🐎 Yakama

Who Are the Yakama?

The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation comprise 14 tribes and bands, with approximately 10,500 enrolled members—one of the largest tribes in the Pacific Northwest. They speak Sahaptin (Ichishkíin), a Sahaptian language with several hundred speakers. The 1855 Yakama Treaty consolidated previously autonomous bands onto the 1.3 million-acre Yakama Reservation in south-central Washington. The name "Yakama" (officially respelled from "Yakima" in 1994) derives from the Sahaptin word for "pregnant women" or "runaway people." The Yakama maintain strong traditional culture, operating as a sovereign nation exercising treaty rights to fish, hunt, and gather.

Salmon and Treaty Rights

The Yakama are salmon people. The Columbia River and its tributaries—especially the Yakima, Klickitat, and Wenatchee rivers—provided abundant salmon runs. The 1855 treaty reserved fishing rights "at all usual and accustomed grounds"—language that became crucial in 20th-century legal battles. The Boldt Decision (1974) and Belloni Decision (1969) affirmed that tribes were entitled to half of harvestable fish—transforming Northwest fisheries management. Yakama fishers exercise these rights at traditional sites; the tribe operates hatcheries and restoration programs. Columbia River dams devastated salmon, but treaty rights ensure the Yakama remain central to salmon's future.

Reservation Life

The Yakama Reservation—1.3 million acres in south-central Washington—includes forests, agricultural lands, and Mount Adams (Pahto). Unlike many tribes, the Yakama successfully resisted allotment; the reservation remains largely intact. The tribal government exercises extensive sovereignty—operating courts, police, and natural resource programs. Timber operations and agricultural leases provide revenue. Legends Casino and Resort supports tribal services. Cultural programs maintain traditional practices; the Longhouse religion combines indigenous spirituality with elements introduced in the 19th century. However, the reservation faces challenges: poverty, inadequate housing, and health disparities persist despite economic development.

Contemporary Yakama

Modern Yakama assert sovereignty while addressing ongoing challenges. Treaty rights remain central—the tribe participates in Columbia River treaty processes and challenges federal agencies over salmon protection. The Yakama Nation Review, tribal newspaper, serves the community. Language programs work to transmit Sahaptin to youth. Cultural sites including Celilo Falls (drowned by The Dalles Dam in 1957) are commemorated; land restoration returns parcels to tribal ownership. Hanford Nuclear Reservation cleanup, on ceded lands, is a major concern. How the Yakama balance tradition and development, exercise treaty rights, and protect their vast homeland shapes this confederation's future.

References

• Schuster, H. H. (1998). \"Yakima and Neighboring Groups\" (Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 12)
• Ulrich, R. (1999). Empty Nets: Indians, Dams, and the Columbia River
• Yakama Nation. (2020). Treaty of 1855: A Living Document