Chetco (tribe)
Encyclopedia
The Chetco are a tribe of Native Americans
who originally lived along the lower Chetco River
in Curry County
in the U.S. state
of Oregon
. The name Chetco comes from the word meaning "close to the mouth of the stream" in their own language, which is part of the Athapascan languages
. Although they were once one of the largest tribes on the Pacific coast of Oregon, "the last known full-blooded Chetco" died in 1940, and as of 2009 only 40 or so descendants of the tribe remain.
, which also includes most native languages in Alaska
, the Apache and Navajo language
s in the southwest United States, and the languages spoken by the Rogue River
and Tolowa
tribes in Oregon. The name Chetco comes from the word Cheti in their own language, meaning "close to the mouth of the stream". The nine villages of the tribe on the Chetco River were named Chettanne, Chettannene (twin villages at the mouth of the river), Khuniliikhwut, Nakwutthume, Nukhwuchutun, Setthatun, Siskhaslitun, Tachukhaslitun, and Thlcharghilitun.
. The Chetco territory extended a short distance on either side of the river, along the Pacific coast from Cape Ferrelo in the north to the Winchuck River
in the south. They were the most populous of the 12 coastal tribes in southern Oregon.
The Chetco were hunter-gatherer
s with a diet based on hunting deer and elk, gathering acorn
s and mussel
s, and fishing. They used dugout canoes
on the ocean and river and worked with stone tools. The Chetco cooked on open fires or with simple pots, and were culturally very similar to the Tolowa
tribe to the south, "who shared the same customs regulating social relationships and frequently intermarried".
The tribe is thought to have had perhaps 1000 members at its peak, but its numbers declined after American settlers came into contact with the Chetco in the 19th century. Settlers destroyed the Chetco villages in 1853 and the surviving members of the tribe were forcibly removed to the Siletz Reservation
in Tillamook County, Oregon
(in 1879 the land the reservation is on became part of Lincoln County
). In 1854 there were 241 members of the tribe on the reservation: 83 women, 117 men, and 41 children. By 1861 there were 262 on the reservation: 96 women, 62 men, and 104 children; by 1871 the total on the reservation had dropped to 63. Lucy Dick, who died in 1940 was "the last known full-blooded Chetco"; as of 2009.
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
who originally lived along the lower Chetco River
Chetco River
The Chetco River is a stream located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Oregon. It drains approximately of Curry County. Flowing through a rugged and isolated coastal region, it descends rapidly from about to sea level at the Pacific Ocean. Except for the lowermost , the river is...
in Curry County
Curry County, Oregon
Curry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 2010, its population was 22,364. The county is named for George Law Curry, a governor of the Oregon Territory. The seat of the county is Gold Beach.-Economy:...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. The name Chetco comes from the word meaning "close to the mouth of the stream" in their own language, which is part of the Athapascan languages
Athabaskan languages
Athabaskan or Athabascan is a large group of indigenous peoples of North America, located in two main Southern and Northern groups in western North America, and of their language family...
. Although they were once one of the largest tribes on the Pacific coast of Oregon, "the last known full-blooded Chetco" died in 1940, and as of 2009 only 40 or so descendants of the tribe remain.
Language and name
The Chetco language is a member of the Athapascan languagesAthabaskan languages
Athabaskan or Athabascan is a large group of indigenous peoples of North America, located in two main Southern and Northern groups in western North America, and of their language family...
, which also includes most native languages in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, the Apache and Navajo language
Navajo language
Navajo or Navaho is an Athabaskan language spoken in the southwestern United States. It is geographically and linguistically one of the Southern Athabaskan languages .Navajo has more speakers than any other Native American language north of the...
s in the southwest United States, and the languages spoken by the Rogue River
Rogue River (tribe)
Rogue River is the name of a Native American group originally located in southern Oregon in the United States. Rogue River was not a single tribe, but a conglomeration of many affiliated and related tribal groups. The total estimated population of these tribes in 1850 was about 9,500...
and Tolowa
Tolowa language
The Tolowa language is a member of the Pacific Coast subgroup of the Athabaskan language family. It is spoken by Tolowa Indians in southern Oregon and northern California. There are only a handful of remaining fully fluent native speakers...
tribes in Oregon. The name Chetco comes from the word Cheti in their own language, meaning "close to the mouth of the stream". The nine villages of the tribe on the Chetco River were named Chettanne, Chettannene (twin villages at the mouth of the river), Khuniliikhwut, Nakwutthume, Nukhwuchutun, Setthatun, Siskhaslitun, Tachukhaslitun, and Thlcharghilitun.
History
The Chetco are believed to have come to coastal Oregon between 3000 and 1000 years ago. They had nine villages on the lower 14 miles (22.5 km) of the Chetco River, with their principal villages at the mouth, where the river flows into the Pacific OceanPacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. The Chetco territory extended a short distance on either side of the river, along the Pacific coast from Cape Ferrelo in the north to the Winchuck River
Winchuck River
The Winchuck River is a short coastal stream that runs through the Siskiyou National Forest to the Pacific Ocean in the U.S. state of Oregon. Flowing generally west from its origin near Elk Mountain, the river enters the sea at Crissey Field State Recreation Site, about north of the...
in the south. They were the most populous of the 12 coastal tribes in southern Oregon.
The Chetco were hunter-gatherer
Hunter-gatherer
A hunter-gatherer or forage society is one in which most or all food is obtained from wild plants and animals, in contrast to agricultural societies which rely mainly on domesticated species. Hunting and gathering was the ancestral subsistence mode of Homo, and all modern humans were...
s with a diet based on hunting deer and elk, gathering acorn
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
s and mussel
Mussel
The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval.The...
s, and fishing. They used dugout canoes
Dugout (boat)
A dugout or dugout canoe is a boat made from a hollowed tree trunk. Other names for this type of boat are logboat and monoxylon. Monoxylon is Greek -- mono- + ξύλον xylon -- and is mostly used in classic Greek texts. In Germany they are called einbaum )...
on the ocean and river and worked with stone tools. The Chetco cooked on open fires or with simple pots, and were culturally very similar to the Tolowa
Tolowa
The Tolowa are a Native American tribe. They still reside in their traditional territories in northwestern California and southern Oregon. Tolowa are members of the federally recognized Smith River Rancheria, Elk Valley Rancheria, Confederated Tribes of Siletz, as well as the unrecognized Tolowa...
tribe to the south, "who shared the same customs regulating social relationships and frequently intermarried".
The tribe is thought to have had perhaps 1000 members at its peak, but its numbers declined after American settlers came into contact with the Chetco in the 19th century. Settlers destroyed the Chetco villages in 1853 and the surviving members of the tribe were forcibly removed to the Siletz Reservation
Siletz Reservation
The Siletz Reservation is a 5.852 sq mi Indian reservation in Oregon, United States, owned by the Confederated Tribes of Siletz...
in Tillamook County, Oregon
Tillamook County, Oregon
Tillamook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for the Tillamook, a Native American tribe who were living in the area in the early 19th century at the time of European American settlement. In 2010, the county's population was 25,250...
(in 1879 the land the reservation is on became part of Lincoln County
Lincoln County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge*Siuslaw National Forest -Demographics:...
). In 1854 there were 241 members of the tribe on the reservation: 83 women, 117 men, and 41 children. By 1861 there were 262 on the reservation: 96 women, 62 men, and 104 children; by 1871 the total on the reservation had dropped to 63. Lucy Dick, who died in 1940 was "the last known full-blooded Chetco"; as of 2009.