KLAMATH INDIANS

FOR THE KLAMATH INDIANS THEIR NAME MEANS PEOPLE OR COMMUNITY - MAKLETS. THEY LIVE NEAR THE OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA ALONG THE KLAMATH RIVER. THEY DEPENDED ON FISHING INLAND WATER WAYS. THEY HUNTED SMALL GAME AND WILD PLANT FOODS SUCH AS ROOTS AND WATER LILY SEEDS.

THEY ARE A PLATEAU TRIBE THAT SPEAKS PENUTIAN DIALECT. THEY USED TO BE WARLIKE AND THEIR BOWMEN COULD SHOOT AN ARROW RIGHT THROUGH A HORSE. THEY HAD RAIDS ON MANY NORTHERN CALIFORNIAN TRIBES, AND TOOK CAPTIVES AS SLAVES. THEY WERE FRIENDLY TOWARD THE ANGLOS. A CANADIAN, PETER OGDEN FIRST ESTABLISHED TRADE RELATIONS WITH THE KLAMATH IN 1829.

THEY SIGNED A TREATY IN 1864 AND AGREED TO GIVE UP SLAVERY. THEY WERE INDIRECTLY PART OF THE MODOC WAR IN 1872-1873. BECAUSE THE MODOCS DID NOT GET ALONG WITH THE KLAMATH THEY HEADED SOUTH AND EVENTUALLY FOUGHT THE MOST VIOLENT INDIAN WAR IN CALIFORNIAN HISTORY. IN 1954 THE KLAMATH LOST SOME OF THEIR LAND TO THE GOVERNMENT.

CARL WALDMAN