Tututni facts for kids

The Tututni are a historic Native American tribe. They are part of the Lower Rogue River Athabascan tribes. These tribes lived in southwestern Oregon, near the Pacific Coast. Their traditional home was along the Rogue River and its smaller streams. This area stretched from the Coquille River in the north to the Chetco River in the south.

In 1855, the Tututni signed a treaty called the Coast Treaty. After this, they were moved to the Siletz Indian Reservation in Oregon. The term "Lower Rogue River Athabascan" also refers to a group of Athabascan tribes. These include the Tututni, Upper Coquille, and Shasta Costa tribes. They all spoke a similar Athabascan language. This language is known as Lower Rogue River, or Tututni.

Understanding Rogue River Tribes

Sometimes, "Rogue River" refers to the Rogue River Athabascan tribes. These tribes spoke two closely related languages. They were Lower Rogue River (also called Tututni) and Upper Rogue River (also called Galice-Applegate).

More broadly, "Rogue River" can mean many different tribal groups. These groups lived in the entire Rogue River Valley area. They belonged to three main language families: Athabaskan, Takelma, and Shastan.

Tututni and Related Groups

The Tututni tribes are also known as the Lower Rogue River Athabascan tribes. They included several important groups:

• The Upper Coquille (Coquille, Mishikwutinetunne) tribe.
• The Shasta Costa tribe.
• The Tututni tribe, which included the Euchre Creek (Yukichetunne) band.

The Tututni tribe itself had many smaller groups, often called bands. These bands were culturally connected and shared family ties. However, they didn't have a single chief or government like some other tribes.

Tututni Bands

The Tututni tribe included several bands. Some spoke the Euchre Creek dialect, and others spoke the Tututni dialect.

• Euchre Creek dialect:
  • Yukiche-tunne (Euchre Creek) band.
• Tututni dialect:
  • Kwatami (Sixes) band.
  • Tutu-tunne (Tututni) band.
  • Mikono-tunne (Mikonotunne, Mackanotin) band.
  • Cheme-tunne (Joshua) band.
  • Chetleshin (Pistol River) band.
  • Kwaish-tunne-tunne (Wishtenatin) band.
  • Nal-tunne-tunne band.

Upper Coquille Tribe

The Upper Coquille tribe spoke the Upper Coquille dialect. This group included:

• The Coquille (Upper Coquille, Mishikwutinetunne) Tribe.
• The Floras Creek (Kosotshe) group.

Shasta Costa Tribe

The Shasta Costa tribe spoke the Chasta Costa dialect. This group included:

• The Shasta Costa Tribe.

Their Language

The Tututni (Lower Rogue River Athabascan) tribes spoke different versions, or dialects, of the Lower Rogue River language. This language is also known as Tututni or Tututni-Shasta Costa-Coquille.

Today, this Pacific Coast Athabaskan language is no longer spoken. It was part of the Oregon Athabascan language family. The main dialects were:

• Coquille: Spoken along the upper Coquille River.
• Tututni: Included dialects like Tututunne, Naltunnetunne, Mikonotunne, Kwatami, Chemetunne, Chetleshin, and Khwaishtunnetunnne.
• Euchre Creek: Also known as Yukichetunne.
• Chasta Costa: Also known as Illinois River.

Tututni History

The Tututni tribe first met Europeans in the late 1700s. British, Spanish, and American ships explored the Oregon coast. In 1792, some Tututni met British explorer Captain George Vancouver. Merchants traded with the Tututni for sea otter furs.

When settlers arrived, they brought new diseases. These diseases, like smallpox and measles, were common among Europeans. However, Native Americans had no protection against them. This led to a huge loss of life, with 75% to 90% of many Oregon native populations dying.

In the 1840s, the first wagon trains of immigrants came overland to Oregon. This was along the Oregon Trail. For a while, the region remained peaceful.

During the 1850s, settlers began clearing land for farms. This destroyed the Tututni's hunting grounds and trails. In 1851, some settlers built Port Orford on Tututni land. The discovery of gold in the Rogue River valley brought more settlers and miners to Port Orford. This increased competition for resources. Tensions grew between the Tututni and the European Americans.

These conflicts eventually led to the Rogue River Wars of 1855-1856. During these wars, United States troops and volunteer groups fought against the Native Americans. In February 1856, the Tututni attacked the Gold Beach Guards. These guards were camped near a large Tututni village at Port Orford. In the fighting, the Tututni burned most of the settlers' homes between Port Orford and Smith River.

After the Rogue River Wars in 1856, the Tututni and other Rogue River Indians were forced to leave their homes. They had to move to new areas. Some went to the Coast Indian Reservation. This is now the home of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians. This reservation was far north of their traditional lands. Others moved to the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation. This is the home of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon.

Over time, the tribes on these reservations married each other. Their children are now members of these larger, combined tribes. The Tututni Tribe itself is not a federally recognized tribe today. However, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz is a recognized tribe.