CONFEDERATE TRIBES OF YAKAMA FEDERATION

THEIR ORIGINAL LANDS EXTENDED IN ALL DIRECTIONS ALONG THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS TO COLUMBIA RIVER AND BEYOND. THEY CONSIDERED THEIR LAND GIVEN TO THEM BY THE CREATOR AND A HERITAGE TO BE HELD AND PROTECTED BY UNBORN GENERATIONS. THEIR ANCESTORS WERE DIFFERENT TRIBES AND BANDS WITH A COUNCIL OF LEADERS. EACH BAND SPOKE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. THE FOLLOWING BANDS ARE PART OF THE YAKAMA NATION PALOUSE, YAKAMA, PISQUOISE, WENATCHAPAM, KLINQUIT, OCEAN CHOTES, KOW WAYSAYE EE, SKIMPAH, KLCKITAT, WISH HAM AND SHYIKS. IN 1855 14 TRIBES WERE CONFEDERATED INTO THE YAKAMA NATION.

THERE WERE 14 TRIBES THAT SIGNED THE TREATY IN 1893 THAT CEDED 10.8 MILLION ACRES OF YAKAMA LANDS TO THE GOVERNMENT. THEY KEPT 1.3 MILLION ACRES FOR HUNTING, FISHING, AND GATHERING. AN ABANDONED MILITARY BASE WAS THE IST FORMAL INDIAN RESERVATION HERE IN 1859. IT WAS AN OLD INDIAN CAMPSITE, THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO FOR HUNTING, ROOT GATHEREING - HUCKLEBERRIES, AND FISHING. IT WAS LOCATED ON THE EEL TRAIL. IT WAS CALLED MOOL MOOL., MEANING WHERE WATER BUBBLES OUT OF THE GROUND.

THEY OPENED A MUSEUM IN 1980, AND ITS IS ONE OF THE OLDEST NATIVE AMERICAN MUSEUMS IN THE U.S. IT TOOK YEARS TO PLAN. IT SUPPORTS THEIR TRADITIONS, CULTURAL, NATIVE RESOURCES, ART AND HISTORY, AS WELL AS THE FUTURE. THEY HAVE A WOMAN TEACHING CULTURAL ARTS. THEY OPERATE A FISHERIES PROGRAM WITH ABOUT 40 PEOPLE. TODAY SALMON ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE 8400 YAKAMA MEMBERS.

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