Yurok Tribe PUE-LIK-LO’ • PEY-CHEEK-LO’ • nER-ER-NER’ TABLE OF CONTENTS 04 Traditional Ways 05 Yurok Village Map 06 A Tragic Past 11 Language Revitalization 12 Ceremonial Revitalization 13 Land Ownership 15 Tribal Government 18 Yurok Timeline A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE Language Program, and the Yurok • Discussions with Yurok elders, FOLLOWING CONTRIBUTORS: Tribe Land Management . cultural and ceremonial people (2006-2007). The Yurok Tribe appreciates Historical Information used in part • U.S. Department of the Interior the support received from from the following sources: Memorandum, 1993. the Administration for Native • Redwood National Park History Basic Americans Social and Economic Data, by Edwin C. Bearss (1969 & Project Overseen by the Yurok Tribal Development Strategies reprint 1982). Council (ANA SEDS). • A Yurok Forest History, Lynn Huntsinger with Sarah McCaffrey, Project Manager: Buffy McQuillen ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Laura Watt, and Michele Lee, Graphics and Layout: Matt Mais University of California at Berkeley Photographs and maps provided by (1994). the following: Phoebe Hearst Museum • Standing Ground, Thomas Buckley of Anthropology, Humboldt State (2002). Cover Photo: Oregos University’s Roberts Collection, Jeanne • Genocide in Northwestern California: Riecke’s family photo collection, Del When our World’s Cried, Jack Norton Norte Historical Society, Yurok Tribe (1979). © Yurok Tribe 2007 Yurok tribe 2 A Message from the Yurok Tribal Council This booklet is a snapshot of the numerous threats the Tribe has survived and a glimpse into what the Tribe has overcome since initial contact began. We created this piece of literature because we are frequently asked about our culture; which is not an easy subject to describe. In creating the concept for this booklet we realized that it would be an injustice to our ancestors if we did not describe the history which left our village and religious structure fragmented and our language near the brink of extinction. In reading this booklet, please recognize that our traditional way of teaching is through an oral process. It is not customary to recite history in this manner, but it is an important step toward educating people who may not have the ability to learn historical accounts or cultural traditions in the way in which it was done prior to non-Indian contact. For visitors to the Tribe, we hope that you will take the time to learn our history and understand that our cultural traditions are a part of our everyday existence and that our ceremonies continue to be practiced today. Our language, although somewhat jeopardized by the loss of fluent speakers, continues to be strengthened by eager Yuroks on the path to fluency. Our youth show great promise in restoring our language to the status of being a living language. As a Tribe we uphold our Constitution’s Preamble in ensuring that we are preserving and promoting our culture, language, and religious beliefs and practices, and passing them on to the future generations of Yurok people. We encourage you to become more involved with the Tribe by learning more of our history and respecting our right to self-govern. Wok-hlaw’, The Yurok Tribal Council © Yurok Tribe 2007 Yurok tribe 3 Traditional Ways Our world Our world began long before non-Indian exploration and settlement occurred in our area. At one time our people lived in over fifty villages throughout our ancestral territory. The laws, health and spirituality of our people were untouched by non- Indians. Culturally, our people are known as great fishermen, eelers, basket weavers, canoe makers, storytellers, singers, dancers, healers and strong medicine people. Woh-sekw Village in the 1900s. Before we were given the name “Yurok” we referred to ourselves (teas). These foods are essential craftsmanship. and others in our area using our to our people’s health, wellness The primary function of the Indian language. When we refer to and religious ceremonies. Our way canoes is to get people up and ourselves we say Oohl, meaning was never to over harvest and down the river and for ocean Indian people. to always ensure sustainability travel. The canoe is also very When we reference people of our food supply for future important to the White Deerskin from down river on the Klamath generations. Dance, a ceremony recently we call them Pue-lik-lo’ (Down Our traditional family homes rejuvenated. River Indian), those on the and sweathouses are made from The canoes are used to transport upper Klamath and Trinity are fallen keehl (redwood trees) which dancers and ceremonial people. Pey-cheek-lo’ (Up River Indian) and are then cut into redwood boards. The traditional money used by on the coast Ner-‘er-ner’ (Coast Before contact, it was common Yurok people is terk-term (dentalia Indian). for every village to have several shell), which is a shell harvested The Klamath-Trinity River family