Quileute facts for kids
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|
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Enrolled members: 800 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| United States (Washington) | |
| Languages | |
| English, formerly Quileute language | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Chimakum (extinct) |
The Quileute (say "KWI-lee-oot") are a Native American group living in western Washington state in the United States. As of 2018, there are about 800 members. They are a federally recognized tribe, known as the Quileute Tribe of the Quileute Reservation.
The Quileute people lost much of their land after signing the Quinault Treaty in 1855. However, they later got back one square mile of land. This happened when President Cleveland signed an order creating the Quileute Indian Reservation (47°54′23″N 124°37′30″W / 47.90639°N 124.62500°W). Their reservation is located near the southwest part of Clallam County, Washington. It is right at the mouth of the Quillayute River on the Pacific coast. The Quileute are part of the larger Coast Salish people of the Pacific Northwest.
The main town on the reservation is La Push, Washington. In 2000, about 371 people lived on the reservation. The land area is about 4 square kilometers (1.5 square miles).
The Quileute language is part of the Chimakuan language family. It is a unique language because its only related language, Chimakum, is no longer spoken. The Chimakum people were a related group. The Quileute language is also special because it is one of only a few languages that do not use "m" or "n" sounds.
Like many groups in the Northwest Coast, the Quileute traditionally got their food by fishing. They fished in local rivers and the Pacific Ocean. They built large wooden houses called longhouses. These houses protected them from the cold, wet winters west of the Cascade Mountains.
Contents
Amazing Artwork and Tools
Historically, the Quileute were very skilled builders and artists. Like many other tribes in their area, they were excellent boat and canoe makers. They could build canoes big enough for whaling. These canoes could carry tons of goods and many people. Some of their cedar canoes were small, holding just two people. Others were huge, up to 58 meters (190 feet) long, able to carry up to 6,000 pounds. The design of modern clipper ships is similar to the canoes the Quileute used.
The Quileutes used natural resources from their land to make tools and other items. In their region, almost everything was made from wood. They created necessary items like utensils, clothing, weapons, and paints from what nature provided. For arts and crafts, the Quileute Tribe is famous for their woven baskets and blankets made from dog hair. They would raise special woolly dogs just for their hair. They would then spin this hair into yarn and weave it into blankets. They also wove incredibly fine baskets. These baskets were so tightly woven that they could hold water. Some were even used to boil water!
They also used cedar bark to make waterproof skirts and hats. These items helped protect them from the heavy rainfall in their area.
Plants and Medicines
The Quileute people have a lot of knowledge about the plants in their homeland. They know which plants have medicinal qualities. For example, they use velvetleaf huckleberries. They eat these berries uncooked, stew them to make a sauce, and can them for food.
Beliefs and Stories
The Quileute belief system says that every person has a special guardian. They would pray to this guardian, as well as to the sun and Tsikáti (the universe). Many of their original religious practices changed after Europeans arrived. New diseases, losses, and colonization affected their traditions. James Island, which you can see from First Beach, is very important to Quileute beliefs and culture. It was originally called A-Ka-Lat ("Top of the Rock"). It was used as a fort to keep other tribes out and as a burial place for chiefs.
Many Quileute stories say that their people came from wolves. Quileute myths tell of a mythical character named Dokibatt and K’wa’iti. This character created the first human of the Quileute tribe by changing a wolf. In the beginning, there were five groups in the tribe. These groups were the elk hunter, the whale hunter, the fisherman, the weather predictor, and the medicine man. The medicine man honored the creator with a wolf dance. Quileute stories are still very much alive in the Quileute Nation area near La Push.
The Quileute Language
The Quileute tribe speaks a language called Quileute or Quillayute. It is part of the Chimakuan family of languages. The Chimakum people were the only other group to speak a language from this family. Their language was called Chemakum.
In 1999, the last person who spoke Quileute as their first language passed away. This means the language is considered extinct. However, a few people in their 50s still remember some words. Before 1999, only tribal elders in La Push and some of the Makah spoke it.
Quileute is one of only 13 known languages that do not have "nasal consonants." These are sounds like "m" and "n." The tribe is now working hard to keep the language from being completely lost. They teach it in the Quileute Tribal School. They use books written for students by the tribal elders.
