Who Are the Walla Walla?
The Walla Walla are one of three confederated peoples at the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon, within the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR). Their name means "Little Rivers" or "Many Waters," referring to the numerous streams in their homeland. They speak Sahaptin, a Plateau Penutian language closely related to the Umatilla dialect. The Walla Walla occupied the confluence of the Walla Walla and Columbia Rivers in southeastern Washington—strategic territory that made them important traders and diplomats among Columbia Plateau peoples.
River Confluence Economy
The Walla Walla homeland at the confluence of major rivers made them central to regional trade networks. Salmon runs up the Walla Walla River provided food; the river junction connected peoples from the coast to the interior. Walla Walla traders connected fishing peoples of the Columbia with horse cultures of the interior plateau. They gathered camas and other roots, fished for salmon, and hunted across diverse territories. This strategic location brought wealth but also made them vulnerable when American expansion followed river routes into the interior.
The 1855 Treaty of Walla Walla
The Walla Walla gave their name to the 1855 Treaty of Walla Walla, negotiated by Isaac Stevens with several Columbia Plateau nations. Chief Peopeomoxmox (Yellow Bird) of the Walla Walla was a skilled negotiator who secured important provisions, including reserved fishing rights that remain legally enforceable today. Despite negotiating, the Walla Walla were soon engulfed in the Yakama War (1855-1858); Peopeomoxmox was killed under a flag of truce, his body mutilated by American soldiers. This betrayal demonstrated the limits of diplomacy against overwhelming force.
Contemporary Walla Walla
Modern Walla Walla identity persists within the CTUIR confederation. The city and county of Walla Walla, Washington, bear the tribe's name—a reminder of indigenous presence despite removal to Oregon. CTUIR operates extensive programs serving all three confederated peoples. Sahaptin language programs work to preserve the Walla Walla dialect. Treaty fishing rights remain important; CTUIR participates in salmon management across the Columbia Basin. The Tamástslikt Cultural Institute preserves Walla Walla history alongside Cayuse and Umatilla stories. How Walla Walla identity survives within multi-tribal governance while their namesake city grows around them shapes this little river people's complex present.
References
- Stern, T. (1998). "Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla" (Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 12)
- Josephy, A. M. (1965). The Nez Perce Indians and the Opening of the Northwest
- Richards, K. D. (1993). Isaac I. Stevens: Young Man in a Hurry