homes and sweathouses. from the ocean. is the lifeline of our people Today, only a small number of The dentalia used on necklaces because the majority of the food villages with traditional family are most often used in traditional supply, like ney-puy (salmon), homes and sweathouses remain ceremonies, such as the u pyue- Kaa-ka (sturgeon) and kwor-ror intact. wes (White Deerskin Dance), (candlefish) are offered to us from Our traditional stories teach us woo-neek-we-ley-goo (Jump these rivers. that the redwood trees are sacred Dance) and mey-lee (Brush Dance). Also, important to our people living beings. Although, we use It was standard years ago, to are the foods which are offered them in our homes and canoes, use dentalia to settle debts, pay from the ocean and inland areas we also respect redwood trees dowry, and purchase large or such as pee-ee (mussels), chey-gel’ because they stand as guardians small items needed by individuals (seaweed), woo-mehl (acorns), over our sacred places. or families. puuek (deer), mey-weehl (elk), ley- The yoch (canoe) makers are Tattoos on men’s arms measured chehl (berries), and wey-yok-seep recognized for their intuitive the length of the dentalia. Yurok tribe 4 Yurok Village Map Yurok tribe 5 A Tragic Past Exploration and Settlement the Americans traded furs with making their way to the villages of the coastal people. O men and O men hee-puer on the Yurok did not experience non- However, for unknown reasons coast. Indian exploration until much tensions grew and the American Smith’s expedition, though later than other tribal groups in expedition was cut short. The brief, was influential to all other California and the United States. expeditions increased over the trappers and explorers. The One of the first documented next few years and resulted in a reports from Smith’s expedition visits in the local area was by the dramatic decrease of furs in the resulted in more trappers Spanish in the 1500s. area. exploring the area and eventually When Spanish explorers Don By 1828, the area was gaining leading to an increase in Bruno de Heceta and Juan attention because of the non-Indian settlement. Francisco de la Bodega y Cuadra reports back from the American arrived in the early 1700s, they expeditions, despite the news that Gold Rush in Yurok Country intruded upon the people the local terrain was rough. of Chue-rey village. This visit The most well-known trapping By 1849 settlers were quickly resulted in Bodega laying claim expedition of this era was led by moving into Northern California by mounting a cross at Trinidad Jedediah Smith. Smith guided a because of the discovery of gold Head. team of trappers through the local at Gold Bluffs and Orleans. Yurok In the early 1800s, the first area, coming down through the and settlers traded goods and American ship visited the area of Yurok village of Kep’-el, crossing Yurok assisted with transporting Trinidad and Big Lagoon. Initially, over Bald Hills and eventually items via dugout canoe. However, Fannie Flounder sits on her porch in Rek’-woy. Yurok tribe 6 A sweat house in Weych-pues Village. this relationship quickly changed of the Yurok people died due to settlers claiming the Indians were as more settlers moved into the massacres and disease, while receiving an excess of valuable area and demonstrated hostility other tribes in California saw a land and resources. toward Indian people. With the 95% loss of life. The Congress rejected the surge of settlers moving treaties and failed to notify the in the government was Treaty Negotiations tribes of this decision. pressured to change laws to While miners established camps Revolts against settlers better protect the Yurok from loss along the Klamath and Trinity of land and assault. Rivers, the federal government In 1855, a group of “vigilante” The rough terrain of the local worked toward finding a Indians (who were known as Red area did not deter settlers in solution to the conflicts, which Cap Indians) initiated a revolt their pursuit of gold. They dramatically increased as each against settlers. moved through the area and new settlement was established. The Red Cap Indians were encountered camps of Indian The government sent Indian believed to be a mix of tribal people. Hostility from both sides agent Redick McKee to initiate groups who were fighting settlers. caused much bloodshed and loss treaty negotiations. Initially, local The Red Cap War nearly of life. tribes were resistant to come brought a halt to the non-Indians The gold mining expeditions together, some outright opposed settlement effort. resulted in the destruction of meeting with the agent. The The government was able to villages, loss of life and a culture treaties negotiated by McKee suppress the Red Cap Indians and severely fragmented. By the end were sent to Congress, which was regained control over the upper of the gold rush era at least 75% inundated with complaints from Yurok Reservation.