inspired by Karuk basketry patterns. Commissioned to design warmup jersey patches for

Seattle Kraken The Seattle Kraken are a professional ice hockey team based in Seattle. The Kraken compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The t ...

’s Indigenous Peoples Night game in 2021.

Notes

References

External links

Karuk Tribe of California

Ayukii: Karuk, The People of the Klamath

Karuk language resources
*
Karuk Reservation and Off-Reservation Trust Land, California
United States Census Bureau

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{{authority control Indigenous peoples of California Native American tribes in Oregon Siskiyou County, California