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Shasta Indian Tribe History
Shasta (from Sǔsti'ka, apparently
the mane of a well known Indian tribe living about 1840 near the
site of Yreka). A group of small tribes or divisions forming
the Shastan linguistic family of north California and formerly
extending into Oregon. The area occupied by the Shasta is
quite irregular, and consists of one main and three subsidiary
areas. The main body, comprising the Iruwaitsu, Kammatwa,
Katiru, and Kikatsik, with whom there was little diversity in
language, occupied Klamath river from Klamath Hot Springs to Happy
Camp, the north half of Shasta valley, the whole of Scott valley,
and the upper part of the south part of Salmon river. During the
last hundred years, at least, they inhabited also the valley of
Stewart river in Oregon from its source to the junction of Rogue
river. The three subsidiary groups, consisting of the Konomihu, New
River Indians, and Okwanuchu, occupied the forks of the Salmon, the
head of New river, and McCloud and upper Sacramento rivers and Squaw
creek. These subsidiary groups are now practically extinct. For the
distribution of the component divisions see under their respective
name, The culture and customs of the Shasta seem to have been much
the same throughout this area, but linguistically they were divided
into four groups speaking divergent dialects. Little record has been
preserved of their characteristics, and with their decrease in
numbers and proximity to civilization, they have lost practically
all their native customs. They were a sedentary people, living in
small villages, composed of rectangular, semisubterranean plank
houses, similar to those in use by the Indians on the coast
immediately to the west. Their food was largely vegetal, made up of
acorns, seeds, and roots; but fish, particularly salmon, was an
important factor in the food supply. The salmon were caught by net,
weir, trap, and spear, and were dried and preserved for winter food.
Their arts were few. Dugout canoes of rather broad, clumsy type,
similar to those used nearer the mouth of the Klamath, were in use.
The bow was the chief weapon. Carving was practically limited to
rude spoons of wood and bone, painting was little used, and basketry
was not developed to any great extent, being confined chiefly to
basket caps for the women and small food baskets of simple form and
ornament. There was no clan organization, and the village seems to
have been the unit, as elsewhere in California. Their religious
beliefs and ceremonials seem to have been only in small part similar
to the tribes to the east and west of them, but their mythology is
not as rich as that of the
Maidu, Wintun, or other of the northern California linguistic
groups. The first contact of the Shasta with the whites was with fur
traders, who early in the 19th century trapped in their territory.
With the opening of the trade route from Oregon to California by way
of Sacramento valley in the middle of the 19th century, the Shasta
came more into contact with civilization, and the development of
gold mining in the 60's hastened the process of their extinction,
for they soon succumbed to the unfavorable environment of the mining
camp. There are fewer than a score now living, some on the Grande
Ronde Reservation in Oregon, the others scattered about their former
territory. The names Idakariuke, Ikaruck, and Kosetah have been
mentioned, largely through misunderstanding, as those of Shasta
divisions and villages.
Shastan Family (adapted from, Shasta,
the name of one of its divisions). A linguistic stock comprising
two principal groups, the Sastean and the Palaihnihan of Powell,
which until recently (Dixon in Am. Anthr., vii,
213, 1905, and in Internat. Cong. Amer., 1906, Quebec, 1907)
were regarded as distinct families. The area occupied by the
Shasta division was the Klamath valley in north California and
south Oregon, extending, in the northern part, up the valleys of
Jenny and Cottonwood creeks and over the entire valley of
Stewart river to its mouth; from here they controlled the area
along Rogue river, above the mouth of the Stewart, to Little
Butte creek, as well as the basin of the latter stream, which
heads near the base of Mt Pit. Another tribe, the Konomihu,
determined by Dixon to be related to the Shasta group, occupied
the region about the Forks of Salmon in California, extending
for 7 miles up the south fork and 5 miles up the north fork,
while above them, on the upper courses of the two forks and
extending over the divide into the head of New river, resided
the related New River tribe. Still another Shasta tribe, known
as Okwanuchu, formerly occupied the head of Sacramento river
down as far as Salt river and the upper part of the McCloud as
far down as Squaw creek, together with the valley of the latter
stream.
The other division of the family hitherto known as the
Palaihnihan or Pit River Indians, consisting of the Achomaui,
Astakiwi, Atsugewi, Atuami, Chumawi, Hantiwi, Humawhi, Hmawi,
and Pakaulali, occupied chiefly the area drained by Pit river in
extreme north California. For further information see under the
tribal names.
The books presented are for their historical value only and are not the
opinions of the Webmasters of the site.
Handbook
of American Indians, 1906
Index of Tribes or Nations
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