The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, or simply Yakama Nation (formerly Yakima), is a Native American group with nearly 10,000 enrolled members, living in Washington. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Sahaptin (also Shahaptin) is a Plateau Penutian language of the Sahaptian sub-family spoken in a section of the northwestern plateau along the Columbia Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Their reservation, along the Yakima River, covers an area of approximately 1. The Yakama Indian Reservation is a United States Indian reservation located on the east side of the Cascade Mountains in southern Washington. The Yakima River is a tributary of the Columbia River in south central and eastern Washington State named for the indigenous Yakama people 3 million acres (5,260 km²). Today the nation is governed by the Yakama Tribal Council, which consists of representatives of 14 tribes and bands.

Many tribal members engage in ceremonial, subsistence, and commercial fisheries for salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon in the Columbia River and its tributaries within land ceded by the tribe to the United States. Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. The rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a species of Salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America Sturgeon is the Common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, The Columbia River (known as The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The right to fish is protected by treaties and has been re-affirmed through court cases such as United States v. Washington (the Boldt Decision) and United States v. United States v Washington, 384 FSupp 312 ( WD Wash 1974 better known as the "Boldt Decision" was a controversial 1974 court case which Oregon (Sohappy v. Smith. Sohappy v Smith, 302 FSupp 899 (DOr 1969 along with the combined United States v )

History

The Yakama people were similar to the other native inhabitants of the Columbia River Plateau. The Columbia River Plateau is a geologic and geographic region that lies across parts of the U They lived off the abundant salmon in the Columbia River as well as berries from the nearby mountains. In 1805 or 1806, they encountered the Lewis and Clark Expedition where the Yakima River merges with the Columbia River. As a consequence of the Walla Walla Council and the Yakima War of 1855 (led by Chief Kamiakin), the tribe was moved onto their present reservation. The Walla Walla Council ( 1855) was a meeting in the Pacific Northwest between the United States and sovereign tribal bodies of the Cayuse, The Yakima War was a conflict between the United States and the Yakama people a Sahaptian -speaking people on the Northwest Plateau then Washington The Treaty of 1855 identified the 14 confederated tribes and bands of the Yakama including "Yakama, Palouse," (now written "Palus"), "Pisquouse, Wenatshapam, Klikatat, Klinquit, Kow-was-say-ee, Li-ay-was, Skin-pah, Wish-ham, Shyiks, Ochechotes, Kah-milt-pay, and Se-ap-cat, confederated tribes and bands of Indians, occupying lands hereinafter bounded and described and lying in Washington Territory, who for the purposes of this treaty are to be considered as one nation, under the name 'Yakama'…". For the district in India see Palus. The Palus (pəˈluːs are recognized in the Treaty of 1855 with the Yakamas (negotiated at the Walla The Washington Territory was a historic Organized territory of the United States that was formed in February 8, 1853 from the portion of the (Treaty with the Yakama, 1855) The name was changed from Yakima to Yakama in 1994 to reflect the native pronunciation.

Language

Yakama Indian Teepee -Edward Curtis collection - 1910

Yakama is a northwestern dialect of Sahaptin, a Sahaptian language of the Plateau Penutian family. Sahaptin (also Shahaptin) is a Plateau Penutian language of the Sahaptian sub-family spoken in a section of the northwestern plateau along the Columbia Sahaptian (also Sahaptianic, Sahaptin, Shahaptian) is a sub-grouping of two languages of the Plateau Penutian family spoken by Native American Plateau Penutian (also Shahapwailutan, Lepitan) is a family of languages spoken in northern California, reaching through central-western In recent years there has been a concerted effort by some native speakers to use a traditional Yakama name for this language, which is "Ichishkíin Sínwit". This usage has been promoted by the tribal Cultural Resources program to supersede the word Sahaptin, which means "stranger in the land". ^[1]

Notes

References

• Treaty with the Yakama, 1855, Washington State Governor's Office of Indian Affairs. Accessed 12 Feb 2006.

Further reading

• Helen H. Schuster (1990). The Yakima. Chelsea House. ISBN 1-55546-735-0.  
• Donald M. Hines (1992). Ghost Voices: Yakima Indian myths, legend, humor, and hunting stories. Great Eagle Pub. ISBN 0-9629539-2-X.  
• A. J. Splawn (1917). Ka-mi-akin, the last hero of the Yakimas. Kilham Stationery & Printing Co. .  online

External links

• Yakama Nation Cultural Heritage Center
• Online Highway: Yakama Indian Nation
• Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission — member tribes include the Yakama
• Yakama Nation Legends Casino
• Yakama Nation Wildlife Program
• Yakama Language