Klickitat people facts for kids
A Klickitat warrior, 1899
|
|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| c. 600 in 1780; c. 400 in 1910 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States ( Washington) |
|
| Languages | |
| English, Klickitat | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Yakama |
The Klickitat (also spelled Klikitat) are a Native American tribe from the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Today, most Klickitat people are part of the federally recognized Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. Some Klickitat are also members of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon.
The Klickitat people were known for being active and skilled traders. They helped connect tribes living near the coast with those living east of the Cascade Mountains. Their language, Klickitat, is part of the Shahaptian language family. It is closely related to the language spoken by their eastern neighbors, the Yakama people. You can find their name in places like Klickitat County, Washington, Klickitat, Washington, and the Klickitat River.
What's in a Name?
The name Klikitat is thought to come from a Chinookan word. This word means "beyond." It might have referred to the Rocky Mountains. However, the Klickitat people have their own name for themselves. They call themselves Qwû'lh-hwai-pûm or χwálχwaypam. This name means "prairie people."
A Look at Klickitat History
The Klickitat people originally lived north of the Columbia River. Their lands were near the beginnings of rivers like the Cowlitz, Lewis, White Salmon, and Klickitat. These areas are in what is now Klickitat and Skamania Counties.
In 1805, the famous explorers Lewis and Clark met the Klickitat people. They found them spending the winter along the Yakima and Klickitat Rivers. Lewis and Clark estimated that about 700 Klickitat people lived there at that time.
Between 1820 and 1830, a serious sickness spread through the tribes of the Willamette Valley. Because of this, the Klickitat people moved across the Columbia River. They settled for a time in an area that was once home to the Umpqua. However, they later returned to their original homelands.
In the early 1850s, some Klickitat people moved into what is now Jackson County, Oregon. This area was already home to other tribes. These included the Modoc, Shasta, and Umpqua tribes.
The Klickitat War began in 1855. After the war, the Klickitat people agreed to a treaty. This was the Yakima treaty signed at Camp Stevens on June 9, 1855. Through this treaty, they gave up their lands to the United States. Most Klickitat people then moved to the Yakama Indian Reservation. A smaller number settled on the Grand Ronde Community reservation.
Even after signing the treaty in 1855, Klickitat warriors were reported to be around the city during the Battle of Seattle. This battle took place on January 26, 1856.
The Klickitat people were known for trading goods like salmon, roots, and berries. When Lewis and Clark arrived, the tribe had two chiefs. Both of them welcomed the explorers.