In 2021, the Quileute Nation Culture and Language Committee released an app. This app helps preserve the language and culture of their people. Efforts to use Quileute phrases in everyday life started in 2007. This was part of the Quileute Revitalization Project. It gave tribe members easy access to basic words and phrases. The Quileute Nation continues this project. They offer downloadable alphabet sheets and audiobooks read in Quileute.
Early Encounters and Changes
The Quileute people first met Europeans and Euro-Americans when European ships arrived. Quileute stories suggest that the earliest meeting was with Spanish sailors. These sailors were shipwrecked somewhere north of La Push. Another possible early meeting was with the Spanish ship Sonora in 1775. This ship met several Native Americans near the mouth of the Quinault River. After some trading, the meeting ended in conflict. Several Native Americans were killed, and six Spaniards were killed or captured. While this event is usually thought to be between the Quinault people and the Spanish, some believe the Quileute might have been involved.
In 1787, a small boat crew from the Imperial Eagle was killed by Native Americans near Destruction Island. The Columbia traded for furs with the village of La Push in 1792. The Russian ship Nikolai ran aground on a beach north of the Quillayute River in 1808. Its crew was killed or captured.
Quileute traditions have many stories about shipwrecks that are not dated. One story is about a French paddle steamer. The shipwrecked crew lived in La Push for many years. They called the mouth of the river "La Bouche." This might be where the village's current name, La Push, comes from.
The first official talks with the United States government happened in 1855. Isaac Stevens and the Quileute signed the Treaty of Olympia. They gave up large amounts of land. They also agreed to move to the Quinault Reservation.
ARTICLE 1. The said tribes and bands hereby cede, relinquish, and convey to the United States all their right, title, and interest in and to the lands and country occupied by them…
Article 11 of the Treaty of Olympia was a single sentence:
ARTICLE 11. The said tribes and bands agree to free all slaves now held by them, and not to purchase or acquire others hereafter.
This article changed a very important part of the Northwest Coastal tribes' culture. It took away their right to have people working for them. Their culture had always valued possessions, and they had traditionally had people working for them. Later, in 1882, A.W. Smith came to La Push to teach the Native children. He started a school and began changing people's tribal names to names from the Bible. In 1889, after years of this not being fully enforced, President Cleveland gave the Quileute tribe the La Push reservation. 252 residents moved there. In 1894, 71 people from the Hoh River got their own reservation. In 1889, a non-Native person who wanted the land at La Push started a fire. This fire burned down all the houses on the reservation. Many old artifacts from before the Europeans arrived were also lost.
Quileute Tribal School
The Quileute Tribal School teaches students from kindergarten to 12th grade. Both tribal and non-tribal students from La Push, Forks, and the Hoh Reservation attend. The school has a five-member school board chosen by election and a hired superintendent. In 2020-2021, 131 students from 14 different tribal backgrounds were enrolled. The school is currently part of a project called 'Move to Higher Ground'. This project hopes to move the school to a safer area outside of the current tsunami zone. Construction for a new campus began on July 1, 2020. Classes started in the new campus in the fall of 2022.
The Quileute Tribe in Stories
In Susan Sharpe's 1991 book Spirit Quest, an eleven-year-old boy named Aaron Singer spends part of his summer vacation on the Quileute Indian Reservation in Washington. There, he becomes friends with Robert, a Quileute boy. Robert's family encourages him to attend tribal school to learn the Quileute language and culture. Aaron convinces the boys to go on their own "spirit quest." During this adventure, Aaron finds and saves a trapped eagle. Aaron admires and respects Robert's culture. However, he realizes he can never be a part of it in the same way Robert is. Aaron's first romantic ideas about the culture are replaced by a deeper understanding.
Stephenie Meyer's Twilight book series features characters like Jacob Black and other werewolf characters. These are fictional members of the Quileute tribe who live in La Push. The series has been criticized for how it shows Native people and culture. It also tells Quileute stories incorrectly. The Quileute tribe did not receive any money from Twilight. This is despite their name and culture being used in the books. The Burke Museum created a website. This website helps correct the misunderstandings and teaches fans the truth about the Quileute tribe.
Historian Daniel Immerwahr suggests that the Fremen people in Frank Herbert's Dune are based on Herbert's meetings with Henry Martin. Henry Martin, also known as Han-daa-sho, was a fisherman who lived on the Quileute reservation in La Push, Washington.
Anna, Like Thunder is a historical fiction novel. It tells the story of Anna Petrovna Bulygina, who was captured by the Quileute tribe in 1808.
See also
In Spanish: Quileute para niños
